Has been. The Abramoff and Mark Foley scandals led to the Republican party purge of 2006. In my opinion, that was the first wave of what is still continuing now. If you want to try someone to the right of McCain, find someone else.
Staging a primary fight to McCain is probably counter-productive anyway. I know, I know, McCain is a RINO, Bush is a RINO, Scott Brown is a RINO, Ronald Reagan was a RINO, Barry Goldwater was a RINO, Robert A. Taft was a RINO. RINO, RINO, RINO. It’s gotten a little ridiculous. Can we pick on left-liberals for a change?
We have to be careful not to lose focus on what the goal is. If the goal is to remove the Dems from power in 2010, then we need to carefully allocate resources to win the needed seats. McCain will have no trouble in the general election, but Hayworth might. The goal is to win seats without losing any.
As much as I disagree with McCain’s positions on energy and immigration, and can’t understand why he refused to tell the public the truth about the person he was running against for President, this is not a chance we need to take right now.
There is a third candidate, Chris Simcox, who may split the anti-illegal immigration vote with Hayworth and give the primary to McCain anyway.
Let’s get control away from the Dems and not spend energy fighting amongst ourselves.