Retired IBM technician Rob Haney of Phoenix is a rather annoying thorn in the political side of Sen. John McCain. Haney, chairman of the Republican Party in McCain’s home legislative district, clearly would prefer that McCain leave the party, or even better, just leave his Senate office for another Republican to hold. Haney is convinced that McCain isn’t a real conservative and is disloyal to the Republican Party’s platform on issues ranging from campaign finance to gun control to climate change to immigration enforcement. Haney has said so to just about any journalist and citizen blogger who will listen. But a couple of my favorite quotes went to The Nation’s Max Blumenthal:

“McCain is mentally unstable and vindictive and out of control.”

—Huffington Post, Feb. 15, 2007

 “The guy has no core, his only principle is winning the presidency. He likes to call his campaign the ’straight talk express.’ Well, down here we call it the ‘forked tongue express.’”
—The Nation, Feb. 21, 2007

Haney got quite a bit of national media coverage after the McCain camp tried to seize control of legislative District 11 during the 2006 state primary through the election of precinct committeemen, also known as PCs. This low-level office is the key to participating in the party’s official machinery. Party leaders must start out as PCs and must be voted in by other PCs.

A number of McCain backers were elected as PCs in 2006, but not enough to take down Haney, who has continued to speak out even after McCain earned the Republican nomination for president last spring. Given McCain’s frequently hot temper, you can guess what he did for this year’s state primary on Sept. 2.

“You’d think he’d try to put things aside and unify the party with a presidential election going on. Instead, he tried even harder,” Haney told me Thursday.

The McCain camp elected another slate of impressive candidates to this obscure post, including former Govs. Fife Symington and Jane Hull and current Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. Creating the most buzz in Republican circles was the defeat of Haney supporter Tom Husband, who will have to give up his title as chairman of the Maricopa County Republican committee.

But Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who also lives in the district, weighed in on behalf of Haney and his slate of candidates. That might have tilted the scales against McCain, although no one will know for sure until District 11 PCs gather in late November to choose district leaders.

“By my reckoning, we still have a considerable margin,” Haney said. “I was surprised by that myself.”

And as District 11 has perhaps the largest number of PCs in the state, that outcome could heavily influence who is chosen as the party’s statewide chairman in 2009. Current chairman Randy Pullen also lives in District 11, and he’s another party activitist who has publicly clashed with McCain before.

As for Haney, he’s going to vote Republican in the presidential election on Nov. 4. But he won’t see it as a vote for McCain.

“How could you be enthusiastic for someone who has done his best in the past four years trying to decimate the conservative base, including you? There is hope with Sarah Palin.”

(AP Photo)

A quick note to Sen. John McCain:

Watched your big moment tonight at the Republican National Convention. Guess we couldn’t expect you to suddenly match the speaking chops of that other guy. But not a bad job, really. I admire how you refused to be distracted by those pesky protesters who somehow made it past the Secret Service. Your POW story certainly is a compelling tale, no matter how many times I hear it. And I definitely enjoyed the theater of your repeated cries of “Fight with me” as the crowd cheered wildly at the climax of your acceptance address.

At one point earlier in the speech, you talked about some average people you are fighting for — from Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. I know the first two states are election battlegrounds this year, and New Hampshire holds a special place in your heart for your primary victory there in 2000 and then for reviving your campaign this year.

Just wondering if you know any ordinary people here in Arizona. You know, your home state? Or, at least, the place you’ve represented in Washington for the past 26 years?  In fact, you didn’t mention the Grand Canyon state even once in your entire speech.

That just doesn’t seem right. The East Valley adopted you rather enthusaistically when you were looking for some friendly district to launch you into Congress back in 1982. And the rest of the state has been a mostly steady platform as you developed into a national political figure.

Tonight might turn out to be the biggest event in your entire life where you had the stage all to yourself. Surely, Arizona deserved just the briefest glimmer of attention as you basked in the glory of it all.

Hmpf. Maybe if things go well this fall, you might find a couple of seconds to remember the 48th state after you place your hand on the Bible and take a certain oath on Jan. 20, 2009.

Russell Pearce’s big victory in Tuesday’s state primaries was the most prominent example of a clear trend: modern conservatives still dominate the Arizona Republican Party. Other examples of this trend include Yavapai County rancher Steve Pierce upsetting Sen. Tom O’Halleran in legislative District 1 across northern Arizona, Sen. Jack Harper picking up an overwhelming win in the West Valley’s District 4 and  Al Melvin defeating veteran Rep. Pete Hershberger for the open Senate seat in District 26 of north Tucson.

Other hints in this trend include Rep. John McComish’s struggle to keep his seat in District 20 (Ahwatukee Foothills, south Tempe and west Chandler) against Jeff Dial and Frank Schmuck; and David Gowan being the top vote-getter among Republicans in the House race for Tucson’s District 30.

Nearly all of these races had featured aggressive primary races and spending by outside groups against the candidate perceived by some as too conservative, which translates as too harsh on state immigration enforcement or too stingy with state tax dollars or too strident on social issues such gay marriage. Time and again, Republican voters who turned out Tuesday rejected calls for a change in direction of the GOP and embraced candidates who would keep the party platform firmly to the right.

Of course, Democrats are hoping to have some say over whether a number of these candidates actually wind up in power next year. For example, Melvin was the Republican nominee for the Senate in District 26 in 2006, but he was defeated by Charlene Pesquiera, a Democrat who didn’t even expect to be elected and decided to serve only one term.

But for the most part, the Republican candidates mentioned here come from legislative districts that have been reliably in their party’s camp. So it looks like the Arizona Republican Party will continue on its present course. The question is how well voters embrace that path in contested races during the Nov. 4 general election.

As I promised a month ago, I skipped early voting to cast my primary ballot in person today. I was the eighth person to feed a completed ballot into the scan machine at my voting precinct. Thanks to a relatively short list of candidates and some prep work beforehand (I’m a registered Republican), I was in and out quickly and got on with my day.

Voting booths are open until 7 p.m. today across Arizona. If you already are registered to vote, you can learn more information about candidates and your voting location at the Secretary of State’s Web site, as well as Maricopa County and Pinal County. Unofficial election results will be available starting at 8 p.m. at www.eastvalleytribune.com.

SARAH PALIN (Photo from The Associated Press)

Sen. Barack Obama scored a touchdown with his nomination acceptance speech last night inside Denver’s Invesco Field. Even most people who disagree with the policies of Obama and the Democratic Party simply marveled at what happened on that football field in that historic moment with the huge crowd and fantastic setting. Expectations were Obama, but he still managed to exceed them with a fiesty and heart-touching deliverance that hit just about every note he will need to actually win the November election.

But I was just as intrigued with what Sen. John McCain did Thursday. First, he released a 30-second television ad that simply praised Obama’s accomplishment. Then, McCain kept a very tight lid on his choice for vice president. McCain couldn’t stop the media from spectulating throughout the day. But his campaign actively avoided becoming a real distraction on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, and managed to keep McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin a secret until this morning.

Naturally, McCain will want the Obama campaign to show similar respect when McCain gives his own acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention next week in St. Paul. But I want to see how the tone and rhetoric might shift in Minnesota as hurricane Gustav sweeps toward New Orleans.

Just as Joe Biden balanced some of Obama’s weaknesses on foreign policy and political experience, Palin will serve a younger political star to match McCain’s age and maturity. She also is a comfortable choice for mainstream conversatives (she’s pro-life, a hunter and pro-oil drilling), while some Republicans are hoping she will attract Hillary Clinton Democrats.

During the preliminaries for the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Gov. Janet Napolitano just appeared with Tom Brokaw on MSNBC. Unfortunately for the governor, the interview was inside Invesco Field at Mile High, and Napolitano basically had to shout into her television microphone to be heard above Sheryl Crow performing on the main stage where Barack Obama will speak in a while.

The best moment of Napolitano’s brief appearance was when she didn’t take the bait from Brokaw and predict an Arizona win for Obama over home state Sen. John McCain.

“We’re going to work hard for every vote and give (McCain) a run for his money,” Napolitnao wisely said instead.

LIBERTARIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BOB BARR

Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president, says Texas shouldn’t get to cast ballots for Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama, because the state deadline to qualify for the ballot passed before either major party officially nominated their candidates.

And in fact, Texas law does say parties must submit names of presidential candidates 70 days before the general election, which this year was Tuesday, Aug. 26. Obama was formally nominated Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. McCain will receive a similar acclamation next week in St. Paul, Minn.

The major parties have been holding their conventions later in the summer in recent years, so I don’t know why Texas hasn’t corrected this legal snafu. But of course, Obama and McCain will appear on the November ballot in one of the country’s biggest states. Texas law also has a provision that essentially allows established state parties to nominate their candidates at times other than the written deadlines.

Barr knows this, but he wants to call attention to the challenges that most states place in the path of third-party candidates to protect the dominance of Democrats and Republicans. The two-party system remains in control, despite the rising tide of independent-registered voters. Barr can only hope voters who talk about wanting change this year are really serious.

GOV. JANET NAPOLITANO SPEAKS AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION TUESDAY NIGHT. (Photo by The Associated Press)

If you didn’t watch Gov. Janet Napolitano’s performance in Denver last night, you’ve probably at least seen or heard snippets on local newscasts by now. Napolitano went on stage about 30 minutes earlier than expected, so I had to listen to her on the radio while driving home. She was competent and effective, but not particularly exciting. She relied on an obvious joke about continuing an Arizona political tradition for failed presidential bids by home state candidates. Her theme about John McCain being out of touch on the country’s economic condition is a critical message for Democrats this year, and she seemed to touch on all of the keystones.

But Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer did have a Republican response:

“It’s always good to see an Arizona Governor talking about our state on the national stage, but she conveniently left out the circumstances of our state’s billion dollar budget deficit. The fact is that Barack Obama’s celebrity status is not going to help Arizonans, or any Americans, at all. We don’t need his higher taxes, more government spending, and his desire to separate us from the rest of the global economy.”

This was Napolitano’s third speech to a Democratic National Convention. As Valley TV news anchor John Hook of Fox 10 noted before the speech, Napolitano’s time slot has gotten better with each appearance — a sign of her steadily rising influence nationally. In fact, Napolitano was this year’s chairwoman of the platform writing committee. That’s work rather important to party insiders but usually forgotten by the general public once the party nominee gives his acceptance speech and moves into the fall campaign.

You can watch Napolitano’s entire speech here.

   The Republican primary race in the Fifth Congressional District just went into overdrive with a handgun taking a prominent role.
   Former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert fired off a series of news releases and e-mails complaining over the weekend about a new campaign mailer  that he says came from former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith. You’ve got to admit that handgun pointed at the reader does jump off the page and get your attention. But I assume the red banner headline “Bitter-Smith hate mail” was added by the Schweikert campaign.
   Schweikert places the image in the same category as a 2006 TV ad by Democrat Harry Mitchell, which put then-incumbent J.D. Hayworth in what appeared to be the crosshairs of a gun sight. One interpretation of that ad (which Mitchell denied) was Hayworth deserved to be “targeted” for potential violence because of his political stances.
   There’s no question the flier is trying to frighten Fifth District voters, given the headline on the front-side of the mailer is “What is scarier than this?” The back of the mailer has gas pump nozzle pointing at the reader in the same position at the handgun. (Is the point supposed to be higher gas taxes are more frightening than getting shot?)
   Bitter Smith’s mailer arrived on the heels of a television ad targeting her and independently funded by Club for Growth, a political action committee that funnels lots of money to pro-business and low-tax candidates. Not coincidentally, Club for Growth members are supporting Schweikert.
   All of this points to the fact that Schweikert and Bitter Smith have emerged as the two leading contenders in a crowded Republican field. Schweikert has gathered more money and purchased more air-time than Bitter Smith. So now she’s trying to make up some ground in the final days of the primary campaign.

UPDATE: Libertarian Rick Biondi has contacted me to let me know that he is actually campaigning in this race. Biondi and Tribune writer Paul Giblin both explained that Giblin tried to speak with Biondi shortly before the original story was published, and Biondi was unavailable at that time to return Giblin’s phone call. But he is eager to have his point of view heard by District 6 voters.

   A couple of people have asked me recently why no one is paying any attention to the Democratic “contest” between the two candidates in the Sixth Congressional District for the nomination to face incumbent Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.
   Tribune writer Paul Giblin’s reporting today lays out the facts that explain exactly why. Flake has gathered $1.1 million in campaign funds, a formidable number for a federal race but less than Flake could raise if he needed to.
   One Democrat challenger, Chris Gramazio of Queen Creek has raised a little more than $3,000. The other, Rebecca Schneider of Mesa, apparently has nothing, as she doesn’t have any finance reports on file with the Federal Election Commission. Please see the update above about this next statement. (The Libertarian candidate couldn’t bother to respond to Giblin’s request for an interview, the only evidence I need to know he’s not a serious candidate for anything.)
   Gramazio and Schneider don’t have enough money combined to put together a single decent mailbox campaign flier for Sixth district voters, much less compete with a high-octane campaign that Flake could fund.
   As a Democrat precinct committeeman, Gramazio potentially could get a little attention from the party if he wins the nomination. But with at least three competitive House races in Arizona this year, Democrat donors just aren’t going to throw money at a hopeless cause.
   Of course, this situation is a vicious circle. Someone challenging a well-heeled incumbent needs bushels of campaign money to be taken seriously by the media, donors and voters. But that same challenger needs to be taken seriously so he or she can raise bushels of campaign money. It’s one reason some candidates, such as Republicans David Schweikert and Jim Ogsbury in the Fifth Congressional District, put up several hundred thousand dollars of their own money. They sought to build interest in their bids by planting the seeds of a successful campaign infrastructure, in turn encouraging potential donors to give them a serious look.