Politico
McCain turns up heat on Hayworth
By: Alex Isenstadt
January 26, 2010 04:45 AM EST

One year after seeing his presidential ambitions extinguished in an overwhelming defeat, Arizona Sen. John McCain is launching a scorched-earth campaign aimed at incinerating a reelection challenge from J.D. Hayworth, the conservative former Arizona congressman and radio talk show host.

McCain is attempting, with a series of hardball tactics, to cut Hayworth down before his campaign even gets off the ground. He’s mounted a concerted effort during the past month to push Hayworth off the airwaves, run an ad targeting Hayworth on his own radio station and warned him through emissaries that going through with a bid to unseat McCain would be a serious mistake.

One source familiar with the McCain campaign said the offensive was only a preview of things to come, adding, “I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of this.â€