July 17, 2010, 12:00 am
Nasty Exchanges in First McCain-Hayworth Debate
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Perhaps divining that there was nothing that the people of Phoenix would long for more on a 106-degree Friday night at 7 p.m. than watching a political debate, Senator John McCain finally faced off with his Republican primary rival J. D. Hayworth with less than two months remaining before voters go to the polls. A Tea Party latecomer, Jim Deakin, also joined the fray in the first debate of the race.

In a debate heavy with references to constitutional articles and amendments — the new little black dress of American politics — each man smacked the others around in fairly nasty exchanges over financial legislation, earmarks, corporate bailouts and immigration policy. They barely stopped to chuckle, though they did that too, largely at each other’s answers.

Mr. McCain was first out of the box, immediately criticizing Mr. Hayworth, a former congressman, for his 2007 infomercial in which he hawked seminars teaching people how they could get federal grant money for free. Mr. Hayworth quickly countered that while he has made mistakes, “the unfortunate thing is you made mistake after mistake that hurt America,â€