In the headline of today's (October 27, 2006) lead editorial, the Arizona Republic says "Mitchell Over the Bully".
The biggest problem in Congress is extreme partisanship, and Rep. J. D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., is among Capital Hill's worst offenders.
In a great boost for the campaign of Harry Mitchell, AZ-05, the Republic endorsed Harry Mitchell for Congress. Full text
here
The endorsement says:
For his part, Mitchell may not be the political saint idolized by some of his loyal boosters. Nobody is that perfect. Still, it's hard not to be impressed by his public-service resume. He was Tempe mayor from 1978 to 1994 (and a council member for eight years before that). He oversaw the revitalization of Mill Avenue, which had become somewhat seedy by the 1970s.
Mitchell was elected to the Arizona Senate in 1998 and rose to the leadership rank of assistant minority leader. He offers a better future.
Elsewhere, they excoriate Hayworth:
(Hayworth's) outraged partisan routine works pretty well on Sean Hannity's radio show or the Fox News Channel, where Hayworth often does yeoman's work blasting anybody who doesn't agree with him.
It isn't The Republic that has changed since 1994, when Hayworth was first elected to Congress. It's Hayworth. He no longer reflects the 5th Congressional District, which, while solidly Republican, has a progressive and moderate complexion.
During this past term, Hayworth has devolved from a windy and sometimes cartoonish politician into an angry demagogue who has shamelessly and divisively exploited the immigration issue.
So thumbs up on the Mitchell campaign. Now go volunteer for the phone bank and the door to door canvass and put this race in the old deep freeze.