Convicted Cunningham casts shadow over Hayworth

With a hat tip to AZ Congress Watch for the link, The Washington Post reports:

The special election to replace imprisoned former US Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Republican of California, is reportedly a virtual dead heat two days before voters head to the polls, prompting alarm among Republicans who have voiced concern that a loss in a historically conservative district could presage a national trend against them in the fall.

...The surprising competitiveness of the 50th District has been reported amid signs that a handful of previously safe incumbents -- such as Representatives Curt Weldon, Republican of Pennsylvania, J.D. Hayworth, Republican of Arizona, and Nancy Johnson, Republican of Connecticut -- will face serious challenges in the fall.

...The fissures within the Republican base have coincided with a sharp decline in Bush's job approval rating.

As has been noted, California's 50th District is heavily Republican. For it to be a toss-up at this point between Busby and Bilbray is a surprising indication of significant abandonment of the Republicans by moderates and Independents.

Any similar shift in AZ-5 will be disastrous for Hayworth, and with a top-quality candidate in Harry Mitchell, it appears that the Dems are very well positioned to have a good fighting chance to pick up our district.

Update: Also from http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.quote.gifAZ Congress Watch, this post noting Hayworth's comments on the activation of Arizona's reservists to fight in Iraq, as reported in the East Valley Tribune:

Despite Friday’s tearful send-off, Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., said it’s wrong to look at activated reservists as victims. Instead, he called them citizen soldiers. The congressman said he thought the situation through carefully before voting to activate reserve troops for the Iraq war.

“An introspective moment for me took place when I cast that vote,” he said. “I knew the day I cast my vote that some of the soldiers would not come back.”