2010 AZ Senate Debates: on Principles & Values

J.D. Hayworth: Twice informally ranked among dumbest members of Congress

But it fell to Hayworth, a glib galoot who was twice informally ranked among the dumbest members of Congress during his 12 years in the House, to deliver the dead-on zinger that summed up where McCain has found himself in this strange and angry political season, struggling not to win the presidency but simply to hold on to the job which defines him, and which is all he has left. "It's really sad to see John McCain, who should be revered as a statesman, basically reduced to a political shape-shifter," Hayworth said.

So it is. McCain would go on to trounce Hayworth in the August primary, by 24 points, but not before turning himself into an almost unrecognizable political creature.

Rodney Glassman: McCain missed key votes when running for President

He dogged McCain for missing Senate votes while he was running for president and for shifting positions on key policy matters.

The senior senator dismissed the remarks as "biased."

Rodney Glassman: Cooperation instead of partisan battering ram

Glassman said his own campaign "is about having someone who will work with everyone to find solutions--not just serve as a partisan battering ram trying to accomplish nothing except self-aggrandizement and furthering their political future."

McCain, with few exceptions, ignored Glassman's attempts at eye contact as well as his verbal jabs, even when the Democrat directly challenged him to more debates, saying it was "disrespectful" to voters to limit his appearance to 60 minutes in exchange for a six-year term.

J.D. Hayworth: McCain has been reduced to a political shape-shifter

"These are the facts," McCain said. "J.D. Hayworth was a lobbyist. He was in late-night infomercials. He said he didn't d due diligence. My God man, didn't you know that this was a group that was taking people's money to say it could give them free government money."

Hayworth said, "It's really sad to see John McCain, who should be revered as a statesman, basically reduce to a political shape-shifter," he said, then turned to his opponent. "John, you've changed positions so much in this campaign maybe we'll have to set up an extra podium for you depending on which John McCain is going to answer which question."