Primary Alert

McCain's Right-Wing Challenger

Pollster: "This is not an idle threat."

In 2008, John McCain was his party's nominee for president. In 2010, he's a target for right-wing attack, as the Republican, who has spent 23 years representing Arizona in the Senate, is facing the first legitimate challenge from his own party. Ex-congressman J.D. Hayworth, most recently a radio host, is carrying the Tea Party standard against the Republican Party standard-bearer in a match up that signals the growth of conservative activism in this election year. With 11 months to go, McCain holds a 53 to 31 point lead (although Hayworth says his campaign's polling has them closer). "This is not an idle threat that Mr. McCain faces, and the reason has more to do with his history with conservatives than just about anything else," pollster Scott Rasmussen told The Wall Street Journal.