Conservatives Should Reluctantly Support McCain.

Conservative icons Senator Jim Demint and Rep. Michelle Bachmann have thus far remained neutral in the Arizona GOP Senate primary. Many in the media have claimed that this amounts to a de facto endorsement of Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth's primary challenge to their moderate incumbent colleague, Senator John McCain. We hope, and very highly suspect, that Demint and Bachmann have stayed out of the fray so far to show support for the general idea of conservatives challenging moderates and not as implicit supporters of Hayworth over McCain.

Hayworth comes with the baggage of corruption charges from when he was in Congress and has a habit of making over-the-top statements that provide liberals with dangerous ammunition against the conservative movement as a whole.

McCain, on the other hand, has been a moderate Republican but still always a Republican. He has not committed Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Lindsey Graham or Charlie Crist style treason against conservatives.

It is probably a good thing that Demint and Bachmann have not backed their colleague, as not to discourage future conservative challengers. Yet conservatives will still be best served by a McCain victory.