OPINION

Opinion: Arizona Sen. Martha McSally continues to sabotage her own campaign.

Laurie Roberts | Arizona Republic

Because every moment is a fundraising opportunity, Sen. Martha McSally is now selling T-shirts celebrating her thus-far defining moment as a United States senator.

McSally's campaign on Friday announced that “You’re a liberal hack, buddy” T-shirts now are available for a mere $35 contribution to her election campaign.

Hey, it’s both a fashion statement and a political statement.

And it’s a statement of just how desperate Arizona’s unelected senator is to boost her treasury as she campaigns to hang onto the seat.

NEW SHIRT!! 🚨



I’m in the Senate to fight for all Arizonans, not play politics and games with the liberal hacks of the left-wing media! https://t.co/tNbKJa49JN — McSally For Senate (@MarthaMcSally) January 17, 2020

Last week, Democrat Mark Kelly announced he raised $6.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2019 and $20 million for the year in his bid to unseat McSally. McSally, meanwhile, announced she raised $4 million during the fourth quarter and $12 million for the year.

Fortunately, she’s now got a shtick and a website to go with it: liberalhack.com.

“Martha's in the Senate to fight for all Arizonans not to play games with the left-wing media,” her new website says. “Contribute $35 or more to help her fight back against liberal hacks and get this shirt.”

No doubt, McSally’s supporters will snap up those T-shirts, though warning to the base: the colors don’t work all that well with MAGA hats.

McSally supporters are thrilled with McSally’s outburst at CNN reporter Manu Raju, who had the nerve to ask her a question: “Sen. McSally, should the Senate consider new evidence as part of the impeachment trial.”

{{props.notification}} {{props.tag}} {{props.expression}} {{props.linkSubscribe.text}} {{#modules.acquisition.inline}}{{/modules.acquisition.inline}} ... Our reporting. Your stories. Get unlimited digital access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

I pointed out that positioning herself as the female Donald Trump wasn’t a good look for a senator who must appeal to moderates if she wants to avoid a repeat of 2018, when she lost to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.

The response from readers was immediate and passionate:

“You may be right that your liberal ilk may not like her rant, but people with common sense say "go girl’,” wrote William, in an email responding to my column. “My kids, grandkids & brothers are going to support her fully against her commie-pinko foe!!!”

David agrees. “I just finished reading your liberal left leaning bulls--t in the Arizona Republic. How about you just report the news rather that spew your hate. Oh but that's all the left has done since the 2016 election. and you wonder why the majority of Americans are fed up with the media.”

And here’s Judy: “Good for McSally! She has good instinct about CNN’s motives. No Republican should give CNN the time of day.”

I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that William, David and Judy voted for McSally in 2018 and will vote for her again this year. God bless them and America, too.

But then there is Mark, of Tucson: “Thanks for your recent columns covering McSally’s shameful conduct towards a member of the press. As an ex-Republican, former voter for and congressional constituent of McSally, and a fellow retired military officer (Navy), I have been appalled by McSally’s being assimilated into the Trump borg and her subsequent Chumper trashing of the US Constitution."

And Bob from Buckeye: “She seems to think that taking a page from the Trump playbook will be to her benefit when, as you noted, that is NOT what moderate Republicans are looking for, and please allow me to say that because it so happens I am one of those moderates. Before reading your article I sent a message telling McSally … saying essentially what you said today, albeit my message was not as eloquent as your write-up. Will she listen? Probably not, and my belief is the frustration with her attitude will show up in her defeat this November.”

McSally lost in 2018 not because she didn’t appeal to the base but she didn’t appeal to moderate Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. They voted for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey … and Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.

The week after McSally's loss, I wrote a column suggesting that Gov. Doug Ducey should appoint her to fill out the rest of the late Sen. John McCain’s term.

“It’d be nice if Republicans, in their better moments, would acknowledge that Sinema is not going to morph into some wild-eyed, tie-dyed, tutu-wearing socialist," I wrote. "She’s going to chart a center course, just as she did for the last six years in the House, leaving the folks in MoveOn.org to grind their teeth.

“It’d be nice, too, if Democrats, in their better moments, would acknowledge that McSally, if appointed, could fairly represent what continues to be a center-right state.”

I had hoped that McSally would return to her congressional roots as a more moderate voice than the one portrayed during last year’s campaign -- the one that allowed her to represent the state's most competitive district.

Instead, she …. didn’t.

McSally is now preaching to the choir, with “liberal hack” T-shirts that will earn her Trump tweets and face time with Sean Hannity and probably 46% of the vote.

But those voters she needs to win back if she wants to win 51%? They're the ones who are tired of hacks of both the liberal and conservative persuasion. They have no great love for the media. But they have a great love for this nation and they're wondering whatever happened to middle ground and working outside of the foxhole for the good not of party but of country.

Does McSally have any clue how tone deaf she sounds?