JD Hayworth has a lot of liabilities as a candidate. And the McCain team is certainly keen to exploit them.  Here's a web ad that apparently popped yesterday. 

It almost makes you feel sorry for Hayworth... almost. [intro]

Early this morning, I got a tip from a very well-informed, well-connected Washington Republican who reads this blog: In the race to succeed Rep. Brian Baird, Jon Russell (one of the Republicans in the race) would be dropping out today. This has subsequently been reported widely on Twitter, and word is getting around the district.

What has not been discussed publicly, however, is a rumor swirling in GOP circles, which this reader filled me in on: Not only is Russell out, but he is expected to endorse Jaime Herrera, who is vying with David Castillo for the support of Republicans in the district ahead of the top-two primary later this year.

If this proves to be correct and Russell does endorse, it's unlikely to fill the hearts of Castillo and his team with much joy. However, it's also worth emphasizing that a forthcoming possible Russell endorsement is unlikely in and of itself to propel Herrera into first place so far as Republicans are concerned. Castillo remains in the race full-bore, today slamming the Obama administration for proposing a Health Insurance Rate Authority which he says "should look very familiar" to Washington residents, in view of authority already exercised by Washington State's Insurance Commissioner. He also has a top notch team working in particularly key areas like new media, which are sometimes overlooked (erroneously) by campaigns (full disclosure: I work with Patrick Ruffini and Mindy Finn in relation to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC). On which note, Herrera is also today announcing an overhauled campaign website.

As ever, there's lots going on in the third. Stay tuned...

UPDATE 4:39PM ET: Russell has now endorsed Herrera-- via Facebook. Full text below the jump. [intro]...

It's been a busy few days here in DC what with CPAC and all. But, getting back to the business of writing about what's going on in the other Washington (the one that Dino Rossi likes to say is "green with trees, not green with money"), here's a quick roundup of news regarding the race in Washington's third.

Over the weekend, State Rep. Deb Wallace jumped back out of the race to succeed Rep. Brian Baird, sounding a party-unity theme (“We cannot let the 3rd Congressional Seat go to an anti-choice, anti-health care Republican” ; “We must come together and support a Democrat who will keep the people at the heart of their mission to serve”).

In her statement, Wallace cited the importance of the third electing a “true moderate Democrat." But in addition to selflessness, her decision connotes a certain fear-- not necessarily regarding her ability to hold the seat, but rather, one tends to think, regarding Democrats' ability to do so. The third is top of local Republicans' "can poach" targets; it's high on the list of such targets, nationally, too-- and neither of the two principal Republican candidates are going easy.

For her part, later this week, Jaime Herrera will be in DC for a previously reported fundraiser breakfast with her old boss, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and her big-name endorser, former Sen. Slade Gorton. However, today I learned that in addition to that breakfast fundraiser, while here in the nation's capital, she'll also be participating in a "Meet & Greet" lunch-- also with Rep. McMorris Rodgers. My source tells me the lunch will take place on Thursday, at 12:00 noon, in the NRCC Main Conference Room. ...