Jeremy Duda of the Arizona Capitol Times delivers the news of McCain's big spending on his reelection campaign:

U.S. Sen. John McCain has spared no expense in his primary battle against J.D. Hayworth, spending more than $15 million in his bid to hold off the former congressman’s challenge from the right.

According to a quarterly report filed with the Federal Elections Committee, McCain has spent about 10 times more than Hayworth and far more than all other candidates combined. He reported spending about $15.6 million, compared to about $1.5 million for Hayworth.

Read the whole thing here.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords tells us that Vice-President Joe Biden will be joining the summer tourist crowd at the Grand Canyon:

As part of Recovery Summer, next week Vice President Biden will visit Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks, where $25 million in Recovery Act funding is creating jobs and jump-starting previously-deferred construction and maintenance projects. More than 1,000 workers have already been part of the seventeen Recovery Act projects at Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Overall, there are 800 Recovery Act projects underway at National Parks across the country this summer — eight times as many as there were last summer.

On Monday, July 26, the Vice President will visit Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, where Recovery Act projects are generating economic activity and preserving the life of the park. At 11:45 AM MT, the Vice President will deliver remarks to workers outside the Madison Junior Ranger Station, joined by Director of the National Park Service Jonathan Jarvis. These remarks will be open press; a media RSVP is required to attend. Additional media details are below.

On Tuesday, July 27, the Vice President will deliver remarks at Hopi Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Additional media details about this event will be released in the coming days.

This three-page letter was anonymously sent to me. It's ... special.

Rasmussen provides some new Arizona poll numbers:

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds Brewer leading Democrat Terry Goddard by a 56% to 37% margin. That’s little changed from a month ago. Just two percent (2%) prefer another candidate while five percent (5%) are undecided.

Brewer’s prospects dramatically improved after she signed the much talked about immigration law that has become the subject of a national debate. In Arizona, 65% of voters continue to favor the law while just 27% are opposed. Nationally, most voters would like a similar law in their own state.

By a 60% to 34% margin, Arizona voters oppose the Justice Department lawsuit against their state. Opposition to the lawsuit is similar nationwide. The law is scheduled to go into effect on July 29 and a federal court is currently hearing the federal government’s claim that the law should not be implemented.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of voters in Arizona want President Obama to send more U.S. troops to their state in an effort to help secure the border. Only six percent (6%) believe there are already too many troops in the state.

Forty percent (40%) believe that the immigration law has had a positive impact on the state’s image while 46% believe it’s had a negative impact.

Forty-three percent (43%) believe the law is good for the state’s economy while 37% say it’s bad for the economy.

ETA: Rasmussen's accuracy has been questioned by pollwatchers such as Nate Silver at 538.com.

With early voting starting in a week, Republican Jesse Kelly has made a big TV buy for the above ad. Kelly faces former lawmaker Jonathan Paton, Air Force vet Brian Miller and metal-shop owner Jay Quick in the Aug. 24 primary that will decide which GOP candidate faces Democrat Gabrielle Giffords in November.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the Arizona Heritage Alliance presents Postcards From the Parks, a documentary by Sam Jansen about the state park system in crisis, at Grand Cinemas Crossroads, 4811 E. Grant Road.

Arizona Heritage Alliance is a nonprofit "which educates about and tries its utmost to protect the Heritage Fund." The Heritage Fund was created by voter approval in 1990, and provided up to $10 million a year from lottery-ticket sales to Arizona State Parks. As of March, the parks no longer receive money from the Heritage Fund.

A question-and-answer session will take place after the film, along with a postcard-writing session to encourage the Legislature to support the parks.

Find more information about the film here.

Politico weighs in the fight between former state lawmaker Jonathan Paton and Jesse Kelly in the CD8 Republican primary:

But Paton still faces a primary against former Marine Sgt. Jesse Kelly, whose his long-shot, Tea Party-driven campaign poses a legitimate threat, insiders say.

"Jesse Kelly is one of the true darkhorse kind of stories of Arizona politics this cycle because he really came out of nowhere," said one longtime Arizona Republican consultant who has worked on races in Arizona's 8th District during several cycles.

"If you had said three months ago, 'Jonathan Paton and Jesse Kelly: Who wins?' I don't think anyone would have said Kelly. Now, well, people have taken notice," the consultant said.

The Elton John concert scheduled for the TCC Arena tonight has been postponed until 8 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, July 22. The singer is reportedly ill due to food poisoning.

Tickets purchased for tonight's show will be honored tomorrow night. Those unable to attend tomorrow can receive a refund at point of purchase.

The four Democrats who want to unseat Republican John McCain—Rodney Glassman, John Dougherty, Randy Parraz and John Dougerty—taped a radio debate in Yuma earlier today. We don't know about any local broadcast, but you can stream it from the website of KAWC tonight. Details here.

Dougherty sent us a release saying he came out strong against the War on Drugs. He'll be in Tucson at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., to talk about that same topic from 9 to 11 p.m. Details here.

Here's a statement from Dougherty:

The War on Drugs has been an abject failure. We need to move it out of a criminal enforcement model that has failed to keep drugs off the street and protect our youth and into a medical treatment model.

Regulation and taxation will provide money to reduce government deficits and fund treatment programs and advertising to discourage drug use.