Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob was dealt a major setback Tuesday when liberal Rep. Joe Schwarz, a candidate Yob enthusiastically endorsed in February, lost in the Republican primary to conservative Tim Walberg.

Schwarz will be forgotten, but Yob's other favorite Republican, Arizona Sen. John McCain, is just getting started in Michigan as he positions himself for a run for President in 2008.

Gary Glenn, a Yob critic, co-authored Michigan's Marriage Protection Amendment and currently runs the Campaign for Michigan Families. Glenn slammed Yob in February after he endorsed Schwarz. Conservatives tried to send Yob a message six months ago. He didn't listen. The question now is whether Yob and McCain will catch on -- or if it's too late. Glenn spelled out the trouble facing McCain:

The public face most closely associated with Sen. John McCain's presidential prospects in Michigan [Joe Schwarz] joined the Arizona senator this summer in thumbing their noses at voter support for constitutionally protecting one-man, one-woman marriage. Both were among the fringe group of Republican lawmakers who voted against the federal Marriage Protection Amendment -- McCain, one of only seven in the U.S. Senate, and the only one outside the liberal northeast; Schwarz, one of only 27 in the U.S. House.

Looking ahead to the 2008 Michigan GOP primary, Glenn offered this assessment for McCain:

Statewide, in a state supposedly critical to McCain's presidential prospects, 59 percent of Michigan voters supported a state Marriage Protection Amendment in 2004. In Schwarz's district, support was even stronger: Branch County, 66 percent; Calhoun, 60; Eaton, 60; Hillsdale, 66; Jackson, 62; Lenawee, 63; and western Washtenaw, 50 percent, all general election results that included Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

Imagine how much stronger support for the Marriage Protection Amendment was -- how much more out of step Schwarz and McCain were, and are –- just among Republican primary voters. In his own district, Schwarz no longer has to imagine. And McCain only has to wait a few months to find out statewide.

Yob didn't respond to an e-mail I sent him this afternoon. With his son John on McCain's payroll, there's no doubt McCain will continue to make Michigan a top priority. But Tuesday's primary should open his eyes to the uphill challenge he faces there.

UPDATE -- 11:26 p.m.: I was so caught up in the Lieberman-Lamont primary on Tuesday that I missed Jim Geraghty's report on Michigan blogger John Balbach's connection to McCain's PAC. Can you guess who Geraghty got to comment? None other than John Yob. It's worth a read.

UPDATE -- Aug. 11, 10:48 a.m.: Chuck Yob just responded to my e-mail about where he now stands since his man Schwarz is out in Michigan.

I'm a Republican thru and thru. I already pledged $ and support and anything I can do to help our next Congressman for Michigan. ... I think Congressman Walberg will be an excellent Congressman.