Political shenanigans endure even during holidays

• Posturing for leadership posts is a never-ending activity among Utah legislators, even a year before elections. Veteran legislator and Summit County dairy farmer David Ure has been the de facto leader of rural conservatives for some years. Blessed with an outgoing personality, he ran twice for House Speaker and came close to winning. Ure will not challenge Speaker Greg Curtis, but some legislative colleagues are putting pressure on him to run for a leadership post (leader, whip or assistant whip) after the 2006 general election. Ure led the opposition to the Legacy Parkway settlement, and his entry into leadership elections always keeps things interesting.

• When Majority Whip Steve Urquhart declared his candidacy against Sen. Orrin Hatch, many assumed that fellow St. George lawmaker Dave Clark would fill the potential leadership vacancy rather nicely. But Urquhart dropped out of the Senate race and no doubt wants to retain his leadership post as a potential launching pad into other offices. In the meantime, the well-respected Clark has been building momentum for a leadership undertaking. The GOP caucus will likely not elect two leaders from Washington County, thus establishing a classic confrontation between two legislative heavyweights.

• Many politicos were amused by Congressman Rob Bishop's ploy to expand the western desert wilderness and Air Force testing range to prevent transportation and storage of spent nuclear fuel rods on the Goshute Reservation but doubted the tactic's ultimate success. This was part of a general feeling among politicos that some Utah leaders were not fully engaged in the fight against nuclear waste other than the occasional press conference. But recent activities in Washington, D.C., demonstrate a sincere commitment to prevent Utah from becoming the nation's dumping ground. While leading the delegation efforts, Bishop has been toiling quietly and tirelessly to secure passage of the wilderness designation. Congressman Jim Matheson is credited with garnering much-needed Democrat votes on the salient committees, and Orrin Hatch is one of the few who could deliver the supportive Pentagon letter crucial to the success of the designation. A mostly unheralded contribution has been Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s hard work fighting the Goshute dump, particularly his strong personal relationship with Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, which turned Reid around on the wilderness designation issue.