Christensen-Matheson race heating up but staying civil

The rhetoric in Utah's 2nd Congressional District race is heating up, with GOP challenger LaVar Christensen saying Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson is a do-nothing guy who just tries to get along with everyone.

Still, Christensen's new TV ad and public statements are mild compared to the nasty, negative ads that have come into the 2nd District races in recent years. They have been ab- sent this year to date.

Meanwhile, Matheson continues to claim endorsements by groups that normally support Republicans, not Democrats. He picked up the National Association of Manufacturers' endorsement Monday.

And a new Matheson TV ad touts his work in trying to keep kids out of adult Internet pornography sites and requiring an ID check in order to buy "mature-" and "adult-" rated video games. His 7-year-old son, Wil, appears in the ad with him. His ad doesn't mention that the anti-porn bills he supports haven't gone far in the GOP-controlled House.

Christensen's new TV ad says national Democrats are counting on Utah giving the U.S. House over to their "liberal national Democratic agenda."

That agenda, Christensen says, is higher taxes, extreme environmentalism, same-sex marriage and a weakened national defense.

Matheson's continuous rant that he's an "independent" voice for Utah should not be seen as a good thing, Christensen says in a iPod-cast interview on his campaign Web site. Rather it should be seen as a disclaimer for a representative who doesn't stand for anything. Matheson is not a politically principled compass but a weather vane who just blows with the public winds, says Christensen.

"That is not my agenda on (any of the) four" subjects Christensen lists as the "liberal national Democratic agenda," Matheson said Monday, speaking of his opponent's new TV ad.

"It is just a simple guilt-by-association. People see through it." Matheson adds that Christensen is even wrong on his definition of the national Democratic agenda. "These things just won't happen" if Democrats control the House, he said. "I think the (Democratic) folks who may pick up" some Republican seats "will be Blue Dog Democrats like me, and they wouldn't support such an agenda, either."

On his new TV ad, Christensen says: "I was not timid in the Legislature. I won't go along to get along in Congress." (Christensen is a two-term Utah House member from Draper.)