Hatch, Ashdown differ dramatically

While candidates in some other Utah congressional contests this year may not draw great distinctions between top issues of the day, U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Democrat Pete Ashdown disagreed on almost all questions put to them by the Deseret Morning News.

And the differences are stark.

Ashdown says he opposed going to war in Iraq and now says an Iraqi referendum should be held to see when our troops should leave.

Hatch supported going to war and he now says the United States should stay the course and "complete our mission," with no artificial deadline to withdraw troops.

Ashdown says President Bush's tax cuts should be repealed and champions reform of the whole U.S. tax system, which could lead to tax hikes on some businesses, reductions on others.

Hatch fully supports the tax cuts, wants to make all of them permanent and wouldn't vote for a tax hike.

Ashdown is opposed to capital punishment, saying: "Human fallibility (on a jury) gives us no other option but to abandon capital punishment and use life without parole in its stead."

Hatch says the death penalty is justified in rare cases, and it is a deterrent to crime.

Ashdown says abortion in cases of rape, incest and health of the mother should remain safe and legal. That is part of what the United States now has under Roe v. Wade.

Hatch opposes abortion except in the rare cases of rape, incest and danger to the life of the mother.

Ashdown is against government affirming or banning any form of marriage. "Marriage is the domain of religion," he adds.

Hatch supports constitutional amendments that ban same-sex marriage. "Traditional marriage is the bedrock of American society."

Ashdown, in his first run for public office, says that should Democrats win control of the U.S. Senate on Nov. 7, good things will happen.

"The minimum wage will be increased, ethics committees will start to work and President Bush will have to use his veto more."

Hatch doesn't believe Democrats can add the six additional seats they will need to get to 51 senators, a clear majority. (If Democrats and Republicans split the Senate 50-50 seats, GOP Vice President Dick Cheney will decide tie votes, including voting to give Republicans a one-vote majority.)