3rd District foes trade blows

PROVO — With a week left in their bid to unseat six-term Utah Congressman Chris Cannon , Jason Chaffetz, David Leavitt and Joe Ferguson threw some haymakers at the incumbent during a debate Saturday in Provo.

Chaffetz even threw a couple of roundhouse rights at Sen. Orrin Hatch and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., to the delight of most in the audience of more than 100 delegates to next weekend's state Republican convention.

Chaffetz, Leavitt and Ferguson said Utah and the state's 3rd Congressional District do get some benefit from Cannon's seniority in Congress, but all three said he'd made enough missteps that he should be replaced.

"Seniority does not necessarily equal influence," said Chaffetz, who then criticized Hatch for being unable to move Congress toward passing an immigration reform bill this year. Chaffetz said he was "terribly frustrated" when Hatch told the state Legislature in February that reform would have to wait another year. Hatch is in his 32nd year in the U.S. Senate.

"Why are we sending you back for Year 34 if you can't get this issue moving?" Chaffetz said.

Chaffetz also chided Huntsman, his old boss, for embracing global warming. Chaffetz was Huntsman's campaign manager and first chief of staff.

"Note to Jon Huntsman," Chaffetz said. "Global warming? It's a farce."

Both lines drew loud applause from a roomful of conservative delegates who pushed the candidates to expand the debate from 90 minutes to 135 despite the stuffy atmosphere and dim lights in the Provo Council Chambers.

The lights on the candidates were dimmed at the start of the debate when Cannon pointed out they were hot and no TV cameras were present.

Cannon's opponents tried to shine some light on their cases for why they should replace him. After at least 16 months of campaigning, the first ballots in the race will be cast at Saturday's state Republican convention.

If one of the candidates manages to get 60 percent of the delegates' votes, he will automatically win the Republican nomination. If not, the top two will advance to the Republican primary in June.

"I think you've seen there's not seven hairs' difference between any of us," Leavitt said, emphasizing that his style and leadership would be an improvement over Cannon's.

Cannon, Chaffetz and Ferguson all felt bigger differences exist, though all four claim to be fiscal conservatives who believe in core conservative principles. They all want to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for instance, and decried the fact that the federal government owns more than half of Utah's land.