I Can: GOP tries to remind voters why they should choose the right

The Utah State Republican Party's "I Can" public campaign has begun, a campaign that could end up costing $100,000 to make the case that Utah voters are well served by GOP officeholders.

"I Can" billboards have been put up in Utah County, only the first phase of the PR campaign that will intensify as Election Day nears. Radio and TV ads may follow. GOP state chairman Stan Lockhart sent out an e-mail Tuesday to identified Republicans that outlines the campaign, as well as imparting other GOP news.

However, Lockhart's e-mail may suffer from a bit of bad timing.

As Lockhart touts all the good things that Republican domination of state government has meant for Utahns — and how the Democrats and "a few Republicans" with the help of the media have tried to damage the GOP's ethical reputation — U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, the longest serving GOP senator, was indicted Tuesday by federal prosecutors for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in undeclared gifts from an Alaskan businessman.

And Lockhart himself continues to be embroiled in an alleged ethical scandal over a supposed bribe offer made by former Sandy GOP House member Mark Walker to keep a GOP contender out of Walker's state treasurer's race.

You can read Lockhart's e-mail here. Lockhart is out of town and couldn't be reached for comment. GOP state vice-chairman Todd Weiler said the "I Can" campaign was conceived long before an ethics complaint was brought against Walker and is not aimed at improving the public ethical image of either the Utah or national Republican Party or its officeholders.

"Regardless of whether any (criminal) charges are filed" in the legislative matter, said Weiler, "I Can" is aimed at telling the fine record of GOP leadership in Utah over the last 20 years.

Weiler said he recognizes that headlines about the Walker incident have not been good for GOP candidates running this year, may demoralize some GOP voters.

Wayne Holland, Utah Democratic Party chairman, said the GOP leadership and their leaders in the Legislature "are clearly in trouble — everywhere I go I talk to Republicans who are fed up with their party."

And Holland doesn't think an expensive PR campaign will help them this election year. "They wouldn't be running this PR campaign if they didn't have a problem — a big problem." \GOP legislative leaders, especially, "are a victim of their own arrogance and belief of entitlement. Voters see the Republicans (in office) as too vested in their goal of public service for private gain."