Bennett, Leavitt subjects of Capitol Hill scuttlebutt

A general session of the Utah Legislature fosters important policy deliberations on education, transportation, budgets, etc. However, the daily assemblage of politicos in Capitol corridors also breeds a host of interesting rumors and conjecture. Your gossip-mongering columnists offer some scuttlebutt from the Hill:

What are all the rumblings within the Republican Party about Sen. Bob Bennett facing an intraparty challenge?

Pignanelli: Several Republican lawmakers and other conservatives are urging Attorney General Mark Shurtleff or Mike Lee (former general counsel to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.) to challenge Bennett next year. This is serious talk because Shurtleff and Lee are first-rate players on the Utah GOP varsity bench. Bennett's detractors are hoping to take him out through the primordial convention process "Chaffetz" style. But they are in for a fight. The junior senator has been fundraising for years and is well-liked by most Utahns. For many politicos, the grousing about Bennett is confusing. He is respected on both sides of the aisle (an important asset when the power shifts) and rarely engages in partisan sniping. All Utahns have benefited from his Appropriations Committee assignment and effective advocacy of Utah's homegrown industries (financial services, military defense, high-tech) against congressional attack dogs. (I will let LaVarr explain this nonsense within his ranks, if he can).

Webb: The talk is serious. The execution will be far more difficult. Bennett watched the Chris Cannon defeat last year, and the earlier challenge to Sen. Orrin Hatch by then-Rep. Steve Urquhart. Bennett won't be caught unaware. He will spend this year working the delegates, raising money and connecting with local officials, business leaders and opinion leaders in preparation for a convention fight. Clearly, some conservatives think Bennett has become a creature of Washington, has been there too long and has been too moderate/liberal on issues like health system reform, immigration and the federal budget. But Bennett is working hard to shore up any weaknesses. Utah Republicans do have a lot of young, impatient, aggressive stars sitting on the bench waiting for the old guys to retire — a sign of party strength and vitality.

Mike Leavitt is back in town. What is his future and will he really be content to live in southern Utah and write his memoirs?

Pignanelli: Utahns Mike Leavitt, Charlie Johnson and Rich McKeown constructed the early features of comprehensive health-care reform in our country. And their efforts are a bright spot in an otherwise dark and gloomy time of our nation's history (aka the Bush administration). Although Leavitt is consistently mentioned as a potential U.S. Senate candidate, his skills may be tapped to lead a large company or institution.