Utah delegation slams four-fifths of Obama's first 100 days

About four-fifths of what Utah's congressional delegation says about President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office is negative. Of course, the delegation is four-fifths GOP. But Republicans manage some compliments, and lone Democrat Jim Matheson is sometimes critical.

For example, as Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, searched for something nice to say about Obama, he finally offered, "I think what's he's done with the Somali pirates, that's very positive. I like that. To build the F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter), is good. But cutting the crap out of the rest of the military doesn't help."

Surprisingly, Matheson said somewhat similar things, praising smaller actions by Obama and then saying, "I've had some issue about trying to drive some of the big issues of the day in a more partisan way than I'd like … On the big issues of the day, you've got to have bipartisanship."

Delegation Republicans tend to blast Obama on his economic-stimulus bill, environmental actions, foreign affairs and his liberal philosophy — and offer compliments only on style or small issues. Matheson is more complimentary on the environment and Obama's philosophy.

"The stimulus was terrible," Bishop said, sounding a popular refrain among Republicans. The four Republicans in the delegation opposed it; Matheson voted for it.

To date, it has brought $902 million — or $90 million a day in the first 100 days — in new federal spending to Utah, according to the administration. Matheson praises how it will do such things as finally rebuild a long-closed visitors center at Dinosaur National Monument, or remove dangerous uranium tailings from near Moab.

But Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the stimulus bill "read like a wish list of longtime Democratic policy priorities and had very little to do with stimulating the economy." He said Obama "chose to cut Republicans almost entirely out of the negotiations and then blame them for being partisan."

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said Obama has "managed to put us on a trajectory that will run up the national debt to a level equivalent to that of every president before him combined. From George Washington to George Bush, the country has not come up with as much debt as Obama will add to the books."

Bishop said that shows how "the Obama administration believes that the federal government is the better solution for our problems … I am on the other side that believes the government ought to be empowering individuals. So philosophically, there are going to be very few of the big issues where I think we will agree."