Hatch in, then out, of GOP leadership race

Sen. Orrin Hatch was briefly in, and then quickly out, of a race for a Senate GOP leadership post that became vacant Wednesday when Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., resigned from it after he admitted an extramarital affair.

Hatch's office said some senators had approached Hatch about seeking the post of chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the No. 4 GOP leadership post. So he was considering it.

A reporter for Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Congress, asked Hatch in a hallway if he were indeed considering a run, and he said he was. Roll Call soon posted a story saying that on its Web site, also noting that Hatch said he did not want to hurt Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., if he chose to run for the slot.

Almost immediately, Hatch's office said he began to reconsider how busy he was.

That includes preparing for confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, being a key player in health-care reform, being vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, being chairman of a high-tech task force and preparing to take over GOP leadership of the Finance Committee in 2011 (which would force him to leave leadership at that time).

As he told Roll Call, "I've just got too much on my plate."

Also, Hatch's office said he talked to Thune, who told him he indeed wanted the job and planned to run for it. So Hatch officially then dropped out of the race after being in it for only minutes.

"I fully support Sen. Thune for this position," Hatch said. Thune is facing a potentially tough race for re-election. Serving in leadership could help him in that race, and a runoff against Hatch or others could hurt him. Thune has been serving as vice chairman of the Republican Conference.

Ensign resigned his leadership post a day after he admitted to an affair with a woman on his payroll.

The Associated Press identified the woman Wednesday as Cindy Hampton, whom it said received raises and promotions at political entities controlled by Ensign about the time of the affair. Her husband, Doug, was an employee in Ensign's Senate office.

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