Conservative group attacks Bennett on health care

The Club for Growth, a national conservative group, is again attacking Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, for his alternative health-care-reform bill — after the club spent $90,000 last month on a TV ad campaign against it.

The group said Wednesday it is mailing more letters to 3,200 past state GOP delegates — who are likely to be elected again — criticizing Bennett's bill as a government takeover of health care.

"The more you know about Sen. Bennett's plan, the worse it looks," said Club president Chris Chocola. Last month, the group also sent letters to delegates amid its TV campaign criticizing Bennett.

The letter said, "Just last week, as liberal Democrats continued searching for a vehicle to pass government-run health care, President (Barack) Obama quietly met with Sens. Bennett and (Ron) Wyden behind closed doors at the White House." Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, has pushed the alternative bill with Bennett for years.

Another sign that Bennett's bill must please liberals, the letter said, is that "when Hillary Clinton ran for president, she was asked if she would sign Bennett's bill into law. She said, 'yes.' "

Jim Bennett, the senator's son and campaign manager, said in response, "They are perpetuating falsehoods that were in the previous letter."

For example, he said, "they consistently say that this is going to cost $1.3 trillion, and they quote the Congressional Budget Office, which (actually) said it would be revenue neutral in the first year and would save money going forward. It's disappointing that they continue to repeat things that blatantly are not true."

Jim Bennett said the senator's campaign may also write to delegates again to counter the club's claims. "I think another letter may be in order, and we're looking at other options to respond."

The situation forces the senator to spend money not only fighting the four other candidates who have filed against him so far, but also the Club for Growth.

Bennett is being challenged by three Republicans running to his right: Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, businesswoman Cherilyn Eagar and James Russell Williams III. Democrat Sam Granato is also in the race.

If a GOP candidate can gain 60 percent of the vote at next year's Utah Republican Convention, he or she would proceed directly to the general election as the party's nominee. Otherwise, the candidates receiving the top two vote totals would face off in a primary. That is why the club is targeting past convention delegates.