Hatch says he'd like to kick MoveOn.org in the teeth

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told a national TV audience Thursday that he would like to kick the liberal MoveOn.org in the teeth for a protest it held against him outside his Salt Lake City office a day earlier.

"MoveOn.org is a scurrilous organization. It is funded by George Soros. He's about as left-wing as you can find in this country," Hatch told MSNBC about the protest. Soros is well known for spending huge amounts on efforts to campaign against George W. Bush in 2004.

Hatch added, "They are up to just one thing, and that is to smear good people. And frankly, they are not going to smear me without getting kicked in the teeth by me."

His comments came after about three dozen protesters with the group staged a rally Wednesday outside the federal building in Salt Lake City, saying the insurance industry bought Hatch's vote against Democratic health-care reform by giving him nearly $1 million since he took office.

"Sen. Hatch took $913,000 — nearly $1 million — from health-insurance companies basically to purchase his vote against a health-care plan that would support everybody," said Lydia Olchoff, an organizer of the event.

The group stood along State Street holding signs with slogans such as "Whose side are you on?" "Don't side with big insurance" and "We need a public option."

Hatch told MSNBC he is not sure if the group's figures are correct, but he said the donations were spread out over the long 33 years he has served in the Senate.

He added that money has come from people on all sides of the reform debate. "I'm supported by people all over the health-care system, including doctors, hospitals, insurers, and liberal people and conservative people and moderate people," Hatch told MSNBC.

MoveOn.org executive director Justin Ruben responded that when Utah members of his group questioned the money Hatch took from insurance interests, "What did he do? Go on national TV and threaten to kick them in the teeth. Apparently this was easier than defending his ties to the insurance companies."

He added, "Hopefully whoever Sen. Hatch kicks in the teeth is independently wealthy, in case their claim is denied by one of the insurance companies who've been funding his campaign."

On Friday, MoveOn.org had a follow-up rally in Salt Lake City where participants held sets of chattering teeth to protest Hatch's threat.

e-mail: lee@desnews.com