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Money no problem for GOP's Leavitt

Ugh! Just say no to Leavitt, we need moral leadership.

Anyone but Cannon, please!

I went to school with David Leavitt and he is very different than Mike.

They have different political and business backgrounds:

Mike was in politics in high school and continued working for Hatch and other politicians there on out.

David is an attorney and his only experience in politics was as student body president.

Before you judge the two as the same, are you exactly like your brothers and sisters?

I'm not, I'm gay and my family members are not.

Go David... Oh wait I'm a Democrat

Enough with the Leavitt "dynasty". Jason Chaffetz will make a terrific representative for the 3rd district.

He's got money and name recognition, that's all you need in Utah. Just throw a few yard signs out there so people see his name, and they'll vote for him merely because they saw his name plastered about. Utah voters are great!

Please! NO!!!!!

How about waiting to do your mudslinging until after the convention? Until then get your facts straight and get to know the candidates. From what I know right now this Leavitt is a pretty level headed and nice guy.

Incidentally, when mudslinging starts, I usually check out on the person the mudslinger is supporting and vote for someone else.

And we call this country a Democracy? Or better term is supposed to be Republic! Neither!
This country has become an Oligarchy plain and simple!
Money, power, wealth, Status, family name, royal blood, etc. that is what we've become. It is too late for this country to change. Prepare for bad times ahead......

Trust me on this one: From one who knows all three to a personal level...Leavitt is by far the most level headed, clear thinking individual of the bunch. He is a "can do" guy, and doesn't live his life on an emotional roller-coaster. One thing I can tell you in comparison to the others: He is exceptionally smart. He�s as sharp as a tack. Even if you put away the pedigree and the money, which are nice assets, he is the clear choice for me. Some of these negative comments I�m reading above are pretty ignorant; my guess is they don't know the candidates at all and are making gross generalizations. Good luck to all three of you who are running.

RE: Relax & Mudslinging .... You sound like the typical Utah voter. Whoever your bishop or home teacher tells you to vote for is how you will vote, never mind the issues. He's a Leavitt is good enough for most in this state.

Why have people in this country fallen in love with monarchy style of politics. Roosevelt, Kennedy, Bush, Clinton, Romney, Leavitt, Wallace etc.. Too often and for far too many voters, it's about nothing but name recognition. It's beyond sickening.

@Trout-P

I do not know that you are wrong. I really hope you are. But in any case, I won't give up. All I can do myself is do the best I can and hope. Giving up is not an option.

There are two big problems with David Leavitt.

The first, I remember during the campaigns against Cannon in 2002 and 2004 Leavitt was Cannon's chief cheer leader in Juab County. He went so far as to help Cannon look good for the delegates. All of this is documented. He went out of his way to show how effective Cannon was.

Now, just 5 years later he is singing a completely different tune. Either Cannon is effective or he is'nt. Which Leavitt answer should we believe? David 2002/04 or David now?

Which leads perfectly to the second big issue. Other posters have addressed the dynasty issue. I have met Dixie Leavitt. He did not raise his kids to ignore politics. David is as political and full of intrigue as his brother Mike. Can we remember the prosecution of Tom Greene?

David got his name splashed world wide for it. And in the end, what did he do? He made saving child brides 20 times more difficult! Mark Shurtleff has worked to get the polygamy community to report when child marriages are scheduled. Leavitt's misguided political stunt set that back years. This is documented as well.

David is nice, but another Leavitt!

James, I'm a lawyer. I also know Greg Hoole, who is prosecuting Warren Jeffs. It is clearly documented that Leavitt's Tom Greene case made it easier to prove a child involvement with plural marriage. The Warren Jeffs case has used part of the same strategy! The Greene case was revolutionary for the prosecution of child brides, buddy. i don't know where you're getting your information, but it sounds like it's a bunch of uneducated opinions.

Also, another Leavitt? Is this bad? Let's think about this: The Leavitt's are successful business people...this is obvious. This is well documented. The Leavitts have run government well. Mike wouldn't be in running the nation's largest department and Dixie wouldn't have been Utah's Senate President if that wasn't true. That's well documented too. The Leavitts live their religion too. Again, well documented. And you're saying another Leavitt is bad? Buddy, I'd rather have another Leavitt running my district than to have a presumptuous Know-It-All. (Like yourself)

One last thing. I voted for Cannon in both 02 and 04...but I won't now. As time goes on, opinions change...views change. I see no problem with that, and I see no problem with David Leavitt either.

This country was founded by the rich, including lawyers and slaveholders. Oligarchy or not it has worked because the sound principals utilized are the engine driving its success. The only issue then is, does your canidate have the selfless, honest and moral center to make decisions effecting our future. These three More' are the Pareto issues that create trust, once that trust erodes the nation will then become impotent. We stand at the brink now, our choices, or our apathy will decide the outcome.

Rebuttal, same strategy to get Jeffs is one thing. The number of private disclosures for child brides down substantially. Save your arrogant buddy stuff for someone else. And the AGs office can verify the reports all but stopped with the Greene prosecution.

And another Leavitt a bad thing? Mike Leavitt was a pathetic Governor. He did what no other elected official has done before or since: Unite both the right-wing and the moderate middle of the Republican Party. Sadly for your case, against Mike Leavitt.

And the fact that you are a lawyer means??? Is that typical lawyer arrogance that you are the only ones entitled to an opinion? You are the only ones entitled to read the Constitution? Law? Policy? Your arrogance sounds slightly more like ambulance chaser to me. Let others be the judge of that.

Dixie Leavitt left the Senate when he pushed one more example of Leavitt arrogance, losing 1-28. Mike Leavitt left when the get'n was good, considering an absolute nobody literally showed up at State Convention with $3,000 in pocket and took him to a primary. David Leavitt left when the voters of Juab County kicked him out of office.

Leavitt's = NO MAS!

And my dear rebuttal buddy, you mention that David Leavitt lives his religion. Did someone attack his religion? Or is this a case of 'me thinks he doth protest to much?'

And so now that we have established David Leavitt is a moral person, are you implying that Chaffetz and Cannon are not?

Cannon is a great family man. Documented. And from what I know of Chaffetz, he is very moral as well. Documentable. So what we have are three non-Bill Clinton types, certainly not a reason to vote for or against David Leavitt.

And as for Mike Leavitt being in the Dept of HHS, there are many reasons for that. Mike always took credit for others work so don't get too excited, also documented. He took credit for a balanced budget but our State Constitution requires that. (Am I allowed to read the State Constitution? Not being an attorney and all.)

Leavitt was personal friends with Bush, and carried water quite well with EPA. Documented. That got him into HHS. Do we remember all those private jets he took while with HHS? I do. documented. Is that ANOTHER documented example of a Leavitt and their big government values?

Yep!

@James
I live in Davis County, so won't be voting for either David Leavitt or Chris Cannon. I don't know David Leavitt, but I have a very high opinion of Mike Leavitt. He is head and shoulders above our current governor, in organization, in casework, in stands on public issues, in execution. The only area where Huntsman outshines Leavitt is in economic development: he has a very accurate understanding of what it takes to attract business and jobs to the state of Utah, and has the moxy and followthrough to make it happen. Leavitt was clueless in that area, but nobody knew how to solve problems for individuals like Gov. Leavitt--no one was too little to get his attention, and he would assign a staffer to get their problem solved. So, in the interest of full disclosure, James, tell us which one of the Leavitts gored your ox--must of been good. Did you lose a big insurance case competing with them?

And one last point my dear rebuttal attorney buddy, let's do a quick analysis of David's business sense.

We see he is worth tens of millions of dollars. Fine.

We hear that he is a briliant businessman. Ok?

We read his admission that he never worked for the family business. Hmm.

We know that his real job performance was that of public employment for Juan County. Anything else?

So how did David Leavitt earn his up to almost $90 million? From the family business he never worked for? Yep!

David Leavitt is a nice guy. He is also, what is known on the east coast, a "Trust Fund Baby." That is someone who is worth millions through inheritance.

I have no problem with that at all. I oppose the inheritance tax and think wealth should stay right where it was earned. In this case, within the family.

What I have a problem with is even the implication that David Leavitt is a briliant businessman becuase he inherited his families money.

Be cautious about the accolades you are going to throw David's way. Unwarranted will get him in trouble with savy Republican delegates.

And to the Mike Leavitt fan, touche with Mike's ability to build teams. Sadly, most of his work was appreciated by the Democratic Party. When Leavitt left Utah, as documented in both this newspaper and Salt Lake Tribue, the sad comments came from the Democrats. Sen Mike Dimitrich was even quoted as saying that Mike Leavitt was the best Democratic Governor Utah has had for a generation. Some Democrats were teary eyed. Republicans on the other hand, polite but THRILLED he was now DC's problem.

I was never gored by Leavitt/Bowen, and respect the family business. Mike Leavitt was just very liberal and pandered a great deal. He left a sour taste in most Republicans mouths. Obviously not yours, fine. In all of Salt Lake County GOP I can think of about a dozen delegates that would love to have Mike Leavitt back in Utah. The rest are just happy to have him gone.

Nothing personal, just political. And many of us see David Leavitt's campaign as Mike Leavitt testing the water for his reappearance in Utah.

What troubles me is he is throwing Cannon under the bus. The Utah delegation has worked hard for HHS in DC, now this.

Final thought for now.

David Leavitt is being pushed as a very moral man. I accept he has absolutely nothing in common with Bill Clinton. What about ethics in business?

It was reported a few years ago that the Leavitt family wealth was in tax free bank accounts, off shore in the Bahamas. Documented of course. Actually, this newspaper ran that story.

Is that ethical? Legal yes. Ethical?

David Leavitt wants to show a new way of doing business in Washington DC, and yet his personal money is off shore. His tens of millions are tax exempt. How is that any different than anything we see out of Washington DC right now?!

Chaffetz is not doing this. Cannon may have had issues with Geneva but he didn't hide his millions off shore to avoid taxes.

If David Leavitt wants to be ethical, let him pay back taxes on that money. If he refuses, that's all I need to know.

I have no doubt he is a nice guy. I would trust him as a neigbor. I respect his father for running a solid business.

I do not think David Leavitt is being upfront with us. Will he come clean?