Comments about ‘Rep. Jim Matheson slams GOP candidates for supporting nuclear weapons testing’

The article stated (Bridgewater and Lee response):

"My personal opinion is that there are a lot of options to detonation testing including analyzing data from previous tests and using advanced computer models," Bridgewater said. "We should exhaust all of those areas first and foremost."

Lee said such testing should be looked at "on the basis of need and a showing as to its safety, but as of right now, there isn't any such need."

Is Jim Matheson trying to make 'political hay' by claiming something "...they support nuclear testing" that neither candidate really said? Looks like to me that Matheson is taking their comments completely out of context. Matheson should be above that kind of pettiness.

I also find it to be disingenuous on the part of the Deseret News to post Bridgewater and Lee's response way at the end of the article rather than up front where it should be. The headline of the article is also very misleading and biased.

Matheson is right. There's a lot of us who have contracted cancer because of nuclear testing. Shame on these two Republican crackpots - and that is what they are.

Emotionalism aside, testing is the right policy for our nation's security. We can't just put our heads in the sand and pretend that we don't need to keep our nuclear deterrent capability viable. It's not "open air" testing anymore anyway. Can' just rely on computer modeling simulations....

It is to bad that Rep. Jim Matheson isn't running for the Senate. Looking at the two Republicans, Matheson would win hands-down.

Matheson is Utah's only fiscal conservative.

The biggest threat to my health and well being is not nuclear testing, but Obama, pelosi, reid and the rest of the demos.

The biggest threat to our unborn children's finacial future are the Republicans that say, "no-new-taxes" and the Democrats that will only pass the new taxes to the "rich."

Both are liars and political cowards. The Republicans really mean to say, "we will pass the tax onto your unborn children." The Democrats mean to say, "we will hide the tax that you will pay anyway."

That is why we need balance at the State and Federal levels. We need our reps. fighting with each other so that they can-accomplish-nothing.

Both parties have contributed to the mess - we need to make them both responsible for the cleanup. Oh wait, they just make it worse and blame each other in the process. We are sick and tired of the excuses, blame and dishonesty. We need to quit wasting our votes on the two major parties, they have had their chance and they just made it worse. If we all vote for a third party it will serve notice in a way that no one can mistake. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. I for one will find a candidate I can support for each office - if possible from the Constitution Party or another third party, but I won't vote for anyone that does not support limited government nor will I vote for anyone that has proven they will vote based on party loyalty instead of what is best for the country.

Wow! Lee also worked for Energy Solutions - you know the company that wants to bring nuclear waste from foreign countries to Utah. The guy must really like Utah.

Matheson's comments are absolutely correct, and very much on point. Good for you, Jim!

Jim, the whole "downwinders" thing is a complete hoax. Utah has the lowest cancer rate in the nation, and we all get far, far more radiation from other sources, than we ever got from fallout. IF this is your only campaign issue, you're in big trouble; well you are in big trouble. And why waste time on the senate race, I do believe you're running for the 2nd cong. district...right? You're not running against these two guys. What a fraud you are.

Matheson is so desperate, he is trying to make something out of nothing, and is campaigning against two Republicans in the Senate race? Ok, you've lost me here Matheson...well, you've lost me anyway. I will not vote for any Democrat, ever again. Democrats have stolen our land, stolen our country, stolen our freedom, and put us all in debt for the rest of forever.

Dear Majmajor: Actually you are describing the Democrats in all your cases.

I am going to vote in the Democrat primary against Jim Matheson. I encourage other Republicans in the second district to do the same.

A vote for Matheson is a vote for Pelosi. They are the biggest threat to our wellbeing. The only way to get rid of Pelosi is to get rid of Matheson. If we can beat him in the primary, we'll have a better chance of denying that seat to Pelosi.

Don't be fooled any longer by Matheson's games. Either Republican will make a great senator for Utah. The most important thing is to defeat Matheson.

JIM:: The biggest threat to your health and safety is where your head is. The democrats are doing things to clean up the Bush/ Cheney disaster. The oilspill in the gulf is a direct result of the lax regulations of them. Obama and company are doing things. Your republican constituents are doing NOTHING. Not surprising they did nothing for 8 years under Bush/Cheney, Oh except destroy the best economy known to man, the financial system, start 2 wars and bankrupt a country.

I have family and friends who died from cancer, starting in high school, attributable in large part to testing. Matheson is right on this, and there should be no serious debate on it. Lee and Bridgewater need to get their heads out of the crazy conservative mindset that throws reason and rationality out the window, and make decisions which are pracgmatic and not based on a reactionary philosophy. They're college educated, aren't they?

Lee and Bridgewater are both professional lobbyists who support anything a client is willing to pay them to support. They both know if they lose the election they will have to go back to their old clients That makes them say stupid things.

Mrs. Jensen | 8:10 a.m. May 22, 2010
"Dear Majmajor: Actually you are describing the Democrats in all your cases."

Who was in power when the U.S. Government spent trillions in two separate wars (Iraq, and Afg) without any finacial cost to the U.S. population? Republicans.

Who was in power with the first Trillion dollor bailout - Republicans and Democrats.

Who was in power the last 2 years of bailouts and Healthcare reform? Democrats.

How many real tax-increases has there been. NONE. The Democrats want the "Rich" to pay for everyone else's insurance. The Bush Administration didn't want the U.S. population to know the real finacial cost of the wars. The only one percent of the U.S. population are currently sacrificing there blood to support these efforts.

The U.S. population has never gone to war without there being a finacial cost being passed on to the population. The Republicans didn't have the political courage to share the cost to the living. Bush effectivily passed the cost to our unborn children.

"A vote for Matheson is a vote for Pelosi. They are the biggest threat to our wellbeing. The only way to get rid of Pelosi is to get rid of Matheson. If we can beat him in the primary, we'll have a better chance of denying that seat to Pelosi."

What are you basing this on? Matheson has voted more conservatively than our Republican Senators on all the major issues. Seriously, what "big" liberal issue has Matheson voted with Pelosi for?

Just because the man is a Democrat doesn't mean that he does whatever Pelosi tells him to do. Just because Bush or Bob Bennett were Republicans doesn't mean that they were conservative!

I grow tired of this petty political nonsense that some of you spew without any facts or research.

Matheson is our most conservative senator. Stop voting for parties and start voting for people.

Dear Real Maverick: The very fact of Matheson being in that seat helps Pelosi stay in power.

Please don't be fooled by his voting record. He votes the way Pelosoi allows him to vote. He votes for floor rules, etc. all the way up to final passage. Then he is "released" to vote "his district" on final passage. That's the way the game is played and anyone who has spent any time in Washington knows this.

Unfortunately, Matheson's constituents don't know this. They don't understand that Matheson's presence in the House allows Pelosi to stay in power. HE VOTES FOR HER FOR SPEAKER.

If Matheson was conservative, he wouldn't be a Democrat.

I spent many years of my life on Capitol Hill in Washington. I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AND MATHESON AND HIS STAFF KNOW IT. Everyone in Washington knows how this game is played.

BTW, Matheson is NOT a senator. He is a Representative. I'm sorry, "REAL MAVERICK" but you need to learn a little more about Washington and how it works. Matheson has clearly managed to fool you as well as many others.

Mrs. Jensen, not to offend, but you have no idea what you're talking about.

"Please don't be fooled by his voting record. He votes the way Pelosoi allows him to vote."

Um no. That's not how it works. I don't think we should be "fooled" at all by his voting record. Perhaps you should actually check out his voting record and then you'll see that he's anything but another mouth of Pelosi.

"If Matheson was conservative, he wouldn't be a Democrat."

Why? Please explain this to me. Are Republicans conservative? Really? Based on what? Provide some examples please to back up this outrageous statement.

Conservatism or Liberalism cannot be contained in today's politics to a particular "party." As shown by Bob Bennett, Orrin Hatch, and so many others, Republicans can be extremely "liberal." As shown by Jim Matheson, Democrats can be very "conservative."

Ignore the parties VOTE FOR THE PERSON.

No doubt Mr. Matheson votes yes on many more spending bills than his Republican counterparts. The nuclear deterrent of the US has prevented many wars and many deaths, million of them. For us to ignore the growing power of China is real stupid. We don't want war ever, but we do not want to have a one sided reduction in nuclear weapons such as Obama seems to want and that means Matheson too.