Comments about ‘Keep Hatch’

This letter clearly came out of the Hatch campaign. As a veteran of campaigns I know how this works. Senator Hatch is a great man and a great senator. But, he's going to be eighty years old when he runs again for a six-year term. Doesn't he realize that the day does come when it's time to retire? He has done a lot for our state and has worked really hard. But, no one is indispensible. Wouldn't it be better to leave gracefully rather than be humiliated. It's time to pass the baton to the younger generation and become an elder statesman. I hope he will give serious thought to this.

Claus,

When Bennett had all that seniority and was head of the banking committee, it did not stop Washington form putting an end to the expansion of an industry that put a lot of tax dollars into Utah's coffers. The Industrial Bank industry has been a great boon to the state in terms of high salaries and tax revenues, but regulators stopped IB expansion despite Bennett's support and position.

Your argument of seniority is over-hyped.

I think Mr. hatch has done a wonderful job and do not have the vitriol towards him that many have. However, I wish to make a few comments.

1) The primary job of congressmen is to create and pass law - i.e. Sponsor bills and vote. It is not to grab pork and pull it back to our state. True, I don't like to see all other states in our union get pork, and Utah none, but this fiscal irresponsibility, partially driven by pork, will bankrupt us at some point if it continues the same trajectory. Career politicians usually equal pork. I believe very much of what Mr. Hatch first espoused when running for office decades ago...

2) To those who say Mr. Chaffetz (sp) has done nothing, is it true? Has he not voted for or sponsored bills? Do you like his voting record?

3) True Mr. Hatch is chair of the SFC, but that is not tied to the Utah seat, so let's not debate issues that are not germaine to the Utah seat. Many qualified senators have capability to pick up where Mr. Hatch leaves off if that is indeed the case.

If you advocate for Hatch this time around you are asking voters to do something Utahns have never done before. If re-elected, Hatch would become the OLDEST senior citizen ever elected in Utah for any public office.

On election day 2012, Hatch will be 78 years old. At the end of his next term he will have served for 42 years in office as a U.S. Senator!

You may be the greatest Senator in the history of the Republic, but no one is that irreplaceable and indispensible.

Rather than retire gracefully as a true statesman, Orrin is forcing us to climb a steep mountain of adoration. If he can't make the decision to retire on his own, the state delegates to the nominating convention will be more than happy to show him the gate.

There is no question he is buying delegates in an effort to stem the tide, but Utahns will not be inclined to accommodate him under such a scheme.

He may be good, but NOBODY'S that good.

Elective office is not a lifetime appointment. Terms of service will be limited if not voluntarily, then by delegates who will see to it.

Time to move on.

I have no use for Hatch. I would much prefer that he retire. BUT I have even less use for Chaffetz, who is a joke (and an unmitigated disaster) as a Representative. If this comes down to a choice between the two of them, I will be holding my nose and choosing Hatch. Utah has already inflicted one unqualified and incompetent so-called "Senator" on the United States. I don't want to make it two.

@ lost in DC

Your point is well taken, but the "over-hyped" argument depends on whether or not the republicans gain the majority in the senate. If they do, then the senority issue is very important; if not, then not so much.

DN, I think you should at least post a picture of Hatch instead of Chaffy when the title of the letter is "Keep Hatch".

Seriously. Very poor journalism.

@Cats and lost in DC,

I contend that you answer Claus' question about Mr. Chaffetz's accomplishments. What specifically has he accomplished in 3 years in the House?

The problem with Hatch is that he has put himself in the position of selling his soul for his bowl of pottage. Chaffetz is as ready as Mike Lee was, which isn't saying much. We need some fresh blood that isn't trying to see who can be more extreme right wing than the next guy. How about someone pragmatic that is more interested in solving problems than serving a few special interest groups? What has Utah done to itself? Where are the guys who are moderate and actually are great leaders, like Rampton, Matheson, McKay, Moss, and yes, even Bennett? The bullies of the right make it unacceptable to stand for reason. This is to our detriment.

Anybody but Chaffetz. Chaffetz is an extremist that has jumped on the Tea Party's bandwagon just for votes. Every time Chaffetz opens his mouth he is an embarrassment to Utah.

You can't change what is going on in Washington without changing the players. A politician, like Mr. Hatch, will tell you he hears you and will change his ways, but he has so many of years of experience compromising under his belt we can never expect a change.

Since he has spent more time in Washington than Utah, so I suppose when we tell him go go home he wants to go to Washington....

Is the argument that Jason Chaffetz is not 'experienced' enough to replace Mr. Hatch, or is the argument the fact that Mr. Hatch should retire?

Mr. Hatch has had many terms to fix the problems in America. Each election cycle, he has promised to make a difference. Has he? Are we better off as a nation now than we were before he entered the Senate? Has he really made a difference? Has government shrunk in size? Do we have less interference in our lives? Are people able to take care of themselves without extending their hands towards Washington? Are fewer people on welfare?

He's had decades to fix those problems. He has not been effective. He has proven that his vote is not sufficient by itself to do anything. He has also proven that his influence is not sufficient to get enough other Senators to vote with him to fix anything.

We are in a mess because of our Representatives and our Senators. Mr. Hatch is part of the problem. We need to recognize that fact. We need to send him home. He has proven that he cannot fix the problems we face. It's time for a change.

I'm not a huge fan of Hatch.

But I know I really don't like Chaffetz. To many of his cult following, he's like this anointed one. This rockstar who has done so much.

What exactly has Chaffetz done? Besides embarrass himself and his family and create a delay at the airport by arguing with a TSA officer just trying to do his job?

I agree. Keep Hatch. Keep him from serving another term!!
How many of the policies that have gotten this country in the mess it's in did he vote for?? Look at his record and forget about the "R" after his name. It's time to clean house and change things in Washington. Otherwise you have to stop crying about the way things are in D.C.

@CHS: It's not about Chaffetz, it's about Hatch. I have yet to hear one cogent argument what Hatch has done for our state and why we should keep him in DC.

Do you have an argument to keep Hatch?

@Esquire: your days of "moderate", whatever that means, are over. The country is tired of your version of "moderation" and wants people who stand on conservative principles and will not bend with the wind or change.

Americans are tired of your "moderation" as that's exactly what got us in the mess we are in today.

You can't be just a little pregnant.
Either you are a conservative and believe in the COTUS or you aren't.
Either you believe that Congress can force you to buy a product you might not want otherwise or you believe in freedoms, liberty and the American way.

Your version of "moderation" is just code words for "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" which always ends up with my freedoms taken away and my wallet robbed without my approval.

Hatch will be released with a vote of thanks if he doesn't decide to take emeritus status on his own.

Loosely quoted:

"Mr. Moss, 18 years in the senate is too long for anyone. If elected, I will serve no longer than 18 years."
Orrin Hatch, in the senate election campaign of 1976.

Is he a man of his word or just another career politician who has been compromised by years inside the belteway??

What do you mean by "done for this state?" If you mean he has brought home the federal bacon, then lets just call it a day and try a little harder to stand on our own two feet. Get the feds out of our lives as much as possible. They can't balance a budget and we can. Bye bye Hatch.

Utah and the nation has had enough of Hatch. He has had his many years of public benefits and given little in return. Utah and the nation needs statesmen and leaders, and to get rid of the old politicians and their self serving politics.

I disagree. Hatch should absolutely step aside when he is never working day-in and day-out for Utah and the values the voters believe in, and never solves problems on a daily basis, for citizens of Utah. That's like trying to compair Obamacare vs. Romneycare. While President Barack Obama is in Puerto Rico, with hopes they'll ask for "Statehood", (just like Utah did), Puerto Ricans are an important component of the larger, fast-growing Hispanic population in the U.S. now totaling 50 million that Obama wants to mobilize for his re-election. The cat's gone, so the mice play again. We all know, in the GOP war on the elderly, poor, middleclass, disabled and Veteran's, there's something wrong, and it's a sign when Bald eagles attack post office patrons, that perhaps writes to members of Congress, to tell them to knock it off right now. Then the House Democrat play with colleagues of a scandal-scarred Rep. Anthony Weiner that are looking for him to step down this week, amid a growing chorus for him to resign. Even President Barack Obama has suggested he should leave. The question is, what's getting done then up on "The Hill?".

And therein lies the problem.

Incumbents, especially those with long tenure and high committee appointments, have more ability to bring home the pork than a freshman.

And, regardless of party affiliation, that has been what people want.

As is typical, we want the pork cut, but only in other states.
We want programs cut, but not when it affects me.

And we wonder why the deficit grows.