Comments about ‘Will Shurtleff challenge Bennett? Probably not’

Amnesty Bob needs to go for sure, but replacing him with another amnesty hack like Shurtleff won't solve anything. Both Hatch and Bennett are relics from the past. Bennett is so far in the pocket of big business you can barely see his head sticking out. He does whatever they want. Time for some new blood in the Utah Repbublican Party with some real conservatives instead of all these RINOs. Get them out of here.

I think Shurtleff goes for it. Mark's been a great Attorney General and his support runs deep. It isn't that Bennett is popular or unpopular,it's that he isn't great and he's been making an awful lot of bad decisions lately.

The reason TARP made it through the Senate was all Bennett(yup the beginning of bailouts by the government was from Bennett's Committee), the reason we don't know where the money has gone- partially Bennett's fault (what he didn't want to wait an extra day so we would know that it went to pay bonuses?) Ridiculous!!

Mark Shurtleff's been out there protecting our kids, while Bennett's been protecting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It's time for a politician who represents the people and listens to us. Bennett's time has come and gone (I thought he was only going to be in for 2 terms?). We need real leadership and principles- Mark Shurtleff for Senate 2010!!

We need someone with new ideas, new passion and vigor. I like our current Senator, but it's time to retire with dignity. We need new blood. Mark, the time is yours!

Are we all aware the Senator Bennett is the number two Republican on the Senate Banking Committee?

Are we happy with his work on how the "bailout"money was simply thrown at the banks with no concept of accountability?

Just because he is a Republican does that mean we should not hold him accountable?

We ought to consider all challengers regardless of their party for a replacement for our "Dear Leader".

We love to romantacize things. If you don't like Bennett due to his big government tendencies; his tendency to go along with his party no matter (read: supporting every junk Bush program even thought of); his tendency to bad mouth Republican basic principles, etc. Shurtleff is his twin brother.

Both very easily fall into the neo-conservative camp. Both are very moderate. Both love to play footsy with the Democrats and implement junk under the guise of bi-partisanship. Neither is a fiscal conservative.

Bennett supported the bailout, oh I mean the Republican ones last fall. Where was Shurtleff on these?

Bennett supported all the warrantless wiretapping junk. As chief law enforcement officer for Utah, when did our Attorney General EVER oppose the Federal Government wiretapping tens of thousands of Utahns...without a warrant? When did he? Did he ever file a single dang request with the Justice Department in our defense? Did he challenge it in Federal Court?

You are sick and tired of Bob "I promise, only two terms" Bennett so now you are willing to accept anything. Please, think a little deeper than this!

The right wing, hardly a swimming pool. More like wading pool.

I can never support Mark Shurtleff because I don't trust his judgment. His declaring that vouchers had to be implemented when they were being contested and then trying to fire/disable the State Office of Education's counsel because she didn't agree with him ---- who does he think he is?? In a discussion over SB199 (FAILED), the PTA was accused of doing something unethical by collecting their membership dues on school grounds. They were told "Shurtleff is looking into the legality of this." He and his political buddies are fond of making judgments that ignore common sense in favor of their own agendas.

I'll bet our esteemed governor steps into Hatch's seat in 2012. The old fossil will go kicking and screaming, but even republicans will realize moderates, like Huntsman are the future of the party.

. . . he can't be defeated within the ranks of his own party, or by a Democrat. That's why he keeps running. If not Shurtleff, then who within the ranks of the Republican Party will step up to oppose him. I say let it be anyone but Bennett. I am disappointed and dismayed at Bennett's inability to step up and be counted as a ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee when the financial tsunami was emerging. He had the inside track on knowing exactly what was happening and he neither saw, heard or spoke no evil against the perpetrators. I asked myself why and I began researching the financial resources that have sustained his long Senate career. I was shocked at what I found, having voted for him in each of the previous three Senate races. If you will all do a little bit of research on your own, you will discover that the esteemed Senator Bennett has dirty hands. He's been sustained in office by the very institutions and financial industry that he has protected. He was the TARP advocate, pleading for passage without taking any caution. The money went to his supporters. End of story.

Bennett is REALLY OLD and needs to step down. If he runs again, he'll be 85 years old by the end of his term -- And, it's not likely the Republicans will be in control of Congress before then which means if we don't elect someone now, Utah will have zero seniority when Bennett finally steps down. Federal political office isn't a calling and shouldn't be a career -- let's clear out the old and elect someone new! I mean really, EIGHTY FIVE YEARS OLD??!! Give me a break.

Yes.

If either Mark Shurtleff or Mike Lee run against Bennett for 2010, I believe Bennett will loose. If the other two candidates running against Bennett are all we have to choose from, I think Bennett will win.

As far as I know, we have 4 GOP "candidates" for 2010 US senate.

I have a deep and abiding (and growing) anger about the establishment of a privileged political class of citizenry. I do not believe it was ever the intention of the founders to create this political class. They envisioned an electorate who were wise enough not to create another privileged aristocracy under which their freedoms were curtailed in Great Britain. Unfortunately, we THE PEOPLE have proven unworthy of the trust they reposed in us. By sending the same people back to Washington again and again -- now Bennett runs for this FOURTH six-year term, and Hatch in 2012 runs for his SEVENTH -- we have broken faith with our founders. I know well the argument for seniority in Washington, but until we sacrifice a little we will perpetuate the unintended political aristocracy in which Hatch and Bennett have not only participated to their personal benefit far beyond the realms of decency, but their judgment as representatives of the people has been clouded -- dare I say even corrupted? These two senior senators from Utah, while admired and upheld by what is seemingly a majority if the polling is correct, represent the very worst of this problem. It is past time to retire them.

Why did he run for another term as AG if he was planning on running for Senate all along? First we have a governor who goes MIA for the next 4 years while he runs for president, and now we've got an AG doing the same while he runs for Senate. Who's left to run this state?

So I know this might sound odd, but I have concerns over Shurtleff's health. He still hasn't fully recovered from his motorcycle accident and even before that he had several health problems. Do we really want a Senator who is going to be in and out of the hospital? If I remember right, Shurtleff has had 11 surgeries on his leg alone. All of this just makes me wonder if he will even be able to hold up to the rigors of the campaign.

Shurtleff is already a Loser. How many AG's need their own publicist to collect all the conributions from the pawn brokers. His outmoded strong arm techniques are as old Alberto Gonzolas.

Whiners always whine, but I'd vote for Shurtleff in a heartbeat. Good man.

Well well Mr. Shamrtleff i'm sure you got one heck of a good payday loan to go head to head with old Benny!

Isn't there someone, anyone, with true conservative credentials to challenge Bennett?

Bennett has got to go. Case in point. Of all of the politicians receiving donations from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Bennett was reportedly THIRD highest on the list. If that is true, Bennett is nearly as guilty as Barney Frank in the subprime mortgage debacle that has tanked our economy. He also voted for the initial TARP bill. I don't know if Shurtleff is the right guy, but we need someone who is truly conservative.

Those who say "moderates" are the future of the Republican Party are either trolls, closet Democrats, or seriously mistaken. Taking that tack lost the last presidential election. We need a resurgence of true conservative values, fiscal and social, not more mediocrity (i.e. "moderation").

Most of us weren't around to remember back when Hatch and Bennett were helping to write the Constitution in the late 1700s. They both argued against term limits for Senators, and now we can see why.

Won't Shurtleff have to give up his AG position to run in order to comply with the Hatch Act? I don't see him leaving a job that pays him so well to travel to the Bahamas and speak to the pay day lenders.