Deseret News | Reader comments: Bridgewater to challenge Bennett for Senate seat

Reader comments
Bridgewater to challenge Bennett for Senate seat

arc | 11:07 p.m. May 11, 2009

When I woke up this morning, I thought the most remarkable thing happening was Rep. Chaffez opening up his Salt Lake Co. Office.

I am still in amazed at this announcement. Tim is a very nice man with lots of good ideas. I wish him well no matter what he does.

I am glad for another choice for US senate 2010.

What a joke? | 12:02 a.m. May 12, 2009

How many office's is Bridgewater going to run for? Why was he running for state party chair if he was just planning on dropping out? It all seems a bit disingenuous to me.

Ut Co Gal | 12:33 a.m. May 12, 2009

Could it be that Tim has so much support that delegates were asking him to run for Bennett's seat instead?

Comments continue below

utahenergyideas | 12:44 a.m. May 12, 2009

His twitter account says he will make a statement in the morning. In the mean time, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

Spare Us | 1:16 a.m. May 12, 2009

At least Tim won't have to move to qualify for the election like he did last time.

Man, when will Merrill Cook be throwing his hat in the ring??

The Captain's Spyglass | 2:37 a.m. May 12, 2009

What this means is there will be at least 3 major contenders for the GOP nomination if Shurtleff formally announces on the 20th. Tim has a strong delegate following, as will Shurtleff and now the problem for Bennett will be he may now be defeated in convention in a 3 way split of the delegates. Tim may have realized that Dave Hansen is just too popular with the Delegates to win the GOP Chair, but there will be enough conservative delegates get elected in caucus this cycle to retire Bennett. Polls mean nothing in a race like this, it's all about caucus night.

A better alternative? | 5:57 a.m. May 12, 2009

Lots of political connections, Huntsman's choice for GOP head, running for this, that, and the other. Sounds like another career politician in the making.

John C | 6:41 a.m. May 12, 2009

What a joke?
You need to get a grip on it, Lincoln ran more than twelve times before he was elected.
You should run for an office, it is no easy matter, regardless of who runs against Bennett it will be a tough fight.
Shurtleff should stay home and take care of his knees.
I like Tim Bridgewater, but he would be going against the repubbie machine...not good.

Richard Votaw | 6:45 a.m. May 12, 2009

The only problem with being Huntsman's man to be the chair of the party... Huntsman hasn't got the respect of the party itself. He hasn't attended ANY county convention, even Salt Lake County, which would have taken only about an hour out of his 'busy' schedule of running for President. There are few party leaders that care much about the desires from a man who has been no friend of the party.

Being Huntsman's pick wouldn't exactly be a badge of honor right now. So Bridgewater has the endorsement of two people that will assure that it doesn't happen. Huntsman & Ridgway.

Cindy | 7:24 a.m. May 12, 2009

It's obvious Bridgewater had no intention of really being the Republican chairman with his comment that he doesn't like being a coach. This is the same lack of integrity and dishonesty that he exhibited when he ran against an honest man--John Swallow for the Republican nomination for Congress. When Bridgewater lost that election he refused to support Swallow and actually worked for Swallow's defeat. There are a lot of us delegates in Sandy who haven't forgotten that. No matter what Bridgewater runs for, I will encourage my friends to vote for ABB--Anybody but Bridgewater

John | 7:31 a.m. May 12, 2009

I am doubting his claimed conservative credentials, any one who supports Republican Moderates like John Huntsman, and John McCain, makes it hard for me to believe he is a true conservative. Does any one know more about this guy?

Chachi | 7:43 a.m. May 12, 2009

Reasons to vote Bennett out: 1) He's been in too long. 2) For all the time he's been in there, he hasn't achieved the conservative agenda that his Utah constituency wants.
Reasons to retain Bennett: 1) His experience is a benefit, not a disadvantage. He knows Washington, he's well-respected among his colleagues, he has seniority in the Senate and on committees, and he's very intelligent. 2) No single senator can accomplish his own agenda, especially when he's a Republican in a Democrat-monopolized Congress. A freshman senator would be even less effective.

LOL! | 8:12 a.m. May 12, 2009

I seriously laughed out loud when I found out Bridgewater was running. Yea, he saw he had no chance at winning the party chair so now he's on to the next office. How many times have the voters denied him? Give it up or he is going to be the next Merrill Cook.

Plus, he really is not as conservative as people make him out to be. I agree with the comment that he endorsed McCain and we all know how conservative McCain is! Bridgewater has totally lost my respect now.

Bridgewater V Swallow | 8:16 a.m. May 12, 2009

I still remember the awful campaign that Bridgewater ran against Swallow. If he hadn't been such a poor loser, refusing to endorse Swallow and spreading nasty rumors, we might have had a Republican in Matheson's seat. Bridgewater is one of the slimiest politicians ever and this situation just confirms how low he will go. Pretending to run for another office just so he can get more name recognition is just another instance of Bridewater's lack of moral character! After the Swallow-Bridgewater race I vowed to never vote for Bridgewater.

Professional Gadflay | 8:25 a.m. May 12, 2009

No, not Bennett -- Bridgewater. Get a real job.

ADemocrat | 8:29 a.m. May 12, 2009

I'm a Democrat. And I can tell you that we Democrats really like Tim. He's a very moderate, thoughtful guy -- just like Junior Huntsman. And he has special ties to the Bush family, especially that one Bush brother that was indicted for various acts of dishonesty in business. Go Tim. Go. And tap into those excellent Bush contacts.

Rant | 8:51 a.m. May 12, 2009

I would even vote for Micky Mouse over Bennett. Bennett has done nothing but feather his own nest; he is less than wortheless as a representative of Utah or the nation.

drk knight - watch the $ | 8:58 a.m. May 12, 2009

The acid test of any campaign is: can it raise money? The competition will be fierce for the $ if all these guys run.

That is where the incumbent has an advantage. I like Senator Bennett. I hope he wins.

Timberwolf | 8:58 a.m. May 12, 2009

Reasons not to retain Bennett:
1) He's been in too long. 2) he's no conservative,
3)chairman of the TPN(transatlantic policy network),
4)voted for and supported amnesty of illegal aliens,
5)voted for the first bailout and is not a fiscal conservative.

re: Merrill Cook | 9:21 a.m. May 12, 2009

I don't know why people are saying Merrill Cook. Merrill is already running for office, well he and Steve Harmsen are running for office. You really don't get one without the other. I like Steve, never have liked Merrill and what is up with that.

I agree that Tim made a big mistake when he didn't support Swallow when running v. Matheson. I think he has learned something.

I like the choice of Bridgewater, Bennett and Shirtleff. Not sure who I will vote for yet, but I like the choice...

setting the stage | 9:21 a.m. May 12, 2009

This leaves the race for Governor wide open. With Bridgewater and Shurtliff running for senate, the Governor's seat is Lt. Governor Herbert's to lose. He's exactly what Utah needs. Ya baby!

Paul | 9:28 a.m. May 12, 2009

The headline should have read "Republicans Seek Further Irrelevance." By pursuing this purge of "impure" party members, the Republicans are further ensuring their demise. But at least Rush will be happy and that's what counts.

Refresh | 9:35 a.m. May 12, 2009

Anybody but Bennett is what I say.

No On Bridgewater | 9:40 a.m. May 12, 2009

I overheard Bridgewater talking at a renewable energy forum and he sounded just like most of the liberal group wanting to bill us more to make renewable energy more affordable. So either he is just playing he is conservative or he is willing to say anything to any group just to get elected.

He's just another career politician.

Brim Tidgewater | 9:42 a.m. May 12, 2009

"I would much rather play on the court than coach from the bench or referee,"
Translation = the lure of power and the approval of people I deem to be super cool is something I cannot live without.

Go Bridgewater! | 10:07 a.m. May 12, 2009

I will vote for Bridgewater & campaign against Bennett!

Steve | 10:26 a.m. May 12, 2009

Bennett and Hatch must go. They do not support the conservative party platform. They are for illegal immigration. They both voted for the first bailout and then had the nerve to vote against the second one only because it was Barry Obominations idea. Bennett was all for 2 terms and then when he found out how much power he had, he just could resist a few more terms. Being in office for so many years is not a pro, it is a con. We need people like Chavez who don't know the system and still have the nerve to think outside the box.

Bridge over troubled water | 10:31 a.m. May 12, 2009

I guess Bridgewater likes losing and is still bitter about it. If he can't win against Swallow and then is a poor sport about it, then he runs for State Chair, can't win, and is a poor sport about it, what do we think will happen in his Senate run? He'll lose and be a poor sport about it. No one needs to be reminded how close he is the Bush Clan. Bridgewater is the ultimate insider and if we want a return to Bush Big Government policies, Bridgewater is our man.

I, for one, will NOT be voting for Bridgewater! I agree with the earlier posts about his bitterness over the Swallow Race, bad moral character indeed!

We don't need another Chaffetz! | 10:41 a.m. May 12, 2009

If Utah wants to maintain any sort of relevance on the national stage we should not support someone trying to run to the right of an already staunch conservative. Ultra-right Republican primary/convention goers should not determine this race! We need more Huntsman's, Hatch's and Bennett's.

It's obvious that Bridgewater is an opportunist tryint to run for any available office that placate's his ego. I like Shurtleff, but not if he's going to go to the extreme right just to drum up support from the far-right fringe Republican's who attend these conventions. Shurtleff should wait for Hatch or Bennett to retire (which may be a long time from now) and run as a centrist, thoughful Republican.

Bridgewater not our man | 12:07 p.m. May 12, 2009

"He is a venture capitalist who founded Interlink Capital Strategies, a consulting firm that invests in business development, most of it overseas, along with Neil Bush, the brother of the former president."

It's perhaps worthwhile to point out that Neil Bush ran Silverado Savings & Loan into the ground during the 1980s. As is apparently the custom with the offspring of that family, he was not held accountable in any way for losing hundreds of millions that had to be made up by taxpayers.

Since then Neil Bush has created a new scam called COWS. COWS stands for Curriculum on Wheels. Apparently it's a bunch of dud, page-turning software for schools mounted on a wheeled cart.

Most independent education authorities consider it useless and overpriced. The Bush family, including Barbara, have pulled out all the stops to push this scam on public schools in Texas.

To the extant a person is judged by the company he keeps, Bridgewater doesn't measure up particularly well.

For a better Utah | 12:16 p.m. May 12, 2009

Tim is just what the party needs right now, young fresh leadership. He will steer the party back to our conservative values. He is a real business man and a lawyer or a career politician. I will support him because he will help Utah business and the conservative cause.

Roy Rogers McFreely | 1:05 p.m. May 12, 2009

Bridgewater looks like he's yet one more from the same Jello eating cookie cutter mold this state churns out en masse.

Fresh ideas? Sure. Like all politicians, he'll say whatever is flavor of the month to get elected.

I'd be the ideal candidate for Senate. An independent w/ libertarian leanings who DOES NOT have a J.D. or MBA.

arc | 1:28 p.m. May 12, 2009

re: We don't need another Chaffetz!

Actually we do. Rep. Chaffetz is doing great.

I like Tim. I will look forward to finding out what his plans are and give him a fair chance.

Need integrity | 1:59 p.m. May 12, 2009

We have been so concerned about keeping Bennett and Hatch in office because of their seniority that we have failed to develop a new crop of leaders. The only potential candidates available have too much baggage or no experience.

Just like the "ABB" comment above - Anyone But Bridgewater. We need integrity!

J Walker | 2:53 p.m. May 12, 2009

This is bad news for Shurtleff. Whether or not you like Chaffetz, there is no denying that had Leavitt not have spent so much time bad-mouthing him, Jason would have won in Convention.

Third candidate bad-mouthers (which Bridgewater will clearly be) obfuscate the race. This actually makes me wonder if Tim was urged to run by Bennet, thereby diffusing the Shurtleff threat?

I am all for more everyone running that believes in running, and believes they can win. But Bridgewater, who has never made it out of convention, and was beaten by right wing nuts Like Lavar Christensen, doesn't stand a prayers chance of doing anything but disrupting progress.

money wins elections | 2:54 p.m. May 12, 2009

Bob Bennett has this election sewn up by virtue of the massive amounts of money he can raise. Look up how much money he has raised just from employees of Marriott International, AIG, Fannie Mae, etc. We have become the best democracy Big Corporate money can buy, and this is especially true in Utah.

arc | 3:12 p.m. May 12, 2009

money...
Money doesn't have to win elections.
You need some for signs, and info, but Rep. Chaffetz won over both Cannon, and Leavitt who both spent more than Jason did for Convention, and Cannon spent more for the primary.

Bennett, Shurtleff and Bridgewater need to win over about 2100 future state delegates, and then they get to take on whoever the democrats have.

Time4Change | 3:16 p.m. May 12, 2009

Both Utah Senators have been in office as long or longer than I have been alive. Don't you think it's time for a change? Is it surprising that both senators have consistently rejected term limit bills?
No mention of a Democratic candidate I notice

Utah Conservative | 3:50 p.m. May 12, 2009

Tim Bridgewater is a great man! I was a GOP state delegate in 2002 and 2004 and voted for him at both conventions. He sat in my living room and impressed both me and my neighbors with his passion, ability to be forward thinking and his depth of experience. Utah would be well served by a Senator like Tim and we'd be lucky to have him.

If John Swallow needed Tim's help so badly to win (as many bitter sounding posts have indicated), then John shouldn't have been the GOP nominee in 02 and 04. Didn't Swallow have enough popularity to win without his primary opponent stumping for him every weekend? Continuing to pass the buck and blame Bridgewater and other's for his two losses against Matheson is so old, yet so typical when it comes to career politicians like John. They never stand up and take responsibility for themselves, their organizations, etc...it's always somebody else's fault! After 7 years the Swallow crowd still doesn't understand why Republicans voted for Jim Matheson. It's because we could all see John was another "Pass The Buck" politician.

.

Medicare Kid | 4:36 p.m. May 12, 2009

Bennett and Hatch are the problem not the solution. Under their watch weve been going down, and they need to recognize they've had their chance and blew it.

Re: Utah Conservative | 4:58 p.m. May 12, 2009

If Bridgewater is so popular and such a good guy, why did he lose twice to Swallow? The fact is that he is not a good guy as previous posts have outlined and not all that popular. He couldn't even when party chair!

Bennett is pompous | 5:09 p.m. May 12, 2009

I've hardly seen a senator as arrogant as Bennett. He doesn't respond to his constituents (Hatch certainly does without fail), he feels there's no expenditure too great on the Museum for congress being constructed, and he has broken his promises to limit his terms. I guess the lure of power was far too great. Personally I can't stand the man or the way he votes. I've hardly read a thing I like about the man. At least I've seen Hatch represent the interests of this state, Bennett on the other hand seems to represent only his own interests and those of corporate america (where he came from). Time for new blood in his seat. Absolutely. Anyone but Bennett.

Right Wing Nuts Like LaVar? | 5:09 p.m. May 12, 2009

If J. Walker thinks LaVar Christensen is a right-wing nut, J. Walker is a Democrat and has no business telling Republicans for whom to vote.

The GOP needs a Senator who will go to Washington and join Jason Chaffetz in the good fight to return states' rights to Utah.

Give me Liberty - Not Debt.

I'm not sure yet whether any of these candidates understands that concept. Bennett's voting record certainly does not show it. And judging from the candidates Shurtleff and Bridgewater supported, neither do they.

Bennett not Pompous | 6:08 p.m. May 12, 2009

That is an outright lie that Senator Bennett does not respond to his constituents. I have received several responses. Maybe you need to actually send the letter with a return address and then you can get a response. Bennett is very down to earth. I have met him several times most recently at his Rural Business Conference up here in Brigham City and he sat and spoke with constituents for several hours. Bennet is a great senator and has my vote!

Hosers2 | 6:16 p.m. May 12, 2009

Are we going to get a candidate that is actually a conservative? None of these three are.

I like Bridgewater, but his support of McCain and Huntsman lends oneself to believe Bridgewater is too moderate. Huntsman needs to change parties. McCain already did.

LaVar is a Latter-day Patriot! | 6:36 p.m. May 12, 2009

LaVar Christensen is a patriot, and it is difficult to believe that anybody who calls him a "right wing nut" is anything other than a pro-homosexual sodomy-based "marriage" extremist.

The reason the left hates LaVar so much is that he has principles he isn't willing to compromise to win elections, and he co-authored the Utah Constitutional Amendment to protect the sanctity of marriage. Amendment 3, IIRC.

If you aren't full of hatred for those who support the sanctity of marriage, you have no reason to hate LaVar Christensen, unless you're a gullible, easily influenced type who hates Gayle Ruzicka because the DesNews, the SLTrib, and other leftist rags attack her, and you believe the vitriol spewed in the direction of any effective conservative. LaVar is one of the best, nicest, most honorable men to run for office in the state of Utah, on either side of the aisle, in the new century.

By the way, LaVar, if you read this, you probably know who this is if you remember the business card I gave you; please call me; I left you a message earlier today...

Bob's Boss | 10:17 p.m. May 12, 2009

No more of Bailout Bob.

He was on the senate banking committee when this entire banking/financial industry collapse started and he either did not realize it or he did see it coming and did nothing to stop it or warn us about it.

All he could come up with as a solution was to take our kids' money and the money of our grandkids and even our great grandkids and give it to a bunch of overpaid financial industry fat cats with no strings attached so that they could receive annual bonuses greater than many of us will make in a lifetime -- when they failed to do their jobs.

If he was an employee and failed as miserably as he has at his job, he would have been shown the door by his employer a long time ago. Oh well, better late than never. After all, we are his employer...

arc | 6:58 a.m. May 13, 2009

re: LaVar.
Your defense of someone is passionate. Your words, however are repelling. You gain nothing, but hurt.

Bennett still doesn't get it | 8:22 a.m. May 13, 2009

He's old, he's past his prime, he's breached the public trust in his participation in the sub-prime mortgage bubble and subsequent meltdown, then advocacy for the misguided TARP legislation, he's become known as "Bailout Bob," and that's all on the heels of his non-investigation of the Obama inauguration ticket fiasco, and before that the Y2K bug non-event. Tell me, with a track record like that why he would think he deserves yet another six-year term? It's because he's completely clueless about his own mortality -- he's done, and it's time that Utah imposed its own version of term limits at the ballot box in November 2010. If he won't impose the limit on himself, then the Utah voters will have to do it for him. Either Bridgewater or Shurtleff is a better choice now. We shouldn't reward mediocrity with yet another term for an aged Senator. In my mind the same principles apply to Hatch when he comes up for re-election in 2012.

J Walker | 11:30 a.m. May 13, 2009

No, I am actually a Republican. And Lavar is a right-wing goober.

Remove emotion for a minute and think logically. People like him and Gayle are trying to push the party so far right, that they are causing losses.

Look for example at his humiliating loss this year. His right wing agenda actually kept him from being elected in one of the most Republican districts in the state. Hence, a democrat was elected. This further promotes the left agenda. I am all for standing on principle, but right-wing factions are actually the reason why our religious standards (traditional marriage etc...) are being overrun.

People like Lavar are actually the reason why states are now passing same-sex marriage legislation. Ironic, isn't it?

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