Comments about ‘Readers' forum: Hatch should retire’

This is Hatch's retirement.
My question for Hatch is why did he remain silent when Reagan, Bush I & Bush II caused the deficit to explode and increased the size of the Government by 40% (Bush II) and now all of a sudden the deficit is a bad thing?

The letter writer is a little late in the appeal. Hatch has a firm belief in himself as indispensable and irreplaceable, or he would not have made the decision to run for re-election. At this late date in the campaign he will not back down.

The saddest thing in sports is to see an aging star (think Peyton Manning for example), tattered and war-weary, still thinking he can get back on the field again after three neck surgeries and play at a high level again and again. There are a host of other examples.

You can add Orrin Hatch to that group now.

When one as aged as Bob Bennett (77 in the last election) and now Orrin Hatch (78 on election day) refuses to hand over the seat the electorate temporarily bestowed upon them, believing in their heart of hearts the seat must be some kind of perpetual endowment with their name written on it without a voluntary thought of stepping aside gracefully with dignity, then that person will have the seat wrested from their grasp in a very undignified (and some would say disgusting) way.

The delegates to the state nominating convention will give it to someone else.

We have a Constitution that requires the Federal Government to SECURE our rights and liberties. ". . . secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity . . . "

Among those liberties are the rights to "due process" guaranteed by the 5th Amendment; a "fair and speedy trial", the right to be "notified of the accusations", and the right to "retain council", guaranteed by the 6th Amendment.

Senator Hatch voted to PROHIBIT those rights when he voted "NAY" on SA 1126. (Senator Lee voted "YEA".)

That single vote is enough to send Mr. Hatch home. If he does not believe in his duty to SECURE our liberties and votes, instead, to take away those liberties, he does not deserve to hold public office.

Hatch would like to retire, but he is not sure he can rely on Social Security.

Will someone tell me exactly what a "conservative" is?

Hatch won't retire on his own. We're going to have to retire him. It all happens at your caucus.

Utah is sending a message to the rest of the country that voters can/will retire those Representatives who no longer best represent citizens interests. The rest of the country can take a lesson here.

Its too bad Sen. Hatch didn't just donate his "warchest" (millions)to his favorite charity where it could do some good!

I like Orrin personally but it is time for him to retire. I just don't know what's so great about being on the fringes. A pragmatic moderate would sure be nice for a change

@Mike Richards
South Jordan, Utah
8:59 a.m. March 12, 2012

Just remember Mike...
"We" didn't vote fore him for 36 years, YOU did.

BTW - I'm my bottom dollar, if Hatch wins the nomination -- you'll do it again.
So much for integrity.

I agree, Senator Orrin G. Hatch has been an exceptional Senator for the State of Utah and her citizens. He has honorably served Utah for 6 terms (36 years). It is now 2012, and yes, "it's time" to allow someone else the opportunity to serve as Utah's Senator. I know that seniority in the Senate means a better committee assignment for Senators. However, in 1976 when Hatch first ran for the Senate, he faced Senator Frank E. Moss in the general election. Moss was then, a third term incumbent Senator. In 1976, seniority did not guarantee automatic re-election to the Senate. Why does it matter in 2012? There are other conservative Senators, and other conservative candidates for the Utah GOP 2012 nomination for Senator.

In 2010, at the Utah State Republican convention, Senator Bob Bennett was passed over as the state Republican Party's chosen candidate for office. I'm sure this was an embarrassment for a Senator, who had served his home state well. History doesn't often repeated itself, . . . or does it?

Dan Liljenquist, Chris Herrod, and others would like to represent Utah in the US Senate. I hope the voters of Utah will equally permit others an opportunity to be of service. Senator Hatch, enjoy your retirement.

LDS Liberal,

You voted for the liberals, like Obama. You voted for those those have never tread on the Constitution. You do what you want, but in the sanctity of the voting booth, you and I will never occupy the same space.

If you never voted for Hatch, then, pray tell, just whom did you vote for? What was his principles? What was his agenda? If Hatch is viewed as a Conservative, then whomever you voted for was NOT a conservative. Whomever you voted for had no love for the Constitution.

The fall from your high horse may cause you more damage than is caused by your casting stones while living in a glass house.

Let's be sure he's not replaced with a clone or worse yet, an extremist like Liljenquist or Herrod.

Let's replace Hatch with Pete Ashdown.

This should have been a short term service and not a career.

on old man stated, "Let's be sure he's not replaced with a clone or worse yet, an extremist like Liljenquist or Herrod"

You also asked what is a conservative.

Well, you define for us all what an "extremist" is and then I'll respond with what a conservative is. Deal?

This guy is owned by bankers are facists. He needs to retire.