Comments about ‘Letter: Choosing Utah's senator’

Charlotte McDonald: Amen. Great letter. Liljenquist has the skills, the experience, the right principles, and the fresh energy to step up and do a great job as our senator.

Sen. Hatch used to be the right choice, but over these many years he has strayed from his principles and from the Constitution. He has allowed Washington to change HIM (which is hard to prevent when you're there so long), and that's not a good thing.

When politicians reach that point, then keeping their power becomes the underlying focus of everything they do.

Sadly, it's time that we - by our vote - should ask a veteran politician to step down because he's become part of the problem. It's for the good of the nation, the good of Utah and, yes, for the good of Sen. Hatch himself (and his family).

Hatch is bad. Liljenquist is worse. I don't want either one of them BUT I don't want Liljenquist a lot more than I don't want Hatch. Therefore I will be voting for Hatch in the primary election. I have no idea what I will do in the general election. There is a good chance I will be voting for my border collie. She is better than Hatch and Liljenquist combined.

With all due respect, Charlotte, but why would anyone trust in anything you have to say on this subject? You admitted that you have voted for Hatch "multiple times" and that you've seen him create a mess (yet kept voting for him).

If you were wrong about Hatch, why would you be right about Dan?

I'm sorry, but I just can't trust you and your opinion on this one.

And btw, where exactly do Hatch and Dan significantly differ on policy? Please point these differences out since I haven't seen any on their websites. So if you're looking for change, I don't see Dan doing it. I hear his campaign promises, but who doesn't make those?

Great letter and I will be voting for Dan as well.

Furry: Howell is your candidate.

Maverick: who cares what you want since you aren't a Republican anyway. Go vote for your guy/gal in your election.

It's always interesting to read the comments/suggestion/grievances of those who don't even belong to the party of the person they are bashing......

My thoughts exactly. I've never been satisfied with Hatch, but I've never had confidence enough in his opponents to vote him out before learning about Dan Liljenquist. He knows how to fix fiscal problems and he definitely has my vote.

I have absolutely no reason to believe Hatch when he says this is his "last term".

He strongly inferred when he was originally elected in '76 that he would only serve 3 terms.

Its sad that his ego is so huge that he wants to spend 8million $$$ to get re-elected.

Just think what a GREAT LEGACY he could leave if he donated that 8million to charity and joined with the new Sen. Liljenquist to "show him the ropes" in D.C. then found something else to do that he enjoys.

I see it as a "win,win".

Dan actually had spittle and was frothing at the mouth. He had no message except how bad Hatch was. No vision. No ideas. It was really sad. But better to find out how much of a lame duck senator he would be now than later. Stay retired Dan.

Liljenquist did great in the radio debate. He showed that he has the knowledge, skills, energy, and savvy to be an effective senator right off the bat (just like he did in the state legislature, where he successfully tackled and solved serious issues that other legislators hadn’t dared to touch). He was assertive, but polite.

Sen. Hatch, on the other hand, was arrogant, condescending, and rude. He frequently interrupted during Liljenquist’s time slots.

And when Hatch claimed that he himself bore no responsibility for ANY of our nation’s crushing debt, it indicated either that he is clueless about the causes or that he is avoiding the truth to escape blame. Either way, this shows clearly that Hatch CANNOT be counted on to help solve our nation’s fiscal crisis.

During the debate Dan did not counter Hatch's comments on the balanced budget amendment. Dan should have pointed out that Hatch’s proposed Balanced Budget Amendment is has many loopholes with phrases such as “Congress may waive”, “unless”, “except”, “estimates”; does not pay any of the national debt principal, does not take effect until five years after ratification.  An amendment cannot force Congress to balance the budget, and if not balanced, then it would be another example of Congress ignoring the Constitution. I’m not sure that the news media, or many Senators have read and studied the amendment (S. J. Res. 10, 112th Congress, 1st Session). 

Can Dan do it? Here's another voter hoping he can! Go Dan!

But the BEST man for the job is still Scott Howell.

Scott Howell

Re: one old man Ogden, UT
"But the BEST man for the job is still Scott Howell."

With Obama sitting currently in the White House you can forget about Scott Howell. Hatch has a huge financial war chest he is saving to dump after he wins the primary election. Howell's only hope will be if he can get Obama to come here and campaign for him. (That would be like dragging a boat anchor around with you.)

Good for you Charlotte. You hit on some of the key points that make Dan the best choice, by far, in this primary. Dan is a brilliant, hard-working man who will do great things for Utah and for the United States. He is utterly fearless and tireless, and his policies are based on principle. Dan won't "go along to get along" the way Hatch has for the latter half of his tenure in the Senate.

Plus, There is no way an 84 year old can possibly have the same energy Dan does. There's a good chance that Orrin won't even SURVIVE another term. The average life expectancy for a man in Washington DC, where he has lived since 1976, is the lowest in the nation: 72 years. Another term is just asking for problems. How effective can you be when your health or mental sharpness go south?

This primary election boils down to one decision: do we want to be represented by a politician or a statesman? Orrin Hatch has had plenty of time to prove that he is the former. Liljenquist is a great statesman. Spread the word.

Ask Mr. Hatch what he has done to lower the deficit. It stands at $15,000,000,000,000. It was $653,544,000,000 in 1976. It has grown 22 TIMES larger while Mr. Hatch has been in office.

Ask Mr. Hatch what percent of American's had their telephone calls listened to by the government without a court order in 1976. ZERO! No individual court order is required now.

Ask Mr. Hatch how many people had to be photographed or patted down before boarding an airplane in 1976. While you're at it, ask how many people were allowed to go to the boarding gate in 1976 who were not passengers. Just last week, I had to meet a grandson at the gate. They made me get out of my wheelchair, remove my belt, remove my shoes and walk through the detector when I can't take even a simple step without assistance. Gee, thanks Mr. Hatch.

Finally, ask if you're better off today than you were in 1976 or any time since Mr. Hatch has been in office.

I'm scared silly with Mr. Hatch's promises and his failed delivery.

Scott Howell has actually worked for a living at IBM while Hatch became a multimillionaire (how he can do that on a senate salary I'll never know) and Lil played consultant, telling other people what to do without actually doing anything himself.
Howell's the only one who really knows the real world.

Liljenquist also started a successful business. On top of that, he excelled at one of the most competitive law schools in the country, and has raised a beautiful family with six children. He also co-wrote and produced an album while in college that is far easier to listen to than anything Orrin Hatch has done... (Including "I'm Peanut Butter and You are Jelly" which has been popularized by other groups).

What people usually refer to as "knowing the real world" usually just means knowing the failure side more than the success side. Personally, I'd prefer to have people who are smart enough to do really well "in the real world" representing me in government, not people who struggle to get by until they hit the congressional pension jackpot. Dan has had plenty of real world experience, including growing up in a family with 15 children. If that doesn't teach you how to get things done, I don't know what will.

Charlotte, I hope every voter in Utah reads your excellent letter before the June 26th primary. Yes, Hatch started out to do great things. His first two terms were his BEST. Now, he wallows in Power and Ego. It is definitely TIME to pass the baton on to a NEW generation of Americans. Kennedy said in 1961, "the torch has been passed to a NEW generation of Americans." Likewise, in 2012, the opportunity for a NEW generation to step up and be counted has arrived. I agree with the writer who commented, "Who wants an 80 year old trying to do a younger man's job?"

Peanut Gallery is so wise! Readers, . . . read his comments. He is point on! Dan was endorsed today by Rick Santorium. And Santorium has worked with Hatch. His endorsement sends a message to Utahns. We in Utah have the right to envision a brighter future.

Dan is ready to serve. His knowledge, energy, and commitment is what Utah needs at the national level at this most critical time. NOW is the TIME to lay the foundation for a NEW tomorrow! VOTE DAN on June 26th!

Dan couldn't win his own neighborhood's caucus. Perhaps we should trust those who know him best. Dan is a Mike Lee clone. One of those is too many.

Just curious…

How many Anti-Hatch Republicans have voted for him each and every time he has ran for 36 years now?

Even more curious, how many Anti-Hatch voters will so yet again if he beats Dan Liljenquist in the Primary?....

That’s called - Party Loyalty over Person Integrity.