Tuesday, August 28, 2007

How has Hatch been good for Utah?


In a follow up to their Hatch-as-AG-candidate story, the Deseret News added some more quotes, one of which was laugh-out-loud funny:
"I don't make the decision on it. This is a decision the president is going to make," [Hatch campaign manager David] Hansen said, adding he had not heard anything from the senator about it and that Hatch is "more valuable to Utah as a senator."

Really? I call on anyone to name anything that Hatch has done that benefited Utah exclusively in his entire career in the Senate. Sure, he has changed copyright laws to protect a Utah company that was getting sued by Steven Spielberg et al. due to their "cleansing" of those directors' movies, but Orrin also changed copyright laws around so he could make a few more bucks on his terrible "musical" albums.

He may have raised cigarette taxes to pay for sCHIP with Ted Kennedy, but he also rakes in tons of money from tobacco lobbyists, which is odd considering smoking is supposed to be a sin for him.

Hatch has used his seniority and power from day one to help Orrin Hatch. He got his mission companions and other friends spots in the federal judiciary. He loves his front row seats at Jazz games...next to the players. He has tried to make every conceivable Republican scandal look not so bad, from Clarance Thomas to Alberto Gonzales.

Now Hatch is trying to cash in on all of this water carrying, despite the awe-shucks routine.
One Utah GOP insider said the rumor floating for months now has been that Hatch's office started spreading his name - though Hatch's office has been batting down the rumor as well.
"Most of us assume Hatch will be wheeled out of the Senate chamber on a gurney like Strom Thurmond," the insider said.

For at least since 1992, Hatch has gotten the praise while Bennett brings home the pork. Not that I think Bennett isn't also a partisan hack, but at least he has done something to help this state.

I have heard that his staff does great constituent service, much like his friend Ted Kennedy, but again, that should not be appropriated to Hatch himself. The only time he does constituent service is to help a drug dealing music friend of his get out jail in Dubai.

Like other media hungry senators, he is more interested in being on "Meet the Timmeh" than meeting the needs of Utahns. So please find me an instance where Hatch's presence in the Senate has helped out the Beehive State.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

So we're agreed that Hatch would serve us best by getting put out to pasture as the new AG?

P.S. I don't see my blog (go to davidjmiller.org) in your list of Utah bloggers.

Misty Fowler said...

Surely he can't be all bad...

Can he? Hmmm...I guess anyone who wants to require me to install equipment so that companies can physically destroy my computer if they find something disagreeable while spying on me is pretty much all bad in my opinion. Oh right...just prior to being found illegally using copyrighted software on his web site.

Misty Fowler said...

I just remembered how he's been good for Utah. He has inspired people like me to get involved with politics, and even help campaign for people like Pete Ashdown, and now Barack Obama. Orrin Hatch has inspired me to do something, instead of just gripe about him.