Regime change

Sen. Barack Obama noticed early on in this cycle that this was a change election and was able to successfully harness that fact to propel him past Sen. Hillary Clinton and 6 other Democratic candidates. And the theme of CHANGE isn't just working in Democratic primaries, but also in a Republican primary in the most Republican state in one of the most Republican US House districts in the country.

"If we want different results we're going to have to elect different people," [3rd District primary challenger Jason] Chaffetz said. "If you like the status quo, vote for Chris Cannon."
"We agree entirely except the status quo. I am a change factor. I am making a difference in Washington, D.C.," Cannon retorted during the televised debate on KUTV's "Take Two" leading up to the June 24 Republican primary.

Ever notice how when a politican says "I am a change agent" or "the change factor," they usually are anything but? If you really think that Chris Cannon is a guy that has been challenging, rather than part of, the status quo in Washington over the last 12 years, please see here here here here and here.

If Jason manages to win, it will be a sign that voters, even Republican primary voters in Utah County, badly want change in Washington and maybe even on Utah's Capitol Hill. If Rep. Cannon goes down, I bet he isn't the only incumbent who loses that day as well. Although the state party tried its hardest to keep challengers off the primary ballot. So what exactly are "the issues" that Jason disagrees with Chris on?

Chaffetz criticized Cannon for voting in favor of the No Child Left Behind education bill, increased federal spending, the Medicare prescription drug benefit and allowing EnergySolutions to import radioactive waste from Italy - all issues Chaffetz said he opposes.
Cannon said the decision of whether to allow EnergySolutions to import about 20,000 tons of radioactive waste from Italy should be up to the state. About 1,600 tons of waste would ultimately be buried in Utah.
“The state has the right, the authority, the responsibility to govern that, and all I said is we should stay out of that and let the state control its own destiny in that regard,” Cannon said.

State's rights! That is a classic conservative ideology. Sounds reasonable enough...oh wait, the truth wants to say something:

Actually, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering whether to grant EnergySolutions a license to import the radioactive waste.

And guess who voted with EngerySolutions? I will give you a hint, it was everyone in the Utah delegation except Jim Matheson. Cannon, ever the ideological purest, said that if Chaffetz really believes in "changing Congress" he should run against Jim Matheson, even though Chris has been in Congress 4 more years than Jim. Oh that's right, Matheson is a Democrat, and Democrats have been in charge of Congress for two whole years already. And it must be the Democrats' fault that Cannon voted the way he did for the 10 years he was in the majority in the House.

The fight between the two Republicans has already gotten pretty testy. But it is nice to see that they actually are talking about substantive areas of disagreement, including immigration policy, rather than just change for the sake of change...although shaking things up does have its virtues. Just watch out for that shark.