Live Blogging the Utah Republican State Convention – Part 3
April 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
3:52 PM Sorry, folks. Ran into some friends, and so I took a break. Anyway, what you missed is that the auditor race went to a primary after Johnson campaigned on “I’m a CPA” and Becky Lockhart and Mike Waddups introduced John Dougall. Now, we’re listening to the the First Congressional candidates. Joe Fabiano just spoke, dropped in lots of references to the pre-mortal life, etc.
3:56 PM Now, bunch of people introducing Congressman Bishop, including Rep. Butterfield. Rob Bishop is making an impassioned speech that’s getting a lot of love from the delegates.
3:59 PM Bishop listing the successes that the Republican Congress has under its belt, including defending the NDAA.
4:00 PM Ending with a critique of the proper use of government by Obama Administration.
4:01 PM Almost raucous applause.
4:06 PM Jacklyn Smith is giving what comes across as a Tea Party message. She wants change, she wants new leadership, but she’s not getting a lot of love from delegates.
4:11 PM We’re waiting for polls to open…and polls are open.
4:13 PM Wright declares polls closed. As usual, applause. People are always happy when they can register another progress point to finishing this day.
4:15 While were waiting for results, we’re watching a video about the Party plan to increase the turnout for the primary. It’s plan heavily weighted on vote by mail. Thomas notes that 42,000 people were registered for vote by mail during his tenure as Salt Lake County Republican Party chair.
4:21 PM While the federal government can run up the credit card, Utah cannot. Hold our federal delegation responsible for these policies.
4:22 PM Further, says, Lockhart, we need to be careful about the growth of state government.
4:23 PM Rob Bishop just won the nomination for the First Congressional District with 81%.
4:24 PM Lynn Wardle will be the first speaker for the Third Congressional Distict.
4:26 PM Wardle is former marine (I think he said), government lawyer, and law professor for thirty years. Says that, among other things, we must cut the budget and make Utah a leader in defending religious liberties.
4:28 PM Wardle unleashing a volley of founder quotes.
4:31 PM Here comes Jason Chaffetz, “a candidate for Congress,” he says. He’s throwing out a lot of big numbers, which I am sure Matthias Shapiro would be glad to turn into a good visual image.
4:33 PM Chaffetz criticizing the increase the federal government of the number of federal workers, as well as that there are over 400,000 federal workers who make more than $100,000 a year.
4:34 PM It has been more than 1,100 days since the Senate has passed a budget bill, says Chaffetz. Also, Chaffetz is on the budget committee with Paul Ryan and is fighting against fast and furious.
4:36 PM One bill that Chaffetz is trumpeting is one to fire federal workers for not paying their taxes. Asks delegates to thank our military.
4:37 PM Right on Chaffetz heels is Bryan Jenkins, who says that we may not know him because he “hasn’t campaigned” and because he campaigned against electronic voting. Gee…after how long this is taking due to all the candidates and how much faster its going because of electronic voting, I can’t imagine how anyone could support him.
4:39 PM Jenkins telling story or two about George Washington, including the first inauguration.
4:43 PM Jenkins finishes with a discussion of the inaugural oath of office. Kudos for patriotism, but meh for impact.
4:49 PM We’re waiting on someone who had some kind of issue.
4:50 PM Michael Waddups is addressing us next. He’s retiring this year, I believe. He says he gets a lot of requests from around the country from people asking “What is Utah doing” that is making a difference. He says we often hear that Utah is the best managed state. One other thing he says that we should know about is that only four states have a positive asset picture (?).
5:09 PM We’re still waiting for results, so we’re watching a video of Ann Romney asking for support of their endorse delegates. I guess it was four delegates whose voting had problems, not just two.
5:12 PM Jason Chaffetz wins the nomination for the Third Congressional District with 74%.
5:14 PM Kenneth Gray says that if he is elected, there will be many open pit mines in Utah…not sure if that kind of promise is what people want. We want access to our resources, but an open pit mine?
5:15 PM Gray is running on natural resources. Or at least that’s his plan. “This land is our land.” And then a 1940s version of “This is our land” plays while Gray stands there… a little awkward.
5:19 PM Senator Valentine just took the stage to introduce Stephen Sandstrom.
5:20 PM Sandstrom comes to the pulpit, and after he begins speaking, his family files on stage. Says that it is an honor to be nominated by a fellow former marine (Valentine).
5:21 PM Sandstrom is hitting all the usual talking points, and I’m kind of tired of repeating them here.
5:27 PM Carl Wimmer up after an intro video. Gotta be honest–I like Carl as a person, but the video did seem to stretch some facts.
5:29 PM Wimmer says seeking office was never in his plans, but felt like he was doing his part to protect America as he walked door to door.
5:30 PM Wimmer’s getting a lot of applause from about 100 yards to my rear…not sure whose there, but he’s getting it. “Born in the USA” playing…oddly.
5:32 PM Mia Love is introduced by a video from Josh Romney. Love takes the stage to applause.
5:34 PM Love hitting all of the conservative talking points. And bashing on Matheson… a lot. People listening intently (in other words, quietly).
5:35 PM Now Love is talking something I want to hear. The American dream is not dead. The government is not the road to prosperity. Hard work can take you far beyond what the government can ever promise. And that gets applause. Lots. Standing.
5:38 PM Jay Cobb is up. Haven’t heard from this guy in a long time. Alone on the stage with his wife, and, surprisingly, his speech is unoriginal, but personal.
5:42 PM Cobb’s not really inspiring me, but I can’t help but like him. He means well, he’s articulate, and he’s sincere.
5:44 PM Cobb petters out and we all give one more round of applause for the Fourth Congressional candidates, and I’m out of here.
Live Blogging the Utah Republican State Convention – Part 2
April 21, 2012 By 2 Comments
1:08 PM We’re listening to a “short” report from Senator Mike Lee. Talking about a constituent request from a young man, a boy of 13, really, about opening up a road for his grandfather to check on his land better. Now, Logan Dalton being introduced with his grandfather…but I don’t see where they are.
1:12 PM Senator Lee says that he will not join the government can’t be changed crowd because he believes it must be changed.
1:14 PM We’re starting the speeches for the race for Governor of Utah. Wright giving the order. Looks like six candidates.
1:15 PM Listening to a guy I’ve never heard of, whose first is Lane Ronnow (sp?), and who dated a Romney when young. Unfortunately, he didn’t get an endorsement video made by her back then.
1:16 PM Ronnow wants Utah to have access to the mineral resources available in the Great Basin. Says education is underfunded and badly managed, that unemployment is higher than the 5% that the governor is reporting.
1:19 PM Next up is…I don’t know, but Ronald Reagan is speaking. In black and white. Oh, wait. It’s Morgan Philpot.
1:20 PM Philpot says that he’s running for governor of the “most” sovereign state. How can you be the “most” sovereign? Aren’t you just sovereign or not?
1:21 PM Philpot is talking about making the future better than the present. Says that we should pick a new governor, because “The Devil…” and then is interrupted by applause. Awkward place to pause in a sentence when talking about ones opponent. “…is in the details.”
1:23 PM Philpot is dropping names of national conservatives like Chris Christie and Nikki Haley. Says we cannot run on the past, but with a bold vision for the future.
1:24 PM Philpot is dropping the hammer on Herbert, spelling out one criticism after another, saying that it’s all resulting in loss of sovereignty for Utah. Also, thanks to all of the volunteers.
1:25 PM Philpot finishes with appeal for first round vote.
1:27 PM David Kirkham is up, although Sumpsion was announced on the screen. Kirkham’s voice is passionate and emotional as he talks about his ancestor that came here looking for freedom.
1:29 PM Kirkham is making the “I’m a business man” appeal and citing Mitt Romney. Telling the story of how he started a business in Poland, then Russia, from old weapons plants.
1:30 PM Kirkham says he is different because he’s the only candidate with global experience and who makes something that people actually want to buy. Has always made his payroll, but has missed his own paychecks to make sure people were paid.
1:31 PM He brought his company to Utah to import jobs. Wants to create jobs here so that people’s kids can move out of the basements and stay in Utah.
1:33 PM People filing onto the stage…Howard Neilson, former congressman, nominating Ken Sumpsion for governor.
1:35 PM Sumpsion talking about the federal government subsidies to Utah and the federal government control of Utah lands. Says that the Governor did not act on the legislation that the legislature gave to the governor to get lands back.
1:36 PM Says he would relinquish federal funds and leave No Child Left Behind.
1:39 PM I’m getting reports from people in the hall that lots of people with credentials are leaving…and we haven’t even finished the second race’s speeches yet. What, the senate is over and you’re done?
1:42 PM William Skokos now speaking. Actually, seems pretty confident. Sounds like he’s developed oil extraction from tar sands. Says he doesn’t care who gets credit, as long as good is happening.
1:44 PM Skokos lists a number of problems (none of which seem to be under the control of the governor) and seems to blame them on the current governor.
1:46 PM Gary Herbert up next. Looks like there some people arranging themselves up there. Greg Bell is introducing Herbert. Says we don’t need to speculate what Governor Herbert will do. “He’s been doing it and getting great results.”
1:48 PM Herbert seems especially passionate today. He knocks “talking points” and “empty rhetoric” and says “let’s talk results.”
1:50 PM Herbert says that solutions to educations challenges will always come from the bottom up, not from Washington, D.C. “This job” is more about the people we serve than the office we hold.
1:52 PM Just told us that guys like Chris Christi wishes that they had what we have in Utah. [Lots of applause] [Heck, lots of applause in general]
1:54 PM Thomas Wright has opened the polls and is having each section vote, one section at a time, to make it easier for the hardware to register the votes.
2:32 PM Herbert wins 63% of the vote and will avoid a primary after a second round of voting.
2:39 PM Been listening to Sean Reyes, candidate for Attorney General, speak. I’m actually impressed with how much audience applause he’s getting.
2:42 PM Touchy feeley music now and a thing on the screens about Obamacare. Oh, it’s John Swallow, running for Congress again…er, I mean, Attorney General. Sounds like the same speeches he’s been giving since 2002.
3:00 PM Motion from the floor to move next year’s convention to St. George. Lots of attention for the motion from the Washington County section of the hall. Moving to vote…and nays have it. Thomas Wright says “That doesn’t mean it’s not duly noted.”
3:01 PM Enid Greene Mickelson is reporting on something.
3:01 PM Oh, it’s the executive committee commending Thomas Wright for his great efforts and success in expanding and growing caucus night, as well as for the wonderful job organizing convention.
3:04 PM Also, the silent auction is closed. We’re still waiting for results from the AG’s race.
Live Blogging the Utah State Republican Convention – Part 1
April 21, 2012 By 2 Comments
10:33 AM Getting a little bit of a late start this morning…but give me some credit. There are 51 candidates here today and I had to run around and get pictures of as many as I could. At this point, they’ve already explained how electronic voting will work, and it means that no one will ever need to leave their seat. That means awesome sauce. Also, they’ve just adopted the rules for the day.
11:05 AM I know it’s not exactly live…I’ve had a few wi-fi issues with my laptop. Rolling now.
11:06 AM Jeremy Friedbaum is going to be the first US Senate candidate. Gotta be honest: never heard of him. Also, I didn’t realize there were so many candidates for the Senate. Little girl named Faith Ashworth is introducing. Says she has $12.47 in her piggy bank, and isn’t here to ask for money since she’s a Republican, not a Democrat. [Applause] Now she’s talking about the national debt clock and ripping on politicians in DC who are spending it…also, this is still the 10-year old. She’s gotten several rounds of applause, now.
11:11 AM Faith Ashworth (10-years old) is still speaking…when do we hear from Friedbaum. People are eating it up. The red meat, that is, that she’s throwing out. She says that if we retire Hatch, he’ll have more time to spend with his grandkids, and great grandkids.
11:13 AM Friedbaum finally gets up, says he hopes to nominate Faith in 20 years, when she’s eligible, then says thank-you and sits down. Next up is Kevin Fisk. Fisk is a marine, knows how to recognize leadership, and says we don’t need people just with experience to go back to Washington. He’s a little miffed at not getting invited to the debates. After bashing on Hath, he says that Dan Liljenquist is a nice guy, “but he’s a liberal.” Argues that Chris Herrod is the only conservative in the race (but also does not want to campaign for Herrod).
11:20 Were watching a video of news and C-SPAN clips bashing on the Fed. Subtitles that include “Hitler received federal reserve funds.”
11:22 AM Loy Brunson is singing to us about the federal reserve, the national debt. He’s sporting a vest under his suit and using his preacher-pound-the-pulpit voice, and with good reason. He says we need to interpret the constitution by holding it sacred.
11:25 AM Brunson is getting some applause as he cites and quotes from the constitution and declaration of independence. Are we here to vote for our friends, he asks, or to vote for the person who most upholds the constitution. Brunson is running through different amendments. “We need people in Washington who understand that it is against the law to be liberal… it is called ‘thou shalt not steal.’”
11:26 AM Dale Ash giving a straight forward speech alongside his wife. He said that he had an epiphany while writing a book. Cites the unborn, children in school, protecting women from pornography, etc as all groups that are not being protected by the law. Says the constitution is being shredded by the US Supreme Court. How do we change it, how do we bring it back? Ash wants a constitutional amendment that shifts power back to the states.
11:30 AM Ash says that the current elected officials strategy is not good enough to win nationally. Ash says “they” are attacking us economically, too much regulation, taking our lands, and trying to make our businesses fail, tying up natural resources. Need to stop tying up resources on public lands and too much regulation. If we can put a man on the moon, we can harvest our natural resources without destroying the environment. Also, Ash loves this party, this government.
11:33 AM Tim Aalders up now. Introducing him is Mark Maxon (?), a state delegate. Mark is talking about how “big” Aalders is, as a conservative, a family man, etc. Ends almost in a shout, then to Tim Aalders. Tim says that “if you cannot stand up there and speak from your heart, you cannot represent in Washington, D.C.
11.35 AM Aalders gets the crowd going by raising a pamphlet copy of the constitution and calling it sacred. “We cannot vote what is comfortable, but what is right, what is in our heart.”
11:39 AM Ok, I realize I’m missing a lot of Aalders speech here, but I see why I’ve heard of him. He’s given a rebel rousing speech.
11:40 AM Dan Liljenquist speaking alone on stage and opens to lots of a applause. Says the country did not start with one person, but with “we the people.”
11:41 AM Today’s vote, Liljenquist says, has nothing to do with the title chairman or seniority, but has to do with turning around country, which Liljenquist says he has done at Bain. He’ll use every thing he learned at Bain to not just propose things, but actually do them.
11:42 AM Liljenquist will live in Utah, will not serve more than three terms. Will work with Utah legislaure, and will go to them rather than summoning.
11:43 AM Gotta be honest; Liljenquist is easy to blog. These are not long sentences, but short, pointed, and clear. And it’s getting a lot of applause, more than I expected from the buzz on the floor before.
11:44 AM Liljenquist says no one senator is too big too fail. Citing the Hatch record of joining the senate in 1970s and being immediately effective. Talks about a new young generation of senators that he wants to be a part of in Washington.
11:46 AM All in all, Liljenquist made a great speech, and he got a lot of applause.
11:49 AM William Lawrence giving a folksy and rambling speech. Dropping a few names, served in a few positions in Davis County (sheriff, county commissioner). Among the names dropped (Reagan, Hatch), Ted Bundy.
11:51 AM Says that they were able to build a case with the help of Salt Lake County. After all the energy that the audience was giving Dan Liljenquist in the last speech, this is like the opposite side of the moon.
11:52 AM Lawrence finished by dropping Spencer W. Kimball’s name.
11:53 AM David Chiu, who also ran in 2010, is speaking. He starts off by asking who has lived abroad.
11:55 AM Chiu just said “I come from a long line of fugitives.” Random. Last thing I would expect to come up in a speech, but, heck, why not? Also, Chiu has mentioned his support for Mitt Romney and how his contrast to Romney will boost Romney’s campaign. Odd. Also, his son is a missionary and a marine.
11: 58 AM Chiu ends with “I am David Y. Chiu. Choose more.”
11;59 AM Chris Herrod starts with Huey Lewis and the News playing.
12:00 PM Former Russian, sounds like Herrod’s wife, is introducing Chris Herrod now.
12:02 PM Herrod says that once in every generation there is an election that defines a generation, and this is that election. Says most proud day was when he put his hand to the square and took an oath.
12:03 PM Time for the silent majority to stop being silent. Herrod one of the founding members of the Patrick Henry caucus. Says he has been perceived as ultraconservative or radical. But everyone is talking about the issues he has proposed. He’s actually done something on lands issues and Obamacare, he says.
12:06 PM Video of Mitt Romney introduces Orrin Hatch and asks for support. Warm and fuzzy music playing. Orrin on the stage alone. Lots of applause.
12:07 PM Hatch says he has never let us down and he never will. This will be his last six years, and the most critical six years of all. The lady behind me is saying “yes” for everything he says (and “woo-hoo!”).
12:09 PM Hatch says he has proven his worth before, putting conservative judges on the court. As chairman of the finance committee, he will make difference that matter. Will have ability to put the BBA on the floor to force every senator to vote for it.
12:10 PM Will fight for our land. It’s our state, it’s our land, and we should control it. Will make sure that Hill Air Force Base stays open permanently.
12:11 PM Hatch says he’s a tough old bird, and asks for the vote one more time. Voice cracks a little bit while closing, and lots of standing applause.
12:12 PM And back to Thomas Wright for credentials report. 3921 delegates here today. 79 did not make it, statewide.
12:18 PM Wright’s video is explaining how the elimination of candidates will occur. Says delegates must think about who is the second choice in case first choices are eliminated.
12:20 PM Wright calls for the poll watchers to go to the poll watching room while “Another One Bites the Dust” plays overhead. Also, because Washington County is sitting so far away from the voting machines, they are having to walk close to the center of the hall to cast their ballots.
12:22 PM Wright says 3900 votes have been cast and calls for the last 21 votes to be cast.
12:55 PM Here’s what happens when I get up. Hatch took 57% and we had a second round between Hatch and Liljenquist, and Wright has closed the polls for the second time. And people are loving this electronic voting.
12:57 PM Next up is the governor’s race. The speeches will start as soon as we have results from the second round of voting.
1:00 PM Results from second round are 40.81 % for Liljenquist and 59.19% for Hatch. Wowsers.
LIVE BLOGGING CONTINUED HERE.
I doubt Romney has ever approved more of Santorum’s word’s …[video]
March 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“It’s not the campaign. This is Rick Santorum. I think everybody knows that nobody puts words into my mouth. The words out of my mouth were that, uh, if you want a conservative as the nominee of this party you must vote for Mitt Romney.” Rick Santorum, 2008.
Will Utah Matter in the GOP Race for President?
March 6, 2012 By 2 Comments
____________________________
According to a Deseret News/KSL poll Utahns believe Mitt Romney alone can beat Barack Obama in November (surprise!). And yet, today, on Super Tuesday, as ten states hold primaries, Utah is not one of them. In fact, Utah casts its vote for the Republican nominee dead last. Even with a nomination battle likely to continue into the spring, the race may be over by then.
Maybe.
Remember when there were eight candidates in the field? Then Iowa and New Hampshire voted, and suddenly, with just forty delegate votes allocated (out of 1,144 necessary to win the nomination), Michelle Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, and Rick Perry all dropped out. Herman Cain, marred by scandal, had left the campaign earlier. And then there were four: Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Romney, and Rick Santorum.
In a country of 300 million, the only votes cast were in Iowa (about 120,000 votes) and New Hampshire (about 224,000 votes), yet candidates were dropping like flies. How had so few narrowed down the field of choices so quickly?
We Vote for the Popular Candidate
If it seems unfair, then consider the Britney Effect. In a study published in Science 2006, researchers found that social popularity was a better indicator of how well a book or a song would sell than quality. In other words, if you see that others are reading and discussing Harry Potter, you’re more likely to pick it up yourself, regardless of quality.
So if you thought Bachmann had the answers for America, it didn’t matter. Her race was over as soon as the primary battle began. As soon as the results from Iowa, and then New Hampshire, were released, polls started showing bumps in popularity of the contest winners. Santorum, who spent months on the margins of debates practically whining he that he wasn’t getting the same amount of camera time that front-runners were, suddenly sprung to national attention as he eked out a win in Iowa. If Iowans like Santorum, he must be electable, right?
Strange rational, and yet, it buoyed the former Senator to wins in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. From zero to hero, Santorum became the newest rendition of “not Romney” for Republicans unwilling to throw their support behind Romney.
Can you imagine how the results might be different if states across the country voted simultaneously?
Super Tuesday?
Today, March 6th, is Super Tuesday. Voters in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia will vote for the last four remaining contenders. By this time four years ago, Romney had dropped out of the race, and John McCain was well on his way to the nomination. Since then, the Republican National Committee has modified the rules to lengthen out the nomination process. That’s right: it isn’t by accident that the race isn’t over yet. As the Boston Globe reported, Republicans changed the rules to energize Republicans and take back the White House:
The rules, known as proportional representation, are patterned after the system long used by Democrats to award delegates in their primaries. Republicans looked at the prolonged 2008 Democratic primary between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama and believed that, despite its occasional divisiveness, the battle helped excite Democrats and starve the Republican candidate, John McCain, of attention.
“McCain sat on the sidelines and couldn’t get a headline and was ignored,’’ said Paul Senft, a Republican National Committee member from Florida who helped draft the new rules.
Now, rather than making each contest a foregone conclusion in the favor of the front-runner, more states are in contention. Nate Silver predicts that Super Tuesday won’t see one winner, but will split between Romney, Gingrich, and Santorum (sorry, Paul). Gingrich will capture his home state of Georgia, while Romney will take Massachusetts, his home and where he served as Governor. Oklahoma and Wisconsin will swing to Santorum. Meanwhile, Ohio, where Santorum was polling in front as recently as a week ago, is starting to turn to Romney (see what wins in Michigan, Arizona, and Washington will do?). As a swing state in the General Election, the spin-doctors (and the Obama campaign) will be watching the Buckeye state closely. And don’t forget Tennessee, where Gingrich seems to be surging in polls…
Wherefore, Utah?
So might it still matter when Utahns go to the polls on June 26th? For that matter, why isn’t Utah voting until the beginning of summer, anyway?
Due to the Military and Overseas Voter Act or “MOVE” Act, federal elections must give absentee voters overseas forty-five days to vote after the previous contest. In Utah’s case, that means that the earliest a primary can be held is forty-five days after the Republican or Democrat state party conventions in April. Despite efforts by the Romney campaign to talk Utah into moving the vote to earlier, the $2.5 million cost to move the primary away from the regularly scheduled date was too much for legislators to swallow. Utah will vote last.
In the meantime, is there still a chance that Utah could play a deciding role in a race that has seen so many front-runners? Statistically speaking, it’s impossible for any of the candidates to get enough votes before April. With 1962 votes remaining, and Romney–currently the leader with 180 delegates–needing another 964 votes, the race could continue all the way through May, to say nothing of June.
Could Utah get its chance to vote for Romney when it still matters? Only time will tell.
Related articles
- Mitt Romney has chance to make headway Super Tuesday despite campaign’s adversities (boston.com)
- Super Tuesday won’t end the GOP race (cnn.com)
- Political Wisdom: Will Super Tuesday Settle the GOP Race? (blogs.wsj.com)
- The surge and the splat of Rick Santorum (horsesass.org)
National Polls: Romney trending up, Santorum trending down. [chart]
March 1, 2012 By 1 Comment
In a Real Clear Politics aggregate of national polls, Mitt Romney is trending up, while Rick Santorum appears to have peaked and come down. The peak is by no means assuredly Santorum’s last…yet.
“Time Changed Hatch” Mailer Factually Correct
February 29, 2012 By 6 Comments
Is Freedom Works as dishonest as Freedom Path?
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve looked at a couple of maligning mail pieces sent out by the shadowy Freedom Path PAC whose primary purpose appears to be to malign incumbent Senator Orrin Hatch‘s opponents. Both mail pieces appear to distort and misrepresent Hatch challengers Chris Herrod and Dan Liljenquist. Read the posts on the “Two Scoops” or “Double dip” mailer here and the “Jobs not Made in the USA” mailer here.
As per my promise, I will also analyze for factual accuracy the mailers sent by the anti-Hatch Freedom Works PAC. This post looks at a mailer I call “Time Changed Hatch.” As with the last two mailers, I have tried to go to the primary sources and have also reached out to the Hatch reelection campaign for any kind of response they might have. They have directed me to the site realhatchrecord.com but declined to respond directly to the mailer any further. I have utilized their site to augment my research into the primary sources. Since the site appears to be more focused on the larger Freedom Works mailer (as in, it’s 45 pages long), I expect finding it more useful when I present that analysis.
Analysis: ”Time Changed Hatch” Mailer Attempts to Paint Hatch as Changed by Washington
The mailer opens with the following paragraph:
“In 1976, Orrin Hatch went to Washington. And just as time has shaped Utah’s unique landscape, thirty-six years as a Washington insider has changed Orrin Hatch into a big-spending, big-government politician.”
This, then, is the thesis of the entire effort to remove Senator Hatch from office and not really a fact so much as an argument. It’s classic Tea Party rhetoric. The question: is Senator Orrin Hatch really a big-spending, big-government politician?“
I will let you answer that yourself. It’s really a statement that is relative to your own perception of what “big” is and whether it is good or bad. I will note this: Senator Hatch, with thirty-six years in the US Senate, has a record that has been examined by many organizations, lobbyists, and activists. As the Hatch campaign pointed out to me, the American Conservative Union has given him a lifetime rating of 90%, the National Taxpayer’s Union this year gave him the highest rating in Congress, and the Club for Growth gave him a 97% rating for his pro-growth policies. These are just a few. Find a more thorough list of organizations that have honored him here.
Clearly, reasonable minds can disagree. So, I won’t answer the question about whether Senator Hatch is a “big-spending, big-government politician.”
On the other hand, the “Time Changed Hatch” mailer lists five specific bullet points in support of the statement that we can look at for accuracy.
The Statements: Five Votes or Types of Votes
- Statement 1: “Voted 16 times to increase the debt ceiling by a whopping $7.5 trillion–accounting for half of our nation’s debt.”
That Senator Hatch voted 16 times to increase the debt appears to be mostly TRUE, though I could only verify 14 votes, and I’m not going to discuss the total amount. (I suspect that somebody is going to correct me on the missing upon posting).
- Senate Vote #298 (Sep 29, 1981).
- Senate Vote #23 (Feb 6, 1981).
- Senate Vote #851 (Sep 23, 1982).
- Senate Vote #115 (May 25, 1983).
- Senate Vote #663 (Oct 12, 1984).
- Senate Vote #371 (Dec 11, 1985).
- Senate Vote #636 (Aug 15, 1986).
- Senate Vote #262 (Sep 23, 1987).
- HR 3136 (March 28, 1996).
- HR 2015 (June 25, 1997).
- S.2578 (June 11, 2002).
- HR 4 (April 1, 2004) .
- H.J. Res. 47 (March 16, 2006).
- H.J. Res. 43 (September 27, 2007)
Editorial Comment: Whether raising the debt at any one of these particular points is public policy question that I am not addressing here. It should be noted that a number of these votes (the first eight) occurred and were signed by President Ronald Reagan. With as often as we see politicians of all stripes (even Obama has tried) trying to channel the Gipper, I think it is relevant to note that President Reagan would have had to sign off on each of the debt increases that passed the House and Senate.
- Statement 2:“Supported the “TARP” $700 billion Wall Street bailout.”
This statement is TRUE. Senator Hatch did vote for TARP. According to the roll call list, Senator Hatch, along with then Senator Bennett, voted “Yea” on H. R. 1424, better known as “TARP” or “Troubled Assets and Relief Program.” The bill’s stated purpose was to “provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers.”
Statement 3: “Voted for numerous bills filled with pork-barrel earmarks–in 2010 Hatch was the 3rd highest earmarker out of all 535 members of Congress.”
This statement appears to be TRUE. If you surf over to CQ.com, there is an excellent database on earmarks and what each member of Congress has earmarked. If you click on the link on the left that says “Member’s with the highest total” you find a list of the top ten highest earmarking members of the Senate and the House. Senator Hatch was #3 on this list in 2010, the year in the Freedom Works “Time Changed Hatch” mailer. However, on that same page you can find that in 2009 Senator Hatch is not even in the top ten list.
Editorial Comment: Whether earmarks are “bad’ per se is an open question. Unlike a lot of other spending methods, earmarks are transparent and open, and, in reality, the way that Congress was designed to work. Federal earmarks account for only .5% of the budget, and in fiscal year 2010, cutting out Senator Hatch’s earmarks (worth $358,815,000 for Utah) would have left another $10.7 billion in earmarks. If the federal government is going to spend, then earmarks are about the most benign and transparent way it happens.
- Statement 4: “Co-sponsored the Obama-like Individual Mandate for Health Care, a law that forces individuals to purchase health insurance.”
Image via Wikipedia
While it is TRUE that Senator Hatch did co-sponsor S.1770 in 1993per the “Time Changed Hatch” mailer, what is unclear is whether it was “Obama-like.”Looking further at the bill summary, the bill appears to provides for, among other things, “access to health insurance coverage under a qualified health plan for every citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States” (universal coverage regardless of citizenship status), ”nondiscrimination based on health status” (preventing insurance companies from discriminating based on preexisting conditions), imposes a mandate on states requiring them to comply with certain insurance certification and enrollment requirements, and allows an exemption from a universal coverage mandate for those with religious scruples that prevent participation in “health plan coverage” (that last one I thought was odd, but, there it is…).
Therefore, it does appear that S.1770 required that all individuals be part of the national healthcare plan, or what is better known as an “individual mandate.” While states may legally do as much within their own states (as did Massachusetts), whether such is constitutional on a federal level raises is an open question and will be argued before the Supreme Court this year. (See more about that debate here).
- Statement 5: Partnered with liberal Ted Kennedy as a co-sponsor of SCHIP, described as ‘…a precursor to the new [universal health care] system.”
This statement is TRUE. Senator Hatch did co-sponsor SCHIP with Senator Ted Kennedy (and 23 other Senators, too) in 1997, as was highly reported in the news media at the time. It was seen as sufficiently significant at the time that Wikipedia even makes a note of Senator Hatch’s co-sponsorship with the support of then First Lady Hillary Clinton in the second paragraph of the entry on SCHIP. The New York Times reported at the time that
Senator Orrin G. Hatch, a conservative Republican, today embraced a major Democratic effort to provide health insurance for half of the nation’s 10 million uninsured children, saying he would become the chief sponsor of the legislation.
Senator Hatch explained that he took the step across the aisle to show that “the Republican Party ”does not hate children,” and he added that ”as a nation, as a society, we have a moral responsibility” to provide coverage for the most vulnerable children.”
CONCLUSION: Freedom Works “Time Changed Hatch” Mailer is factually true.
While reasonable minds can, and do, disagree on the wisdom of the above cited votes by Senator Hatch, the statements Freedom Works makes are largely true. In fact, I’m not sure that any of them appear to distort his record in any way. The only statements that seem to be questionable, in my assessment are the following:
- “…36 years in Washington Changed Orrin Hatch.” This is up for debate. Yes, the man is three and a half decades older, but change can swing both ways.
- “Obama-like Individual Mandate of Health Care[.]” I have not addressed how comparable the mandate Senator Hatch voted for and co-sponsored is to the American Healthcare Act because such would need more space and time than I care to give the issue and than you care to read. However, on its face, there are many relevant comparisons. (For more on the American Healthcare Act before the Supreme Court, go here).
The striking contrast between the mailers sent by Freedom Path (pro-Hatch) and those sent by Freedom Works (anti-Hatch) is stark. Where Freedom Path grasps at straws and makes very distorted spins on Liljenquist and Herrod’s records, Freedom Path takes an almost “high road” approach. “Here are the votes,” Freedom Works says, and “we think they lead to a certain result.”
With that in mind, please carefully consider the facts and whether they support your policy preferences. Freedom Path is demonizing Liljenquist and Herrod without any basis; Freedom Works is pointing out policy points with a very real basis in Senator Hatch’s record. Happy hunting!
[U.S. Senate Roll Call on H.R.1424] [S.1770 "Individual Mandate" Bill Summary] [S.674 "SCHIP" Bill Summary] [New York Times] [CQ Earmark Database]
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- Sen. Hatch tells Bernanke to butt out of housing policy (agbeat.com)
- My Letter to a Senator Hatch Re-Election Campaign Staffer (connorboyack.com)
- My Letter to Senator Hatch in Opposition to PIPA (windley.com)
- Maine senator’s retirement a blow to Hatch’s campaign – Salt Lake Tribune (sltrib.com)
Freedom Path’s “Outsourcing” Attack on Liljenquist Distorts Business Record
February 24, 2012 By 10 Comments
The latest mailer from Freedom Path falsifies Dan Liljenquist‘s business record. The shadowy group, organized legally as a political action committee, is running fast and loose with terms and smears Liljenquist with shoddy research, obscure sources, and false information. Frankly, it’s just dishonest.
Last week, I looked at the “Two Scoops” mailer sent out by the Freedom Path PAC (it’s also been called the “Double Dip” mailer). In that post, I found that the mailer was dishonest on all relevant facts, including flipping Dan Liljenquist and Chris Herrod’s record completely backward. Instead of noting that Liljenquist had passed groundbreaking pension reforms that made Utah a model for the nation, and that Herrod had supported and voted for those reforms, the mailer made it sound like Liljenquist and Herrod had tried to soften the reform.
Please check the post for the details, and please share it with those who may have received the mailers.
Today, we’re looking another mailer that attacks Liljenquist specifically. We could call it the “Outsourcing” mailer since it accuses Liljenquist of sending jobs to the Philippines at a time when the economy was at its lowest.
I found the mailer to be dishonest and to use several terms incorrectly.
Claims:
- Did Liljenquist “outsource” jobs overseas? Answer: No.The first claim the mailer makes is that Liljenquist is outsourcing American jobs. According to Wikipedia, “outsourcing” is the process of “contracting a business function to someone else.” For example, when I decide I don’t want to hire an in-house lawyer because the cost is too high, I call up Brown Law and contract a lawyer to do the work. It costs me less because I don’t need to support the attorney on my payroll once the job is done, and it gets me a person who can do the job right. Businesses do this for printing (Kinkos, anyone?), deliveries (FedEx), data and office software (Google apps), and food (catering from any number of restaurants), just to name a few. It’s a very common practice. It saves company money, does not cut jobs from the economy, and allows specialized companies to provide services at a higher level of quality.In fact, Dan Liljenquist’s former business–Focus Services–was an outsourcing company. It was the company that other companies called when they wanted to hire call center to receive calls from customers. It saved American companies money and provided jobs here in Utah, as well as in other states. It was, and is, a successful company, by all reports, and is one of the top 100 privately held companies in America.
- Did Liljenquist’s company conduct “offshoring? Answer: Not really.Wikipedia also notes that “outsourcing” is often confused with “off-shoring,” ”though a function may be outsourced without offshoring or vice versa.” The “outsourcing mailer” seems to indicate that Liljenquist sent jobs abroad. I tried to check the sources cited by Freedom Path. The sources were so obscure as to be impossible to find online, if they exist at all. One quote they use in the mailer is taken so completely out of context as to mean something different than what it was used for in the article.
So I called Liljenquist’s campaign to ask.
“Does Dan Liljenquist’s companyoutsource or offshore jobs to the Philippines,” I asked.
“No,” came the answer when I spoke with a top campaign official.While Focus Services does employ people abroad–specifically in the Philippines, they are not a replacement for positions here in the US. Rather, they are in addition to them. Because Focus Services is an international company and has international clients, the company needs to have call centers that can answer calls twenty-four hours a day. Got a client that has customer calling during day light hours in North America? They route to the North American call centers in Roy and Ogden, Utah, or Dubuque or Clinton, Iowa. One of Focus Services 1,300 employees answers the phone. But if the client has customers in India? Or Japan? Saudi Arabia? Moscow? With days that start long before the sun comes up over the east coast of North America, the company needed someone to answer the calls of customers not in sync with North America. To that end, the company hired an additional two hundred employees in the Philippines.
Let me be clear: this is not outsourcing because Focus Services is not hiring an outside company to do what it could do itself. Nor is it off-shoring because it is not sending jobs abroad–Focus Services did not decrease the jobs when hiring in the Philippines, but rather expanded to compensate for the needs of international customers.
Should we be attacking a successful businessman for being a successful businessman?
At this point, I can’t help but ask: do we really want to support the message that a businessman should be limited from growing his company if it benefits people who don’t live in the United States? Are we so narrow and shortsighted that we cannot see that an American company that serves customers internationally is going to create more wealth and jobs in the United States, as well?
I’m not the only one asking the question. Check this from a letter from Alan Mortensen of Bountiful that he wrote to the Standard-Examiner:
Focus Services ranks 23 on the top 100 private companies in Utah by the Utah Business Magazine. I have had the opportunity to visit Focus Services’ international headquarters in Roy, Utah, where Focus provides jobs to hundreds of Utahns, and encourages them to better themselves through education and community service.
I have been to Dan’s facility in Rock Falls, Illinois and met with several of the families his company employees in a town whose steel industry long ago disappeared. They are proud to work for Focus. I have met his manager in the Dubuque, Iowa, facility, who fought back tears because his family had health insurance through Focus when his wife gave birth to a premature baby.
Dan Liljenquist’s company gives hope to many Utah and American families, and his company has made the ultimate sacrifice when four Focus Service employees, all U.S. citizens, were killed in a business-sponsored service trip to Guatemala to build a school for the poor. Dan Liljenquist survived that crash with horrible orthopedic injuries, and yet he continues to give hope to those American families who lost their loved ones. Attacking Dan for having an international company is akin to attacking the Utah based LDS Church for being an international church with a presence in the Philippines.
Powerful stuff.
Conclusion: Freedom Path is lying…again.
If it’s not clear from what I’ve already said, let me say it again: the “outsourcing” mailer is flat-out lying that Liljenquist is outsourcing or off-shoring American jobs.
Related articles
- Freedom Path “Two Scoops…” Mailer Misses the Truth on Double-Dipping (publiusonline.com)
- Republicans attacking the free market? (hollyonthehill.wordpress.com)
- Liljenquist enters US Senate race ()
