Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
The fact of the matter is I’ve been a tea party person I think since before the tea party came into existence. I was one of the earliest supporters of Reagan. And all I can say is that, you know, it’s nice to throw that kind of language around, but the tea party people have helped bring about a change where they’re not going to increase taxes on this particular approach...
--Orrin Hatch on Fox News, 8/2/11
With all due respect to Mr. Hatch who seems like a very decent man, he doesn't quite seem to grasp what the Tea Party is about. Citing fond memories of President Reagan is hardly enough to earn him the Tea Party cred he so desperately needs to ward off a seriously challenge from Rep. Jason Chaffetz, and a voting record that includes affirmative votes for both the Wall Street bailout and TARP all but bars him from the Tea Party for life.
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Jul '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I don't agree on the TARP part, the original $600B TARP vote was sold as something it never became, at a time when people were very scared and there was an administration change in the offing. The Wall Street bailout requires some repentance and public self-flagellation to overcome.
The stimulus bills are a different matter. Voodoo economics and partisan looting at its worst.
The Tea Party has to do some outreach as well as primarying if we are going to achieve the miracle of 2012. The political field has changed since 2008, and allowing some faction shifting is in the interests of the Tea Party and the nation.
Edited on August 3, 2011 at 12:49amJun '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I've watched Senator Hatch's career, and he's been lots of things (including good buddy of Ted Kennedy). This year he's all tea party.
He's highly vulnerable to Rep. Chaffetz (himself an inveterate self-promoter).
All things being equal, it's probably time for Senator Hatch to write his memoirs.
The result would be Senators Lee and Chaffetz: both far more conservative than Bennett and Hatch.
Dec '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I don't agree. I think his vote, today, was useless and easy, but I, personally, won't support primarying him. We only have so much powder and I want to keep that dry.
Sure, it would be nice to have Lee in the Senate, but Hatch will probably vote similarly in this era. Getting rid of Nelson, in Florida, is so much more important than replacing Hatch, that I think we are spreading ourselves needlessly thin.
As outsiders. Those of you in Utah, do what you have to do, but those of us nationwide need to look strongly at finding a way to support the candidacy of Hasner in Florida. That's a vote flip.
Aug '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
Hey everybody ! All are welcome to the party . But you gotta bring a date . Sen Hatch needs to bring Sen Collins to the dance . Someone ask Rob Long how to do the seating arrangements .
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I dissent! I worked for Senator Hatch in the mid 1990s, so I may be biased. But I think Sen. Hatch has done more for conservative principles than most other Republican Senators because of one thing: his fight for conservative judges. Hatch led the fight to defend Robert Bork, and most importantly, he was the crucial figure in the Senate who won the confirmations of Justice Clarence Thomas (another former employer) and Justice Antonin Scalia, the elevation of William Rehnquist to the Chief Justiceship, and the appointment of scores of Reagan conservatives to the lower courts. For all of the fighting over the budget today, which of course is important, Hatch's promotion of conservatives to the bench -- in my view -- was a far greater achievement for the fight against unrestrained leftism. Imagine what our country would be like if liberals had continued their successes in using the federal courts to impose their values on the country by evading the democratic process and the constitutional system.
Sep '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I acknowledge the wisdom in that dissent. I would caution though that those that survive the purges, will have to be willing to support the wishes of their constituents rather than the leadership as it sits rights now. As childish as this sounds they will have to stop being friends and start working on our behalf. I say this in light of the revelation in which Rand Paul stated that voting No on this latest bill would not only deny a place on the committee but it would mean that their bills (The Freshman) wouldn't even get their time and place in a lame duck congress.
Sep '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I respect John Yoo's dissent on this--he has far more knowledge of Senator Hatch than I. What interests me is how many established GOP politicians are now, at least in words, embracing the Tea Party. Haven't the political professionals been saying for months how toxic the Tea Party is, and how the GOP had better run away from them? Are any of them admitting they might have been wrong?
Edited on August 3, 2011 at 3:06amMay '11
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
Time to term limit Hatch. He's been there too long. A strong (losing) primary fight for Hatch would send a major message to the likes of McConnell, McCain and others.
Apr '11
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
Chaffetz, his primary challenger, was chief of staff to notorious RINO squish Jon Huntsman.
FWIW
Apr '11
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
Chaffetz, his primary challenger, was chief of staff to notorious RINO squish Jon Huntsman.
FWIW
Jul '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
dogsbody: ...
Are any of them admitting they might have been wrong?
There is what is said before a fight, what is said during a fight, and what is said after a fight. The Quiet Man comes to mind as an example. The Tea Party held their ground and moved this very flawed result away from a far, far worse result. History will show how much of it was Boehner and how much was Tea Party stubbornness, but this House was, for my money, the only voice of government with any sense of reality or integrity in this crisis.
With proven mettle, and poll numbers, alliances will shift.
Dec '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
You people are a collective piece of work. Hatch voted against this bill and, of course, that was politically expedient. That's a problem? Seriously, as a nation, Hatch is our problem?
This is where you make your impressive stand, when he votes in support of your position and (you know darned well), at least one of you Senators voted the opposite way?
Sure, there are exceptions, but most of you are just being reactionary. Why don't you just go clean your own house up, or help my state defeat Bill Nelson? Hatch is your problem? No.
Jul '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
McConnell is good until 2014, McCain until 2016. It may be a very different ball game by then.
Feb '11
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I like Orrin Hatch and I'd be fine if he stayed on for another term as Senator.
Except I can't help but think he's had a good run and maybe it's time for him to enjoy more time with the grandkids.
I hasten to add that I have nothing really bad to say about him. But he's been in office since 1976- thanks wikipedia- and I just don't think we're living in that era anymore. Hatch is no where near the worst example but some of these guys cling to office with a monomaniacal intensity that would do a pit bull proud.
They shouldn't. So we're likely to see a bruising primary battle that will do the party and the country no good at all.
I can see the headlines: Tea Party extremist attacks senior conservative statesman of the GOP, because no one is ever right-wing enough for the Tea Party whackos.
Oh. I guess I'm not really a fan of Chaffetz here either.
Can they both retire?
Jun '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
CJRun: Getting rid of Nelson, in Florida, is so much more important than replacing Hatch, that I think we are spreading ourselves needlessly thin.
As outsiders. Those of you in Utah, do what you have to do, but those of us nationwide need to look strongly at finding a way to support the candidacy of Hasner in Florida. That's a vote flip. · Aug 2 at 4:20pm
Utah's system is not incumbent-friendly. It all starts with a state convention which tend to be dominated by delegates who are more conservative than the mainstream. Bob Bennett placed third and didn't even make the primary ballot. Hatch saw that happen and has had time to position himself to try to avoid it--but he is at greater risk than ever. He's also 77.
I don't disagree with John Yoo that Hatch has often served us well, especially his work on the judiciary committee. Nonetheless, I believe it's time for some new blood.
Someone mentioned Chaffetz being Huntsman's Chief-of-Staff. True. But he is far more conservative than Huntsman.
Dec '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
CJRun: You people are a collective piece of work. Hatch voted against this bill and, of course, that was politically expedient. That's a problem? Seriously, as a nation, Hatch is our problem?
This is where you make your impressive stand, when he votes in support of your position and (you know darned well), at least one of you Senators voted the opposite way?
Sure, there are exceptions, but most of you are just being reactionary. Why don't you just go clean your own house up, or help my state defeat Bill Nelson? Hatch is your problem? No. · Aug 2 at 6:30p
Utah's a freebie. A Republican of Chaffetz' experience will win the general if nominated.
Hatch usually votes the right way, but only after joining a "gang". He's always one who wants to look like a compromiser. It's good that he sees himself was a tea partier now, but McCain was looking awfully conservative this time last year.
As for me, I like the idea of citizen-legislators, so my bias is toward replacement and not to keeping them if they aren't too bad.
May '11
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
The main problem with the Tea Party is that while it promotes very sound principles (e.g., lower spending), it necessarily has to advocate "anti-government" policies that can be characterized negatively. Within the conservative movement, this allows some to embrace the principles while condemning the policies, mostly by suggesting that those policies are naive and don't reflect the necessary realism of DC life.
I believe the wedge issue that would separate the tea from the bags is term limits which would fundamentally change the culture of DC and destroy the careerist impulse that will always push spending upward. The traditional argument against term limits (most famously promoted by that old DC insider George Will circa 1994-95 but no doubt shared by the Kraut-Dog) is that federal governance is too complicated and can't be left to the commoners who will be out-maneuvered by the bureaucrats (who evidently don't live in Will's neighborhood). Baloney - make it less complicated. Until something of this sort becomes a bedrock issue for the Tea Party, I suspect they will be squeezed left and right.
Jun '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
"The traditional argument against term limits (most famously promoted by that old DC insider George Will circa 1994-95 but no doubt shared by the Kraut-Dog) is that federal governance is too complicated and can't be left to the commoners who will be out-maneuvered by the bureaucrats (who evidently don't live in Will's neighborhood)."
If we can evolve into term limited representation, we most assuredly could also term limit the bureaucrats. Why not make government work just a 12 year piece of ones career? It would increase the desirability of private sector jobs and reduce the cost of government pensions racked up by 35 year permanent employees.
P.S.
I think there are a lot bigger fish to fry or rhino meat to grill than Orrin Hatch. But it's a free country, as of this post, so if this Chavetz dude thinks he has what it takes, Hatch should, like anyone else, have to look his voters in the eye and convince them once again to represent their wishes in D.C.
Edited on August 3, 2011 at 2:21pmApr '11
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
Indeed, and in fact the one quality that might induce me to hold my nose and vote for Hatch in 2012 is that he (finally) started hewing to his conservative principles, and will probably continue to do so as long as the Utah Tea Party holds the threat of Bennetizing him over his head. So it can be simultaneously true that we need Hatch in office, and that we need the Tea Party to talk about running someone else.
May '10
Re: Orrin Hatch: I've Always Been a Tea Party Person
I'm a couple week late to this conversation, but I wanted to add "for the record" that Hatch has been great on the issue of Obamacare's unconstitutionality. He's been fighting that issue on the Senate floor, in a law review article, and I remember seeing him either at Cato or Heritage (I saw him on video, not in person) on this issue. And he was fighting this fight long before it became apparent that he might have a Tea Party primary challenge.