Blogging from the Legislature . . .

Congressman Jason Chaffetz appears to be still running for office as he speaks to the Senate and House. He flings red meat* to the mostly Republican Lege and stomps all over bipartisanship. (Oddly, he tells the House, "We are only going to be successful if we reach out across the aisle. That's the right way to do things.")


The freshman congressman, who has already become a legend for cheap publicity stunts that include leg wrestling all comers and proving his frugality by sleeping on a cot in his office — managed to plug himself. He told the Senate he was delighted "to be home to sleep in my bed, to be able to sleep in a bed." And telling the House when they applauded his introduction:

You all saw my leg wrestling? This is for my leg wrestling, isn't it?

State Sen. Romero, joked that the senators needed "a baked potato with all the political red meat you served us."

Chaffetz denounced President Barack Obama's stimulus plan as "legislative malpractice" and "sick."

Utah will get more than its share in highway and bridge funding. . . .[The stimulus] is not about jobs; it's about growing government and it's sick.

Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, countered:

If this is a bad process and tainted money, why should the state of Utah take a dime of this money?

Chaffetz responded that Utah should take the money because it is paying for it:

Absolutely we will take the money. . . .Let's get behind it and get the most of it.

State Sen. Pat Jones took a belated shot at Chaffetz through a compliment to Sen. Orrin Hatch, who followed Chaffetz in addressing the Senate.

Sen. Hatch, we appreciate your statesman like tenor. I comes as a welcome breath of fresh air to us.

*Chaffetz managed not to choke up, apparently by somehow avoiding mentioning the Founding Fathers.