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Out of Context :
The Tribune's political writers' blog.
Got you covered
What was really spooky were the two turrets set up on the runway Wednesday night before the arrival of Air Force One at the Utah Air National Guard base. It was hard to see clearly from the vantage of the press pool area, but it looked as if six soldiers or other munitions experts sat atop each turret with automatic weapons aimed at the crowd. And the fourth black SUV in Thursday morning's motorcade was full of men brandishing the same fearsome weaponry while speeding on nearly empty city streets and a very empty Interstate 80. So it was almost quaint when a Secret Service agent at the Grand America used his switchblade to punch a new hole in a photographer's press credential that had fallen off his lanyard. -- Patty Henetz
Life during wartime
Ever since Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld loosed his attack on appeasers Tuesday at the American Legion convention, the nation has been treated to analyses of the Bush administration's evolving rhetoric and focus on ideological warfare. Listening to three Bush speeches over about 15 hours, we heard several times about the specters of Nazism, communism and fascism. Legionnaires and Utahns cheered the president on when he announced enemies wished to harm us, that they want to attack us in our own streets, that to pull out of Iraq would be to hand over the nation to Saddam's henchmen, that the dark forces of tyranny have got us surrounded. Just for fun, we counted up the president's repetition of emergent memes, those little units of cultural information transmitted repeatedly from one mind to another. The numbers are conservative estimates from the third speech, the one at the Hatch fundraiser. Terror or terrorists: 7 times Ideological: 4 Tyranny or tyrant: 7 Extremists or extremism: 2 Struggle: 3 Enemy: 5 Threat: 7 Democratic or democracy: 3 Sept. 11: 1 -- Patty Henetz
Did Fox buy KSL?
If you attended any of the pro-Bush, (AKA " Welcome and Appreciation for the President" and "Freedom Rally") gatherings, you can be forgiven if you came to the conclusion they were sponsored by KSL, Utah's dominant broadcast news outlet that is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After all, popular KSL-Radio talk radio host Doug Wright brought his sanctimonious style to both rallies as their emcee and even broadcast on location from the pro-Bush, pro-Iraq War "Freedom Rally" at Liberty Park. A Freedom Rally organizer, in fact, announced that KSL had "sponsored" the event to the cheers of Bush supporters and out-of-town American Legionnaires. Wright, who was sitting on stage basking in the applause, did not correct him. We briefly pulled Wright off the stage to ask him if KSL, which bills itself as an unbiased news source, was indeed sponsoring rallies endorsing the president and his policies in the Middle East. No, no, Wright assured us, "KSL is not sponsoring the rallies. I'm just serving as emcee at them." -- Glen Warchol
Iraq War Invades County
In a break from form, Salt Lake County Council members engaged the politics of war Tuesday, arguing with one another and constituents over U.S. involvement in Iraq. Democratic Councilman Joe Hatch led the charge, saying he was distressed with the war and a radio campaign by GOP leaders urging people to flood Salt Lake City Hall with complaints about Mayor Rocky Anderson's protest. After all, Hatch said, Utahn's have a right to disagree with the war and President Bush and not be called a traitor. "I would hope the Republican Party wouldn't make the same mistake they made 35 years ago," Hatch said, invoking Vietnam. A Sandy man thought otherwise, interrupting Hatch and calling his speech a "diatribe." GOP Councilman Michael Jensen was next. "Nobody from this council is running those ads," he said. "Your party is," Hatch countered. Predictably, the debate over the war - and the week's much-ballyhooed protests - splintered along party lines before Council Chairman Cort Ashton ruled virtually everyone out of order. "It is great to be part of such a healthy process," said visiting Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, missing the irony that the debate was cut short. By that point, it was clear which rally - the Bush protest or the counter-protest - the partisans would attend. For good measure, Jensen said he would be on hand to support the president. "Good luck at your rally," he sneered. "I'll be at mine." -- Derek P. Jensen
On a mission
It's always sad to see a wild thing caged. And it broke our heart to see it happen at the rally welcoming President Bush organized by state Republicans at the City-County Building. Unless you've lived under a rock the last 15 years, you know Janalee Tobias, Utah's petite whirlwind for gun rights and open space. The South Jordan activist was just hitting full throttle tonight when she was gagged by her own party. It started when a group of young counter-demonstrators had the audacity to protest against Bush in the midst of what GOP party leader James Evans planned as a love fest. The teens had raised cheeky signs in the middle of about 400 conservatively dressed Republicans proclaiming: "Trim the Bush" and "Get This Man An Intern." "We tried to come up with something creative," explained Alex Postvanderburg. Janalee, who had brought her kids along to the rally, saw the opposition signs as a teaching moment. Grinning, she started jumping up in front of the protesters, blocking their signs with one that she had made: "Guns, God, Guts -- G. Bush." Janalee and the teens seem to be enjoying the mini-confrontation as a welcome distraction from a series of stultifying speeches by the likes of Lt. Governor Gary Herbert and Rep. LaVar Christensen. But within seconds, a couple party types approached Janalee and whispered something that brought the bouncing blonde back to earth. "I can't believe it. They told me not to engage the protesters," she said, stunned. "I see this as missionary work. How can you convert people to the gospel of George Bush if you don't engage people?" After a moment, the gleam returned to her eye. "I think I'll take my sign to Pioneer Park [where a Rock Against Rumsfield rally was going on.]" -- Glen Warchol
What's a good Democrat like you doing in a place like this?
While Rocky was leading the protest at the City County Building, at least one Democrat was in Liberty Park showing his support for the troops. "This is more my kind of community gathering," says Jeff Bell, communications director of the Utah Democratic Party. "I'm from a military family and I feel comfortable here." As speakers blast Mayor Rocky Anderson and Cindy Sheehan, Bell explains that the Bush Administration is on a "treadmill in Iraq." "Their strategy never changes and more Iraqis and more troops are getting hurt," he says. Bell is not handing out pamphlets or even wearing a campaign button. "I'm more here today for me," Bell says. "My dad served, my granddad served and my great granddad served in the military. There's a wide separation between disagreeing with the administration's policies and supporting the troops." -- Glen Warchol
Tiananmen it ain't
As we approached the 'Rock against Rumsfeld' rally in Pioneer Park this evening, we could smell trouble. Parked on the corner were 22 police cars, 10 cops on bikes, a camo-clad SWAT team in a Suburban and a gaggle of motorcycle cops. We wondered, "Was this to be a demonstration reporter's dream come true -- a clash between police and protesters?" Then we arrived at the rally -- 350 Salt Lake folks sprawling on blankets and lawn chairs with their children and dogs, eating salads and listening to a young, insipid folk rock singer who was saying "I support the troops. I pray for all my brothers and sisters out there." Not exactly Tiananmen Square. "The police aren't here for us," said Crystal Young-Otterstrom, one of the organizers. "They're using the park as their base for the president's (motrocade) route. The rally is pretty mellow." -- Glen Warchol
More to the left, Mr. President
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice often has to smooth over bad behavior of some in the administration. But Tuesday, she had a hard time explaining President Bush's impromptu back rub for German Chancellor Angela Merkel during G8 meetings last month. "I saw the picture," she said. "You know, I think probably what happened was this sort of momentary [thing] -- and they catch these pictures." Rice says "It's just in his personality to be warm and to reach out. They have a lovely relationship -- a very nice, easy relationship. "You know, he probably would have done it to Tony Blair, too. But they didn't catch that picture." Chalk the international incident up to a close friendship. --Rebecca Walsh
Protest logic
Protesters often make better signs than arguments. Ed Betenson, a retired Air Force sergeant from Riverton, stands in full uniform in a sea of anti-war protesters at the City-County building. He patiently explains to anyone who will listen that Rocky Anderson and Cindy Sheehan are giving "aid and comfort to the enemy." If Arab news service Al-Jazeera gets tapes of their words, it could undercut the security of American troops, he says. "They would have blood on their hands." The demonstrators near him who jeer at giant papier-mache heads of Cheney and Rumsfield simply don't get it, Betenson says. "Freedom has a flavor that only people who have fought for it can completely understand." An anti-war protester named Jim insinuates that Betenson and other military types blindly support the government. "I support the right to bear arms so that we can go back there (to Washington, D.C.) and throw those bums out if we want to." The mention of the Second Amendment brings another attack: "The right to bear arms? Who in Riverton do you want to have a nuclear weapon?" Somehow, Betenson manages to give the protester a gentle look that says, "Idiot," without his actually having to say a word. -- Glen Warchol
The devil's wages
One thing is undeniable today, Utahns are following these protests and rallies very closely. At the noon hour, a group of dusty construction workers are buying lunch at the 7-Eleven on Third West. "I wonder what happened at that Death to Israel rally," says one. "What was that all about?" When the hardhats learn that the organizer of the Death to Israel rally is offering $10 an hour to the homeless to be "surrogate protesters," they shake their heads. "Better than minimum wage to sell your soul," says one. --Glen Warchol
Who's from out of state?
Ron Conley, past commander of the American Legion, is fed up with traveling protesters. Conley sees that as the reason a couple of thousand anti-war protesters are at the City-County Building today while only a couple of hundred are at the support the troops "Freedom Rally" at Liberty Park. "I'd like to know how many of these protesters are from Utah and how many are from out of state," he said. Somehow Conley doesn't see a parallel with the support the troops rally where about a half are Legionnaires like himself from outside of Utah. They came to Liberty Park on three charter buses from their convention at the Salt Palace. "We had a convention here, these anti-war demonstrators tried to turn it into a protest of the war. That's why we came here today," Conley says. A supporter of the troops in Iraq walks past with a sign that reads, "Rocky is jackass." Conley, who serviced B-52 bombers in Guam during the Vietnam War, doesn't want to see the United States "cut and run again." "Are those anti-Vietnam War protesters celebrating that Vietnam is a Communist country today? A similar kind of repressive regime will fill the vacuum in Iraq," he says. --Glen Warchol
Anti-Rocky rover
A shiny new Land Rover circles the City-County Building. Spouting from the open sun roof is a sign that says: "Rocky lies/ Impeach Rocky." An anti-war protestor in a long flowing white dress first looks shocked, then raises a middle finger salute. Ah, free speech. -- Glen Warchol
Anti-war vet
From this morning's anti-Bush protest at Washington Square: Andy Girouard remembers a chapter of American history ignored yesterday by Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice -- Viet Nam. Girouard served two years a draftee in the 9th Infantry Division in Nam -- "and Cambodia," he says. "I've got a lot of problems with this war, with wars in general. Nobody wins and the biggest losers are the people who live there." Don't confuse Girouard with a placid peacenik, he has a bone to pick with Rumsfeld, Cheney and others. "When Rumsfeld says 'You are with us or you are a coward,' it gets my hackles up. I did my thing. I saw it. They didn't." -- Glen Warchol
Draft the Greatest Generation
The first thing that strikes you when you enter the American Legion convention going on this week in Salt Lake City is: These people are really old! No offense to the Legionnaires and their female auxiliary, many of whom also are veterans, but besides a couple vendors, few are under retirement age and their hair color covers the spectrum from gray to blue to none. After hearing a few rousing speeches about patriotism, honor and, of course, "stay the course in Iraq," we got a brilliant idea. Draft 'em. You heard us, Rummy. Raise the draft age to 65 and above and fill the ranks with seniors. It makes perfect sense. These Legionnaires support the president's war, they are just rarin' to kick some ass, they got about a million years combined combat experience and they seem to delight in wearing uniforms and marching. Imagine the panic and confusion that would be sown among the Iranian Army as human waves of geezers charged on walkers and scooters, kvetching the whole way. And President Bush, an added bonus of our Geriatric Draft is that it would solve the Social Security crisis. --Glen Warchol
Gutsy in a goofy way
You may not support his cause, but Robert Breeze is probably the gutsiest protester in Salt Lake City today. Breeze is leading a "Death to Israel" rally at the City-County Building's Washington Square. He makes one thing perfectly clear: he is not an anti-Semite. "Do I look like a member of the Aryan nation?" he asks. Dressed in shorts, suspenders, and a straw hat, Breeze looks, well, just goofy. Breeze's message is simple: Israel has subjugated and brutalized the Palestinian people for decades under the cover of America's "corporate media." He has only one person with him at 10 a.m.. But Breeze freely acknowledges he has sent someone else to hire what he called "surrogate protestors" at $10 an hour. "A lot of wealthy people don't have the time to stand out here, but they are more than happy to pay someone," Breeze says. Meanwhile, across the street, a dozen pro-Israel demonstrators have gathered with Israeli flags. They seem to be more baffled by Breeze than intimidated. Michael Pack is a Salt Lake City Jew who felt compelled to carry the blue and white Israeli flag today. "I lost a lot of family in the holocaust," he said. "To sit around and do nothing was something I couldn't do." When asked if he was bothered that he has offended many area Jews, Breeze says: "Too bad for them, it's a free country. Tell them to have a 'Death to Wales' rally and see if I give a shit." -- Glen Warchol Glen Warchol is blogging today from the various demonstrations planned around the visit of President Bush to Salt Lake City.
Blog lab
Today, we're trying something new for us at Out of Context: sending a reporter out in the field with a specific assignment to blog throughout the day on some of the anti-Bush protests and pro-administration rallies. Glen Warchol, who was born to blog, will be Out of Context's guinea pig and protest tour guide. So if you're wondering why we seem to be single-mindedly focused (fixated) on Salt Lake City's Day of Demonstrations, know it is part of a grand experiment. Consider yourself warned. --Dan Harrie
Fit for another five terms
Utah's Sen. Orrin Hatch may be one of the most fit members of the Senate, according to a Washington Post story today. The Post asked all 100 senators for their body-mass index and only eight senators responded to the inquiry, including Hatch. His office says he has a BMI of 22.2, right smack in the middle of "normal weight." A Hatch spokesman says that's because he exercises regularly in the exclusive Senate gym, mainly on the elliptical machine and sometimes on the treadmill. And because he loves -- loves! -- his dietary supplements. Hatch's body mass index is better than Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (BMI: 22.5) and even tops President Bush (BMI: 27.0). To calculate your BMI click here-- Thomas Burr (BMI: 25.1)
Command performance
Rather than showing off his prowess at table tennis or tickling his keyboard, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. trotted out his daughter to impress Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Before a breakfast of fruit-and-yogurt parfaits, sweet breads and scrambled eggs and bacon, first daughter MaryAnne Huntsman, 21, along with her coach serenaded the nation's top diplomat (and concert pianist) with a rendition of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto. MaryAnne Huntsman has just been accepted to the Manhattan School of Music. Ever gracious, Rice called the performance "spectacular." One-on-one, Utah's governor and the Secretary of State talked about Asia, China and Utah's future. She declined to prognosticate about Huntsman's job prospects in a future White House. The governor has signed on with Arizona Sen. John McCain's campaign, raising speculation that he hopes for another job in Washington. "Jon can do just about anything he wants to. He's enormously talented," Rice said. But, "everything suggests to me that he's totally, thoroughly devoted to Utah. He seems to love it here. And he seems to love his work as governor." Like breakfasting with the secretary of state. -- Rebecca Walsh
Mr. Secretary? Sigmund Freud is on the line
During his speech Tuesday before the American Legion, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sought to make a point by quoting a dead French statesman. "You know from experience that in every war -- personally -- there have been mistakes and setbacks and casualties," Rumsfeld said in a speech in which he vilified news media coverage of the war in Iraq. "War is, as Clemenceau said, 'A series of catastrophes that results in victory." If Rumsfeld actually knows anything about Clemenceau's history, the above statement is fraught with portent. If not -- if some speechwriter or Rumsfeld himself used the timeworn college freshman shortcut and looked up "war" or "victory" in Bartlett's for a weighty quote to shore up a weak point -- it's dang droll, considering the secretary's professed interest in history. That's because Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) was a French radical, and we mean radical. He and his compatriots were champions of the free press and enemies of wealth, anti-clericals who sought redistribution of property and laid the ground for Europe's brand of progressive liberal ideology. He was an early supporter of the Paris Commune, the socialist government that held Paris in spring of 1871, just after the siege of the city that Leon Trotsky embraced as emblematic of communist struggle. After a political defeat in 1893, Clemenceau turned to journalism for his activist needs. His newspaper, La Justice, was the main organ of Parisian radicals. As a supporter of the writer Emile Zola and an opponent of anti-Semitism and nationalism, on Jan. 13, 1898, Clemenceau put Zola's wrathful "J'accuse" essay on the paper's front page. Its publication set off what historian Barbara Tuchman dubbed "one of the great commotions of history," the political and judicial scandal known as the Dreyfus Affair. The wrongful conviction and subsequent exoneration of Jewish military officer Alfred Dreyfus for treason discredited royalists, conservatives and the Catholic Church -- the original "right wing" -- and prompted the rise of the intellectuals who forced the far right to the fringes of French politics. In 1902, Clemenceau was elected to the French senate, where he sat with the Socialist Radicals, agitated relentlessly for the separation of church and state and led the extreme left -- and we mean extreme -- in the chamber. Clemenceau was the French premier from 1914-1918 and a major contributor to the Allied victory in World War I. A framer of the Treaty of Versailles, he sought to punish Germany after the war, a tactic considered ultimately responsible for the immense destruction of World War II and the Holocaust. Clemenceau was an unsuccessful candidate for the presidency of the Third French Republic, a parliamentary democracy which was dismantled by the Nazi collaborators of the Vichy regime in 1940. The defeat left him so bitter that he declared the presidency "as superfluous as a prostate gland." (The above history was extracted from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Clemenceau.) --Patty Henetz
Peoples' Republic of Utah
We were shocked and saddened to learn recently that a place still exists in America where "unions and liberal special interest groups disproportionately influence elections with their deep pockets." Where in this sea of red states, we wondered, is this repugnant renegade republic where, according to the Utah Taxpayers Association: "The spending lobby and their well-funded political action committees are busy giving money to candidates who will tax and spend?" We nearly lost our water when the the association told us that benighted land is Utah. Yes, according to the Taxpayers Association, Utahns live under the thumb of semi-Bolsheviks who, among other misdeeds, pilfer taxpayer money to woo soccer teams (a last place team, no less) in the name of economic development. "Are you tired of state and local elected officials claiming to be fiscally conservative at election time, while the rest of the time the last thing on their mind is the taxpayer?" the Taxpayers Association asks. "So are we!" Wait a minute. . . aren't the vast majority of these "tax-and-spenders" in Utah right-wing Republicans? And if the Liquor Control Board isn't a "tax exempt government enterprise" we've never seen one. Come to think of it, wasn't one of the foremost fellow travellers throwing public money at professional soccer none other than House Speaker Greg Curtis? All this time, we thought he was a conservative Republican. Boy, are we dupes. If you're mad as heck, the Taxpayers Association, which represents mainly large business interests (Hint: One of its members decorated the Oquirrh Mountains with that two and a half-mile wide hole),asks you to give whatever money you have left after the spending lobby is done with you to its PAC. TAXPAC, the Taxpayers Association says, will get candidates elected who "say no to special interests." -- Glen Warchol
Flag forgiveness
Ten years ago, the American Legion had a litmus test for who they invited to their convention -- and Utah Sen. Bob Bennett didn't pass. In 1996, when Bennett was the only member of the state's delegation to vote against the flag-burning amendment, the veterans snubbed him. He was noticeably absent from the convention. And his name was not mentioned. Hatch, the flag amendment's sponsor, was a featured speaker. National Commander Daniel Ludwig said at the time it would be "illogical" to invite Bennett. But William Christoffersen, a local organizer of the convention, disputed that Bennett was snubbed, insisting that the senator's staff said he would be unable to attend. This year, the legion apparently decided to avoid the "flag flap." Hatch still sponsored the amendment. And Bennett again voted against it. But this year he was joined by Congressman Jim Matheson in opposition. Both Bennett and Matheson have been invited to speak to Legion members Tuesday. "I'm surprised they invited me, given my vote," Bennett said Monday. The debate over amending the Constitution to protect the flag won't be glossed over, however. After Bennett and Matheson speak, Hatch is to be given a special commendation (for the amendment.) And later, the veterans will get a special report on the flag amendment. --Rebecca Walsh
GOP to Rocky: Shut the H-E-double hockey sticks up!
Joe Cannon, GOP chairman and congressman Chris's brother, is calling on loyal Utahns to get on the blower with Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. Rocky, the GOP says in radio ads, is sending the world a negative, disrespectful image of our reddest of red states. What to do? "Call Rocky and tell him to stop embarrassing Utah," the GOP says. Produced by good Republicans, the "Call Rocky" campaign manages to confuse protests of what some see as a botched occupation of Iraq with being soft on terrorism: "Do we do whatever it takes to win the war on terror? Or do we embolden the terrorists with a cut-and-run strategy?" Offered that choice, who wouldn't suspend the Constitution and whatever else it takes? Cannon's ad warns Utahns that Rocky has "invited professional protester Cindy Sheehan to convince you that America should retreat." Apparently due to the restrictions of a 30-second spot, nowhere does the GOP acknowledge that Sheehan's soldier son, Casey, was killed in Iraq. (Apparently, that posthumous Bronze Star didn't impress mom.) But before you Democratic candidates start slagging the Republicans for choking off debate on the war you might want to check the Tribune's recent survey. We asked Utahns if anti-war protestors like Rocky and Sheehan played an important role in the national debate on Iraq or simply aided America's enemies. Only 45 percent of Utah's Democrats said they had a legitimate role in the debate. A full 13 percent, said they aid U.S. enemies. And if you are wondering whether these were true-blue Utah Democrats: 42 percent responded they were "not sure." -- Glen Warchol
Eating well
Sen. Bob Bennett apparently loves great meals, at least according to a new disclosure of expenses at a recent meeting in Aspen, Colo. Bennett, according to his own "good faith estimate," accepted $2,295 for a trip to the elite ski town by the Aspen Institute think tank. Of the gift, $930 was for airfare and $615 was for lodging. That leaves $750 for meals -- for three days. Filet mignon, senator? --Thomas Burr
Free agent draft
The Libertarian Party is scouting the ranks of football fans for recruits. In a full-page ad today in The Trib and D-News special college and pro-football preview section, the underdog party makes a play for new members. "The two-party system is to politics what steroids are to athletics," says the headline. "Both cheat us out of fair play." It depicts the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey as oversized criminals (bandits? Outlaw athletes?) in masks, holding drug addled taxpayers/voters in their clutches. Three syringe-wielding menacers in the foreground are labeled "mainstream media," "special interests" and "war." Apparently, no one told Libertarian Party organizers about the rule against mixing religion and politics: in this case the Church of the NFL. On the other hand, ignoring that rule has worked out pretty well for the Utah GOP. -- Dan Harrie
That'll cost 'em four or five votes
We're sure it's going to be a huge disappointment to Utah congressmen Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop to hear environmentalists don't think much of them. Because it's unlikely either reads "Sierra," the official magazine of the Sierra Club, we'll pass the bad news along. Cannon and Bishop have been inducted into the League of Conservation Voters' Zero Percent Club: "Members of congress that got every important environmental vote in 2005 absolutely wrong." The league is composed of representatives of 20 green groups who say they track anti-environmental extremism in Washington. Even worse, the two congressmen, who face re-election this fall, can't even say being in the Zero Percent Club is something special -- 85 other Republicans also made it. "In a crowd like that," Sierra says, "it's tough to stand out." -- Glen Warchol
Nostalgia
Unlike Congressman Jim Matheson -- who seems to run away from his party and its politicians in election years -- state Rep. LaVar Christensen is hitching his campaign to a dead Republican president. Skipping over the last two GOP presidents, Christensen apparently is a card-carrying member of the cult of personality surrounding Ronald Reagan. He is launching a new series of television ads and a mailing featuring the Republican icon. The "Know LaVar" ads, which were produced by a Washington D.C. firm, focus on Christensen's sponsorship of the state's gay marriage ban and legislation requiring civic and character education in public schools. Christensen's camp has purchased newshour air time this week and next. The ads started running last night. His slogan, "A Bright Dawn Ahead," is eerily familiar. Turns out it's a quote from the letter released by Reagan's family to acknowledge his Alzheimer's disease. It's strikingly similar to Reagan's own presidential campaign slogan. Remember: "It's Morning in America?" Christensen is unabashed. "We are today's stewards of Reagan's legacy," he writes in the mailing. "Together, we can usher in a new dawn of leadership in this country." --Rebecca Walsh
Flip a coin or something, guv
Utah Rep. Pat Jones' experiment in dual identity as both a Democratic House member and a registered Republican (see previous post) is sowing confusion in GOP ranks. In a chat with Tribune reporters recently, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., for instance, learned that endorsing candidates is no longer as simple as it used to be. Huntsman: "I am supporting Republicans. That's what I do as Republican governor." Wisenheimer reporter: "So you'll be supporting Pat Jones?" Huntsman, taken aback: "You're trying to get me in trouble." (Pause) Huntsman, ever the diplomat: "May the best person win!" -- Glen Warchol
On notice
Recent reports that Utah Republican Party Chairman Joe Cannon has lobbied his younger brother, Congressman Chris Cannon, on behalf of several clients caused nary a ripple in Republican ranks. But Utah's top Republican questions the elder Cannon's judgment. "If I were in that position, I would not have been lobbying a family member," Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Wednesday. Although the nominal head of Utah's Grand Old Party, Huntsman said it's up to delegates to decide what behavior they're willing to accept from their leaders. "If delegates don't like what the party chair is doing, they have the right to elect someone else," he added. The relationship between the governor and the party chair has historically been chilly -- dating from the 2004 gubernatorial campaign. But the two have since made up. Still, Cannon probably should take note: "The party is bigger than people, an individual," Huntsman said. --Rebecca Walsh
W does Utah
Here are a few tidbits to count on for President Bush's visit next week: -- Sen. Orrin Hatch won't be flying in Air Force One like he did last year when the president dropped into Salt Lake City. -- Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson will be greeting the president after he alights, and so will the other members of the delegation and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. -- The president will likely miss all of the protests and counter-protests scheduled for Wednesday morning and afternoon since he's doing two events in two different states and won't be touching down in Utah until late. -- GOP congressional candidate LaVar Christensen, as much as he'd like to, won't be greeting the president at the airport in front of the news media. That's mainly because the president's visit is a state visit and not a political one, therefore the taxpayers are footing most of the bill for Air Force One and candidates can't be part of the ceremony. Hatch, however, is paying part of the freight because of the planned fundraiser featuring Bush. --Thomas Burr
Some news isn't fit to print
The New York Times and International Herald Tribune ran a story this week about Arizona Sen. John McCain's efforts to pull in conservative policy wonks, donors and strategists for his expected 2008 presidential campaign. Along with those experts, reporter John Broder wrote, McCain is "reaching out to Christian conservatives," including Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats, "both of whom have strong evangelical followings." I can't speak for Coats. But Broder should have paused at including Huntsman in that analysis. Many Americans know of the doctrinal schism between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which Huntsman is a member, and many evangelical church leaders, who do not consider Mormons to be Christian. Huntsman's supposedly "strong evangelical following" is doubtful. This may seem like a parochially fine point. But it seems to me a reporter for the nation's paper of record should know more about the nuances of religion and politics. --Rebecca Walsh
Who knew?
Pat Jones has been outed. The assistant minority whip in the Utah House is a registered Republican! Gasp. Republican Rep. John Dougall did the outing on his blog, Dynamic Range, http://www.dynamicrange.org, poking fun at a Democratic leader with Republican ties. "Let's hear it for covering all your bases!" he wrote. Jones, on the other hand, doesn't think it's very funny. Actually, she's pretty sensitive about it. "Rep. Dougall probably ought to be out listening to his constituents and learning about what their needs are rather than worrying what political party I am registered with," she said. Ouch. Jones said she registered as a Republican some time ago so she could vote in one of the closed Republican primaries. Democratic primaries are open. "Like most people, I vote for the person," Jones said. "There are some Republicans that I have supported in the past." But Jones insists she is still a good "Utah Democrat, because somebody has to represent the opinions of the majority of Utahns." And as for her party affiliation on the Salt Lake County voter rolls? Don't expect it to change any time soon. "I don't think it is even a concern," she said. "I haven't changed it back, frankly there may be some Republicans in the future I might want to support." OK. So in some states, with a more active two-party system, Jones would probably be denounced publicly if not tarred and feathered. But in red-as-red-can-be Utah, even state Democratic party leaders seem to think it is no big deal that a Democrat office holder and current Senate candidate is registered with the other party. "We are actually wondering what the big deal is," said Democratic spokesman Jeff Bell. "All sorts of people do this." -- Matt Canham
Ashdown's own fundraiser
Democratic Senate candidate Pete Ashdown is not about to let President Bush steal the show. Bush is attending a fundraiser for Hatch on Aug. 31, which is expected to raise $350,000 or more for Ashdown's "cash strapped opponent." Not to be outdone, Ashdown is personally paying for the dinners of 150 people at the Alta Club on Aug. 29. The Catch: each person must make a "sizable donation" to any charity that helps the hungry in America, according to Ashdown's blog, http://www.peteashdown.org. None of the money will go to Ashdown's campaign. And in the post, he also included this invite: "Senator Hatch, President Bush, Secretary Rice and anyone else are welcome to attend this dinner." Interested donors must RSVP by Friday. --Matt Canham
Newspaper politics
The Mitt Romney polygamous ancestors story has generated a lot of chatter online and in emails, some of which we sampled here recently. But here's a different kind of discussion generated by the story -- a look at the politics and political coverage of Utah's two largest newspapers. See it here. Reader feedback would be appreciated. -- Thomas Burr
To remind him who the boss is
 In pulling together a recent story on the State Developmental Center, we interviewed Rodney Houseal, a developmentally disabled Utahn who lives semi-independently in his own apartment with his cat Princess. Rodney is proud of his two part-time jobs, one as the "fry sauce manager" at a fast food restaurant. As the Tribune photographer was busy shooting the story, Rodney asked several times, "Will my picture be in the newspaper?" We assured him it would be. (Front page, as it turned out.) Then Rodney hit us with an out-of-left field request: "Will you give my picture to the governor?" "Well, sure," I said, then had a terrific idea, figuring a way to give Rodney the thrill of a lifetime. "In fact, I'll ask Gov. Huntsman to autograph a picture of himself for you!" Rodney paused, then explained -- slowly, so I would understand: "I don't want a picture of the governor. I want him to have a picture of me." Will do, Rodney. -- Glen Warchol
Cruise control?
I wrote earlier about how national House race handicappers are making Rep. Jim Matheson a favorite to keep his seat, but suggested it might be a little too early for him to let up. Well, Matheson is just back from a family vacation, the first time he has skipped town in an even-numbered election year since he first won his seat in Congress in 2000. It appears Mr. Matheson might be feeling a little more comfortable with his incumbency than in elections past. -- Robert Gehrke
Another "Wilson for Mayor"?
Jenny Wilson is "getting close" but is not yet ready to announce her candidacy for Salt Lake City mayor. "I've made it clear to a lot of people that I'm likely to run, but I'm not personally ready to declare," the Salt Lake County councilwoman said Monday, Aug. 21, while on a family retreat at Snowbird. She says she still must work through some questions with her family before committing to the 2007 race. But the daughter of former Mayor Ted Wilson confirmed that she has spoken to veteran political consultant Carter Livingston about handling the campaign. "I said, basically, 'Don't take another job,' " Wilson added. Another signal: Wilson has filed her fundraising paperwork with the city. -- Derek P. Jensen
Polygamy feedback
The reactions to my story today on the polygamist roots of Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have been a real mix. Some people apparently want my head for even bringing it up, while others are chastising me for not telling the world that the LDS Church still condones polygamy in the afterlife. A sampling: "Tell the truth about Mormon polygamy . . . and the truth is that the church has only temporarily suspended the practice of polygamy. It is still doctrinal (D&C 132) and a man can be sealed again and again to different women (after a living wife’s death), but a woman cannot do the same. This 'eternal' principle WAS NOT abolished by the Mormon church, just 'cleaned up.'" -- MD "'Romney, of course, didn't mention that about the time The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints renounced polygamy in 1890, his great-grandfather was among those Mormons who fled to Mexico to start their own community where plural marriage continued to be practiced.' So we should be judged by the actions of our grandparents? Should we put children of criminals in jail too?" -- ML "As you probably know but failed to mention, the LDS church still condones polygamy. A man can be married to more than one woman at a time in the temple -- the civil divorce must be voided prior to that time -- but after all the only marriage that counts is for time and all eternity in the temple." -- DB "I'll bet that one of his ancestors took a swig of whiskey before turning legal age, also. What a waste of an article -- what was your point?" -- Unsigned -- Thomas Burr
Entrenched
Is Jim Matheson getting some breathing room in his Utah 2nd District race against LaVar Christensen? That's the case made in a new Congressional Quarterly article. The author, Michael Teitelbaum, writes: "And while it would be hard for Matheson to ever score an early knockout in a district that has such a strong Republican base, he looks at this point as well on his way to an easy decision over this year's GOP nominee, state Rep. LaVar Christensen." The article goes on to note Matheson's fundraising edge, sizable advantage in a recent Dan Jones & Associates poll, and the tight-rope act Matheson has walked voting in Congress. Others have also have already moved Matheson's race off the list of contested races, including the Cook Political Report. However, it's expected that Christensen will be stepping up his campaign effort in the next few weeks. And given the Republican bent of his district -- the CQ article notes that 72 percent of voters backed President Bush in 2004 -- Matheson would be foolish to hit the cruise control switch this early. -- Robert Gehrke
Rampton vs. Leavitt
One decent site for political profiles is newsalerts.com. Among the profiles are most Cabinet members, including Utah native and current U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt. The profile is pretty accurate, with one notable exception. It says: "Leavitt was elected governor of Utah for three terms and was the longest-serving governor in Utah's history." That is flat-out wrong. The truth is that Leavitt, in winning a third term for governor, tied Democrat Cal Rampton for the record number of times elected. But, because Leavitt stepped down early to join the Bush administration, Rampton still holds the undisputed title of "longest serving governor" in Utah. He served the full 12 years. -- Dan Harrie
Impeach Bush!
A guest columnist in The Spectrum, Southern Utah's largest daily paper, has a sky-is-falling theory for Republican voters in Utah's 2nd Congressional District to consider. If they vote for Democrat Jim Matheson, the U.S. House could try to impeach the president. Cedar City's Joe Baker figures a vote for Matheson could tip the House over to Democratic control. And then, apparently, all hell could break loose. Besides that guilt-trip defying most logic, the Southern Utah University economics professor proceeds to misrepresent Matheson's views on the issues, calling his pro-life record "dismal," his fiscal restraint questionable and his conservative voting record "weak" -- all based on interest group assessments. That may be news to Matheson -- and his conservative and liberal constituents alike. Perhaps Baker has forgotten the fact that Matheson is one of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats. And he failed to note Matheson's much-criticized decision to switch his vote on a failed partial birth abortion ban bill -- from against to in favor -- a few years ago. His Republican challengers always make a point of mentioning that one. And it outraged Matheson's Democratic constituents. But adding those details apparently would make writing such a column too complicated. --Rebecca Walsh
Stolen sign posse
Whether it's politically motivated dirty tricks or mischievous high schoolers out for a thrill, candidates have always had problems keeping their lawn signs from vanishing. Now Democratic Senate candidate Pete Ashdown is ready to fight back after his signs disappeared from the Foothills area. Ashdown is offering a $500 reward to anyone who can catch video of the a sign bandit on video. Other supporters have kicked in another $550 so far to the reward fund. And Ashdown challenges his supporters to replace the signs when they disappear and persuade two neighbors to put up signs of their own. One thing for sure, the disappearing lawn signs are not a result of terrorist attacks, because, as Orrin Hatch will tell you, terrorists support Democrats. -- Robert Gehrke
Second fiddle
For a change of pace, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson invited a modern anti-war symbol to upstage him at his Aug. 30 protest of President Bush and his policies. Anderson left messages for Iraq war critic Cindy Sheehan -- twice -- to invite her to Salt Lake City later this month. Sheehan accepted. Conservatives have showered Anderson with vitriol for his role in bringing Sheehan to town. But Anderson is unapologetic. "Her message is an important one. It helps put a face on the tragedy of this unconscionable, illegal war," Anderson said Friday. "Also -- I knew she would help garner even more national and international attention," he added. "This is all about communicating a message. If people don't hear it, you're not communicating. It's important for people around the country and around the world to recognize that even in a place like Utah, there are a vast number of people who have strong disagreements with the direction in which this president and Congress have taken our country." --Rebecca Walsh
Fundraiser bitterness
President Bush's approval rating is slipping, at least with Utah Republicans who are stewing over the fact Bush will be headlining a fundraiser for Sen. Orrin Hatch when the Commander in Chief drops into Salt Lake City later this month. The grumbling usually go like this: Why would Bush help a Senate incumbent soaring in the polls with $2.5 million in the bank and a low-level, campaign-cash-strapped Democratic opponent instead of lending a hand to the GOP's 2nd District contender who needs all the cash he can get? Wrote state Rep. Craig Frank on his blog ( http://underthedome.org/): "I just hafta' ask the question, why would our Republican President spend more than thirty seconds with an entrenched, better-darn-well-beat the pants off Pete, $2.5M war chest bulgin', twenty-nine year incumbent Senator, instead of workin' the floor for the pachyderm party's Second Congressional District candidate--LaVAR CHRISTENSEN? Sounds like W's priorities might be a tad bit mislaid. Check the polls . . . Orrin's in, Mr. President!" Not yet, counters Dave Hansen, who is helping Hatch eek out a victory for a sixth term in the Senate. Hansen apparently really believed his mother's advice about not counting his chicks before the eggs have hatched. "You never know what you're going to need because things in campaigns change," Hansen told me. "We're raising as much money as we can." Besides, Hansen says, Hatch is and has been "very generous in helping state candidates, the state party, county parties and other candidates." After the Bush fundraiser, Hatch will have a little more cash to spread around then. The luncheon at a downtown Salt Lake City hotel is $500 a plate or $4,000 for a table of eight. Hansen says the campaign asked the White House for a fundraising opportunity, and the president agreed. That's on top of an earlier fundraiser Vice President Dick Cheney held for Hatch at an undisclosed location. Hansen is unsure W. would have appeared at a fundraiser for anyone else on the ticket, but promises in the end it will help all Republicans. And don't worry, he adds, there is no drought of campaign donors. "I don't think the well ever gets dry," Hansen said. And if it does, the Hatch Irrigation Co. is only a phone call away. --Thomas Burr
A Soccer Sermon
Joe Hatch takes exception to labeling politics a dirty word. After all, it is part of his livelihood. Moments before his Salt Lake County Council delivered a hotly debated soccer stadium, Hatch chastised those who would blame politics over an issue that saw its share of sinister slide tackles. "My response is, 'Duh! That's who we are. That's what we do,'" Hatch told a smattering of politicians, reporters and soccer supporters this week. He compared the complaint -- uttered often by residents and elected officials during the stadium saga -- to criticizing a sermon for including too much religion. "That's what you get when you go to church," Hatch huffed. "If the public is upset about this being politics ... This is the good kind of politics." Hatch said he nearly apologized for calling Real Salt Lake executives "chowderheads" earlier this summer, but reconsidered. "It was mean. It was tough," he added. "In the end, it was still a bipartisan venture." -- Derek P. Jensen
All Puffed Up
Jim Bradley knows how to deflate a politician's pomp. Slouching with a sour look on his face Tuesday (Aug. 15) evening, the Salt Lake County councilman listened as speech after speech "lauded" soccer's circle of insiders, who ultimately won a major league stadium in Sandy by a 5-4 vote. Council members took turns praising each other, legislators, sitting mayors and the owner of Real Salt Lake. When it was Bradley's turn to speak, the mic petered out. "It's a conspiracy," he grumbled. With power restored -- as power brokers peered in from the front row -- Bradley's classic comic relief began. "While everybody is lauding every living organism in this room, let me laud the cushions for being soft so you guys can sit through this," he quipped. When the laughter simmered, Bradley had a serious message. "It's not government's responsibility to see that Real Salt Lake is successful," he said before voting against the stadium funding package. Turns out, plenty of Bradley's constituents don't care for the hot air either. Out of 61 e-mails sent to the councilman, 58 support his stance. -- Derek P. Jensen
Calling out 'Carrroon;' Suddenly, Peter 'Corroon' can't get no respect.
For a week now, the Salt Lake County mayor has been blitzed by caustic e-mails and phone calls, calling him out for endorsing the Major League Soccer stadium deal. He's been compared to John Kerry, the "flip-flopper," bullied to "grow some balls," and told his stadium support could cost him re-election. What's worse, Corroon spent his wife's birthday Tuesday slumped in a chair as the County Council slogged through soccer speeches. Tough week. At least Corroon was tapped to be the balm before this month's Bush protest, replacing Rocky as host for the American Legion. But according to one blogger, Corroon has distinguished himself among Democrats. "If Jim Matheson were ever to lose an election, I thought back in 2002 and 2004, Utah Democrats would be screwed. He was our last best hope," reads a post on "The Third Avenue." "But now, I think we got another waiting in the wings, thanks in part to Howard Dean." The "squeaky clean" county mayor -- Corroon is Dean's cousin -- is one of the most popular politicians in the state's most populous county, the post opines, with appeal beyond the Avenues and 9th and 9th crowd. Despite Corroon's role in the revamped stadium deal, it continues, the mayor showed he is no pushover by initially standing up to the state's GOP elite. The Third Avenue goes on to suggest Corroon could one day run for governor or the Senate. High praise — with one glaring glitch. The blog butchers the mayor's name -- it is spelled "Carroon" then "Carrroon" -- twice. Maybe by that election, Utah will have phonetic voting machines. -- Derek P. Jensen
Hurts so good
Legislative Rule No. 562: Blame the media at every opportunity. Sen. Chris Buttars has found the perfect excuse for his own media thrill-seeking ways: reporters themselves. In an "Oh, my goodness" blog on senatesi |
