For a guy who has been a fixture in Senate leadership for a good long while, its likely that you may not have heard of Bob Bennett--that is if you live outside of Utah.
A three term Senator and former business executive, Bennett is conservative by any objective standard. Unfortunately for him, his Senate career depends a lot of Utah's subjective standards for conservatism, which are somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun. He is in big trouble for having voted for the TARP funds and against the flag-burning amendment ironically sponsored by fellow Utah Senator Orrin Hatch.
I kid you not.
In less than two weeks, Utahns will vote in the Republican primary, and if Bennett doesn't win 60%, he'll face a runoff election. The last time that happened was with Chris Cannon, for whom the bell tolled for the final time.
I'm of two minds on this. I think it would be healthy for Utah and Senator Bennett to face a runoff election in the primary. Incumbents should remember where they are from and how easily they can return to civilian life if they displease the folks.
I also hope that he wins.
I don't think we are getting anywhere in this country sending politically correct morons to Washington. A conservative gut is a fine thing to have, but the wisdom of Solomon to go with it is even better. In Washington these days, there are a lot more questions about who the baby's real mother is, than whether Americans should be able to burn a piece of cloth with some stars and stripes dyed onto it.
Anyone who reads this blog knows how I feel about Obamacare, but that doesn't change the fact that there are some serious problems in our health-care system, and a role for government somewhere in that process. We are going to need a lot of bright people of good will to make this country work again, and Utah is fortunate to have such a man in Bob Bennett.
Years back, I think in 2000, I attended a house party at a neighbors' where a Democrat candidate for Congress was working to persuade a street full of Republicans to take a chance on him. He was clearly prepared for all the standard objections, and made a point to tell us that he had a concealed carry permit, thus immunizing himself from criticism about the Democrats position on gun control. He talked a good game, and so will any Republican challenger. They have the advantage of not having their views memorialized in recorded votes.
Bennett's record is hardly an embarrassment, and if you objected to the TARP (and I did), then you have to ask yourself what the obvious alternative was. I didn't see one.
What Bennett has demonstrated over his 18 year Senate career is an extraordinary ability to get things done without a lot of grandstanding. I suspect if he is reelected, his seniority will enable him to get a lot more things done for Utah and the nation.
Merrill Cook won the Utah 2nd district because he was 'conservative'. He was also totally unsuited to the role by temperament and judgment. We now have a five term Democrat incumbent in that seat and the prospect of another midnight raid on Utah lands to make sure he votes with his party and against the interests of his state. Elections have consequences, and buying a pig in a poke because of its oink is a pretty silly thing to do.