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Here is video of Glenn Beck talking with Sen. Orrin Hatch about whether members of Congress are forgetting their oath to support and defend the Constitution...(Video)

"What they're producing are small-time government jobs. That's what they're doing and it's just awful."

Hatch vows House health bill will never pass the Senate By Michael O'Brien - 11/09/09 09:57 AM ET The healthcare plan approved by the House over the weekend will never pass the Senate, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) vowed Monday. Hatch, a conservative Republican who has long been opposed to health reform efforts including a public (or "government-run") option, talked down the bill's chances. "That exercise in the House, that’ll never pass the Senate," Hatch said during an appearance on "Imus in the Morning" on the Fox Business Network. “I think they’re going to have a heck of a time passing...

This afternoon I am invited to participate in a townhall meeting conference call. Wanted to solicit ideas from my Freerepublic friends and what I should ask the Senator.

Looks like Congress is using some fuzzy math.

Bill and I participated in a conference call today with Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT). Several other bloggers, NewsBusters, CNS News, and the Washington Times were also on the call. The general topic was health care. Here's the raw audio, followed by some highlights.

"Survivor" winner Richard Hatch was released from a Massachusetts jail early Friday after completing a federal sentence for evading taxes on the $1 million he won during the CBS reality show's first season. Hatch was freed shortly before 6 a.m. from Barnstable County jail in Bourne, Mass... He was driven home to Newport, R.I., by sheriff's deputies ... Hatch, 48, now faces three years of supervised release. ... He must also complete a mental health program. Hatch's husband is from Argentina, and he has asked the court unsuccessfully in the past to grant him permission to live there... In 2006,...

Bolstering what is likely to be one of the Republicans' key health care reform arguments on the Senate floor, Congress' budget scorekeeper ruled that medical malpractice reform could reduce the federal deficit by $54 billion over 10 years. Tort reform has been one of Republicans' top health care reform proposals, but it hasn't been strongly embraced by Democrats. President Obama, in his address to a joint session of Congress last month, said he would consider tort reform legislation as part of his health care plan. The trial lawyers bar, which strongly opposes tort reform is a major financial supporter of...

Update (Jim): Senator Orrin Hatch details the taxes that the Baucus bill will impose. I think it dovetails nicely with the SOS post. Plus hatch sounds so pained. I feel his pain and so will you. Video at the bottom.

That means at least 4 filthy Republicans supported it. Disgrace!

Angry parents get schools to shun Obama speech to students Dublin, Hilliard, Olentangy districts decide not to show president's TV address Tuesday Thursday, September 3, 2009 11:22 PM By Bill Bush THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH School districts across central Ohio learned today that the list of things parents want their children protected from -- drugs, predators, violence -- now includes the president of the United States delivering a "stay in school" message. Faced with phone calls from angry parents who don't want their children to view the Tuesday address to the nation's students by President Barack Obama, several districts have decided...

According to Susan Ferrechio of The Washington Examiner, there is bipartisan support for Vicki Kennedy to take over Ted Kennedy's office. Indeed, says Ferrechio, some think she would be "perfect for the job." Ferrechio quotes Orrin Hatch as saying that Kennedy is a "brilliant lawyer" and "a solid individual." She also quotes Chris Dodd as saying that if Kennedy wants the position, he will back her up. There are only two problems with this picture. 1. Kennedy has stated that she does not want the position 2. It's not legal for her to take it. But not to worry! The...

(snip) Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UtahSen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Sen. Susan Collins, R-MaineSen. Olympia Snowe, R-MaineSen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H.(snip) Former acting Gov. Jane Swift, R-Mass.Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass.Former Gov. Michael Dukakis, D-Mass. Gov. Jon Corzine, D-N.J. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif.(snip)

At the memorial for Ted Kennedy at the JFK library in Boston, Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah, talked about his friendship with the Democratic senator from Massachusetts, comparing their relationship to that of "two fighting brothers" and said that they were like the "odd couple." "It's a great honor for me to be here today to talk about a man I have so much regard for, so much reverence for -- with whom I've done battle for 33 years… and have enjoyed every minute of it," Hatch said. Hatch talked about running for office in Utah by saying...

"I wrote this song with the great Phil Springer. Take a moment to listen to the words. You don't have to agree with everyone's politics...none of us agree 100% of the time. But you have to admire a lifetime dedicated to public service and improving the lives of others -- and that is just one of the many things that made Ted great. I think this song captures a small part of Ted's legacy of service. Listen to it and see what you think." So wrote Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.) about his friend the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). CLICK...

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's SarahPAC has donated money to the campaigns of Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Orrin Hatch of Utah, as well as to Republican Ohio Senate candidate Rob Portman, according to a Friday filing with the Federal Election Commission. The exact amounts of the contributions were not reported, but Palin had to list the names of candidates she had financially supported to make SarahPAC a bona fide political action committee. Her contributions to Arizona Sen. John McCain, for whom she served as a running mate in the 2008 presidential campaign, and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski...

UPDATED: Hatch says there's only one moderate Dem @ 10:20 am by Eric Zimmermann There's only one moderate left in the Democratic caucus, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said today. Appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Hatch said that since the days he entered the Senate, the parties have become more polarized and less willing to work together. "You [used to have] at least 12 conservatives that you could call conservatives on the Democratic side," Hatch said. "We probably had about 12 liberals on our side, and it was much more balanced." "Today, there's only one moderate, as I see it, real...

America has lost a giant in politics and public policy. I have lost a close personal friend. People called us the “odd couple,” which was certainly true. There are few men with whom I had less in common. Ted was born to a famous patrician family of Boston. He attended private schools and Harvard University. He was politically liberal, and liberal in his lifestyle – at least until he married Vicki Reggie, who set him straight. I grew up in a poor, working class family in Pittsburgh. Where Ted was the affable Irishman, I was the teetotaling Mormon

The president continued his health care campaign stump with his weekly address. He continued with his new campaign talking points that call it "health insurance reform" rather than "health care reform". He continued with the demonization of health insurance companies. There were several stories of Americans that were dropped for pre existing conditions or can't find coverage due to pre existing conditions. The president pointed out that 12,000 people lose their health insurance every single day. He said that without health insurance reform premiums would go to an average of $22,000 yearly within the next ten years.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who has a long history of teaming up with Democrats on healthcare legislation, says Democratic healthcare reform plans now under consideration are “out of this world.” Hatch also told The Hill in a Friday interview he would be “shocked” if Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) sign onto a healthcare deal with Democrats given the current trajectory of the legislation. Hatch’s strong opposition to the Democrats’ healthcare plans suggests that Democrats will have a very difficult time convincing any Republicans aside from centrist Sens. Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Susan Collins (Maine) to support a...

Here is complete video of today's Face the Nation on CBS. The broadcast featured Harry Smith talking with GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch and Democrat Rep. Charles Rangel about the Democrats Health Care Bill. Hatch said the Health bills in both the House and Senate are "totally political bills." He also believes Obama is in such a hurry because he knows it is not likely to pass if it is not done by the time of the recess. Also, Bob Schieffer talks about the life and career of the late Walter Cronkite with former senator and astronaut John Glenn and historian...

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is doing just about everything it can to take down Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who has emerged as its best incumbent target of the 2010 election cycle. But its vice chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), isn't helping the cause on that front. In an interview that aired on National Public Radio on Thursday morning, Hatch praised Dodd as "one of the better senators here." Hatch was being interviewed alongside Dodd on Democratic efforts on health care, and despite their differences, a love fest ensued. "Now, I want to compliment Chris, because when Sen. (Ted)...

Here is video today of Sen. Orrin Hatch questioning Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor about her views of the 2nd Amendment right to "keep and bear arms." Sotomayor danced around the question, justifying some questionable rulings in her career as "based on precedent." It would seem from her past decisions and her words today that she does not hold that the right to "keep and bear arms" is a fundamental right. . . . . . (Watch Video)

(snip) "He has the great ability to get people together, and negotiate to get a consensus," said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. (snip) Hatch, who has collaborated with Kennedy on major healthcare bills such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program, said that a month ago he had an "extensive, hour-long conversation" by phone with Kennedy. The Massachusetts senator promised to work with him on healthcare, he said, but instead the committee came out with a partisan bill that had “done away with bipartisanship." "If Kennedy had been here," said Hatch, “the first thing he would have done is pick...

State Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, formally apologized to his fellow lawmakers for using a racial slur during a conversation with an African American legislator last week. While discussing changes made to Hatch’s health care reform bill by a House committee, the Senator told state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines, that they were both being treated like the “N-word” and like “master and slaves.” Hatch told The Des Moines Register on Saturday that he “immediately apologized and I apologized to his clerk, and that’s the end of it. His clerk was sitting right there, and I shouldn’t have said what...

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch urged the Justice Department on Tuesday to investigate college football's Bowl Championship Series for what he views as violations of antitrust laws. Hatch made the comment after conducting a standing-room-only hearing in the Senate subcommittee with antitrust oversight, where he serves as the top Republican. "Frankly, there's an arrogance about the BCS that just drives me nuts," he told reporters. "Hopefully this hearing will open the door to have some people reconsider their positions. And if nothing else, the Justice Department ought to be looking at this."

Dodd's wife serves on health care company boards3 hours ago By LARRY MARGASAK and SHARON THEIMER Associated Press Writers (AP:WASHINGTON) The wife of a senator playing a lead role on a national health care overhaul sits on the boards of four health care companies, one of several examples of lawmakers with ties to the medical industry. Jackie Clegg Dodd, wife of Sen. Chris Dodd, serves on the boards of Javelin Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cardiome Pharma Corp., Brookdale Senior Living, and Pear Tree Pharmaceuticals, a financial disclosure report the senator released Friday shows. **SNIP** Mrs. Dodd earned $79,063 in fees from Cardiome...

WASHINGTON (CNN) — It is part political reality — and, seemingly, part Republican strategy. The longest-serving Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee tells CNN Radio that as things stand now, Sonia Sotomayor is headed for a Supreme Court confirmation. "If there are no otherwise disqualifying matters here, it appears to me she will probably be confirmed," Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Thursday. Hatch is acknowledging the Senate landscape. Democrats could have 60 votes in the chamber if Minnesota's Al Franken is seated, and they now hold a 12 to 7 majority on the Judiciary Committee. But as he speaks to...

May 27, 2009, 4:00 a.m. What Kind of Judge?We need to know how Sonia Sotomayor views the role of the Supreme Court. By Orrin G. Hatch President Obama’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter puts the judicial-selection ball in the Senate’s court. We can serve America well by focusing on whether she is the kind of justice America needs, in a process that is both thorough and fair. The Constitution gives the power to nominate and appoint judges to the president, not to the Senate. The appointment power is discussed in Article II,...

Alexandria Democrats Allegedly Pledging Vengeance Ms. Hughes is a federal employee who ran as an independent. An African-American non-democrat with tax lowering sensibilities drives the local Democrats bonkers. Democratics are gearing up to attack her election as improper under the Hatch Act which would go to the Obama Office of Special Counsel.

Hatch: Sotomayor has 'a problem' By: Andy Barr May 7, 2009 11:47 AM EST Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said Thursday that Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s past statement that the “court of appeals is where policy is made” would be a problem for her if she were nominated for the Supreme Court. “That's a problem,” Hatch said during an interview on Fox News after being shown a clip of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals judge’s comment. “She would have, I think, a more difficult time if she was nominated because of statements like that and, of course, she has a whole...

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)appeared on "This Week" today to discuss President Obama's pick to replace Justice David Souter. He is concernced that Obama might pick a judicial activist instead of someone who bases decisions on the law. Hatch claims that Obama's desire to choose a judge based on the nominee's "personal politics, personal feelings and personal preferences" are "code words for an activist judge who is going to be partisan on the bench". I agree. To me, it sounds like he wants a judge who will rule on emotion rather than fact and that is dangerous. He wants someone who...

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch believes the president has used code words indicating he wants to appoint an activist to the Supreme Court, who will push a liberal agenda. Hatch zeroed in on Obama's use of the word empathy in describing what he will look for in a new justice. In announcing Souter's retirement on Friday, Obama said: "I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes." Hatch said that statement translates into a partisan on the bench instead of an impartial arbitrator. "He...

Should the federal government tempt people to cease volunteering at churches and instead be paid to “volunteer” at government-subsidized projects? That’s the essence of the “Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act” which President Obama signed into law on April 21. Sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), the bill passed the House by a vote of 275 to 149. The multi-billion-dollar spending bill triples the size of federal paid “volunteer” programs including AmeriCorps while killing funds for the faith-friendly Points of Light Institute. The ayes list had 26 Republicans, including Mark Souder (Ind.), Chris Smith (N.J.) and Vern Buchanan (Fla.). The...

In recent weeks, there have been countless statements made by politicians, pundits and even the Department of Homeland Security that gun ownership or support for the Second Amendment is connected to, if not synonymous with, violent behavior. Unfortunately, this false assumption has permeated its way into the Utah media's editorials, political cartoons and news stories. Short on facts, those making these accusations have decided to disparage and marginalize those who support the rights of law-abiding gun owners. We saw this in the recent DHS report that equated opposition to gun-control legislation with right-wing extremism. I suppose we'd better keep an...

In recent weeks, there have been countless statements made by politicians, pundits and even the Department of Homeland Security that gun ownership or support for the Second Amendment is connected to, if not synonymous with, violent behavior. Unfortunately, this false assumption has permeated its way into the Utah media's editorials, political cartoons and news stories. Short on facts, those making these accusations have decided to disparage and marginalize those who support the rights of law-abiding gun owners. We saw this in the recent DHS report that equated opposition to gun-control legislation with right-wing extremism. I suppose we'd better keep an...

Still stunned by Arlen Specter's party switch, Republican senators are pessimistic about the chances for conservative GOP hopeful Pat Toomey in the Pennsylvania Senate race. "I don't think there is anybody in the world who believes he can get elected senator there," said Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Asked if the NRSC would back Toomey, Hatch said, "I don't think so" and that the party should look for "someone who can win there."

If Senator Orrin Hatch is a liberal-friendly health care reformer, he's working under some pretty deep cover. Just two months ago, Hatch voted against the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), protesting the inclusion of legal immigrants and higher-income children as a "partisan exercise."...But Hatch's Senate colleagues have noticed some disparities between his public fulminations and his private actions.

It's been an unusual few weeks where LDS beliefs on a variety of topics have emerged in the news. These include the value of missionary work on young men's maturity, service, fasting, happiness and stem cell research. Perhaps this is good news... There have been a number of recent stories about where different religions stand on stem cell research. Mormons, particularly, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, have been the focus of news stories about how religious beliefs define the issue. This comes as members of the Georgia legislature are considering a measure that would define "a living in vitro human embryo...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two prominent supporters of stem cell research said on Thursday they had reintroduced a Senate bill that would allow federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, in anticipation of President Barack Obama's support for the work. Senators Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, and Arlen Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said their bipartisan measure would allow federal funding for research using stem cells taken from human embryos left over from fertility treatments. "It is the same bill that both houses of Congress approved in 2007, but was vetoed by President Bush," they said in a statement. Obama...

"We need to send a message to Congress and the president that we want them to take the actions that are needed to preserve climate for young people and future generations and all life on the planet," says Hansen, who has likened coal-fired power plants to "factories of death" and claims he was muzzled by the Bush administration when he warned of drastic climate changes.

I'm really excited about the Tea Party Revolution that is happening all over the country in response to President Obamas Porkulus Economic Bill and Mortgage Bailout. This is exactly the sort of activism that needs to happen to get the message out that half the country is balking at the redistribution of wealth that is taking place in our country. Last week as the president signed Porkulus a protest took place on the steps of the capitol in Denver. This event was organized by some of the best rally organizers in the state, and should be a model for other...

The District of Columbia's two-century-long wait for a voice in Congress was a step closer to ending Tuesday with a crucial Senate vote to take up legislation giving the capital city's 600,000 residents a full seat in the House. The Senate voted 62-34, two more than needed, to begin debate on the measure that would increase the House to 437 members. It would give the Democratic-dominated city a new vote while adding a fourth seat to Republican-leaning Utah. Key to the vote was that Democrats, who overwhelmingly support the bill, have seven more Senate seats than two years ago when...

Since posting my petition to inform those RINO’s like Linsey Graham, John McCain, Orrin Hatch who support the confirmation of Tim Geithner as Secretary of Treasury, we Republicans will vow to remove them from office, I received many responses that declare we should leave to start another party or join the Constitution or Conservative Party. I understand those sentiments but I just believe that it would be easier to assert ourselves and overthrow the leadership in the Republican Party than to start a new party from scratch. The reason why the RINO's has been able to undermine the Republican Party...

The former Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee will support Eric Holder's nomination for attorney general, giving him a major boost toward confirmation. Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), who chaired the panel for a decade beginning in 1995, told The Hill that he will support Holder. “I intend to,” said Hatch. His decision could undermine GOP efforts to stall or block the confirmation. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) said Friday that Holder would be the only Cabinet nominee to face a tough confirmation fight. Hatch said that Republicans should try to strike a cooperative tone with President-elect Obama during...

Obama pick faces questions over bombers' clemencyBy PETE YOST Associated Press Writer Originally published Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 2:05 PM WASHINGTON — New York police detective Anthony S. Senft's life changed forever when a bomb set by Puerto Rican separatists exploded, blowing him 15 feet in the air and blinding him in one eye. Now, he's angry that Eric Holder, who played a key role in awarding clemency to the bombers, is in line to be attorney general. Holder, as President Bill Clinton's deputy attorney general, worked closely with the Justice Department's pardon attorney to raise the possibility of...

On January 6, bills were introduced in both Houses of Congress to give the District of Columbia a voting member of the U.S. House. They are HR 157 in the House, and S160 in the Senate. The bills would also permanently expand the size of the U.S. House from 435 member to 437 members, effective upon passage. The other new seat would go to Utah, which just barely missed getting another seat in the last reapportionment in 2001. The sponsors in the U.S. Senate are Orrin Hatch and Joe Lieberman. The sponsor in the House is D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes...

The former Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee will support Eric Holder's nomination for attorney general, giving him a major boost toward confirmation.

For the first time in years, record producer and rapper John Forte, a former member of the Fugees, spent the holidays out of prison and is planning a new life helping troubled youth. It was a mission that Sen. Orrin Hatch assured Forte would commit to when the Utah Republican asked for Forte's release from prison in a 2006 letter obtained through an open records request. "In prison he is teaching guitar and music to his fellow inmates. He is writing songs with messages that today's youth need to hear -- from someone they will respond to, like John Forte,"...

Just take a sec to watch this Jib Jab Movie. I know you've seen it a hundred times already, but an extra special actor has jumped into the movie..... Someone should fire the makeup artist!!! Can Anyone SPELL Lipstick??? Jen