ORRIN HATCH: If this conservative senator isn't safe from conservative attacks, is anyone?

Slate ^ | 2/20/04 | By Michael Crowley

[chiller]

Washington's conservative activists have found a traitor in their midst, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch.

The occasion is Memogate, the internal Senate investigation into whether Republican aides unethically (and perhaps illegally) tapped into Democratic computer files containing private judicial-nomination strategy memos and leaked them to the press. The more the story balloons in the media, embarrassing Republicans and distracting them from trying to confirm more judges, the more right-wing activists savage Hatch, the man they hold responsible for it.

To them, the Utah Republican has done something "acutely damaging to the struggle to get conservative judges onto the federal bench," as one National Review writer put it this week, in a column widely e-mailed among disgusted activists.

Another activist ominously warned in the Washington Post of a "thermonuclear" punishment for Hatch. Also in the Post, Gary Bauer fumed over a "demoralized Republican base around the country" and sounded about ready to stage a public hanging on Capitol Hill.

(must be excerpted)

[chiller]

Hatch needs to toughen up or get out. He's going along to get along.

[diotima]

Hatch isn't a conservative.

[chiller]

Robert Novak reported today that Frist is putting pressure on Hatch to nominate a couple of appointments which are certain to draw filibusters.

That combination and recess appointments make for a nice campaign issue, which becomes more obvious every week.

[chiller]

These wimps like Hatch have an eternal inferiority complex. It sounds like Hatch is cowering because of the memogate deal when he should be screaming bloody hell every damn day. Offense is a foreign concept to these guys.

[VU4G10]

Open-Borders Hatch?

[ctonious]

Slate doth protest too much. They know the Hatchback is useful to them - else they would be gleeful about the prospect that he would be recalled or lose re-election in Utah to a 'Rat. A GOP sacrifice which, at this point of probable GOP Senate gains in 2004 - would be a reasonable sacrifice to get rid of the traitorous scum.

[Solson]

Hatch is a moderate at best but that's not what has us pissed. The way he continually cowtows to ignorant Dems is what has us upset...and rightly so. Hatch needs to lose his power. He's eaten his own too many times to be trusted with anything important.

[uncbob]

These wimps like Hatch have an eternal inferiority complex.

Can't teach anold dog new tricks

Hatch was in the minority and treated second class by the democrats for so long he still can't believe he is the majority party

[BlazingArizona]

Open-Borders Hatch?

RIAA toady Hatch?
"Microsoft-is-a-monopoly" Hatch?

[TADSLOS]

DOWN the HATCH.

[zerosix]

Hatch is the same Senator who, when Clinton was President, stated that everyone of his nominees deserved to take their offices because a "President deserves to have the people he wants in office." Janet Reno, Joycelen Elders; Mike Espy et al.

Nothing more needs to be said about Hatch except that he deservs a one-way ticket back to Utah (of course, once in Paree (Washington) they never return to the folks back on the farm.

[Tall_Texan]

Considering the state he represents, we should do better. Of course, the whole RINO-infested Senate could do better. Other than Jim Bunning, I'm not sure there is a senator up there now I'd consider "conservative", certainly not in the Phil Gramm-Jesse Helms mode of conservatism - one with a backbone.

We've got 50 chocolate eclairs running the show.

[tet68]

When Liberals rise to your defense, it's only because you're useful to them........at the time.

[skip2myloo]

Reminds me of an old joke.

At church, the preacher said, during the offering, my sister-in-law will play the flute.

Her performance is worse than awful, and during the offering, somebody yells "The flute player is a (insert expletive of choice)."

The preacher is incensed, goes down evey aisle, every row asking "are you the person that called my sister-in-law a (insert expletive of choice)."

Nobody would admit to the transgression. As the preacher got to the last pew, he asked the last man if he had called his sister-in-law a (expletive deleted).

The man replied, "no sir, I didn't -- but what I want to know is who called that (insert expletive of choice) a flute player ??"

What I want to know is who called Orrin Hatch a conservative ??

[Servant of the 9]

If this conservative senator isn't safe from conservative attacks, is anyone?

When was Hatch ever a conservative?

So9

[Malcolm]

There are hyper-conservatives, as anyone could see who frequents this site. You know, those that say that there is no diff bet the Republicans and Dems, that Bush is a liberal, etc. I used to reason with them, now I just ignore them.

The GOP is the only practical party that can be used to advance the conservative agenda at this time. I'm conservative, and am not satified with the degree of conservatism in the Republican party either, but throwing out the baby with the bathwater is not a practical alternative. These hyper-geeks and their easily deceived followers don't get it, and don't want to get it; they just want something to complain about. They're the same ones who do not vote in GOP primaries to ensure that the most conservative Republican running makes it to the general election, and that is the most productive thing a US conservative can do.

Don't waste your breath on these malcontents. If you do, you're just wasting your time. You can't reason with an irrational person. And if you can't grasp the obvious, namely, that the GOP is the only vehicle at present that we can leverage to advance our agenda, and that all other efforts contrary to that are counterproductive, then guess what? That's right Clem, you are in that camp.

Either you're part of the solution or you're part of the problem. If you are not exclusively directing your efforts to the nomination and election of conservative Republicans, you are hurting not helping, period. Either you get that or you don't, or know but refuse to accept it. At least be honest with yourself, if not with your fellow FReepers.....

[hgro]

Hatch should stick to composing poor songs, not supporting his buddy "Chappaquidic Teddy", the obese son of a rum runner.

[tet68]

Bravo!

[samantha]

My biggest problem with Orrin Hatch is his continued friendshsip with a cowardly,alcoholic scumbag named Kennedy. I have information that is not confirmed that Orrin Hatch entertains the bloated POS at his Utah home many times during the year. That makes me have a lot less confidence in Orrin. He can redeem himself by serving brownies that have a triple dose of chocolate flavored ex-lax to the "swimmer". Although since Kennedy is obviously FOS,it might help him.