As Vocal as Ever

Hatch Revs Up for Reelection

By Lucy Burningham, 8-16-05

Sen. Orrin Hatch has never been known for delicately articulating his stand any issue. Sometimes his rants get him in trouble, but lately, it seems like the five-term senator has reached a tipping point in his career—he says whatever he wants and seems to have unlimited access to press coverage.

The 71-year-old Hatch can’t lose, whether he’s getting exposure about Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban calling him the “digital Joe McCarthy,� or stories about the behind the scenes D.C. power plays designed to stop environmental groups from opposing the Legacy Highway. And for some reason, Hatch’s position on any topic is reported as news. What advice does the senator have for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts? How does he feel about flag burning?

While the media blitz could have something to do with an evolving reelection campaign, officially, things are just getting started. To give Utahns a taste of what’s to come, Hatch spoke at a luncheon in Provo yesterday, pontificating on issues ranging from transportation to nuclear waste storage. He even managed to comment on how “idiotic liberals� made fuel economy standards too high and accused the liberal media of labeling the recent Energy Bill as pork barrel legislation.

Welcome to Utah’s most prominent senatorial race. It’s only just begun.

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