In Orrin Hatch's dark shadow lurks another spider nearly as poisonous: Utah's junior Senator Bob Bennett. Bob Bennett deserves more attention, and a serious challenge if he attempts reelection.
The reason I'm blogging this is because last Friday Bennett opened his mouth on Iraq.
But before we start quoting him, some background: Bob Bennett was elected to the Senate in '92, '98, and '04. He will be 77-years old in November of 2010. According to VoteSmart, Bennett gets zeros from NARAL, ASPCA, NEA, NOW, Children's Defense Fund, American Wilderness Coalition, League of Conservation Voters, Public Citizen, Human Rights Campaign, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and he gets 100% from the Chamber of Commerce, every year. He's no moderate.
And he is a trouble-maker: This week Adam B noted that the Salt Lake Tribune caught Bennett trying to "foil" the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity bill.
So, it's no surprise...
that the local paper quotes Bennett as saying ...THIS about Iraq:
Sen. Bennett questions why some people are saying "get out" of Iraq now..."Why don't we wait until late summer if we'll know if we have to pull out or do something different?...The initial reports from Iraq since Gen. Petraeus arrived and the military posture changed, are good..."
How good are the reports?
"Initial reports are that there is less violence in Iraq than before, fewer killings than before. The American troops are not only clearing out areas (of insurgents), but providing, with the Iraqis, the security to keep the areas clear -- so people can begin to build as rapidly as possible."
Less violence! Fewer killings! Almost time to declare victory again! If it weren't for all those dang qualifiers: initial, less, fewer, than before, can begin, as possible. Is there any specific, concrete improvement?
"There's an aura of routine life beginning to return in some of the areas that have been completely shut down by the violence," Bennett said.
An "aura" of routine life. My god. Good work by the Davis County Clipper for actually writing down all this crap. Do you think if somebody woke up Utahns and showed them that their elected representatives, in Utahns' name, have an unholy tolerance for violence and death, that maybe they would look at an alternative?