Bob Bennett: An Old Dog With an Old Schtick

Thursday, January 7th at 10:49AM EST

23 Comments

I keep saying that conservatives need to take Bob Bennett out at the Utah Republican Convention. It would be relatively low cost. The odds are the GOP would keep the seat. Any of the candidates from Cheryl Eager to Mike Lee would push the seat right.

Bob Bennett is the 8th most liberal Republican in the Senate from the most conservative state in the nation.

He can and must be beaten. If he fails to get 60% in the Utah GOP Convention, he will be forced into a primary. If someone else gets 60%, that person automatically becomes the nominee.

I don’t want to pick between the candidates — I’m partial to Eager and Lee — but if the candidates start going after each other, I will weigh in. This is about taking out Bob Bennett. The candidates need to focus on him.

Here is another reason why. I’ve told you all along that Bennett was working behind the scenes to undermine the GOP effort on health care obstruction. The Heritage Foundation considers Bennett’s health care proposal worse than what Barack Obama proposed.

A lot of you did not believe me or questioned it. Well, consider what he did in 1994.

Fred Barnes, writing in the American Spectator in July of 1994, noted this exchange:

Republican Senator Robert Bennett of Utah didn’t like what he heard. William Kristol, who runs the Project for the Republican Future, was talking about health care last March at a retreat in Philadelphia for GOP senators. “The first duty of the opposition is to oppose,” Kristol asserted. He urged the senators—about twenty-five Republicans attended—to stake out a principled opposition to President Clinton’s health-care plan. The principles they adopt, presumably conservative ones, would steer them to a positive but decidedly non-Clinton alternative, he added.

Bennett took sharp exception. “We have to be constructive,” he said. He and other senators were not sent to Washington to oppose Clinton. Their job, Bennett said, is to help govern. Not true, Kristol shot back. “If voters want their senators to help Clinton govern, they’ll send Democratic senators.”

This guy was wrong in 1994. He is wrong today. And if the GOP is ever going to reclaim any credibility with the public they must stand for something other than creeping socialism. Bob Bennett must be defeated.

23 Comments Leave a comment

Erick - Understood and agree with you but...

jonbingham (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 11:35AM EST (link)

What is actionable here?
What can we do and when can we do it?

http://ruminationsaspirations.blogspot.com

Cherilyn Eagar vs

arc_ut (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 5:20PM EST (link)

@jonbingham

What can be done?

Even though Bob Bennett never paid off his 1992 campaign fund that is still in debt to him $1 million, he had last quarter $750,000 still sitting there in his current campaign fund, and he spent $1 million in the 1st 3 quarters of 2009. We will see in a few weeks where he is at.

Eagar (or Lee) are not running on a lot of money, but they will need more than they have coming in.

Since Erick is not taking sides between the two, you can donate to one or both. (Yes, I am planning on voting for Eagar)

http://www.eagar4senate.com

See for example
http://www.redstate.com/cherilyneagar/

Her recent call to put pressure on the AMA to help stop the “Healthcare” bills. That could turn the tide of this healthcare movement.

http://www.redstate.com/cherilyneagar/2010/01/07/eagar-calls-for-american-medical-association-boycott/

Mike Lee

utah_1 Thursday, January 7th at 12:17PM EST (link)

I believe that Mike Lee is the one who has the ability to defeat Bob Bennett. He will prove that he has the experience, the beliefs, the organization and the fundraising to take down that RINO. It will be proven over the next 30 days. Then we will all know that Mike Lee will be the next Senator of Utah.

Cherilyn Eagar

arc_ut (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 5:23PM EST (link)

Cherilyn Eagar has been actively fighting for conservative causes for 30 years and local, state, national and international levels.

http://www.eagarforsenate.com/

Is there any chance Eager and Lee will sit down

mbecker908 (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 12:38PM EST (link)

and one will agree to drop out so Bennett can be taken out more expidiciously at the convention??

Will the best conservative stay and the weaker on drop out?

Richard Mullins (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 12:44PM EST (link)

I hope that will happen and the weaker one will work with the conservative in the race to get rid of the leftist in the race.

Richard Phillip Mullins Blog The Squash Satire Site News on Happy Jet Airlines
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Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.

Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.

Actually, this is where Utah's nominating coventions

eburke (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 1:08PM EST (link)

stand conservatives in good stead. IIRC, there are multiple ballots if no one gets 60% on the first ballot. So it doesn’t matter if 3 or 4 conservatives split the vote on the first ballot as long as there’s at least 60% of the delegates there who come with an ABB mindset (Anybody But Bennett). Each ballot the low person is eliminated until there are only two left.

That means that up until that point, Bennett could even be *winning* but as long as he’s short of 60%, they keep voting. That gives the ABB crowd the ability to continue to coalesce around the remaining conservatives until there’s only one left vs Bennett. At that point in time, the best scenario for us would be that that conservative receives 60% + 1 of the vote and then there isn’t even a primary. If neither of the two remaining candidates achieves that threshold, then a primary is held.

So…let me do my best ColdWarrior shilling job: IF YOU’RE NOT A PRECINCT COMMITTEMAN IN UTAH…BECOME ONE NOW!!!!!

“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

Unified Patriots

eburke, keep shilling!

ColdWarrior (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 6:46PM EST (link)

And I think you’re right about the way it works in Utah. I hope enough grass roots conservatives have become precinct committeemen in Utah to make a difference.

Thank you.
ColdWarrior
No More Scozzafavas!

In 2012, will YOU become a “voting member” of the Republican Party in your precinct?

Where it all started. Twitter @kaltkrieger
Learn how to GOTV at The Concord Project and at Procinct and Unified Patriots.

State Delagate, Not Precinct Committeeman

utahrepublican Friday, January 8th at 3:20PM EST (link)

Sorry to detract for a correction, but in Utah, the Precinct Chairman does not get to vote on the Senate candidate. (I know, I R 1.) The Senate candidate is selected by the “State Delegates” to the State Convention. This is a technical, but important distinction since the work load on a State Delegate is less than the load on the Precinct Chairman, and so (hopefully) more conservatives will be willing to take the job. Also, if you win the wrong office, the effort is wasted. So lets encourage the run against Bennett using the Utah terminology.

sorry 'bout that utahrepublican. Been about 5 years since

eburke (Diary) Friday, January 8th at 3:41PM EST (link)

I lived in the Beehive state and couldn’t remember all the details.

Having said that…it’s *still* a good idea to be a precinct committeeman….*and* a state delegate

“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

Unified Patriots

Because it is a convention

Erick Erickson (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 1:33PM EST (link)

The more credible candidates the better. Increases the odds that Bennett cannot get to 60%.

Who will stand on either hand and keep this bridge with me?Follow @EWErickson

Convention

arc_ut (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 5:32PM EST (link)

2 years ago, Jason Chaffetz was in 1st place after the 1st round of voting in convention, Chris Cannon was in 2nd place and David Leavitt was in 3rd.

Candidates 5 and 6 were dropped after the 1st round and we voted again.

Jason Chaffetz and Chris Cannon made it through the 2nd round and it was hoped, by many that David Leavitt would endorse Chaffetz.

He didn’t, and the rules were not set up for any signs of endorsements for the later rounds. Chris Cannon and David Leavitt ignored that and did it anyway during voting and ticked many people off.

Leavitt supporting Cannon could have made the difference of Chaffetz being 9 votes short of the 60% to avoid a primary.

I have been told that this year 1 min. to speak will be given to those that make it through each round. That should help.

A recent unscientific radio show poll had Bennett in 4th place at 12% and 84% going to the 3 gop challengers. The democrat got 3%.

Eagar

arc_ut (Diary) Thursday, January 7th at 5:41PM EST (link)

Eagar asked Lee if he was or was not getting in the race the end of May 2009 just before she got in the race prior to the State GOP Convention where thousands of delegates would be there.

Lee wouldn’t decide. Eagar made her decision. She was at the June 2009 Utah GOP convention with a booth, Lee wasn’t.

I have been asking Lee what he was doing in the race since Feb. 2009. Finally, in Nov. 2009, about the time Shurtleff dropped out, Lee decided to get in, but didn’t decide to announce he was running until this week, after the FEC quarterly filing deadline.

The time to have picked one was in May of 2009. Bennett has started running ads on TV 1 year ago. We needed people to step up. Bridgewater has announced he was looking at the race and Shurtleff got in. Both of those were at the June 2009 Utah GOP convention with a booth as well.

Lee’s delay could (or not) cost him chances for 2010. He may do better in 2012.

Mike Lee

utah_1 Friday, January 8th at 2:49PM EST (link)

Arc- are you saying that Mike Lee would give away strategic ideas to people not on his campaign? Why would anyone in their right mind do that. His campaign decided that was what was best and did it.

And if by your theory that being in longer makes you the better candidate, then delegates in Utah should be voting for James Williams. Am I correct?

I think that people should wait and see how Mike Lee rolls his campaign out. Let’s see if he raises the amount of money needed for this fight. Let’s see if he gets in front of the people. Let’s see if his organization is a well oiled machine. Let’s see if he gets people to rally to his message. If they do, then we know he is the real deal.

And do you want to know something? He will have and be all of those things. And when he does them, then he takes down Bennett like I know that he will

No contest

baronphoenix Saturday, January 30th at 7:09PM EST (link)

Neither Lee nor Eagar is dropping out. So, who’s the stronger candidate?

Eagar has lead in almost every poll since last September. She was the clear winner in last year’s first debate and some say she was the clear winner in two recent debates featuring all five candidates. She has many endorsments from recognized national and local conservatives, and she’s been attacked by many local and national liberals and psuedo-conservatives.

Eagar has been in this race since last summer, she’s built a strong following by meeting with people statewide and by her years of experence working for conservative causes.

Mike Lee is the weaker candidate. He’s a lawyer contracted by Energy Solutions, the n-waste-importer wannabe and multi-million dollar contributor to Bennett, Reid and others. I’m hearing rumors that ES isn’t happy because he isn’t winning for them. Lee has won some support thru his Constitution lectures, but he has no record of accomplishment in politics or the community. Some people think he’s running on the strength of his father’s name — the late Rex Lee, US Solicitor General under Reagan.

Who is more worthy of your support? Cherilyn Eagar, without doubt. When he has more to offer, Mike Lee might be the candidate to beat, but not today.

Splitting the vote

utah_1 Thursday, January 7th at 3:14PM EST (link)

Because there are 3 rounds of balloting at the convention, it still makes it easy for a candidate to reach 60%. Here’s how it works:

1st Round- All candidates are in on this round of voting.

2nd Round- Only the top3 candidates are voted on.

3rd Round- Only the top 2 are voted on.

So, if in any round, a candidate were to receive 60% of the vote, it’s over. If after the 3rd round no one were to reach 60%, then it goes to a primary between the top 2.

Chaffetz almost did this too.

naraht Thursday, January 7th at 4:30PM EST (link)

In the Utah 3rd district in 2008. Jason Chaffetz almost did the same thing to Chris Cannon. Chaffetz took almost 60% of the vote at the convention and failing *that*, took than momentum and beat Cannon in the primary with 60% of the vote and then Nuked the Democrat and the Constitution Party member winning 66%-28%-6% in the general.

Cherilyn Eagar has the background

justcase Thursday, January 7th at 6:14PM EST (link)

For those who refuse to actually look into the background of the Senatorial candidates, I think you’d be surprised to know Eagar’s 30 year background on local, state, national and international levels.

Mike Lee has the legal background but that’s about it. Why do we fawn so much over attorneys? Don’t get me wrong, I like Mike and think that it’s going to come down to Mike and Cherilyn. However as more delegates hear more from each of them at the various debates and town hall meetings, I feel confident that you will see the ground swell move to Eagar.

Not only does Eagar have business sense and a business background (now wouldn’t THAT be refreshing in a Senator), but she has also put together several not-for-profit corporations that has served the public good.

Agreed.

baronphoenix Friday, January 8th at 12:13PM EST (link)

I have been watching this race for a year, since Mike Lee first hinted at running. I chose to support Eagar for two reasons:

First, she got into the race early last summer, and has been all over the state talking to people about what she stands for and what she’ll do and listening to what her potential constituents have to say.

Second, as “justcase” points out, she started fighting for conservative causes in the 1970s, helping Phyllis Schlafly fight the ERA in Illinois. She’s lived all over the country, and she’s supported conservative causes everywhere she’s lived.

Mike Lee’s a good man, and someday, he might be the candidate we need, but not this year. The next Congress is going to have a lot of new faces, and a new mandate from the people. The freshman class will need experienced leaders — people who have been in the trenches doing the work — people who really can be ready to govern on January 3rd! That’s not Mike Lee; that is Cherilyn Eagar.

To phoenix and justcause

utah_1 Friday, January 8th at 2:58PM EST (link)

I am fairly positive that there will be many more people that disagree with you.

As for being a lawyer, weren’t 40+ Founding Fathers lawyers? Wasn’t Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams? Wasn’t Abraham Lincoln for that matter? I think we should be examining the man and not the occupation. And by your reasoning, wasn’t Ronald Reagan “just another actor”?

But I digress. This race is about Bob Bennett. Why are you discussing Mike Lee when Eagar is trying to unseat the incumbent? Me thinks you doth protest too much.

Why discuss Mike Lee?

baronphoenix Friday, January 8th at 3:32PM EST (link)

Because a lot of people think Mike Lee is the one guy that can unseat Bennett. That isn’t true, Eagar has already beaten Bennett in every poll that’s had both names among the choices.

Because a lot of people think Mike Lee has the experience to do what Utah needs right now, and I don’t believe that’s true.

Because a lot of people have heard one or two speeches by Mike Lee and think he’s brilliant Constitutional scholar, and I don’t believe that’s true.

As to his profession, others may say what they wish, I have never considered that a disqualification. I plan to support a couple of other lawyers for office this year. I will support them because they are, in my opinion, the best choice in their respective races. Mike Lee isn’t.

Mike Lee's defending EnergySolutions bringing foreign waste to Utah

arc_ut (Diary) Friday, January 8th at 9:21PM EST (link)

“Lee has represented EnergySolutions in the radioactive waste company’s effort to import foreign waste to the state and said Tuesday that Utah and the Northwest Interstate Compact On Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management improperly sought to stop the company from disposing of 1,600 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy at its Utah site. ”

http://www.sltrib.com/Utah%20Politics/ci_14127141

Lee on Dec. 5, 2009, at a Independence Caucus seminar, stated that he was against the bill Rep. Matheson and Rep. Chaffetz co-sponsored to block the Italian waste. That bill passed the House and is in the senate, where Bob Bennett seems to be stalling passage.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705348634/Ban-on-foreign-waste-from-Italy-to-Utah-gets-OK.html

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705349332/Bennett-seeks-to-stall-bill-to-ban-nuclear-waste.html

Alliance for Unity Opposes Storage of Imported Radioactive Waste in Utah

http://media.bonnint.net/slc/1652/165262/16526211.pdf

Cherilyn Eagar against foreign waste to Utah

arc_ut (Diary) Friday, January 8th at 9:26PM EST (link)

http://www.redstate.com/cherilyneagar/2010/01/05/cherilyn-eagar-calls-for-end-of-political-back-room-deals/