See other (s)Elections Articles
Title: US Sen. Bob Bennett ousted at Utah GOP convention
Source:
Comcast
URL Source: http://www.comcast.net/articles/new ... itics/20100506/US.Utah.Senate/
Published: May 9, 2010
Author: BROCK VERGAKIS, AP
Post Date: 2010-05-09 02:06:40 by farmfriend
Keywords: None
Views: 1735
Comments: 80
By BROCK VERGAKIS, AP SALT LAKE CITY — Republican Sen. Bob Bennett was thrown out of office Saturday by delegates at the Utah GOP convention in a stunning defeat for a once-popular three-term incumbent who fell victim to a growing conservative movement nationwide. Bennett's failure to make it into Utah's GOP primary — let alone win his party's nomination — makes him the first congressional incumbent to be ousted this year and demonstrates the challenges candidates face from the right in 2010. "The political atmosphere obviously has been toxic, and it's very clear that some of the votes that I have cast have added to the toxic environment," Bennett told reporters, choking back tears. "Looking back on them, with one or two very minor exceptions, I wouldn't have cast any of them any differently, even if I had known at the time they were going to cost me my career." Bennett didn't answer questions after his loss but earlier Saturday told The Associated Press he wouldn't rule out a write-in candidacy. State law prohibits him from running as an independent. "I do think I still have a lot of juice left in me," Bennett said following his loss. "We'll see what the future may bring." Bennett survived a first round of voting Saturday among roughly 3,500 delegates but was eliminated when he finished a distant third in the second round. He garnered just under 27 percent of the vote, while businessman Tim Bridgewater had 37 percent, and attorney Mike Lee got 36 percent. Lee and Bridgewater will face each other in a June 22 primary after a third round of voting in which neither got the 60 percent necessary to win outright. "Don't take a chance on a newcomer," Bennett had pleaded in his brief speech to the delegates before the second round of voting began. "There's too much at stake." Yet that urging, and Bennett's endorsements by the National Rifle Association and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, did little to stave off anger toward the Washington establishment from delegates. "The bailout bothers me. That in and of itself is unforgivable in my opinion," said delegate Scott White, a 58-year-old general contractor from Taylorsville. Bennett, 76, initially faced seven Republican opponents who said he wasn't conservative enough for ultraconservative Utah. Lee, 38, and Bridgewater, 49, campaigned largely by saying they're better suited to rein in government spending than Bennett. "I will fight every day as your U.S. senator for limited government, to end the cradle-to-grave entitlement mentality, for a balanced budget, to protect our flag, our borders and our national security and for bills that can be read before they receive a final vote in congress," Lee said in his convention speech. Lee, who served as former Gov. Jon Huntsman's general counsel and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, focused his campaign on saying the federal government has exceeded its constitutional authority. He has never run for public office before and is best known outside political circles as an attorney fighting to allow EnergySolutions Inc. to import and dispose of foreign nuclear waste in Utah's west desert. Much of Bridgewater's momentum coming into the convention came from delegates who said they wanted a senator with business experience, not an attorney, but felt it was time for Bennett to step down. Bridgewater grew up in a trailer park but eventually founded several small companies and became chairman and founder of Interlink Capital Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in emerging markets. Like Lee, he served in Huntsman's administration, although on a voluntary basis as education adviser. Opposition to Bennett couldn't be chalked up solely to anti-incumbency fervor. Neither of Utah's two Republican congressmen were at risk of losing their seats, and Republican Gov. Gary Herbert easily won his party's nomination. Last week, voters in primaries in North Carolina and Ohio retained their incumbents, while those in Indiana turned to a former senator — Republican Dan Coats. Bennett was under fire for voting to bail out Wall Street, co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill mandating health insurance coverage and for aggressively pursuing earmarks. He tried to reassure delegates Saturday, before any voting, that he is a fiscal conservative. "I have authored bills to rein in the entitlement spending that now makes up two-thirds of the federal budget," Bennett said. "I've already voted for a balanced budget amendment three times, and I will again while making certain that it won't be turned into a tax increase for Democrats. Our tax burden is already too high." Some delegates, who tend to be more conservative than other Utah Republicans, were also upset he's still in office after promising to serve only two terms when first elected in 1992. "I think he's lost touch," said delegate Gary Crofts. "I'm excited to get a new person in there and fire things up a little." Romney introduced Bennett on Saturday — to a mix of cheers and boos. "Today, he faces an uphill battle at this convention," Romney acknowledged in his speech. "Some may disagree with a handful of his votes or simply want a new face. But with the sweep and arrogance of the liberal onslaught today in Washington, we need Bob Bennett's skill and intellect and loyalty." In his 2004 campaign, Bennett ran no television commercials and won a third term in the general election with 69 percent of the vote. The 2010 campaign was clearly different. He acknowledged he should have spent more time in Utah the past couple of years letting GOP activists get to know him, but didn't imagine Republicans would be angry enough with Washington to target one of their own. Recently, he has said part of his problem with delegates has been that he doesn't go on conservative cable talk shows and offer angry sound bites. Instead, he said he likes to work on finding practical solutions. Utah's unique nominating process also played a critical role in his defeat. The 3,500 delegates wield enormous power and can decide the fate of entire elections in a state of nearly 3 million. The winner of the Republican race is all but guaranteed victory in November over Democratic nominee Sam Granato because Utah is so overwhelmingly GOP. The system forced Bennett to mount an all-out push for delegates in recent weeks as he went from one small-town political gathering to another to court convention votes. He has a huge campaign bank account but no need to spend much of it because the convention process is geared toward face-to-face encounters with delegates. Bennett's defeat is the latest in a series of surprising political developments in a year in which the tea party movement has amassed growing power. In January, then-little-known Republican Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat long held by the late Edward Kennedy. Several incumbents from both parties have opted not to seek re-election as they face difficult challenges, and GOP Florida Gov. Charlie Crist recently opted to run as an independent in his Senate bid rather than face defeat at the hands of his own party. Other GOP candidates likely were eyeing Saturday's results to see if it's an indicator of things to come. In Arizona, Sen. John McCain is in a tough primary fight against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative talk-radio host. In Kentucky, Rand Paul, the son of libertarian Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, is gaining momentum in his challenge against the GOP establishment's pick of Secretary of State Trey Grayson to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning. In New Hampshire, former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is battling three Republican challengers to fill the seat being vacated by Republican Judd Gregg.
Poster Comment:US Sen. Bob Bennett ousted at Utah GOP convention
"Looking back on them, with one or two very minor exceptions, I wouldn't have cast any of them any differently, even if I had known at the time they were going to cost me my career."
Your career? That's part of the problem, members seeing this as a career.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: farmfriend (#0)
Exactly ... and it's a fine example of the T-Party effect ... conservatives are tired of the same old Washington run around that both Reps and Dems continue to play. Off with their agenda filled heads !!!
"The smallest of frauds such as Santa Claus are perpetrated upon children by criminals in order that the largest of frauds such as the FEDERAL RESERVE may be had upon them as adults."
Yeah thats it bob. We wanted you to go on fox and bitch about the democrats.
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
This is exactly what causes the problems we have. Too many stupid voters keep returning the same old incumbents time after time where they are bought and paid for by the special interests and the heck with the people and the people's interests. Every lousy congress critter and senate critter who voted for the bailouts of our crooked banks and bankers should be put out to pasture. It would be nice if the people could directly vote on their salaries and pensions. They shouldn't even get a pension. They should not be voted in for more than two terms, then get on with their life's work outside of politics. Imcumbancy breeds corruption.
Indeed. Now we have 99 more worthless Senators to send packing. Here we can rid humanity of that Jew curse named Specter.
He has never run for public office before and is best known outside political circles as an attorney fighting to allow EnergySolutions Inc. to import and dispose of foreign nuclear waste in Utah's west desert. So he is going to protect our borders by importing foreign nuclear waste. Wonderful.
Well now Cyni my good man, you likely are stuck with him for a spell. However, if Pennsylvania really wants to do something positive, they can stop the legal lynching of Mumia Abu Jamal and free him calling it a day with time served. Now that would be nice it see. And just too.
That worthless piece of humanity should have been sent packing many years ago. Now he has shown how politics is played. He's changed his party to the other wing and is innundating us with lousy deceitful campaign adds. If he wins again, the stupid voters deserve what is coming our way and what he and other incumbents have given us. I was hoping the grim reaper would rid us of him. Send his ass back to Lawrence, Kansas where he came from. He was a neighbor of Arator. One other thing since you mentioned it, let's get rid of any jew politican whether they are incumbents or not.
Voting... I am thinking of coming out of retirement, just to vote against Specter. We were saddled with this curse because of Bush, now we can undo it. My last vote was against Santorum and I relished that one and told him so.
It is good to vote against Specter. But I thought you said they don't count the votes anyways.
I'm not sure Spector will win the D primary, but should he, I'll vote against him too.
Can't argue against that.
"With respect to the words general welfare, I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators." So Specter is worse then Obama in your book. You didn't even vote against Obama. lol
..............but Mcspecter is a waffling jew boy who gave us such the intelligent theory called the magic bullet that killed Kennedy. This jew boy got to go this time! When rickki santorum went down it was a great day for Pennsylvania and the whole country. He would be nicely settled in by now and would be grabbing those corrupt and sometimes jew dollars.
I agree with you about Specter. He is a slimy piece of shit. I wouldn't have voted for Santorum in the primary but probably would have in the general to keep the rats out as he has a few redeeming positions. My comment about Specter and Obama is that Specter yields so little power compared to Obama.
Tell us just what those redeeming positions are that rickki santorum has. He and his wife grabbed big dollars in a medical malpractice case and then the fucking twit sponsored legislation to close that option for the rest of us who might have a good case for filing medical malpractice. Do you know what they call the student that graduated last in his medical class? ans: doctor!
He is for lower taxes then the D's are. He is for more freedom then the D's are. He isn't for killing babies in the womb like the D's are. I can't remember what it was specifically that I turned against Santorum several years ago. I think it was his vote for the war stuff and maybe for stripping habeus corpus. I'm more in the Pat Buchanan wing of the Republican party if it still exists. NO Pat isn't perfect but if he followed all his rhetoric he would be pretty close.
Then you need to vote against Mcspecter. When santorum went down it was a joyous cause for celebration. By the way Cyni, Jim Traficant is going to run for his old seat, the 17th district in Ohio as an INDEPENDENT.
He is for more freedom then the D's are. He isn't for killing babies in the womb like the D's are. I can't remember what it was specifically that I turned against Santorum several years ago. I think it was his vote for the war stuff and maybe for stripping habeus corpus. All of these positions are bogus. If he was against abortion, why didn't he introduce legislation to that effect? As a member of the senate, he was allowed to do so. He also could have supported then Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey's anti-abortion law, the strictest in the nation. This doesn't seem like he was for more freedom, but to the contrary. I beleive you would have voted for a horses ass just because they were pubbie. Answer: He was afraid he would lose the democratic votes in Allegheny county. Yes he voted for the war stuff and stripping Habeas Corpus. Again proving what a wishy washy vote pandered he was. He's gone now and I hope it is forever.
Stone, it's app. 12:30 EST. TAKE DOWN THAT CHEESY TAG LINE OF YOURS BY 2pm OR I WILL. Your forum is the land of last resort for Obama'PILES, misfits and other assorted crack pots. I'm glad they all found a home, but your advertising it here is like posting an ad for Hitchcock's Bates Motel. Comprendo, Mr House Painter?
Hey lets agree on something. Agree to get rid of Specter. We can agree with that. Can't we?
Are you admitting that you are the pussy who took it down before?
Rubbed you the wrong way huh. Didn't like being called out on beating people up as a pig. Now you are a proven liar and a tyrant. You are so not the solution. Now go run to Christine and tell her I am a bad boy. Oh and don't say you are for free speech. OK.
I take that as a no
Oh and I do more then paint houses. Lots more. And it don't involve beating kids up.
Take it as you are being an asshole because you don't like having your feelings hurt about your days as govt enforcer.
I hope this more doesn't involve marketing.....you'll go broke. : )
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." Edward Bernays, Father of Public Relations
Stop being such a jew, ok?
It involves marketing. I get lots of compliments on that one. I am a master marketer for my business. Or at least pretty effective at it.
Are you from Utah? What ever happened to Bill Bennett? I think he was from Utah too. He teamed up with Jack Kemp to oppose Prop 187 in California because he thought that the invading Mexicans would all become republicans.
What does that mean old pal?
lol.....then why don't you apply those great marketing skills to drumming up traffic to your web site? If your futile attempts around here are any indication of your skills, then you are no master AKA, in fact, there is nada, zip, zilch evidence that you are effective, plenty to indicate ineffective though.
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." Edward Bernays, Father of Public Relations
fixed
LOL!!! I don't care who you are, that there is FUNNY. : )
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." Edward Bernays, Father of Public Relations
That isn't my lifes goal. I'm sure I could advertise it where more people then can see it. I just put it here so that if anyone wants to get ahold of me or see my views they can. So Tull can play forum God and delete it if that makes him feel powerful. But if he does it will show the world inconsistency on this forums part.
Pal? Watching lots of those old East Side comedies with Spanky & Buckwheat?
I don't care if you do that Jethro Tull. You probably can't get anything but wrinkled pussy these days.
No I was just noting that I considered you a friend and ally.
Comments (41 - 80) not displayed.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestYour career? That's part of the problem, members seeing this as a career.
#2. To: farmfriend (#0)
Recently, he has said part of his problem with delegates has been that he doesn't go on conservative cable talk shows and offer angry sound bites.
#3. To: farmfriend (#0)
#4. To: Ragin1 (#2)
#5. To: noone222 (#1)
#6. To: farmfriend (#0)
"Don't take a chance on a newcomer," Bennett had pleaded in his brief speech to the delegates before the second round of voting began. "There's too much at stake."
#7. To: LACUMO (#6)
. Imcumbancy breeds corruption.
#8. To: farmfriend (#0)
"I will fight every day as your U.S. senator for limited government, to end the cradle-to-grave entitlement mentality, for a balanced budget, to protect our flag, our borders and our national security and for bills that can be read before they receive a final vote in congress," Lee said in his convention speech.
#9. To: Cynicom (#7)
"Now we have 99 more worthless Senators to send packing. Here we can rid humanity of that Jew curse named Specter."
TEXT DOLPHIN To 44144
#10. To: Cynicom (#7)
Now we have 99 more worthless Senators to send packing. Here we can rid humanity of that Jew curse named Specter.
#11. To: LACUMO (#10)
#12. To: Cynicom (#11)
#13. To: Cynicom (#11)
#14. To: LACUMO (#6)
Every lousy congress critter and senate critter who voted for the bailouts of our crooked banks and bankers should be put out to pasture.
James Madison, Letter to James Robertson, April 20, 1831
#15. To: Jethro Tull (#13)
#16. To: A K A Stone, Cynicom, Jethro Tull (#15)
So Specter is worse then Obama in your book. You didn't even vote against Obama. lol
#17. To: LACUMO (#16)
#18. To: A K A Stone (#17)
I wouldn't have voted for Santorum in the primary but probably would have in the general to keep the rats out as he has a few redeeming positions.
#19. To: LACUMO (#18)
#20. To: Cynicom (#11)
My last vote was against Santorum and I relished that one and told him so.
#21. To: A K A Stone (#19)
He is for more freedom then the D's are.
#22. To: A K A Stone (#17)
#23. To: LACUMO (#21)
#24. To: Jethro Tull (#22)
#25. To: Jethro Tull (#22)
#26. To: A K A Stone (#25)
#27. To: Jethro Tull (#22)
#28. To: Jethro Tull (#26)
#29. To: A K A Stone (#27)
Oh and I do more then paint houses. Lots more.
#30. To: A K A Stone (#28)
#31. To: abraxas (#29)
#32. To: farmfriend (#0)
#33. To: Jethro Tull (#30)
Stop being such a jew, ok?
#34. To: A K A Stone (#31)
It involves marketing. I get lots of compliments on that one. I am a master marketer for my business. Or at least pretty effective at it.
#35. To: A K A Stone (#31)
I am a
master marketer masturbater
#36. To: Jethro Tull, AKA (#35)
#37. To: abraxas (#34)
#38. To: A K A Stone (#33)
#39. To: Jethro Tull (#35)
#40. To: Jethro Tull (#38)
.
.
.