Hatch's rubber stamp

Orrin Hatch has publicly said that he will be thorough in his scrutiny of prospective Justice Sonia Sotomeyor. But expect him to rubber stamp the nomination. When justice Alito and Roberts were up for confirmation a few years ago, Hatch chastened his Democratic colleagues in the Senate. He admonished them saying that elections have consequences, that one of the rights of the president is to choose who gets to sit on the court. The senate should only block the nominee if there is a clear and present danger to the constitution. So, either he will change based upon who the nominating president is or he will be consistent and rubber stamp this nominee. Either way, this is not what Utahans deserve.

If you doubt my opinion, ask Hatch about Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

No comment on rumored gov candidates

Right now, the only official candidate for Utah Governor in 2010 is Gary Herbert. I tired, but right now do not see the point in blogging about rumored candidates. Most GOPs are waiting to see how Gary governs...good idea.

One topic that does come to mind is how Mark Shurtleff will do against Bob Bennett. The seven readers of this blog know well about my disappointment with Mr Bennett and Mr Hatch. The reason the latter is the namesake of this blog is because he will be around until 2012. But I am more disenchanted with Bennett. It is because he represents what is wrong with the GOP right now. He is a social conservative that knows very little about fiscal conservatism. Bennett is the reason that people like me will never, ever be able to retire.

But my question for Mark is whether or not he can make the transition from prosecutor to legislator. He will have to go from enforcing the rules to making the rules. He has to convince me and 60% of state delegates at next years convention that he will be an effective advocate of fiscal and social conservatism.

Now, let me say a word about California. The hand of their legislature are tied. There are several constitutional amendments that determine how a percentage of the state's budget is to be spent. There is talk of a constitutional convention to draft a new state constitution. Bankruptcy seems inevitable.

There are some who say that California has become too large.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Jefferson

It is hard to argue against it. But if the state constitution is going to be redrafted, all options should be on the table...including the creation of smaller, better geographically linked states. But creating a new state out of parts of two different states is unlikely because two state legislatures need to agree.

But look at how the southern boundaries of Monterrey, Kings, Tulare and Inyo county form a straight line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NorCal_Counties_Map.jpg

There is one easy split to make. The new state south of this line I would call Medio California. (Mexico has a state called Baja California.) Pasadena would make a nice state capital.

Another possible state is the 10 counties that surround the San Francisco Bay. I would call this state Alta California it could also be called Baya Dorada. There may be some land in Fremont for a state capital.

What remains I would call Sequoia (Sacramento and the Central Valley) after one of my favorite national parks and historical figures.

Now breaking up is hard to do, but one of the solutions for GM and their problems is to break up. (Spin off Saturn, Hummer, etc.) It will work as long as the debt is split according to population. The legislatures of four or five more georgraphically linked states may have an easier time comming to agreements.

This changes everything...

So I have changed to format of this blog. Today, I will speak about the future of our great state by addressing what I expect from our current Lieutenant Governor, and the perspective replacement for the very popular Jon M Huntsman, Jr.

Before becoming the Lt. Gov. Herbert was a Utah County Commissioner for 14 years and also server as president of the Utah Association of Realtors. He is a real estate agent by profession.

http://www.utah.gov/ltgovernor/ltgovernorbio.html

Are there concerns about Herbert? Yes. When Huntsman was trying to get the GOP nomination in 2004, there were concerns that he was too moderate for Utah. Nolan Karros, who what running against Huntsman, Fred Lampropolis and Governor Olene Walker for the nomination surprised the electorate by selecting a running mate early. He chose former Congresswoman Enid Greene (nee Waldholst). This forced Huntsman and Lampropolis to quickly make their selections before they were ready. Herbert was choosen to resolve concerns that Huntsman was too moderate for Utah.

The concern is that Herbert is too conservative, even for Utah. His voting record as a Utah County Commissioner do not support this charge. Getting a running made from Utah County was a wise move for Huntsman and helped him get passed his rivals. Utah County, fiscally, is not known for being frugal or known for having the lowest property taxes in the region. But Utah County is known for being a bastion of social conservatism as many believe that some of these ideas are congruent with family values.

From a fiscal standpoint, I do not expect Herbert to vary much from what Huntsman has done. Utah is one of the best managed states in the US not just because of the Governor, but because of all the people in state government. But there are rumors of disagreements between the Governor's staff and Lt Gov's staff over social issues. Huntsman has been

God Speed Jon Huntsman

Overnight, things have changed rapidly around here. There will be some changes to Fire Orrin Hatch real soon. But the 2010 election now means something. And it's finally getting interesting.

The only thing that we are waiting for is to see if a ex gov from down south will be joining the senate race...there are hints that he will.

I will also have my comments about our new governor soon.

I ask that my 7 readers be patient...come Monday...

Nancy Pelosi Special.

After listening to Pelosi on Thursday, I have one comment. She did not care about torture or anything like it until she could use it for political gain. Does anyone disagree? Is anyone surprised?

Does anyone else have whiplash?

First of all, with all that is going on I want to emphasize that the GOP does not need a massive makeover. We had an unpopular president, unpopular war and a lousy economy. We need to ensure that someone is there to pick up the pieces when this all comes crashing down. That is all that we can do.

Yes, a political party is made up of its people. But at the same time, if this group of people do not stick to their principles, we all will loose. Here is a list of acceptable compromises.

1. We will probably never be able to outlaw abortion at this time. What we need to to is find out who is getting abortions and why. It can't all be teen-aged girls. Rather than outlawing abortion, the approach should move to preventing abortion.

2. We may not be able to stop gay marriage; but if I, as a minister in my faith, do not want to perform gay marriage I should be able to choose to say "not in my church". I have been hearing uncomfortable rumors of all sorts. There should be no consequences for religious beliefs. The first amendment was meant to keep the state out of the church. My fear is that people do not see it this way.

3. If I go to the doctor with what I suspect is the flu and the doctor tells me to go home and rest...nothing more. There is no reason to have to file an insurance claim. Making the average income, I should be able to pay this fee out of pocket. That is what marketing is. Here is my idea...build a new health care system around this model.

4. The economy will get better, even if the government does nothing. Sometimes, nothing is the right thing to do. Since the layoffs have been broad...it seems to make sense to do more to help people start their own businesses. There is all sorts of idle talent right now. It seems like a good time. We will pay for the do something, anything approach of the last year. We will pay dearly.

5. Service in Congress was never meant to be a lifetime calling...we need a term limits ammendment.

A couple of thoughts

1. Front Runner ridership is down. It is not just a function of the economy, but of economics in general. If you want people to ride the train, then it always needs to be a better option than hopping the the car. Right now, Front Runner works if it is just me and my wife and there is a stiff fee for parking. RSL games are about all that fits into that category right now.

2. Let me speak about the BCS for a moment. The old bowl system worked in the past because at one time crowning a college football national champion was too impractical. Remember when the college football season was 10 games...(I'm not quite that old)? OK, you are in the Big 10, so you only have 1 regular season-non conference game. Can you really determine a National Champion?

If you really want a true National Champion, then have a playoff. It's that simple. Let's guarantee that for the next 20 years the Championship game will rotate between Miami, Pasadena, Phoenix and New Orleans and ensure that those cities get a simi-final game two out of every three years.

Without a playoff, it will be a BCS champion, not a national champion.

A break from politics...

I have seen the new Star Trek movie and it is well worth it. I do not see a lot of movies any longer but was impressed by this. It is a reboot which wipes the slate clean. Writers of future sequels will not have to worry about those silly little continuity issues as this is a new Trek Universe. There will be two sequels. Of course I would love to be the one to start the rumor that Patrick Stewart and Whoppi Golberg (See #2 below) have been signed on to participate in the next film, but I suspect I have already been beaten to the punch line there.

Who should be the villian in the sequels? Here are my top 10 possibilities, no lizzards need apply.

10. V'ger...because Gene Roddenberry and Robert Wise are not around to mess it up this time. Mr. Wise did a fine job at directing Julie Andrews around Austria, but did the Trek creators see Andromada Strain before they hired him to direct Star Trek: The Motion Picture?

9. Tribbles.

8. Dr Janice Lester...Think of what really could happen if an evil woman switch bodies with this Cpt Kirk?

7. Data's evil brother Lore...both android were constructed by this time-frame.

6. Klingons...the old tried and true enemies of the federation.

5. Q...Tisted, scheming...can make it all better afterwards...can Trek Writers really avoid putting him in a movie? Or is his sole purpose in life to torment Jean Luc Picard.

4. Harry Mudd...he's twisted, he's scheming and leaves you guessing. This turn into do for Trek what The Dark Knight's joker did for the Batman franchise.

3. The Doomsday Machine...This device was scary enough with 1960s TV special effects. 21st Century effects

2. The borg...the only reason these guys were not in the original series is because they had not been invented by the writers. With this being a new universe, anything can happen. Resistance is futile.

1. Kahn...and there are plenty of muscular, young latinos that could play the part. Can Chis Pine shout as loud as Shatner?

Musings from the edge of the news

Girls trying to make amends for past mistakes:

Bristol Palin has made an interesting discovery: Abstinence is difficult, but being a single, teen-aged mom is more difficult.

Miss California deserves kudos for saying something unpopular, even though she did not answer the question. My question, why is it states have the right to choose on gay marriage only if they choose to allow it? Look at all of the flack California's are getting for choosing not to allow it.

And what of the underwear modeling photos of Prejean that have surfaced lately? My wife would kill me if I asked, "why did this woman need implants?" So I won't. Remember what I said yesterday about how social conservatives are not all that forgiving? This incident was a gift for the cause, and there are somethings that we need to look past. Now if it turns out that more racy photos turn up, then I am jumping off of the bandwagon.

GOP Troubles

I have heard two interesting things on the Fox News Channel today that I think that those who do not respect this organization should know.

1. The person that can help unite the republicans more than anyone else right now...Barack Obama. If his policies work, the democrats will be in charge for a long, long time. Otherwise, a window of opportunity will open...hopefully before the consequences are too serious.

2. The GOP leaders are on a listening tour right now...good idea since the other guys are in charge. Good thing they invited Palin...perhaps they need to help refine her a little bit without breaking the bank on a new wardrobe.

What are the reasons the GOP is not in charge right now? How about George W. Bush? An unpopular president fighting an unpopular war who left the nation in the midst of a serious recession. Now that I see this in black and white it is as plain as the nose on my face.

Now, do the Republicans need a leader right now...I mean other than Rush Limbaugh? Well, let's compare 1976 and 1992 to 2009. In 1976, the leader of the GOP emerged, former California Governor Ronald Reagan. In 1992, the leader of the GOP in congress was Newt. Newt had some skeletons in his closet. He had to retire from office. The lesson of Newt is that if you claim the moral high ground, you need to be worthy of it. That is the problem with putting social conservatism first is that it requires righteous people. Everyone has skeletons in their closet and only Jesus can make them perfect. Social conservatives, however, can be very unforgiving.

Rush runs a very successful commercial enterprise. Most broadcast radio institutions are struggling at this time. Even some conservative talk shows are not attracting listeners. If this recession deepens, radio as we know it may become a thing of the past. But Rush will find a way to beat the trend. He is not the leader of the GOP, but one of the few voices that people are paying attention to.

I do not know who will emerge as the leader of the GOP in the next two years. Jeb Bush is leading this listening tour right now, but the Bush brand is tainted right now. There will not be a Bush in the White House again. McCain is there as well, but he had his chance. The GOP has a habit of nominating people two election cycles too late. McCain should have been at the top of the ticket in 2000. Those that are left, Romney, Huckabee and Palin all have their baggage. Conservatives are going to have to learn to be forgiving if they are going to be viable again. Otherwise, let's make H. Ross Perot 20 years younger.

Chrysler Bankruptcy

As you follow the developments in Chrysler's bankruptcy remember that Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett voted for TARP. That worked real well, didn't it?