Orrin Hatch Doesn't Get It (As Usual)

At a town meeting at Utah's American Fork Junior High School on 17 February, Utah's Senator Orrin Hatch claimed, "If we fractionalize the Republican Party, we are going to see more liberals elected." He claimed that "extreme conservatives" are to blame for the 2008 defeat of Sen. Gordon Smith, a politically moderate but fiscally conservative Republican from Oregon. Hatch said if the Tea Party had not backed a constitutionalist candidate in that race, Smith wouldn't have lost to Democrat Jeff Merkley.

Senator Hatch, why should conservatives tolerate, let alone vote for, a moderate candidate? Why should anyone vote for a candidate simply because he or she is the pick of an out-of-touch party machine? And, just what is wrong with supporting a constitutionalist? Instead of moderates, shouldn't the GOP party machine be putting up constitutionalists in every political race? Shouldn't a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee be a constitutionalist? Shouldn't all politicians be constitutionalists?

As usual, Hatch has it backwards. Here is who is tearing the GOP apart:
• RINOs in the GOP who have abandoned the traditional Republican Party Platform
• GOP party leadership (including Senators Hatch and Bennett) who are out of touch with its constituency
• GOP legislators (including Senators Hatch and Bennett) who have abandoned the Constitution
• GOP politicians (such as 2008 Presidential Candidate John McCain) who campaign for the moderate and even liberal vote yet never campaign for the core GOP vote.

Senator Orrin Hatch is a part of the problem. (Perhaps the late Ted Kennedy was his best buddy for a bit too long.) Senator Robert Bennett is even more of a problem. They must return to the principles underlying the US Constitution and the traditional party platform or be removed from office.

I think the root of the problem is that Senator Hatch places his Party above principles. He even appears to place Party above his oath of office!

On taking office, every Senator takes the following oath:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Congressmen (as far as has been disclosed to the public) do not take an oath to any political ideology, political party, party leader, king, or president. They take an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Sadly, the senator's comments indicate that party trumps principles in his mind.

As a member of the US Armed Forces, also took an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Unlike most politicians, I take that oath seriously. I therefore cannot vote for Utah's current senators again unless they solidly return to the Constitution.

When GOP leaders return to the traditional party platform and to the US Constitution (which they have sworn to defend), the GOP will sweep a vast majority of the elections. That is the true change we the people have always sought. Until then, Republicans do not deserve to be the majority party and Hatch and Bennett are helping to drag it down.

The so-called Tea Party movement is a big part of the grassroots of the GOP. You'd better pay attention, Senator Hatch!