GOP, Demos engaging in behind-the-scenes intrigue

By Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb
Published: Saturday, March 26, 2005 5:10 p.m. MST
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Webb: With the Legislature over and 2006 political activities several months away, this is about as slow a time as there is for politics in Utah.

However, much more is going on than is readily apparent. Plenty of intrigue lurks behind the scenes. The reality is that elective politics never really slows down. Fund raising, candidate recruitment, and lots of maneuvering and posturing go on year round, every year.

Many people right now are deciding whether to run in mayoral and city council races this year. State and county Republican and Democratic organizing conventions will occur over the next few months. And congressional and legislative incumbents and prospective candidates are plotting their 2006 plans.

The big 2006 contest is Orrin Hatch's U.S. Senate race. Hatch, who just celebrated his 71st birthday last Tuesday, is finishing his fifth six-year term. If he wins re-election next year he will serve 36 years in the Senate, a long time by any measure.

While Hatch should coast to an easy victory next year (National Journal, after all, rated him as the least-vulnerable senator in the country), Hatch isn't taking anything for granted. He has had long-time political operative Dave Hansen on board for some time, gearing up for the race.

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And the contest might have some intrigue. A lot of people think Hatch has been in Washington too long, has become a creature of the beltway, is focused too much on national issues, and has lost touch with Utahns. So Hatch will probably have at least one challenger from within the party and maybe more.

Republican real estate developer John D. Jacob, from Eagle Mountain in Utah County, is reportedly interested in the race. Jacob might be wiser to take on Democrat Jim Matheson in the 2nd District or move into the 3rd District and challenge Chris Cannon. But he seems bent on going after Hatch.

On the Democratic side, businessman Pete Ashdown, who runs XMission, an Internet service provider, is being mentioned as a possible contender.

• The Terri Schiavo case is one of the most mesmerizing human dramas I have ever seen played out on the theaters of law and politics. The moral and ethical dilemmas are almost unfathomable. While I don't know who's right, I believe the fact that concern about and interest in this tragedy is so incredibly high says something good about our society. We are a nation of caring people.

Personally, I'm content that the rule of law has been followed. Every legal and political avenue has been explored and everyone has had their say, from the president and Congress down to local courts and local officials. That's the way our system works, and we have to accept the result. Clearly, politicians on both sides of the aisle have exploited this situation for political purposes, and I'm sure that lots of exploitative books, TV shows and movies will follow.

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