Nice attempt at damage control, LaVarr. And Pignanelli when are you going to actually stand up for the other side? Stop capitulating to these losers!!!

I sense a change in the direction of political winds LaVarr.

Great attempt to make an op ed out of nothing.

The republicans certainly have their problems and I am weary of them - but there is no credible alternative The democrats who tolerate R Anderson and H Clinton are just scary

We the people are suffering under the two-party system.

It's time to stamp it out before it stamps us out.

Pignelli is wrong as usual.

Leavitt and others were NOT innonvative.

They were just fiscally irresponsible or socialist or both.

Causing more social programs and spending and more government.

How is that innovative?

Nothing new here folks, just keep moving along.

The poor democrats never get it. They think voters should vote for them, just because. Their candidates are often so liberal that they are out of touch with most Utah voters. Actually the Democratic Party is on the edge of becoming a third party in Utah.

The alternative to getting rid of some of these out of touch republicans has just passed, the convention and the primary election. The choice for many conservatives now may only be the Constitution Party. Once they are able to nominate credible candidates the Democrats may find themselves in third party status in Utah.

Any "scandals and ethical issues" are too many! I am very disappointed in our Republican legislators and in particular the leaders. I have voted Republican all my life, but will vote democratic this year for my local leaders. The omnibus education bill was a big mistake. The pretensios of our leaders make me sick. They think they are really important and can overlook ordinary citizens. Guess what! Ordinary citizens vote, and our votes count! You'll see our votes this year! Good luck to all the democrats!

In addition to Noonan's "pity party" column, other insider big hitters claim the party is dying. Ed Rollins (Reagan, and now Huckagee's campaign manager) recognizes that the party only services the rich, the "born again" and the Southern bigots (although not using that language). Meaning the middle class have been raped and plundered by the last 30 years of Republican economic/tax policies. They have no solutions for the 21st century.

An astonishing number of Utah residents are totally uninformed about these issues. They seem to only respond in Pavlovian fashion to the words "values" and "conservative." Hence the low voting rate. Detached, disengaged and blissfully unaware.

Webb's attempt to defend the Republican Party's vitality fails on a national level, with party defections rising week by week. Only here in Zion is the disconnect to reality so strong that the Republican (Conservative) movement seem to have any vitality.

Perhaps anachronistic is the word for the day.

What kind of tortured logic does Frank employ to conclude that a public allegation of bribery resulted from a difference of opinion about how the next Treasurer should be selected?

The allegation resulted from an attempted bribe.

"A 12-year veteran of Congress is dumped at the polls by an unfunded nonresident challenger." Nice. And you guys are smart?

Jason Chaffetz is a resident of Utah County, Utah. He was too funded. He just was smart about using it.

Jason meets all the legal and Constitutional requirements to be on the ballot. The Founders specifically excluded a district residency requirement because of concerns about gerrymandering.

Jason lives in Alpine, which is 11,000 feet from the 3rd district boundary. He has lived in Utah County for 20 years.

Gerrymandering in 2001 removed 4 Utah County cities from the Third District and combined them with the less conservative communities of the Second District.

The legislature has officially approved only one map for a Fourth District at this time. It puts Alpine back in the Third District.

Where do true conservatives go? Disappointed in Republican leadership - yes. Is this a reason to vote Democrat? You must be joking.

Utah is Republican for two reasons and two reasons only: gay rights and abortion. Other than that, most "conservative" Utahns are feasting at the government trough with the liberal Democrats.

The Republicans know this, and their government spending in the last decade shows it. Strangely enough, this mirrors President Bush and "compassionate conservatism". The only reason the Democrats did not like the Medicare Drug Entitlement was that it was too SMALL.

The voucher defeat proves the point. Republicans are voted in by conservatives, they have a majority in both chambers of the legislature, therefore Utah is conservative, therefore Utah will support the conservative voucher bill. Wrong.

If the Democrats in Utah eliminated gay "rights" and abortion on demand as the central doctrines of their party, the result would be tectonic. Pelosi would not like it, funding would dry up from out of state, but you would have a competitive political environment in Utah as liberal Mormons, freed from the defining moral issues, would return to their political home.

Where do conservatives go?

Having met, asked questions, and listed to Jason Chaffetz, he is worth voting for. He is a nice person to talk to, has done well since going into business.

Bennion Spencer is a good guy. He is well liked. He had experience working for KSL. His is writing books. He has almost no goverment experience, where Jason has served as Chief of Staff to a govenor, and ran a few elections.

I do wish Bennion good luck on his books. As long as Lockhart doesn't do anything stupid, Jason will be elected in the fall.

Jason Chaffetz is well-versed and articulates the issues and his ideas on them. He also addresses concerns of those with whom he speaks. He didn't defeat a 12-year veteran without money, he just did it with less money than Mr. Cannon spent and has been fiscally responsible with his campaign budget. As for not living in the 3rd District, there isn't a law that requires a candidate to do so. (He did live in the 3rd District prior to the boundary change and he will be in the district again after the new boundary change.)

Mr. Spencer has some good ideas, but I can't endorse his ideas on immigration. Mr. Chaffetz will get my vote in the fall.