2012 Utah Senate Debates: on Principles & Values


Orrin Hatch: 2012 will be my last election, after 6 terms

Democratic Senate candidate Scott Howell took his best and what will be any challenger's last shot at Orrin Hatch during the Republican senator's debate swan song Friday. Win or lose, the six-term Hatch has said 2012 will be his last election. Though he mostly spoke softly, the 78-year-old senator remained feisty while defending his 36-year career.

Hatch said it will take a senator with his "experience, clout and raw determination" to turn the country around. That and Mitt Romney in the White House.

Source: Deseret News on 2012 Utah Senate debate Oct 26, 2012

Scott Howell: Reach out the hand of fellowship in compromise to GOP

If President Obama is re-elected, Hatch said he would do everything he can to help him when he's right and be the loyal opposition when he's wrong.

Howell said if he and Romney are elected, he would "reach out the hand of fellowship" and be the one to compromise and bring about bipartisanship.

Source: Deseret News on 2012 Utah Senate debate Oct 26, 2012

Orrin Hatch: I work with both Republicans and Democrats, out of necessity

Orrin Hatch and his Democratic challenger clashed over partisanship and whether 36 years is too long to serve in Washington.Scott Howell labeled himself a conservative Democrat, saying it's unfair to paint his party with a broad brush. He contends Hatch has moved far to the right to win tea party support, contributing to partisan gridlock. "He's gone so far hard right in order to win this election that he's lost that collaborative spirit," Howell said of Hatch's one-time work with liberals such as the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

In contrast, Howell said he learned to work with Republicans out of necessity to pass legislation as the former Democratic leader in the state Senate. Hatch countered that Howell, if elected, would be surrounded by Democrats who "won't let you be anything but liberal," and he noted that serving in the Utah Legislature is quite different than serving in Congress.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle on 2012 Utah Senate debate Oct 18, 2012

Orrin Hatch: 36 years of seniority means I can finally enact change

Howell, 58, has made Hatch's age and many years in the Senate a major point of his campaign. Howell has sent emails to voters suggesting Hatch, 78, would "retire or die" before the end of his term, and recommending they both release five years of medical records. "We continue to elect the very same people, and we wonder why we get the same results. We need new blood," Howell said. "We cannot perpetuate a seniority system that generates this 10 percent approval" of Congress. Source: San Francisco Chronicle on 2012 Utah Senate debate Oct 18, 2012

Scott Howell: Electing the same people get the same results

Howell, 58, has made Hatch's age and many years in the Senate a major point of his campaign. Howell has sent emails to voters suggesting Hatch, 78, would "retire or die" before the end of his term, and recommending they both release five years of medical records. "We continue to elect the very same people, and we wonder why we get the same results. We need new blood," Howell said. "We cannot perpetuate a seniority system that generates this 10 percent approval" of Congress. Source: San Francisco Chronicle on 2012 Utah Senate debate Oct 18, 2012

Orrin Hatch: I'm running to help Mitt Romney and to be Committee Chairman

If Republicans win control of the Senate in the upcoming election, Hatch is in line to become chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "It is the most powerful committee in Congress," Hatch said. "If we're going to solve the problems in this country, it's going to be that committee that does that. That's the reason I'm running again, the primary reason other than [helping] Mitt Romney."

Hatch repeatedly aligned himself with the Republican presidential nominee--often enough that Howell said, "you can't ride on the coattails of Governor Romney."

Hatch didn't waver. "I'll just quote Mitt Romney. He said, 'We need Orrin Hatch back in the Senate helping to lead the way.' "

At another point, Howell said, "sometimes I wonder if I am running against Mitt Romney or Orrin Hatch."

And Hatch interrupted: "Both of us."

Howell contended that Hatch moved far to the right to win tea party support this year, and that contributes to partisan gridlock.

Source: Salt Lake Tribune on 2012 Utah Senate debate Oct 17, 2012

Scott Howell: I learned bipartisanship as minority party in state Senate

He's gone so far hard right in order to win this election that he's lost that collaborative spirit, Howell said of Hatch's one-time work with liberals such as the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. Howell added that as the former Democratic leader in the state Senate, he learned how to work with Republicans out of necessity to pass legislation.

Serving in the Utah Legislature is "quite different than being in Congress, by the way, especially in our Legislature," Hatch said, adding that, if elected, Howell would be "surrounded by people" in the Democratic Party "who won't let you be anything but liberal."

At one point, Hatch pointed to his introduction of the DREAM Act--to allow undocumented immigrants brought as young children by their parents to America to attend college and work toward citizenship--as an example of how he cares about Latinos.

Source: Salt Lake Tribune on 2012 Utah Senate debate Oct 17, 2012

Dan Liljenquist: Holds "debate" against opponent's video clips

In the absence of any televised debates, Republican senate candidate Dan Liljenquist did what he could. He held a decidedly "one-sided" debate against Utah's senior senator, Orrin Hatch.

For an hour, Liljenquist debated short video clips of past statements Hatch has made on various topics. He pledged to only serve 3 terms. Liljenquist denounced the federal government's role in education. His supporters roared with applause at his responses, booing Hatch's statements made over the years.

Source: Fox 13 Now on 2012 Utah Senate debates Jun 7, 2012

Orrin Hatch: Debates are a time-worn campaign tactic for free press

Almost everyone has heard of Hatch. But, as Liljenquist himself said, few know his tongue-twisting Swedish last name let alone how to pronounce it. (Think of Liljen rhyming with million.) Liljenquist's entree into television advertising this past week has as its goal to ramp up name recognition. He currently has two television spots, one urging Hatch to debate him and another contrasting his record with the senator's.

Liljenquist renewed his call this week for televised debates with Sen. Orrin Hatch before next month's Republican primary election. But the longtime senator refuses to debate on television and maintains that the single scheduled radio debate is sufficient.

Hatch responded: "It's understandable why Dan Liljenquist would want Utahns to view this campaign through an alternate reality," according to a press release. "In the real world, demanding debates is a time-worn campaign tactic used by candidates with little name recognition in the effort to gain free press attention."

Source: KSL's Dennis Romboy on 2012 Utah Senate debates May 27, 2012

Pete Ashdown: Dems should be bold and different, not Republican light

Ashdown has run against Hatch previously. Ashdown, founder of Internet provider Xmission, was the Democratic nominee against Hatch in 2006. Ashdown said he can win by being bold and different, "instead of being Republican light."

Ashdown said Utahns admire how he has run Xmission, which would help him even if they turn out in big numbers for Mitt Romney. "It's not me running against Mitt Romney. It's me running on my own."

Source: Salt Lake Tribune on 2012 Utah Senate debate Apr 12, 2012

Orrin Hatch: 1976: What do you call 2-term incumbents? Call him home!

[Orrin Hatch's Senate opponent] Howell quoted Hatch, R-Utah, from 1976 when he ran against 18-year incumbent Sen. Frank Moss, D-Utah, and said, "What do you call a senator who's been in office for more than two terms? You call him home." Howell added, "The question is who can beat Orrin Hatch?"

Howell said the field attracted more Democrats this year because "this is a race where we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take back the Senate seat," because of perceived weaknesses by Hatch

Source: Salt Lake Tribune on 2012 Utah Senate debate Apr 11, 2012

  • The above quotations are from 2012 Utah Senate Debate.
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Candidates and political leaders on Principles & Values:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 05, 2018