Hillarysworld

Sanders · Diamond

2010 U.S.Sen-UT "Utah GOP convention rejects incumbent Sen. Robert Bennett" (CNN.com 5/9/10) (WSJ 5/8/10)

Sanders · Diamond

Sen. Bennett's loss means gap must be filled in McConnell's team (The Hill, 5/9/10)

By Alexander Bolton - 05/09/10 01:51 PM ET

Sen. Robert Bennett’s loss in Utah’s Republican primary Saturday will have a significant impact on Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell (Ky.) will lose one of his closest friends in the Senate and see his leadership team change as a result of Bennett’s elimination from the Utah ballot.

Colleagues and aides describe McConnell and Bennett, who served for years together on the Senate Appropriations Committee, as loyal friends.

Bennett is respected in the upper chamber for his financial expertise, his persuasive level-headedness and his lack of a personal political agenda.

Bennett has served for years as one of two unelected counsels to the Senate Republican leadership. He will now retire from Congress at the end of the year, despite making a plea to Utah Republicans for another six-year term.

Bennett usually seconded McConnell’s opinion in Republican leadership meetings and was often dispatched to cajole balky Republican senators into taking tough votes, said current and former Senate GOP aides.

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Typically, this is the person who was willing to reach across the isle. Too bad he is out.

Building 4112 · Moderator

I am for term limits. Time to shake em from the tree.

Sanders · Diamond

That I agree with. At the same time, it appears that in this particular case, it was the Senator's vote for TARP and his willingness to cooperate by offering an alternate Health care plan working alongside with Dems - a true alternate that apparently did not get explored very much -- that became the bone of contention. That I do not think bodes well for our democracy.

freespirit · Moderator

Obviously, bi-partisan efforts and compromise are needed. However, at this particular time, when there is such distrust of government, and people are angry about economic concerns, increasing government debt, and a host of other problems, Americans are less likely to tolerate those in government whom they perceive as adding to the problem.

Many people were not in favor of the stimulus bill - at least not the gargantuan amount of money the bill called for. Then, to come in with HCR, providing as little info as possible to the public and to the Pubs - until forced to do so, was seen by many as a second major misstep.

The mood seems to be - "Put the Bastards out" . It will be interesting to see what happens in Nov.

Jen the Michigander · SuperModerator

Methinks a lot of them bastards will be put out!

Sanders · Diamond

Bennett says write-in candidacy still possible (AP, Google News, 5/11/10)

By KEVIN FREKING (AP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bob Bennett said on Tuesday he's still considering running for a fourth term as a write-in candidate even as Republican leaders publicly discouraged him from doing so.

Bennett failed to win over enough delegates at the Utah GOP convention on Saturday to advance to the state's primary election. Conservatives and tea partiers rejected his bid.

He said Tuesday that some of his Senate colleagues privately have encouraged him to run as a write-in, but he declined to identify them. Bennett met with GOP senators at their weekly policy luncheon, where they gave him an ovation and thanked him for his work.

"It's always very heartening to have your colleagues say nice things about you," Bennett said. "It's a little like going to your own funeral while you're still alive."

Bennett, 76, told reporters that he has made no firm decisions about his future. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, head of the committee to elect Republicans, said Tuesday that Bennett told him much the same.

"What he told me before lunch is that he's not going to make any decisions now. He's going to basically let a little time pass, and hopefully it'll be less of an emotional decision and more of a thoughtful decision," Cornyn said.

Running as a write-in candidate would be a daunting task. Cornyn declined to assess how well he would fare. The Bennett name has a long history in Utah politics, with Bennett's father, Wallace F. Bennett, serving four terms as a U.S. senator.

"My hope would be that he would choose not to do that, because certainly we could not support him from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. We would support the Republican nominee," Cornyn said.

The June 22 GOP primary pits businessman Tim Bridgewater against attorney Mike Lee.

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Honestly, he will have stiff competition from both parties. Write-in is a hard climb.

Our 2-party system is faulty. We need to be able to select first choice - second choice for a real correction of the system and for the real favored person to emerge. Otherwise, most will cast their votes for fear of wasting them with write-ins... and a write-in will never win. It is not that I want a write-in to win... rather that I want a write-in to have a real shot... and for a real chance for a third party to emerge that is not a spoiler in the race at all times. In a first choice - second choice system there can be a few good parties and some real pressure on the representatives to do the correct things by the people.

freespirit · Moderator

Amen about the two party system - especially when neither party is worth a damn.

Hillarysworld

Utah GOP convention rejects incumbent Sen. Robert Bennett

Sen. Bennett Loses Nomination Bid

By STU WOO

Sen. Bennett's loss means gap must be filled in McConnell's team (The Hill, 5/9/10)