This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Buoyed by his tea party supporters, Sen. Mike Lee stuck to his conservative principles in the recent partial government shutdown and ongoing debate over Obamacare. But many of Utah's moderate Republicans criticized his strident tone, calling Lee an obstructionist out of touch with the state's centrist majority.

On Monday at 12:15 p.m., Jennifer Napier-Pearce talks with Lee's former chief of staff, Spencer Stokes, conservative blogger Holly Richardson and Tribune Washington correspondents Matt Canham and Thomas Burr about what motivates Utah's junior senator and what the recent debacle could mean for Lee's political future.

You can join the discussion by sending questions and comments to the hashtag #TribTalk on Twitter and Google+, or submit comments in the comment section below this story.