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Sandy • The bus may not have shown up until the last minute, but the message was strong from the start: Fire Nancy Pelosi.
About 200 people attended a rally that focused on sending Republican Morgan Philpot to the U.S. House of Representatives rather than Democratic incumbent Rep. Jim Matheson, as part of the Republican National Committee's Fire Nancy Pelosi Bus Tour.
"This rally is about awakening the people of Utah to the fact that their congressman has helped entrench Nancy Pelosi with every vote he casts to elect her to speaker of the House," Philpot said. "Utah is not a fan of Nancy Pelosi."
The bills he pointed to hinged on fiscal and government-control issues, from raising the debt ceiling to the governmental health care overhaul. Many in the audience filled out pink slips with handwritten reasons why Pelosi should be fired and put them in a box to be mailed to Washington, D.C., and opened on election night.
Gary Jubber, a Murray resident who attended the rally, said he disagreed with the stimulus bill, health care reform and the cap-and-trade program.
"I came here because I want to get rid of Nancy Pelosi because she's governed from the left," he said. "The government is in everything and the economy stinks. Spending is way out of control. We've got to get them out of there, and we do that by getting rid of Nancy Pelosi."
Others, such as Lori Bear, said they are simply sick of the state of "everything" and want something different.
"I want the right change in our representatives, and I think that these people here, like Morgan Philpot and Mike Lee are going to make that difference," said Bear, of Salt Lake City. "Bad things will continue, but I appreciate what Philpot stands for."
But the rally was focused on Nancy Pelosi instead of Jim Matheson directly because Matheson has voted against bills such as health care reform, cap and trade and the financial bailouts, said Matheson's spokeswoman, Alyson Heyrend.
"People know that and they know that Matheson is an independent voice who pursues the agenda of the people of the state of Utah," Heyrend said.
A lone Democrat, Ray Matthews, attended the event, holding a sign with Pelosi's and Philpot's names encircled in a sequined heart.
"I may disagree on every issue with Morgan, but I like him. He is willing to engage with the people of this district even though his opponent isn't," he said, adding he doesn't know whether his friendship or his issues will drive him once in the voting booth.
Sen. Orrin Hatch was on hand to introduce Philpot to the crowd and Rep. Rob Bishop donated a $1,000 check that he said would only be good if the people in the crowd could match the sum by the end of the one-hour rally.
"I hope he's with me back in Washington, D.C., this January. He's a good guy, and he will help our delegation," Bishop told The Tribune. "It's a long time before the election, and anything can happen."