This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Tribune's editorial board has gone overboard with its accusation that Sen. Orrin Hatch intends to "will" his Senate seat to Mitt Romney. The editorial's nastiness is matched only by the extraordinary lengths it goes to distort the truth.
Hatch's words and actions betray no hidden agenda to deprive Utah of a choice in the upcoming election. Of all people, Hatch knows what it's like to face a difficult election and have to fight for every vote.
Whether you like Hatch or not, there's no doubt that he knows how to get things done in Washington. That's why — contrary The Tribune's suggestion — Utahns ought to listen to the case he makes about the kind of leadership we need, no matter how they end up voting.
At this point no one knows if Hatch is running again. But if he chooses not to run there is another time-honored tradition in politics, and that is giving an endorsement to a candidate who is running. This editorial page is trying to get Hatch, the person best equipped to provide insight to the voters on this matter, to instead be silent. Utterly astonishing.
We all know that Hatch is being strongly encouraged to run again by President Donald Trump and many others, but my sense is that his decision will come down to one simple question for him — is it the right thing to do for Utah?
In the meantime, I invite the Tribune editorial page to stick to legitimate disagreements about the issues that affect Utahns' lives, instead of continuing their blood vendetta against Hatch.
James M. Evans
Chairman, Utah Republican Party