Senator Hatch Needs to Go

Government is a crazy thing. I we often talk about people's shortcomings and come off as mean or disrespectful of all the good the person does. I have heard plenty of stories about Senator Hatch that tell me that he is likely a good man with good intentions. It is doubtful that he is conniving or mean, but he just doesn't understand or respect the Constitution.

Oh sure, you say. A 30-year-old naive kid thinks he understands the Constitution better than someone who has been a senator 6 years longer than that and has sworn an oath to it at least 6 times? I say unto you, "yea", either that or Hatch understands it and just chooses to ignore it.

Let me first say that people tend to say the word "Constitution" but have not read it, others have read it and never thought about it what it means, and those who do think, study, and ask may interpret it in various ways. I happen to think that my interpretation is on the right track from my studies. If you have any question of disagreement with what I call unconstitutional in this post, please comment. I may be wrong, you may be wrong, or we are both wrong, but shouldn't we talk about it so we can get it right? Now that that is out of the way...

• In January 2009 he was pro-Timothy Geithner as he believed Geithner was well qualified to handle and help correct the economic downturn.
• He voted to raise the minimum wage 9 times since 1993.
• He supported Greenspan's policies of the early 2000s of low interest rates
• Co-sponsored the Medicare Part D bill in 2003 that has cost $1.3 Trillion since.
• Voted for $17B to Amtrak in 2008, $11B in 2007
• Voted for the Dream Act in 2007
• Co-sponsored PIPA until the public outcry then didn't show up to vote
• Repeatedly voted for farm subsidies $300B in 2007 alone (gotta love our HFCS)
• Voted 16 times to raise the debt ceiling
• Co-sponsored the individual mandate for health insurance in 1993
• Voted for TARP :(
• Voted for bailing out Fannie and Freddie :( :(
• Voted to bail out the car companies :( :( :(
• Thought the feds could run education better and voted to establish the Dept of Education
• Voted for NDAA in 2011 that included allowing the administration to indefinitely detain American citizens w/o a trial. Suspended habeas corpus and the 6th Amendment.
• Voted for the [anti-] Patriot Act thus suspending the 4th Admendment.
• Voted to increase taxes to expand SCHIP
• Favors Minimum Wage
• Oh man, So I've been looking though his voting record online and stumbled across this... I don't agree that all these votes are unconstitutional, but for the most part. Look at them here when you have a moment. No need to keep listing them out when someone has already done the homework :)

I guess I should mention three more things. First, Hatch is not Pro-life. He may be pro-life for the unborn, but he has been far to vocal in support of sending young men and women over to the Middle East and other places in the world to die and kill others. I'm not a pacifist, but our wars since WWII have been undeclared, unconstitutional, and unnecessary.

Second, Hatch as been reborn! He has seen the light! Ever since we kicked Bennett out for the same shenanigans Hatch suddenly realized that he wanted to follow Mike Lee's example and basically wait until he knew Lee's positions and then vote along with him. Hatch, the man with all the influence and power in DC, rode on the coattails of a freshman. THAT is the power of influence (though he should had followed Lee on the Patriot Act, NDAA, and PIPA... whoops). Anyway, do you think Hatch will keep doing the same once he secures his position for his final 6 years? Not likely. We'll probably see the old Hatch return.

Third, political office is not a career! Take it away Benjamin Franklin, "Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful influence in the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice—the love of power and the love of money. Separately, each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but, when united in view of the same object, they have, in many minds, the most violent effects. Place before the eyes of such men a post of honor, that shall, at the same time, be a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it. "

So, there you go. Some reasons why Hatch should go. As a last note, at my caucus meeting it was very obvious that many of the older folks there were there to answer Hatch's distress call. They were voting for the status quo. The status quo may be very comfortable for them, but their children and grandchildren want to take what country they have left and make it free, prosperous, and peaceful again.

Please comment on what you agree with or where I'm not understanding something.