(KCPW News) A conservative group is choosing this weekend’s Republican state convention to launch its campaign to “retire” Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. FreedomWorks PAC, which also took on former Utah Senator Bob Bennett last year, says Hatch is not the fiscal conservative he’s portraying himself to be. Vice President of Political and Grassroots Campaigns Russ Walker points to Hatch’s support of the bank bailout, known as TARP.
“And it’s a perfect example of crony capitalism, the type of which benefits political supporters, guys like Goldman Sachs at the expense of taxpayers, and buries our grandchildren and children in mountains of debt,” he says.
Walker says FreedomWorks would love to see Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz run against him.
Dave Hansen, Senator Hatch’s campaign manager, calls FreedomWorks an outside group that won’t have much of an impact. As for the criticism about TARP:
“Senator Hatch made a number of votes. He has said that’s a vote he wishes he had not made that way, but with the information he had at the time, that’s the direction they went,” he told KCPW. “His voting record is much greater than the one vote.”
This Saturday’s GOP convention takes place at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy. But it’s the 2012 convention where Hatch will have to convince delegates to let him stay in office.
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