Presbyterian Reporter wrote:
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I think you answered your own question. In a super conservative state like Utah their Senators should have a 100% conservative voting record.
A tough conservative would have no problem getting elected and staying elected in Utah.
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But it really doesn’t answer my question. First off, Heritage currently doesn’t give any congressman or congresswoman a 100% conservative rating. Here are the Top 10 highest scores in the Senate right now:
1) Jim DeMint (NC) - 99%
1) Mike Lee (UT) - 99%
3) Marco Rubio (FL) - 97%
4) Rand Paul (KY) - 96%
5) Ron Johnson (WI) - 94%
6) Tom Coburn (OK) - 91%
6) Orrin Hatch (UT) - 91%
8) Jim Risch (ID) - 90%
9) Pat Toomey (PA) - 89%
10) Michael Crapo (ID) - 87%
10) Jim Inhofe (LA) - 87%
10) David Vitter (LA) - 87%
From the list, one can see what a nice job our top Tea Party senators have done in keeping their promises to vote for legislation backing conservative principles (and I’d say they each deserve an e-mail or phone call of thanks from each one of us). That said, one also can’t ignore that Orrin Hatch’s voting record is measuring right up there with our Tea Party favorites, according to Heritage. So it begs the question... Why are so many Freepers accusing Hatch of being a RINO?
1) Mike Lee (UT) - 99%
So what prevented Orrin Hatch from being a 99% conservative like Mike Lee?
The conservatives need a super conservative leader and Orrin Hatch is not that type of person. Orrin has gotten lazy and a younger and stronger conservative leader needs to replace him.
“So it begs the question... Why are so many Freepers accusing Hatch of being a RINO?”
Well let me count the ways....
support of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Cass Sunstein, Stephen Breyer, and Timothy Geitner and Elana Kagan.
Hatch voted against banning earmarks
Hatch voted for Medicare Part D, the largest entitlement expansion since the Great Society… until ObamaCare
Hatch voted for and was lead sponsor of SCHIP, a massive expansion of government health insurance
Hatch voted for the Wall Street bailout (TARP)
Hatch voted for the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout
Hatch voted to continue the auto bailout
Hatch voted to increase the debt ceiling 16 times by a total of $7.6 trillion
Hatch voted against the interstate sale of health insurance
Hatch voted to establish the Department of Education, a federal takeover of our education system
Hatch repeatedly voted for the expansion of government health care programs
Hatch repeatedly voted for wasteful and pork-laden farm subsidy programs
Hatch repeatedly voted for bills filled with pet projects and giveaways
I am sure I could come up with more but I think this should give you an idea.
I wonder from how far back into the past, that these conclusions are drawn.