20110409

Where Were You When We Needed You, Orrin?

Lately, the Senator has been sending an email (unsolicited) to my inbox trying to convince me that the new, fist swinging, Orrin Hatch, is the only person who can 'bring the government under control.'

My response is, where were you when we needed you? When you were chummy with the Communist, Ted Kennedy, making deals that expanded government into education and making it the unworkable public sector mess it is today; where were you, Mr. Private Sector Conservative?

When your buddy Bill Bennett (we won't even touch his record) promised to push term limits and only run that many, where were you? When we needed a voice in judiciary appointments, too countless to name here, where were you? For the countless times we needed someone who would push government intrusion, regulation, and higher taxes, crushing private sector initiative; where were you?

I voted for your sorry ass every-single-election because you were a hair better than the Democrat -- a single hair. "Better the Devil you know", as Kipling would say. Well, he got one thing right. You had the political capital, the support of the people, and dare I say, the moral impetus of a religion that values freedom above all else; so, where were you?

I'll tell you. You were never where you needed to be for the right reasons because your reasons were different from ours. You are a political chameleon willing to change colors to blend in with the background. Chameleons are creatures that specialize in not standing out. Mission accomplished.

Now you have a savvy new email campaign, website, and all that hip tech that makes you look all next generation Tea Party and all that. Doubtless, you paid top dollar (of our money) to make yourself over for the millionth time so that when elections roll around we'll elect another Orrin Hatch, not the old one, but the hip new Orrin; the Orrin that this time cares about freedom.

I get your newsletters full of cut 'n paste banality and wonder if you've ever read anything about the world around you. The bullet point topics, like "The Importance of Tax Reform" are so incredibly stupid that it could make a persons head explode. Of course, the article has the link to another one of your bland speeches stating the obvious in as colorless way as possible.

So, Orrin, where were you when we needed you?

Helping yourself to our favors and then vanishing.