HOH’s One-Minute Recess: Hatch’s Fickle Friend
A group of tea party activists organized by FreedomWorks stormed the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the Ronald Reagan Republican Center on Monday, calling for the ouster of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
Among those brandishing “Retire Hatch” signs and calling for torches was Utah small-business owner and Utah Tea Party spokesman David Kirkham.
Earlier that day, Kirkham was testifying in front of the Senate Finance Committee on tax code simplification. Luckily the Senate, FreedomWorks’ headquarters and the NRSC are within walking distance of each other, which probably helped with the multitasking.
Kirkham opened his testimony by thanking Hatch … for inviting him to speak.
That’s right. Kirkham was invited to testify by the very Senator he later demanded retire.
In fact, the Salt Lake Tribune reported this week that Hatch has been courting Kirkham and the Utah Tea Party for months. The Senator and Kirkham have been chatting almost weekly about legislation and policy. Unfortunately for Hatch, his wooing doesn’t seem to be working, and Kirkham is proving a fickle lover.
Apart from storming the NRSC, Kirkham told the Tribune that he thinks Utah needs to “trade up” in their Senators and that he is “looking for someone new.” (Utah Republican Rep. Jason “Jay Chay” Chaffetz, perhaps?)
Ouch, dude. That’s cold.
The next day Kirkham told KSL Newsradio that he is not a “bomb thrower” and never said he wanted to trade up.
Well, maybe with all the running around he’s been doing this week, he just forgot what he said? Good thing the station got the tape of Kirkham lobbing the “bombs” at Hatch! Kirkham had to agree that the tape did sound like him.
“Sen. Hatch is a very personable man,” Kirkham went on to say. “He’s very, very likeable. And I mean that in a very sincere way. I think he’s sincere in what he does. I think he believes in what he does. I’m not sure that that is a common thread in all politicians, frankly.”
Say what, sir? Are the rest of you as confused as we are?
Click here to listen to the tape of Kirkham slamming Hatch.
