COLUMN: The GOP political draft picks
Elections are finally over and the Republican Party here in Utah is seeing the aftermath from “Decision 2010.” The only government-related excitement to be had during this time of year is the political version of the NFL draft. ‘Tis the season for not only newly-elected officials to take their positions, but to start appointing staff as well. Secret meetings and strategy sessions to determine who has the better deep pass and most blocks is as close to the Kansas City shuffle as it gets – kudos to the movie buffs that got that last pop culture reference. Here is my John Madden rundown of who has been drafted to which teams and who has been traded.
Senate-elect Mike Lee has kept some familiar faces around from his campaign as his starting lineup such as Dan Hauser and Ellen James, but he has also incorporated some new blood such as former Utah lobbyist Spencer Stokes. Stokes is known for being a heavy-hitter and hails from my neck of the woods, Ogden. The dynamics of this new team are going to be interesting to follow with the blending of Lee’s good-little-Mormon-boy persona and Stokes’ fight to the death, hit below the knees style of politics.
Even though Sen. Orrin Hatch didn’t have to worry about re-election this year, he has made some changes on who is warming his bench in response to the current turbulent political climate. Hatch saw Sen. Bennett’s forced retirement from the U.S. Senate as a wake-up call from the Tea Party and is on the warpath moving toward 2012. I guess you can consider the Tea Party movement as Vikings fans calling for Brett Favre’s retirement. Hatch has responded by appointing a new Chief of Staff, Utah State’s own Michael Kennedy. Kennedy was Utah State’s lobbyist at the state and federal level as well as a professor in the political science department. He runs a tough game and his training camp will surely re-shape Hatch’s staff into a lean, mean fighting machine.
Sen. Hatch is a smart man, whether you agree with his political history or not, and is looking towards 2012 when his number comes up for re-election. He already has campaign plans underway and is assembling a crack team to thwart the Tea Party’s anger. His next draft pick was Dave Hansen, who has just stepped down as State GOP Chairman to become Hatch’s campaign manager. This team won’t be on the sidelines for long as Hatch is preparing to crank up a political machine, the likes of which have never been seen before in Utah politics. I predict it will be much like the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
Not everyone is assuming new political staff positions, however. Jason Perry, Gov. Gary Herbert’s former Chief of Staff, has recently accepted the position as the Vice President of the University of Utah. Is this like going from tight end to wide receiver? Perry, a quiet academic type, should be well suited for his new position.
Within the Utah Legislature, there are quite a few new faces that will play a very big part in this year’s legislative session, tackling issues such as redistricting for the new congressional seat and immigration reform. Representatives Derek Brown and Steve Eliason are just a small sampling of Republicans who have reclaimed seats from Democrat incumbents in Salt Lake County. These underdogs were reminiscent of Utah State’s big football victory over BYU. Chocolate milk addict Sen. Daniel Thatcher is another rookie pick in the State Senate. Though none of these rookies has ever held an elected office before, Brown and Eliason bring a range of new talent. Thatcher might be a little harder to predict how he will respond to strongarming from lobbyists and colleagues, but time will only tell how this young gun holds up under pressure.
Utah’s newest Speaker of the House, Becky Lockhart, is headed towards the Legislative Hall of Fame as the first woman to hold this position of power and all I can say is “you go, girlfriend!” She has the support of the Patrick Henry Caucus and Utah County Yuppies alike. I wonder if the State Capitol Gift Shop will start selling Lockhart jerseys?
The swearing in of the 111th Congress and the legislative session marks the beginning of the political regular season. With Republicans in an even stronger majority in Utah and controlling the U.S. House of Representatives, it should make for an action-packed, crowd-pleasing year. Game on.
Renae Cowley is a senior majoring in public relations. She can be reached at renaecowley@gmail.com.