Tuesday Buzz
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News Highlights
Overviews of mayoral primary election today in Cottonwood
Heights and referendum in south Davis County for a new recreation
center in Salt
Lake Tribune. Scott Matheson and
Jon Huntsman will debate eight times in six
weeks, says story
in the Standard Examiner . Supporters of Nancy
Workman dispute fundraising letter from Peter
Corroon in Tribune story.
Quote of the Day
"Someday, Mitt Romney
may be president of the United
States, so I'm getting his
signature."
- Marian Nielson,
Salt Lake City, buying three copies of Romney's new book, as
quoted in the Deseret
Morning News.
Money: The Mother .s Milk of Politics
" A fundraising event for Congressman Ernest
Istook, a Republican from Oklahoma, will be held Thursday,
Aug. 5, at 9 a.m., in the Grand America Hotel, Milano Room.
The host committee includes Lane Beattie, James C. Barker,
Robin Riggs, Tom Warne, Clint Topham, Marcus G. Faust, Vicki
Varela, Craig A. Peterson, Karen Hammond and Paige
Marriott. Suggested contribution is $1,000. RSVP to
Robin Riggs, 680-5884, or Bev White, 328-5070,
at the Salt Lake Chamber. While in Utah, Istook will look at
the state .s transportation needs, particularly relating
to mass transit. He holds key positions in Congress related
to transportation funding.
" Jon Huntsman, Jr., will hold a major
fundraiser Friday, Aug. 27, at the Delta Center, hosted by Larry
H. and Gail Miller. Participation
ranges from $100 for a single diner ticket to a platinum level
table at $5,000. Dress is casual with country western entertainment.
The host sponsor is Simmons Media. For more information, call
Tauni Everett or Bethany Christensen
at 737-1811.
" For the macho among us, Attorney General Mark
Shurtleff has sent out a Sept. 15, 5 p.m., .save
the date . notice for a 2004 Wasatch Challenge fundraiser,
featuring trap, skeet and target shooting, western entertainment
and down-home cooking. Call Dana for more details, 746-3030.
Tuesday Partisan Poke:
Dems must be doing something right...
To have local Utah Republicans worked up this early.
First, about LaVarr .s thoughts yesterday
in Agenda Utah - Now really, even among those
true believers...can anyone really be .lite .er than
Bush Jr.?
Second, adding LaVarr comments to those of Joe Cannon .s
in The
Salt Lake Tribune (close your eyes and the
Democrats sound like Reagan): You all seem to be finally catching
the vision of what the Democrats are saying (and have been saying)
--- No reason to not consider voting for them now.
And, finally, so you feel that Democrats
are .stealing . positions that are innately Republican...
What are these things? Patriotism, Values, Morals, Caring, Strength,
Love and Service of Country? My questions to Republicans who
are whining about their agenda being hijacked... Did you create
and trademark this agenda as Republican, before or after Al
Gore invented the Internet?
- Maura Carabello
Upcoming Birthdays
- Rep. Katherine M. Bryson, District 60, August 6
- Rep. Joseph G. Murray, District 8, August 8
- Rep. Scott Daniels, District 25, August 12
Elected Officials Birthday List
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| Leadership Tip:
Jack Anderson on Journalism vs. Public Service
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Jack Anderson, a Mormon muckraking, investigative
journalist/columnist with many Utah ties, ended his syndicated column
last week after an amazing run of more than 50 years. The Deseret
Morning News published a story Sunday (not posted on the paper's
web site), picked up from the Washington
Post, about Anderson's retirement. The story noted
that Anderson is 81 years old and ailing from Parkinson's
disease.
I worked for Anderson one summer 30 years ago as a journalism intern
from BYU. It was a heady experience for a young wannabe reporter,
rubbing shoulders with Anderson and his famous associates like Les
Whitten and Joe Spear. That was during Anderson's heyday, after
he helped bring down Richard Nixon and won a Pulitzer
Prize, when his column was published by nearly 1,000 newspapers
with an audience of some 40 million people. Politicians feared him
and his ego was nearly as big as his readership.
The Deseret News published his column for decades. In
the last several years, the column lost its steam and seldom made
it into print. The Salt Lake Tribune actually picked up
the column a few years ago, but again didn't publish it a lot.
As an intern, my job with Anderson was to take incoming phone calls
and screen the mail for good story tips that might result in items
for the column. Dozens of people called or wrote every day, many
of them alleging corruption in government or business. During my
summer I was fortunate to get several items published in the column
and my name mentioned as an Anderson “associate.”
My most memorable experience with Anderson, however, came when
I asked him to speak to a large group of college interns working
in various Washington positions that summer. Anderson gave his typical
speech, with a lot of pontificating and bombast, deriding nearly
every politician imaginable. At the end he invited questions, and
an intrepid young intern piped up with this dilly: “Mr. Anderson,
if you're so smart, why don't you stop complaining and run for office
yourself?”
I'll never forget Anderson's response. Without skipping a beat
he smiled and said, “Are you kidding? I'd much rather be up here
in the stands yelling ‘Throw the bum out!' than be down there pitching
myself.”
I've thought a lot about that over the years, and after stints
in both journalism and politics, I've come to have a lot of respect
for those elected and appointed officials, the policymakers, who
are down there pitching. Our society needs critics up in the stands,
and I've done my share of that. But it also needs willing men and
women down on the field pitching.
You policymakers are going to get some strikeouts and some walks.
And you might throw a few wild pitches. You're going to win some
games and lose some games. You're going to hear some heckling and
some cheers (hopefully) from the stands. Society needs both players
and observers in the stands. Remember that the catcalls from the
bleachers come with the territory.
- LaVarr Webb
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Tuesday,
August 3, 2004
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Please submit calendar items to AgendaUtah@UtahPolicy.com
- Aug. 3: Jon Huntsman at Park City Rotary Club,
12:30 pm.
- Aug. 3: Utah Log Cabin Republicans Monthly Meeting,
7:30 pm, Room N4010, Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 South
State Street, SLC.
- Aug. 4: Utah Stonewall Democrats at GLCCU, 359
North 300 West, SLC, multi-purpose room, 5:30 pm.
- Aug. 5: GOP Campaign School co-sponsored by the
Utah Federation of Republican Women and the Professional Republican
Women. Keynote speaker Fred Lampropolous, Pres. & CEO of Merit
Medical, “Lessons Learned on a Cross-the-State Gubernatorial Campaign
Trail.” Noon to 6 pm at Merit Medical, 1660 W. Merit Parkway (9800
S.), South Jordan. Cost $45, Contact PRW 801-270-0802.
- Aug. 5: Progressive Democratic Caucus Meeting,
6:30-8:00 pm, 455 South 300 East, Suite 102, SLC. Contact Craig
Axford (801) 918-6017.
- Aug. 6: Huntsman campaign at Carbon County Fair
in Price, Tooele County Fair in Tooele, and Wasatch County Fair
in Heber City.
- Aug. 6-7: Boot Camp of Politics at the University
of Utah. The Leadership Institute's Youth Leadership intense two-day
political training course where conservatives are taught how to
organize grass roots youth efforts on the college campus. Top trainers
from around the country. Details.
- Aug. 7: Huntsman campaign at Emery County Fair, 10 am.
- Aug. 14: Davis County Democrats No-Host Breakfast, 8:30-10:00 am, Joanie's Restaurant, 286 North 400 West, Kaysville. Contact Richard Watson (801) 292-6772.
- Aug. 17: Jon Huntsman at Vernal Chamber of Commerce,
noon, Vernal Golden Corral, $8.
- Aug. 18: Voice for Moderation Meet the Candidates
night. Meet Democratic candidate for Governor Scott Matheson, and
Salt Lake County Auditor candidates Sean Thomas (Republican) and
Peter Stevens (Democrat) at 6 pm at the Anderson/Foothill Library,
1135 So. 2100 East, SLC.
- Aug. 24: Attorney General debate on KRCL radio,
90.9 FM, noon - 1 pm, at 1971 W. North Temple, SLC.
- Aug. 24: Green Party of Utah Roots Local Monthly
Meeting, 12:00 pm, Sprague Library, 1100 East just past 2100 South,
SLC. Contact 486-2558.
- Aug. 26: Jon Huntsman at Park City Sunrise Rotary
Club, 7:45 am.
- Aug. 30-Sept 2: Jon Huntsman attends Republican
National Convention, New York City.
- Sept. 2: Progressive Democratic Caucus Meeting,
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, 455 South 300 East, Suite 102, Salt Lake City.
Contact: Craig Axford (801) 918-6017.
Sept 2: Professional Republican Women monthly meeting,
11:45 am, Panini's restaurant, Wells Fargo Building, 299 S Main,
SLC, $20 RSVP call 801-270-0802.
- Sept. 3: Huntsman campaign at Midway Swiss Days.
- Sept. 3-4: Huntsman campaign at Iron County Fair,
Cedar City.
- Sept. 7: Utah Log Cabin Republicans Monthly Meeting,
7:30 pm, Room N4010, Salt Lake County Building, 2001 South State
Street, Salt Lake.
- Sept. 11: Davis County Democrats No-Host Breakfast,
8:30 am to 10:00 am, Joanie's Restaurant, 286 North 400 West, Kaysville.
Contact: Richard Watson (801) 292-6772.
- Sept. 15: Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's annual
“Wasatch Challenge.” Trap, skeet and target shooting, Western entertainment
and down-home cooking. 801.746.3030 or info@markshurtleff.com.
- Sept. 16: Jon Huntsman at the Salt Lake Women's
Republican Club Meet and Mingle Night, 6:30 pm, Bicentennial Park,
Sandy.
- Sept. 17: Jon Huntsman at Salt Lake County Republican
Barbecue, 6 pm, Murray Park.
- Sept. 17: Salt Lake County Republican Party Constitution
Day Picnic, 6 pm, Murray Park. Meet the candidates.
- Sept. 23: USACCC Annual Conference, Homestead
Resort, Midway.
- Sept. 25: Republican Central Committee Meeting.
- Sept. 28: Green Party of Utah Roots Local Monthly
Meeting, 12:00 pm, Sprague Library, 1100 East, just past 2100 South,
Salt Lake City. Contact: 486-2558. |
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