GOP, Demos Gather Tomorrow
Saturday morning, both Republicans and Democrats gather in their respective state conventions. Most of the interest will be focused on the Republican side, as that’s where the major convention battles will occur.
The Democrats start their events with the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner tonight at 7 p.m. in the Hilton Hotel. Keynote speaker is Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota. In their convention Saturday, Democrats will pay tribute to former Gov. Calvin Rampton and hear a keynote speech by Olympic medalist Joey Cheek.
Arizona Sen. John McCain will keynote the GOP convention Saturday, along with Gov. Jon Huntsman.
The GOP convention agenda puts all of the speeches and voting before discussion on constitution and bylaw amendments and resolutions. Thus, there may not be enough delegates left to form a quorum to vote on some of those controversial issues.
Reject Last-Minute Dirty Tricks
The Third Congressional District matching incumbent Congressman Chris Cannon against challengers John Jacob and Merrill Cook will be the featured race of the GOP convention on Saturday.
Rumors have been floating around that Jacob will be attacked in a last-minute whisper campaign during the convention. Such attempts to undermine a candidate in the final hours almost always fail, and often end up actually helping the candidate attacked. Other candidates may be caught in a backlash, even if they didn’t instigate the whisper campaign, while the candidate being unfairly attacked may win the sympathy vote.
That may have been what happened when Rep. Margaret Dayton was smeared in a letter sent to delegates just before the Utah County GOP convention. She ended up winning by a larger margin than anyone expected.
The best course for everyone concerned is to refrain from negative campaigning at the last minute and, if a whisper campaign does occur, for delegates to simply ignore it.
National Politics
Forgetting Why They Sent You
Excellent column in OpinionJournal.com by Peggy Noonan on what is wrong with the Republican Congress.
Podcast Watch
Jennifer Napier-Pearce’s InsideUtah.com podcast this week features renegade Republican Mike Ridgway (:35) on power and corruption in the state G.O.P.; activist Jason Groenewald (9:44) on a united front against storing nuclear waste in Utah; and Red Butte Garden spokesman Kevin Bentz (18:50) on going prehistoric.
Blog Watch
Reach Upward isn't enthusiastic about new legislation that would give Utah an additional House seat (see also here, here, and here)... Senate candidate Pete Ashdown says of Pres. Bush's Terrorist Surveillance Program: "Any terrorist coordinating plans over the public telephone network has got to have a lower IQ than shoebomber Richard Reid. Terrorists depend on cells that barely have any knowledge of each other, let alone organizing attacks with telephone trees. Monitoring of Americans has its place, but that place comes after examination by a court"... Ben Burr discusses the political strengths and weaknesses of Rep. Chris Cannon and his 3rd District challengers, Merrill Cook and John Jacob (scroll down)... JuniperWest says of Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's Mormonism: "The Mormon church, unlike the Catholic church, is not just a set of beliefs. It is a lifestyle. It is a culture. For someone to say they will put the interests of the Constitution above and beyond the interests of Mormonism is hypocrisy"... SLCSpin says: "Mayor Rocky Anderson's first campaign was all about downtown and Main Street and attracting new business. Working to expand the city's economy was a much better idea than sticking us with a $4,600,000 tax increase on his way out the door"... Jen's Green Journal says: "I'm so sick of blind loyalty to a party or personality in a party. We've got to move beyond partisanship if we want to make the world a better place"... 13th Floor says: "Talk about variety. The Utah Senate has a blog that one day has pols and citizens squabbling over how to spend a $1 billion surplus, and on another suggests that lawmakers head for the Senate freezer because it is packed with Aggie ice cream, courtesy of Utah State University ... Lawmakers seem to like being able to offer their own version of daily events, and their opinions on various and sundry topics. Such as their take on the transportation of nuclear waste. Or their preference for Cookies 'n Cream versus Toffee Crunch."
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Washington Watch
Hatch: Keep Russia Out of WTO
Sens. Orrin Hatch calls on Pres. Bush to oppose Russian entrance into the World Trade Organization "because of Russia’s rampant theft of American intellectual property and its trade barriers against American goods" (see press release); Hatch says Democrat objections to judicial nominee Brett Kavanaugh are "a clear case of much ado about nothing" (Associated Press); aide says Hatch is 'on the fence' about the net neutrality issue (National Journal).
Bennett, Matheson Vote for Tax Cuts
Sen. Bob Bennett votes to extend $70 billion in tax cuts, bemoans Democrat objections: "We have an economy that is producing rivers of cash into the Treasury. Why in the world would anybody want to interrupt all this?" (Chicago Tribune); Rep. Jim Matheson, an "at-risk" Democrat, crosses party lines to vote with House Republicans on the tax cut measure (CQPolitics).
Cannon: Quick Action 4th Seat Bill
Rep. Chris Cannon says of measure that would give Utah an additional congressional seat: "I will do what I can to make sure this legislation sees quick action so that Utah can get the at-large seat that we deserve" (Associated Press).
Bishop Heading New Caucus
Rep. Rob Bishop is interviewed about the newly formed Congressional Constitution Caucus -- a team of House members, headed by Bishop, "dedicated to downsizing the amount of power usurped from the states by the federal government" (Human Events); Bishop votes for H.R. 5122, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, which contains a number of projects and programs "of specific benefit to military installations and the defense community in Utah" (news release link unavailable).
SUWA to Protest Lease Sale
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance will formally protest "an oil and gas lease sale scheduled for June 2006 by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and Sovereign Lands (Division) [that] will open to oil and gas development a 17 acre parcel beneath the bed of the Green River and adjacent to Dinosaur National Monument in northeastern Utah. This stretch of the Green River is popular with river runners and is easily seen from many roads and trails within the national monument" (see press release).
Casual Friday
Amidst Hollyhocks and Bumblebees
By Glen Webb
When I was 9 years old and living in Leeds, Utah, my mother had a rock garden with hollyhocks growing at one end. The hollyhocks were a magnet for bumblebees.
On summer days the bumblebees would swarm to the pink hollyhock blossoms. I was fascinated by the bumblebees and their dance with the blossoms. Bathed in pollen and intoxicated by nectar, they would perform their ritual dance -- a symbiotic, life sustaining tango -- to the very heart of each blossom.
All too often this dance was interrupted by a mischievous 9-year-old boy. While I did not know anyone who had been stung by a bumblebee, I considered them flying death because of their ominous size -- a fit and worthy opponent for an act of prepubescent courage.
Once a bumblebee was deep into the blossom, I would by sleight of hand pinch close the petals of the flower, thus trapping the bumblebee inside. Within moments the bumblebee would become enraged – its anger transformed to palpable vibrations running from the pedals, to my fingertips, to my spine. For good measure, I would give the closed flower a few shakes -- further enraging and disorienting the bumblebee. Then, letting go of the petals, I, too, would take flight -- pell-mell as the bumblebee exploded from the confines of its paradise lost.
My paradise found on warm summer days amidst hollyhocks and bumblebees.
Outdoors Report
-- The ice is off Strawberry Reservoir and the fish are hungry. Read this DWR article about how to fish for big cutthroat and rainbows at the big pond.
-- Read about hooking catfish in this Tribune article.
-- Morning News reports about treatments to Panguitch Lake.
-- Check out the Hike of the Week in the Tribune.
-- Tribune columnist Tom Wharton writes about creating more trail systems.
-- Morning News posts upcoming events in Outdoor Notes.
-- The latest wildlife news and information and the fishing report on the DWR website
Weekend Events
New Films Friday
-- Brick: Tribune review.
-- Poseidon: Tribune review.
-- Alpha Dog: Sundance drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood
Concerts
-- Salt Lake Children's Choir performs Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 12 C St., Salt Lake City.
-- Schubert Singers, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, Temple Square, free
-- Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra, Friday, 7 p.m., Abravanel Hall, free
-- Utah Flute Association Evening of Sonatas Concert, Friday, 7 p.m., Wasatch Presbyterian Church, 1626 S. 1700 East, $5-$20 at the door, free for UFA members
-- Wasatch & District Pipe Band, Celtic music, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Ragan Theatre, UVSC, $5-$15 (801-856-2332) or $6-$16
-- Salt Lake Symphonic Choir, Friday and Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Hall, U., $10 (201-5451)
-- Sandy City Orchestra and Chorus, Friday and Saturday; 7:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Church, 8575 S. 700 East, Sandy, $8-$20
-- Thyagaraja Music Festival '06, masterpieces of Indian classical music, Friday and Saturday, times vary, LDS stake center, 951 E. 100 South, free, generous donations requested.
-- Desert Orchid Dance Student Showcase and Shah Sitara, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Main Library auditorium, free
-- "Families Making Music," Clayton and Denise Williams Family, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, Temple Square, free
-- 16th annual Intermountain Choral Fest, Saturday at 8 p.m., Abravanel Hall
-- The Madeleine Choir Festival continues until June 11, events Sundays at 8 p.m.
Theater
-- “Hairspray”, May 12-14, Kingsbury Hall
--“Zorba”, May 12- 20, Rose Wagner Theater
-- “The Barber of Seville”, May 13- 20, Capitol Theater
-- "Five Guys Named Moe", through May 20, Pioneer Theatre Company
-- "The Foreigner", through June 3, Alpine Playhouse
-- "Always . . . Patsy Cline", through June 3, Desert Star Dinner Theatre
-- "Desperate Homemakers: The Big Fat Sequel to My Big Fat Utah Wedding”, Desert Star Cabaret Theatre,
-- "The Rat Pack Remembered", Desert Star Dinner Theater
-- "The Miracle Worker", through June 3, Hale Centre Theatre
Et cetera
-- 82nd Annual Spring Salon, through July 2, Springville Museum of Art
-- Learn how to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle at the Live Green Sustainability Festival, May 13, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., 200 West Pierpont
-- Bird Browsing, May 13, Ogden Nature Center
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