I’m an admirer of Dan Liljenquist, the former Utah state senator who led the charge for pension reform and Medicaid reform in his state. A recent profile in Governing suggests that he is exactly the kind of public servant the country badly needs. As the BYU political scientist Quin Monson told Ryan Holeywell, “he has this reputation for really being able to dig in on the details of complicated problems.” This is not a skill set that is in abundant supply among congressional conservatives, many of whom have the right instincts on policy questions yet who like the granular knowledge it takes to actually see reform efforts to completion. Liljenquist is running Sen. Orrin Hatch for the Utah’s Republican U.S. Senate nomination, a race that U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz chose not to enter, possibly out of the concern that it might divert resources from other races, including the presidential race. I’m sympathetic to Chaffetz on this front, yet I also recognize that Liljenquist might be a rare talent. Utah conservatives have a difficult choice ahead of them.
Yes! I went to a Dan Liljenquist town hall and came away an avid supporter after hearing him describe his fiscal conservative ideals and specific plans to implement them. We need more senators of the Liljenquist genre in Washington. Orrin Hatch is one of the conservatives you describe as generally having the conservative instinct but still lacking the policy know-how.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs a Utahn I am glad that someone with such a great skill set it running to represent our state in the US Senate. I believe that it's people like Dan who need to be in Washington at this time. There are changes to be made to put our country back on track financially and Dan has shown his ability to do that as a freshman Senator here is Utah. I believe he make a similar impact in Washington.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBecause I agree wholeheartedly with the author's assessment of Dan Liljenquist's remarkable ability, I cannot agree with his final statement. On the contrary, I think the choice is very easy for Utah's conservatives.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseReihan, you spelled "difficult" wrong. It is E-A-S-Y.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHatch's "conservative instincts" have been killed by 36 years in Washington.
It's TIME!
Time for Dan Liljenquist.
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Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseReihan is exactly right when he says "(Dan) is exactly the kind of public servant the country badly needs." It's time for bold, substantive reforms and Dan Liljenquist has proven he knows how to get that exact job done.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI prefer Chris Herrod. He has a history of standing up for states rights, and making the difficult stands, even when it is considered unpopular by his colleagues. He stands on strong, principled ground. If you'd like to know more, please visit www.herrod2012.com
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