Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah) is mulling a run for U.S. Senate in 2012. To oust Sen. Orrin Hatch in a primary or at the party convention (à la Bob Bennett), Chaffetz would need to build a strong coalition on the right. Hatch, however, has a strong argument to make to conservatives about why he should stay in place.

Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal reports:

It now appears almost certain that the next senator to take over as the highest-ranking Republican on the powerful Senate Finance Committee will be Orrin Hatch of Utah. Republicans naturally hope Mr. Hatch will become chairman after this fall’s midterms or, at worst, after the 2012 races.
The current ranking Republican, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, is term-limited out at Finance and is headed to a top post at the Judiciary Committee. Republican Senate leaders have apparently struck a deal with Mr. Hatch to insure that the gavel at the Finance Committee doesn’t wind up in the hands of moderate Olympia Snowe, who has years of seniority on the tax writing panel. Ms. Snowe often bolts from the GOP position on taxes and financial issues. She was one of three Republicans who broke ranks and voted for the Obama stimulus bill and this week she announced she will side with Democrats on the financial services reform bill.
“No one wanted Olympia, that’s for sure,” says a senior Republican staffer with 20 years of experience on the Hill. “Olympia as chairman would be a disaster for conservatives.” Ms. Snowe is said to covet the Finance Committee gavel…
What all this means is that a play against Mr. Hatch from the right would endanger the conservative movement, because Olympia Snowe would be next in line to be Finance Chairman. So, ironically, the senior senator from Maine may be Orrin Hatch’s passport to reelection in 2012.