His side career of songwriting now has prim and proper Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, looking like a Dead Head as he wanders the Capitol.
That's because he's proudly sporting a tie depicting Jerry Garcia - the late lead singer of the Grateful Dead - that a prominent Dead fan gave him Wednesday because he likes the song lyrics Hatch wrote on a new CD released last week."I hate to admit this, but your songwriting is actually pretty good . . . and I am a Grateful Dead fan," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., at the beginning of a Judiciary Committee hearing on patent reform.
So he said he wanted to find a proper way to honor Hatch - who is known for wearing wildly colored ties to go with his conservative suits.
"Orrin, I just want to let you know there are other sides, and I have seen the ties you wear. I have here a Jerry Garcia tie for you," Leahy said as he presented the tie.
Hatch responded, "Isn't that wonderful. And I hate to interrupt, but if you are going to give me a Jerry Garcia tie, the least I can do is give you a Rush Limbaugh tie" - which he did.
Leahy accepted the bright tie marketed by the right-wing radio talk show host, but said, "I won't tie this too tight because I understand it cuts off the rush of blood to the brain."
Hatch said, "It does tend to move to the right armpit, I will say that."
Hatch had his first CD of songs, titled "My God Is Love," released last week. He wrote the lyrics, and Janice Kapp Perry wrote the music. Some have been performed before by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Hatch has said previously he writes songs during more boring Senate hearings, late at night when he can't sleep and even sometimes in church meetings.
While in the past he has written some rock songs, bossa nova and even rap, he says he's found a niche now with hymns and patriotic songs.
As Leahy said, "If a liberal Democratic Grateful Dead fan" likes the music, "then so will everyone else."