Sen. Orrin Hatch told about 300 of his presidential bid supporters that he will run for a fifth U.S. Senate term. And he said it would be the "toughest, meanest and best campaign in Utah," but it would also be "a fair, principled and honest race."
Hatch, who dropped his bid for president Wednesday, made the announcement to a packed room of public officials and well-wishers, some carrying hand-lettered Hatch signs, in Rice-Eccles Stadium's Varsity Room Friday evening.With his family and wife, Elaine, by his side, and members of Utah's congressional delegation, Gov. Mike Leavitt, former Sen. Jake Garn and others behind him, Hatch said, "We intend to be re-elected. We think we have a lot to give."
The news conference was part political announcement and part testimonial as Hatch praised his wife and the volunteers who supported him, then the elected officials lined up behind him came up one at a time to laud Hatch for the work he has done in his four terms in the Senate.
Rep. Jim Hansen said Hatch has worked tirelessly for Utah. Garn, who with former Gov. Norm Bangerter will co-chair Hatch's re-election campaign, said it would be "an unbelievably bad situation not to send" someone with Hatch's experience and seniority back to Washington, D.C.
And Gov. Mike Leavitt said he admired Hatch for braving a presidential campaign. "This state needs Orrin Hatch. We face challenges unlike any we've had before. I look forward to walking the campaign trail with him."
Hatch listed a number of things he would most like to accomplish if re-elected, starting with a tax cut. He criticized President Clinton's State of the Union address this week, quipping it contained $4 billion a minute in new spending. The Republican-led Congress has made it possible that the entire national debt could be retired in 13 years, but the president's spending proposals would endanger that. The tax cut, he said, is overdue. "When you have $4 trillion dollars in surplus over the next 10 years . . . you know we're taxing the American people way too much. We need to reduce marginal tax rates but we also need to save Medicare and Social Security."
Hatch said the nation's state of military readiness can no longer be allowed to slip, adding that an effort like Desert Storm would not be possible today.
And he promised to look at ways to address school safety issues. But the president's suggestions on gun control are not the answer, according to the senator. He said Clinton wants to take away the right to keep and bear arms, without even trying for a constitutional amendment. "We have to start enforcing the laws we have when people violate our laws with guns."
"Not one thing" the president and Democrats are suggesting to curb gun violence would have had an impact on situations like the slaughter of students at Columbine High School in Colorado, he said.
Hatch is promoting a "10-20-Life" bill that would mean someone who commits a crime with a gun would automatically have 10 years in prison without parole. If the gun was fired, it would be 20 years without parole. And anyone who hurt someone with a gun would serve life without parole.
He also told his supporters there's a "need to bridge the gap between class and race in this country."
Hatch said his only regret with his short-lived presidential bid was that he waited so long to enter the race, though he was proud to carry Utah's values to the nation. And he asked his supporters to switch their allegiance to George W. Bush. Campaigning against Bush, he said he "began to realize this is a very, very fine man. . . . I will do everything in my power to help George Bush be the next president of the United States."
During a news conference, Hatch joked about his poor showing this week in the Iowa caucus. He had planned to announce his withdrawal from the race on Tuesday, but Washington, D.C., had a major snowstorm and he had to cancel those plans.
Perhaps the snowstorm was a sign from God that he shouldn't withdraw, Hatch told his wife, Elaine.
"No, Orrin. The Iowa caucus was the sign from God," he said she replied.
He answered with humor questions about how long is too long for one person to serve in Washington. "You've stayed there too long when you don't do what's right." But he didn't say if this would be his last term, if elected. "I'm trying not to say things in an absolute way. I am looking forward to this election."