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Show Alo The Sait Lake Tribune _UTAH/NATION Hatch Gets Little Respect @ Continued from A-1 Hatch will take support wherever “I thought it was pretty neat.” says Hatch, who ‘called Salinger to thank him for shis $144 contribution. Hatch’s candidacy, never a likely proposition, isn't quite liv ing up to expectations. Instead of a million “skinny cats” sending Hatch checks for $36, only 15,000 did. “That's about 985,000 less a than I need,” he allows. Instead of climbingto secondor third in the polls, as Hatch hoped, he is dead last at sixth, with a whopping 1 percent, behind radio commentator Alan Keyes and Christian activist Gary Bauer. Hatch figured 8 voters would come to view Bush as unreadyand McCain as phony, and some have — but they still haven't warmed to Hatch, who Suggests he will quit if he can’t place fourth or better in the lowa caucuses Monday. And nowthis: The senator's campaign consultants, led by Sal Russo, have dumped him. Hatch hired Russo’s firmto run a soup- his surprise run last summer, his to-nuts campaign, directing strategy, organizing, television and press. The Russo gang quitearlier this month when Hatch turned down nearlya million dollars in public matching funds, for which the campaign proudly announced its qualification in November. “Whywould I turn to the taxpayersto finance myelection?” he asks. Russo's firmtold him that he balanced-budget amendment!”) Hatch himself appreciates the irony of his position: one of the most serious men in Washington getting no respect on the campaign trail. “I'mstarting to get the word out. My wife said just this morning, ‘I hear you're running for president,’ ” Hatch quips at a speech to Principal Finantial Group employees in Des Moines On Wednesday, Hatch is driv ing more than 100 miles through the snowstorm just for an interview with the 35,000-circulation Times-Republican at Mr. G’s Res: taurant in Marshalltown, and for anotherinterviewwith the Mason City paper. There are no greeting parties, no supporters, no organi- zation. The reporters, in person or on the phone, invariably inquire about the hopeless nature of his quest. Hatch is getting usedto it Wednesday night, it’s Brian Williams on MSNBC. “He probably wants to knowwl mdoingthis since I can’t win,” Hatch says. “Tt's fascinating to people that I keep going. What went wrong? Some rea sons helists are obvious: started late, didn’t raise much money, from a small state, isn’t exactly a live wire. And he complains of anti-Mormon discrimination from fundamentalist Christians. Hatchalsoblamesthe press for his status as an also-ran, even though he knowsreporters are just tracking the candidates’ bank accounts and poll numbers. “Almost everyinterviewI've had, they say, ‘You're a giant in the You don't have a chance.” Ever since Hatch announced candidacy has inspired something of a parlor game in Washington: Why does he do it? Even his clos est allies were doubtful. “I said. “Well, I feel anxious for you,” ” says Kevin McGuiness, Hatch’s former chief of staff who took a leave from hislaw practiceto vol unteer as campaign manager. Somespeculatethat he is run ning for a Supreme Court nomi. nation or appointmentasattorney general. Somethink heis doing it for a bit more TVtime. Some say it's because he hates McCain (who “in particular does stick in my craw,” he acknowledges). Still others think it's a secret plan to help Bush, by fragmenting the opposition. And, of course, there’s the stated reason: The senator simply sees himself as morequal ified than the other guys. But there's another explana tion that may outweigh the rest Hatch is 65 years old, and this is Winter Seems To Forget About Utah — Again holiday is always tough.” Last year wasn't a banner season, and this one clearly won't be either It even rained in Park City last week. This/marks the seventh January in a row during which tem- @ Continued from A-1 peratures have been above normalin Utah, said William Alder, National Weather Service meteorologist. in Kearns, snow-blower sales started strong in November, but manyina row, continuallycooled as the weather stayed warm. “Aboutthis time our summer “You usually don't have that This weekend might bring some snowto the Wasatch Mountains and the benches, but no big changes are in store for the near stuff starts to pick up,” Assistant Manager Carl Armstrong said. future. snow blowers.” Weather patterns suggest February through April will bring near-normal precipitation in “We're kind of stuck with some The lack of snow, of course, hasn't helped Utah ski resorts. The state often has a January thaw But the mild weather follows a disappointing holiday season in which out-of-state skiers skipped Utah to celebrate the millennium elsewhere. Hopefully, we willdo as well northern Utah with higher than normal temperatures, Alder said. Southern Utahwill continue with less moisture than normal, and higher than normal temperatures. The warmer weather has not disturbed fruit-growth cycles yet, but the next few weekswill determine whethertrees will bud,said Wade Bitner of the Utali State iversity Agricultural Exten- perhapsthelast time he could run as we did last year,” said Kip that he wants to tell his 19 grandchildren that he reached as high trade association representing Service in Salt LakeCity. Utah resorts. “But losing the ev If above-average temperatures for president. One gets the sense in life as he could, that he even had a goat the highest officein the land “If the people don't want meas president, I can live with that —in fact, I caneasily live with that,” Hatch says. Tooeasily, perhaps.“I will never Pitou, president of Ski Utah, a should.” But if winter shows up and temperatures return to normal, Utah’s cherries, apples, peaches and apricots will follow their regular life cycles. Notall farmers curse the weird weather. Those whose crops draw grasshoppers might luck out, Bit ner said. When temperatures are above normal, grasshopper eggs can hatch. But when temperatures re treat to colder ranges, the hoppers that hatched will die and so will eggs exposed during the warmer period. “This may be just what we need to kill excess grasshoppers,” Bit ner said. Someretailers also benefit from bare lawns and comparatively balmytemperatures. Golf-ball sales are up little from the typical January, said Matt Kitterer of Uinta Golf in Salt Lake City. Tribune reporter Guy Boulton contributed to this story. uPTO candidate says, looking at a map of Towa and ing off all the towns hadn't at least given it what I vulnerable to a freeze ALL FLOOR MODELS regret doing this,” the hehasvisited. Would heregretit: foreverif he didn’t atleast tryto be president? “I would feel like I continue,trees may bud in mid- to late-February, making the state's $12 million-plus fruit industry JANUARY FLOOR MODEL CLEARANCE SOFA OFF! COMEIN TODAY WHILE THEY LAST! I 8901 S. 1300 W. - 984-2029 2425 S. HIGHLANDDR.- 467-1005 would look like a fool running around Jowa with no ads but the cheaply done infomercials he alreadyran. . | As a result of all this, the mightysenator, lion of the Judi- ciary and Finance committees,is forced to live as an also-ranin Iowa, accepting even the lowliest appearances. He gets up early to be on a shock-jock radio show in which the host, immediately before Hatch’s segment, is talking about“big mudflaps on a chick.” His first question to Hatch is about Bob Dole and his “penile dysfunction,” then a query about Hillary Clinton allegedly having ol sex with Vince Foster, then one aboutPresidentClinton allegedly raping Juanita Broaddrick, then something about “orgies going on rel Excellence& BSUS In our humble opinion, it is simply © the best towel you can purchase in CONDITONING (801) 972-8557 LOCAL LAB SAVES UTAHNS THOUSANDS ON HEARING AIDS. Free Report exposes what you needto knowbefore you buya hearingaid. Secretsthat the hearing industry doesn't anit you to know. Howto avoid paying $6,000for your hearing aids. To have this free report mailedto youat nocost Call Toll-Free 1-888-710-2537 24 Hr. Recorded Message. ubl -e Provided by Harris Hearing Utah! DILLARD’S EXCLUSIVE! Mary Carpenter's 80th Birthda: Shhh... 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(“I'm the author of the As Candidate can get it. im the White House.” Hatch calmly responds with “It makes me sick” and “You're absolutely Saturday, January 22, 2000 |
