Palin endorses Utah's Hatch in Senate race
(CNN) - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has weighed into another race for the U.S. Senate, this time endorsing the incumbent seeking reelection to the Utah seat he has held since 1976.
Palin announced her backing for Orrin Hatch in a post to her website Tuesday evening, calling him "part of the one percent of national politicians who I think should be reelected."
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Her endorsement comes almost precisely a month after Hatch came within several dozen votes of avoiding a primary contest in his bid for a seventh term in the Senate.
Hatch is known for reaching across the aisle on occasion, though in her endorsement, Palin touted his opposition against the health care reform led by President Barack Obama, as well as opposition to Obama's nominees for the Supreme Court.
"We know he will use his seniority and influence to dissuade politicians from continuing to raise the debt ceiling without any plan to balance the budget and end these dangerously unsustainable deficits," she wrote. "And unlike some others, Orrin has gone out of his way to embrace the Tea Party movement."
Palin made her case for Hatch in a television appearance last August, saying his support for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution means "we need to be agreeing and embracing his idea and working with him to make sure that happens, instead of shooing him away and out of the Tea Party movement."
Former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist will face Hatch in a June 26 primary, and in his first television advertisement, suggested the incumbent was being hypocritical to turn down televised debates, which Hatch had called for in his 1976 bid. One of Liljenquist's supporters has said he will protest Hatch's decision to only debate once, and on radio, by holding a personal hunger strike.
National groups and figures have weighed in on the race, including GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who endorsed Hatch.
Palin's prior 2012 endorsements have included the backing of Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who this month defeated incumbent Richard Lugar - who, like Hatch, started in the Senate in 1976.
- CNN's Mark Preston, Ashley Killough, and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report
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Palin had a tough choice this mummy or zippy the chimp.
Palin endorses Hatch in Utah's Senate Race.
So?
Sarah Palin is just shopping around for a VP candidate, while she finalizes the plans for her ‘Elinor Burkett’ invasion of the Republican National Convention. There Sarah Magdalene Palin will claim the Party Nomination for President of the United States and go on to win in November.
Palin/Hatch 2012-2020
Poor Orrin Hatch. A kiss of death being endorsed by Palin.
This means nothing. Sarah is just trying to hitch her wagon to any winner she can to keep herself relivant. People in Utah like Orrin Hatch. His challenger has the backing of a vocal minority. In the community caucuses that selected the state convention delegates, there was a high turn out, giving Hatch nearly enough delegate votes to avoid a primary. Two years ago the same vocal minority dominated the community caucuses which had a low turnout, dooming Sen. Bennett. Although Mike Lee is a good Senator, Utah can't dodge a bullet from the right again. People in Utah have learned the lesson that if you don't vote, the wing nuts will win. But seriously, Sarah, go catch a salmon and cook it for me.
This is her roundabout way of warming up to endorsing Mitt. First endorse someone who Mitt has endorsed and endorses Mitt, then by default it is easier to endorse Mitt, after having endorsed Newt.
Sarah is going to be a major influence peddler in the coming House and Senate elections -- on her way to being named Energy Secretary when Mitt wins. Now we're talking "energy independence".
To be fair and balanced, Palin also endorsed herself as being relevant.
Why would it matter who this woman endoreses
@Peter...Just Like an old Ling Cod....keep taking the bait. Admit it, you poor liberals continue to pull your hair out but still maintain she is irrelevant. It does not add up!
There goes his chances... Duces Hatch!!!!
Looks as though Flailin' Palin and Mr. 1% have just returned from a joint tour of Planet Kolob!
Being endorsed by Palin is like being told you are liked by a blind frog.
Who's Palin? Who cares?
Obama 2012 – BEND Forward America, take another 4 long years of FAILURE wrote:
"Warren Hatch IS one of the few good guys that have been there for a while. Bu thte winds of change are blowing... 2012 will decide if we continue full tilt down the road to bankrupt socialism of pull the country back onto the successful path to properity."
Spoken like a true team zombie. The new administration is going to fix everything. Hooray!
Now, where have I heard that before?
Well that's the kiss of death. See ya Orrin.
Why does anyone in the US care about what this woman thinks? I'm constantly amazed.
She didn't want to go back to AK after the 2008 debacle. Maybe she is testing ghe different state waters to see where her dumbness will buy her some votes and settle there?
I wouldn't put anything pas her. She is a horrible person.
Pathetic.
Lucky for him, he would never consider working with President Obama on anything.
This is their purity test. MUST ALWAYS OPPOSE THE PRESIDENT.
Bunch of clowns.
Isn’t Sen. Hatch a member of the Washington-insider-good-old-boys-club that she supposedly despises so much? If Sen. McCain had any scrap of decency he would publicly apologize for foisting this person on the national stage. Sadly, that will be his legacy.
Well, that should end his candidacy!
The Pailins - the Kardashians of Politics!
Don't you just love all these lib and rino posts about how Palin is so irrelevant. Inidana: Mourdock ahead by 5, Palin endorses, Mourdock wins by 22 over Lugar. Nebraska: Fischer, down by 12 a week before primary, Palin endorses, wins by 6.Texas: Cruz down by 30, Palin endorses, last poll down by 9, primary in a couple weeks.Arizona: McCain in trouble in Senate primary, calls on Palin, easily defeats primary opponent, wins big in general. Let's see, what other VP'S or VP candidates have endorsed lately. Cheney, Gore, Quayle, Mondale, GHW Bush, Nope, haven't heard any meaningful endorsements from those heavyweights.
@ peter...."where have I heard that before?' Ah, you're too easy....You heard that from the present POTUS. You liberals have to start using your
fingers, and even toes, to get this to make sense.
In a just world, this would be the Kiss of Death for Hatch..(I'm not saying he's the worst one out there, because he's not. I just can't believe that what Palin thinks matters to CNN. I actually read this just to make sure you weren't quoting Bristol again!