Plenty of fireworks in Hatch-Liljenquist debate
June 15, 2012By: Lee Davidson
Sen. Orrin Hatch sometimes flushed red with anger and wrung his hands under the desk as he talked. His GOP challenger, Dan Liljenquist, often pointed his finger as he aggressively took on his Republican rival.
But few people saw that — and their expressions during many testy exchanges — because Friday’s debate was on the radio, and Hatch declined offers to have a tape of it televised.
It also is the only debate that Hatch is allowing between the state convention and Utah’s June 26 primary.
Liljenquist declared victory afterward and said, “That’s why they don’t want to debate.”
When asked who won, Hatch said, “I never talk in those terms.”
He added, “You’ll never see Orrin Hatch afraid to debate anybody” and said Friday’s radio debate plus two before the state convention were plenty.
The two had several feisty exchanges on KSL Radio’s “Doug Wright Show” about the value of Hatch’s 36 years of Senate seniority and about their voting records.
For example, Hatch accused Liljenquist of voting to expand child health insurance programs when he was a state senator.
“That is simply not true,” Liljenquist said.
“Well, of course, it’s true,” Hatch responded.
“No, it’s not true,” Liljenquist insisted.
“What are you talking about?” Hatch asked.
“The vote I took in the Legislature removed a five-year waiting period for legal immigrants — legal immigrants — to qualify for these programs. That’s all I did,” Liljenquist said.
Read more at: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54313111-90/hatch-liljenquist-debate-senate.html.csp
No comments:
Post a Comment