O, Jim, we hardly knew ye. Perhaps we never really did. As a registered Democrat, I am a rare commodity in Utah, and I read, with no great surprise, that Rep. Jim Matheson joined other illustrious naysayers in Washington (aka the Republican Party) to try to defeat the signature cornerstone of his party, health care reform ("House passes health care bill," Tribune , Nov. 8).

Quite some time ago Matheson joined the ranks of a less-than-illustrious crowd in Washington -- those who will do anything to attain their only true goal, re-election! Does he truly believe that he can win re-election by abandoning the principles of his own party? I and many other Utah Democrats will see to it that Matheson will never serve another day in Congress after January 2011. Try winning an election without your base, Jim-boy; that is what you've fated yourself to do.

Paul R. Dinan

Tooele