This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Chairman Dabakis. Hatch shifting to the right? Romney's top-heavy donors.
Happy Monday. Utah Democrats this weekend elected Jim Dabakis as their state party chairman, making him the first openly gay state party leader in Utah history. [Trib] [KSL] [DNews] [KCPW]
-> Paul Rolly says Dabakis could provide an important bridge between the LDS Church and Utah Democrats. [Trib] And here's a tribute video to outgoing chairman Wayne Holland [YouTube] and Robert Gehrke's take on his time in office. [Trib]
-> Lastly, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie's keynote address had the crowd fired up. [YouTube]
Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch has shifted more conservative in his votes in the last couple years as he faces likely challenges from the his right flank. [Trib]
-> Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman visits SLC and goes on a Harley ride with some buddies after meeting with several governors in town for the NGA. [Trib] [DNews][KSL] [ABC4] [CNN]
-> The former Utah governor says he's excited about a poll he saw where he's ahead of President Barack Obama. [Fox13]
-> Huntsman tells The Washington Times that the race for president won't be about his Mormon religion. [WaTimes]
-> The Wall Street Journal takes a fascinating look at how Huntsman's campaign has tried to brand him and create "Generation H." [WSJ]
-> Ben Winslow reports that Democratic Sen. Karen Morgan is considering a run for governor. [Fox13]
Today's news: Governors from across the nation finish up their meeting in Salt Lake City with a charge that America needs to reinvent itself to compete globally. [Trib] [ABC4]
-> Gov. Gary Herbert says his fellow governors were impressed with the state and the NGA conference helped clear up misperceptions. [DNews]
-> Hatch finds himself in the "winner" column for his fund-raising prowess last quarter. [WaPost]
-> Utah Policy Daily's insiders are split on whether taxpayers should fund the bill for a Hawaiian conference. [UtahPolicy]
-> Putting on the NGA conference wasn't an easy task. [UtahPolicy]
-> Sponsors of a balanced budget amendment, including Hatch, offer little in the way of details of what they would cut should it pass. [Bloomberg]
New online: Sen. Mike Lee debuts his new website: [Lee.Senate.Gov]
Tweet of the day: From @governorherbert: "Governor Fitial, Northern Mariana Islands: 'I'm thinking of moving all my 65,000 people to #Utah.'"
Opinion section: Former Sen. Bob Bennett says a default on America's debt would be devastating to the economy and those arguing we need to crash the economy than compromise are wrong. [DNews]
-> Sens. Hatch and Lee argue for the Cut, Cap and Balance approach to dealing with the debt ceiling concern. [Trib]
-> Rolly says the 2012 election season in Utah is going to get dirty, so prepare for the mud-fight. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley pokes fun at the National Governors Association cocktail hour. [Trib]
-> A former Grand County council member says Republicans are putting his retirement at risk and will worsen the economic climate. [Trib]
-> A WSU criminal justice professor says that despite the lawsuit challenging anti-polygamy laws, legalizing multiple wives ain't going to happen. [Trib]
-> The Ogden School Board and Ogden Education Association should return to the bargaining table for the children, the president of the Utah Education Association says. [Trib]
-> Jeff Hartley argues that developing oil shale would lead to thousands of Utah jobs and millions in state and federal revenue as well as help make the nation more energy independent. [Trib]
-> Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt says governors are the ones who need to lead out on health care reform. [DNews]
-> LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli discuss whether state Rep. Carl Wimmer is the front-runner for the soon-to-exist fourth congressional seat. [DNews]
-> Tribune Editor Nancy Conway says journalism is about public service and not about ambition or profit. [Trib]
Where are they?
Rep. Jason Chaffetz testifies in the House Rules Commitee about his Cut, Cap and Balance bill.
Gov. Herbert attends a Nu Skin groundbreaking in Provo.
AG Mark Shurtleff is in Washington, D.C., for the Immigration Works Conference, meets with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and other Justice Department attorneys and sits down with Sen. Lee.
SL Co. Mayor Peter Corroon is in Portland, Ore., for the annual meeting of the National Association of Counties.
SLC Mayor Ralph Becker has no public events.
WVC Mayor Mike Winder meets with state Sens. Aaron Osmond and John Valentine.
President Barack Obama meets with senior advisers in the Oval Office and then with members of the Giving Pledge, including Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates. The president later makes a personnel announcement in the Rose Garden, hosts an education roundtable with business leaders and then meets with officials about the implementation of the Wall Street reform measures.
2012 watch: A Fox and Friends anchor says Mitt Romney isn't a Christian and no one challenges her assertion. [Mediaite] [Fox13]
-> Romney likes consultants and security, Newt Gingrich likes private planes and Obama has spent a third of his fund-raising haul on raising more money — a few of the details gleaned from reports filed Friday. [WaPost]
-> While in SLC, Huntsman again takes a swing against Romney — albeit without using his name — over his job creation record. [Trib] [WSJ] [CNN]
-> Politico says Huntsman's presidential campaign is finding it tough to deal with his unconventional energy and environmental record. [Politico]
-> Mitt Romney's campaign contributions are more top heavy — he got more maxed out donations — than any other candidate. [Politico]
Weekend in review: Sen. Lee left a bunch of money on the table when his campaign website told donors the maximum amount they can give is $2,400 — when in actuality, it's $2,500. [Trib]
-> Sen. Hatch offers the weekly Republican address to counter President Obama's address. [CNN] [USAToday]
-> Homeland Security says that Rep. Chaffetz released sensitive information to the public; Chaffetz says that's a lie. [Trib] [TheHill] [WaPost]
-> The family of a Pan Am flight 103 disaster victim has asked Utah's federal lawmakers for help getting a settlement. [Trib]
-> The new book by Mayor Winder and Ron Fox looking at presidential visits to Utah is coming out in October and he offers a quick preview of the cover: [IMGUR]
-> Gov. Herbert asks his fellow governors about the public perception of trade missions. [DNews]
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— Thomas BurrTwitter.com/thomaswburr