This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I couldn't help but chuckle about the tone-deaf statement made by our junior senator, Mike Lee, in an article reported in The Tribune Oct. 13 ( "Utah governor asks president to let state reopen parks"). In a statement about the affected agency decisions being political, Lee stated: "As we've seen over the past week, these agencies are willing and able to wield tremendous influence in a manner that serves the political ambition of the few, at the expense of the many."
It seems that irony as well as common sense and decency totally evade the man. That statement nearly exactly defines the position of Lee and his partner in crime, Ted Cruz, using their tea party affiliation and political ambitions at the expense of millions of Americans by pushing Congress into this ill-conceived government shutdown. I hope the folks who voted him in are experiencing a lot of "buyer's remorse." Too bad we don't have a lemon law in place which would allow us to "repeal and replace" him.
Side-note to Gov. Herbert: Instead of writing and blaming President Obama for the shutdown, why didn't you write or call the members of our sorry congressional delegation and ask them to end the shutdown and reopen our parks? When last I checked, Congress was the only body which has the ability to shut down the government — not the president.
Wayne B. Spencer
Delta