Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman doesn't have to mention Utah Congressman Jim Matheson by name.

The state's only Democrat in Congress is implied in the first sentence out of Mehlman's mouth.

"The fundamental question is: Do you want to have a representative that represents your values and reflects your interests? Or do you want to have a vote that doesn't matter?" Mehlman asked.

It's a rhetorical question from the national party leader, who was in Salt Lake City on Wednesday for a Utah Republican Party fundraiser. A year before the election, Mehlman is busy trying to chip away at the three-term incumbent, sowing seeds of doubt about him.

Mehlman acknowledges Matheson is nearly entrenched in his sprawling, heavily Republican district. A Deseret Morning News poll this week showed Matheson leading the rest of the state's delegation and even Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. with an approval rating of 78 percent. Mehlman calls Matheson a "nice man."

Still, the RNC boss believes Matheson is beatable. KSL Radio personality Doug Wright and State Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, are rumored opponents.

Reprising a line made popular by Matheson's previous challengers, Mehlman said Utah's lone Democrat in the U.S. Capitol is shut out of critical meetings about transportation funding, energy policy and public lands because of his party affiliation. No matter how conservative Matheson might be, he is at a disadvantage because Republicans are in power, Mehlman said.

Besides, in the one vote that matters most, according to the Republican chairman, Matheson will fall in line with other Democrats and vote for Nancy Pelosi to lead the House.

"The question is: Is his vote decisive?" Mehlman asked.

Utah Republican Party Chairman Joe Cannon called Matheson “overwhelmingly ineffective.”

“His own party isn't going to let him do anything because he votes conservatively most of the time, and the House leadership won't let him do anything because he's not Republican,” Cannon said.

Matheson spokeswoman Alyson Heyrend said the national and state GOP leaders are just doing their jobs. "What would you expect? It's the party that spends a lot of time and money trying to portray Jim Matheson as someone he's not," she said. "You wouldn't expect [Mehlman] to say anything complimentary."

Utahns know better than to swallow that line about the House speaker's race, Heyrend said.

Mehlman flew to Salt Lake City on Wednesday to strategize with party leaders and speak at a fundraiser at the Grand America Hotel - a reception for 75 Republican faithful who paid $25 per person.

Despite public opinion polls that show President Bush's approval rating falling lower than any previous president since World War II, Mehlman is optimistic Americans will regroup behind the GOP before the midterm elections. He notes that both President Clinton and President Reagan faced flagging, second-term public opinion polls. The key, Mehlman says, is to remind voters of the differences between the parties.

"The question is: Will Republicans in Washington continue to stand up for the need to change Washington - developing energy policy, controlling the border, reducing spending, taking the battle to terrorists - things that for too long were not being done, that are being done now and we plan to do more of in the future?"