Utah Senate: Special Election?

[socaldem]

Why on earth would Orrin Hatch give up his safe and respectable job in the Senate (which is his for as long as he wants it) to take up a job in a lame duck administration (which is due to end in two years)?

Well, Orrin Hatch is 73 years old.  And I'm not sure he'll be all that happy to spend at least 5 1/2 more years in the Senate when he's almost assured to be in the minority.

[socaldem]

http://www.politics1.com/

Speculation continues to grow that six-term US Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) -- former Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- is aggressively posturing behind the scenes to replace Al Gonzales in President Bush's Cabinet as the next Attorney General. Hatch would be certain to win swift Senate confirmation by a nearly unanimous vote. A Hatch appointment would also help improve Bush Administration relations on Capitol Hill. Numerous news reports, including inside-the-Beltway sources like Roll Call, all say Hatch very much wants the post as a nice way to close out his lengthy political career. Although Hatch was once a Presidential hopeful, most who know him say his real ambition for many years was to secure an appointment to the US Supreme Court. Now, at age 73, a realistic Hatch knows an appointment to the high court is most unlikely. If Hatch becomes AG, Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (R) would select an interim replacement who would be required to face voters next year in a special election for the remaining four-years of Hatch's current term. Several prominent Utah Republicans are already jockeying -- just in case -- to run next year.

I'd love to see a Sen. Olene Walker but I don't think that's happening.