Opposition Quotes
For all quotes, please cite with:
- Date (Day, month, year)
- Publication, show, record, etc (Title, author, Page number, show title)
- Hyperlink, if possible
- Context, (where was this said? What is the situation?) so we can not be accused of taking quotes out of context
"BALANCING THE BUDGET - In the last few years, the U.S. Senate helped produce the most unbalanced budgets in our nation's history. A senator who was serious about cutting inflation and balancing budgets could have made things better.
SLOWING DOWN SPENDING - The last 2 years have set disappointing national records for spending your tax money. I've pledged my vote to slow down the Senate's spending increases. If I don't vote that way... I'll resign! If Senator Moss had made that same pledge he wouldn't be running for a 4th term as Senator" - 1976 Hatch Campaign Ad
"The old-line party professionals tell me I have no chance to win... But I'm used to impossible odds. That's the story of my life ... We need new faces, new blood, new thinking. It is time to turn out the politicians in Congress who have contributed to the failure of recent years." - 1976, in Richard Vetterli, Orrin Hatch : Challenging the Washington Establishment. Thirty years later, this is still good advice!
"Vigilant and effective antitrust enforcement today is preferable to the heavy hand of government regulation of the Internet tomorrow." - "Antitrust in the Digital Age." Remarks before The Progress & Freedom Foundation, February 1998
"I do know dumb-ass questions when I see dumb-ass questions" - 4/30/2003, US Senate Judiciary Committee, objecting to Sen. Schumer's questioning of John Roberts (to the Appelate court).
"Any revolutionary, paradigm-shifting technology presents government with new policy challenges. The Internet is no exception. I recently read that earlier in this century there were concerns about the sale of automobiles to the public as it provided crooks with a tool to escape the police. Luckily, we found a way to address the automobile 'concern.' It is my hope that we can do the same for any concerns that surround the Internet." - Prepared Remarks before the Judiciary Committee, "Privacy in the Digital Age: Discussion of Issues Surrounding the Internet," 4/21/1999.
"But we [should] be encouraging one of the most important innovations in the history of the world, the Internet. And Iâll tell you what Iâm worried about: the almighty hand of the federal government coming in & oppressing the Internet & stifling innovation and creativity. We want to keep governmentâs mitts off as much as we can. And if we do, weâll reap the benefits from it." - Republican Presidential Debate, Phoenix, AZ, 12/6/1999; responding to a question from Sen. McCain about making the Internet tax moratorium permanent.
"I'm interested...If we can find some way to do this without destroying their machines, we'd be interested in hearing about that, but if that's the only way, then I'm all for destroying their machines. There's no excuse for anyone violating copyright laws." - Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, 6/17/2003, on "Security Risks of File-Sharing," responding to Randy Saaf of MediaDefender Inc.: "No one is interested in destroying anyone's computer."
"You're always going to have nutcakes out there, no matter what you do." - 8/22/2005, KSL story stated "...Senator Hatch made it clear how he feels about today's protestors, some of whom have lost loved ones in Iraq."
"It's just that I got a little bit upset of listening to this type of what I consider to be political talk-- which we have all too much of this on to stinking floor -- this wonderful floor, I guess I better say..." - Congresssional Record--Senate S12931, Remarks on Senate Floor, 11/16/2005, defending bil oil companies from having to give excessive profits back to the poor. The "stinking floor" comment was not recorded in the Congressional Record, but several sources confirm it.
"The Democratic Party seems to be taken over by the Michael Moore contingent in their attitude toward Vietnam, and they continually call for a withdrawal of troops at a time when we haven't finished the job." - On Fox News Network, 11/28/2005, deleted in transcripts, originally. As reported by Thomas Burr, Salt Lake Tribune 11/29/2005.
"And it's not fair to even raise executive sessions after we've had two private meetings." - Argument with Sen. Leahy, Senate Judiciary Committee, 5/9/2001
"Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life." - Senate Floor Remarks, 5/16/1988, on passing bill providing death penalty for drug-related killings, as reported by Helen Dewar, Washington Post, 5/17/1988.
"Last year I only took in $18,009 in royalties on my album My God Is Love. Obviously there is a lot of piracy going on.
"This place has never grown on me," Hatch says of the nation's capital. "I have to be here because this is where the job is really fulfilled. [But] there's nothing like being home . . . I'd rather be there than anywhere else." - Burr, Thomas, "Hatch no stranger to Utah after all" Salt Lake Tribune, 12/5/2005, A1.
"'And, more importantly, we've stopped a mass murderer in Saddam Hussein. Nobody denies that he was supporting al-Qaida.' In a clear attack on Democrats, Hatch added, 'Well, I shouldn't say nobody. Nobody with brains.'"--Speech to Iron County leaders, quoted in Kiggins, Steve, "Hatch defends Bush's domestic surveillance" Cedar City News, February 19, 2006.
"There are too many Sith judges on the dark side who wave their gavels like light sabers,"--speech at Utah Valley State College, March 21, 2005, quoted in Thomas, Dylan, "Hatch Blames Activist Judges" BYU Newsnet, March 22, 2005.
On the topic of terrorists, Hatch is quoted as saying they are "waiting for the Democrats here to take control, let things cool off and then strike again." Tooele Transcript Bulletin, August 15, 2006.
