Primary for Orrin Hatch?

Primary for Orrin Hatch?

Hometown paper says maybe: "Some in his own party argue he has lost touch with the state. And he angered some die-hard conservatives with his support for embryonic stem cell research and the expanded law enforcement powers in the Patriot Act."

Also, his personal friendship with Ted Kennedy makes him suspect on the right.

Hatch is 71; could Bush cap his career with a brief stint on the Supreme Court, something Hatch has long wanted? That means a smooth nomination - no sitting Senator has ever been denied confirmation - and another all-out winger in the Senate from Utah. Then, the gamble goes, Hatch steps down in a few years and the wingers get another shot at the Court.

The hitch for Hatch is that the right will clearly want another Thomas: solid condervative and YOUNG enough to leave a 40 year legacy. But if a filibuster looms, the Hatch option may be an easy way out.

Politics