From the diaries

In the Christmas Day edition of the Salt Lake Tribune, Sen. Orrin Hatch was recognized as Utahn of the Year. While it appears to be complimentary, the honor was actually the exact opposite. As explained in an editorial by the paper, the award goes to “the Utahn who, over the past 12 months, has done the most. Has made the most news. Has had the biggest impact. For good or ill.”

In Hatch’s case, it was for ill, mainly due to his lies about making his current term in office his last and his “utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power.”

Almost on cue, Hatch displayed his lack of integrity in a response to the Tribune where he tweeted that it was a “great Christmas honor to be recognized.”

Grateful for this great Christmas honor from the Salt Lake Tribune. For the record, I voted for @SpencerJCox and @rudygobert27. #utpol pic.twitter.com/7iFOBK6TWf

— Orrin G. Hatch Foundation (@OrrinHatch) December 25, 2017

When it was later pointed out to the 83-year-old senator that he wasn’t being praised by the paper, Hatch fired back at the Tribune and claimed that his tweet was sarcasm. As someone who can appreciate good sarcasm, it looks to me like Hatch treated the Tribune the same way he treats legislation.

In other words, he didn’t read the story before voting on it.

Hatch is an enemy of conservatives, which makes him a favorite senator of Trump and McConnell as they work together to transform the GOP into the Trumplican Party. Much like McConnell did in his recommitment ceremony with Trump a few months ago, Hatch took the stage at the tax reform celebration held at the White House last week to praise Trump as “one heckuva of a leader” who may become the best president ever.

In exchange for his high praise, Trump has been working on Hatch to break his campaign promise to retire, mainly because he doesn’t want Mitt Romney to replace him. When it comes to Hatch and Romney, the choice is between bad and badder so Utah and America are screwed either way, but Hatch is firmly in the Trumplican camp and he’s a reliable McConnell ally.

When Hatch first ran for the senate in 1976 against Sen. Frank Moss, his campaign tag line was “What do you call a senator who’s served in office for eighteen years? You call him home.” He also told a group of Capital Hill interns in 1983 that “You should not fall in love with DC. Elected politicians shouldn’t stay here too long.”

After setting the record for the longest-serving Republican Senator in history at 40 years, it’s time for Hatch to heed his own advice. And if he won’t do it on his own, Utah voters need to do it for him.