Re: Can Orrin Hatch Tame the Tea Party?

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I wrote earlier this week about Orrin Hatch’s Tea Party courtship. Yesterday, Hatch won a bit of conservative cred for his voting record, notching a perfect score — one of 12 — on the American Conservative Union’s index. ACU is also the host of the festivities at CPAC, but some of the event’s attendees may not have heard Hatch aced their test. This afternoon, while participating in a panel discussion about the need for a constitutional amendment to rein in government spending, Hatch was heckled by audience members about his wayward TARP vote. Moderator Lew Uhler, of the National Tax Limitation Committee, defended the senior senator from Utah. Hatch handled the situation gamely, and copped to botching the vote. But the episode was a telling sign that for when it comes to heretical votes, conservative activists have long memories.