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Issues/News>
Deseret News: Chaffetz...on Cannon's votes
March 5, 2008
Chaffetz planning attack on Cannon's votes
By Suzanne Struglinski
Deseret Morning News
Published: Tuesday, March 4, 2008 12:14 a.m. MST
WASHINGTON — Jason Chaffetz may not have as much money as
opponent David Leavitt or 3rd Congressional District Rep.
Chris Cannon, but he has a three-ring binder full of
examples on why Cannon should not be sent back to
Washington and voters should opt for him instead of
Leavitt.
From details on the immigration debate to a
minute-by-minutell as meet with potential donors. He said
he is focusing on meeting with potential voters who he says
tell him they are ready for a change from Cannon.
"I think they are just starving to find someone they can
believe in," Chaffetz said.
Immigration will continue to be a major campaign issue,
with all the candidates explaining how they are not for
amnesty of illegal immigrants in this chief of staff to
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., is in Washington this week to
research Cannon's legislative records as well as meet with
potential donors. He said he is focusing on meeting with
potential voters who he says tell him they are ready for a
change from Cannon.
"I think they are just starving to find someone they can
believe in," Chaffetz said.
Immigration will continue to be a major campaign issue,
with all the candidates explaining how they are not for
amnesty of illegal immigrants in this country.
Chaffetz not only insists he would be tougher on
immigration than Cannon, but says the six-term lawmaker has
managed to miss more than a handful of votes, some by just
minutes, to avoid taking a stance on important issues.
From his binder, which he said contains two years of
research, he pulls out voting records showing Cannon voting
on a bill but then missing one five minutes or so later but
then recording a vote on a bill minutes after that.
"Seniority doesn't matter if you are not voting and you
don't show up to vote," Chaffetz said. "I think that's just
wrong. He misses key votes ... "
Joe Hunter, Cannon's chief of staff, said the number of
votes Cannon's has missed it not out of line with other
members of Congress.
"The idea that Cannon is deciding not to vote is absolutely
ridiculous," Hunter said, pointing out that there are a
"myriad of reasons" on why Cannon could have missed votes,
including working on legislation on the Senate side, being
in meetings or hearings as well as back home in Utah while
his daughter Rachel was battling cancer. She died in 2005
at the age of 25.
"That accounts for many of the missed votes," Hunter said,
although Chaffetz insists there are strange lapses in vote
even after that time period. "He has certainly not slacked
off in terms of votes," Hunter said.
Chaffetz also complains that Cannon improperly uses his
congressional staff — who are paid with tax dollars — to do
political work.
Hunter said all congressional staff go through ethics
training that specifically addresses congressional versus
campaign work. Hunter emphasized that he answered questions
for this article on a non-congressional cell phone so there
was no conflict.
Cannon spokesman Fred Piccolo, who under House rules can
address the congressman's voting record, said on
immigration, Cannon voted for increased border patrol,
voted for Real ID, voted in favor of making illegal
attempts to enter the United States a felony and voted for
putting troops at the border.
"If they want to talk about votes, those are votes,"
Piccolo said.
But Cannon's voting record is not the only issue as far as
challengers David Leavitt and Joe Ferguson are concerned.
"I believe service in Congress should be service and not a
career," Leavitt said. He does not think the Republicans
will win back the majority in the House after the November
election, so Cannon's seniority argument does not matter.
"When Democrats took control, the value of his seniority
declined," Leavitt said.
Money is a key element in a campaign, where Leavitt, former
Juab County attorney, has already raised and spent $118,000
based on the latest Federal Election Commission numbers
while Chaffetz has pledged to only spend $100,000 for the
whole campaign.
"How you run your campaign is indicative of how you will be
in office," Chaffetz said, saying that his low-budget,
grassroots campaign plan of no paid staff, no free meals
and no polling goes along with his fiscal conservative
ideology.
Leavitt, younger brother of former Utah governor and
current Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt,
said it is not realistic for Chaffetz to think he can run a
campaign on $100,000, when the 2006 race between Cannon and
John Jacob reached the million-dollar mark.
"For those looking to replace Chris Cannon, he would have a
hard time challenging him in a primary," Leavitt said.
Leavitt says he is a better choice than Chaffetz because he
has spent his career as a prosecutor while Chaffetz has
spent his time as a marketer.
"I've spent my life making very difficult decisions,"
Leavitt said. "Do you want a salesman to go to Congress or
someone who has a proven track record?"
Chaffetz owns corporate communications firm Maxtera Utah.
Ferguson, who just entered the race earlier this year, said
that Cannon's voting record as well as the actions by the
president, Congress and Supreme Court overall have hurt the
country.
"This nation is on a road to self destruction," Ferguson
said. "I have a better vision of what the problems are and
what need to be done to solve them."
Ferguson described Cannon as "a puppet of the Eastern
liberal establishment."
"I don't trust him as a Congressman. I don't trust him as a
person," Ferguson said.
E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com
(Tip of the day: Jason's last name is pronounced "Chay-fits")
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