I’ve Got a Fever and the Only Prescription is SENATOR Mitt Romney

Via The Atlantic:

Senator Orrin Hatch has privately told allies in Utah that he is planning to retire at the end of his term next year, and if he does, Mitt Romney intends to run for his seat, according to five sources familiar with the situation.

“Nothing has changed since The Atlantic published a carbon copy of this same story in April, likely with the same anonymous sources who were no more informed on the Senator’s thinking than they seem to be now,” said Dave Hansen, a spokesperson for Hatch. “Senator Hatch is focused on leading the Senate’s efforts to pass historic tax reform, confirming strong judges to courts around the country, and continuing to fight through the gridlock to deliver results for Utah. He has not made a final decision about whether or not to seek reelection, but plans to by the end of the year.” He declined to comment on what Hatch has told allies in private. A spokesperson for Romney declined to comment for this story.

Sources close to both men said plans have already been set in motion for Hatch to retire and for Romney to run, but they cautioned that the timing of the announcements have not yet been finalized, and that either man could still change his mind. They spoke on condition of anonymity, because the plans are not yet public, and the subject is sensitive to Hatch. Already, though, the expected developments are reshaping the state’s political landscape.

Derek Miller, the CEO of Utah’s World Trade Center who said he was exploring a bid for the seat earlier this year, said the plan for Romney to run had been “reported to me as a ‘done deal.’” He added, “if Romney runs, I will fully support him.”

Two things in this are nearly certain. Orrin Hatch will probably not run for re-election as he will be about 85-86. This would put him into Robert Byrd and Strom Thurmond country. The second part is that Utah, barring deus ex machina, is a gimme state for the GOP. If Mitt Romney decided to enter the race, he’d be a hands down favorite on name recognition, religious affinity, and his involvement in saving the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. This is true whether or not Hatch was anointing him as successor.

Orrin “don’t count your Hatches before they chicken” Hatch is a solid, if mediocre, senator who has some conservative instincts but none as strong as being a company man. There are much worse in the Senate. As Erick Erickson says:

Conservatives need someone who can help Mike Lee in the Senate and I’m not sure Romney is the guy. But I suspect he would be the front runner if he chose to throw his hat in the ring.

I’ve never been a Romney fan. I don’t see him as being a big value-add to the conservative side of the ledger. I see it as replacing Hatch with Hatch v2.0. Not as bad as Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski, but no great cause for celebration either.

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