Last April, Tim Russert asked Utah Senator Orrin Hatch if he would accept a Bush appointment as Attorney General. After the customary smokescreens, Senator Hatch said:
Well, I’ve irritated the chairman of the committee just this morning. It’d be really tough for me to get confirmed, I’m sure. But the fact is, of course, anybody would serve this country. I would serve this country any way I could. But, but they’re not going to pick me. But the point is, you know, it’s up to the president.
That's an interesting excess of buts - but it's pretty clear that Sen. Hatch would 'graciously and humbly' accept such a chance to serve his country. Of course there are some questions that such a nomination would raise. First, and foremost, would a Hatch nomination well serve Bush/Cheney and the Republican party?
Matt Cooper just addressed this briefly at Conde Nast:
If Orin Hatch was willing to give up his Utah Senate Seat for a year as a lame duck AG it would be ideal for the White House. But it's hard to imagine that's how he wants to end his 30 year career in the Senate.
I agree that a Hatch AG appointment "...would be ideal for the White House", for many reasons. For one thing, Senator Hatch is a very strong supporter of essentially all of Bushco's policies. Yet he often manages to convey a much more deliberative, reasoned, and less than typically Bushco arrogant image while defending Bushco policies and decisions. In this regard, Orrin Hatch reminds me a bit of Tony Blair. They each have the ability to deliver some of the worst bs as if it is nothing less than undeniable truth.
For another thing, Orrin Hatch is well liked and respected in the Senate, and in the main-stream media. The White House would have absolutely no trouble getting him confirmed. Indeed, they would likely do so to the applause of many prominent Democrats, as well as all Republicans, of course. "Finally," I can hear the pundits say, "They've done something right!"
Still, as many such as Matt Cooper (see above) have observed, there remains the question of why Orrin Hatch would choose to leave his long and very satisfying Senate career for such a potentially thankless role in a lame-duck administration? Why agree to board a sinking ship, in a stormy sea?
An engineer would surely say, "Damage control, of course." And Orrin Hatch is surely an experienced political engineer. A preacher would say, "To comfort all those in danger, naturally." And Orrin Hatch, like many successful men from Utah, has a great deal of the preacher in him. But most significantly, a fiercely partisan politician would likely smile and say (very privately), "And also for the great photo ops, of course." And make no mistake, Orrin Hatch is a fiercely partisan Republican.
So, you may wonder, what good might those photo ops do Orrin Hatch? Won't his political career be over once he accepts appointment as a Bushco AG?
Well, my friends, for Orrin Hatch, his loyal supporters and customary beneficiaries, that would be the proverbial million dollar question. I'll bet that he has already calculated the odds and come up with the most likely (to him, at least) answer, and that answer is likely to be a resounding NO!
And why might that be, you may ask? Well, says I, that might be in large part because of the likely symbiotic effect an AG Hatch could have on the prospects of a certain Republican Presidential candidate who is very well known and liked in Senator Hatch's circle. It's OK to slap your head here, while you remember that the next President, like all Presidents, will have the chance to nominate someone(s) to sit on the Supreme Court. And what more fitting way for a former Senator to round out his career? Especially one who has had a long interest in the judiciary, and who seemingly sacrificed a lot "for his country" when he agreed to replace Gonzo as AG.
UPDATE: Thanks to dougymi, I now know that Matt Greenwald is now mentioning the possibility of an Orrin Hatch nomination over at Salon. He does so in his third update, which is currently at the end of his article today:
http://www.salon.com/...