In an attempt to meet their obligations as candidates for public office, several candidates for US Senate attended a debate sponsored by Democratic US Senate candidate Pete Ashdown at the Salt Lake City Main Library today. The only candidate absent or failing to send a a representative to the event was Utah’s incumbent 30 year senior senator, Orrin Hatch.

The day prior to the debate, Pete Ashdown reported on KCPW Senator Hatch had failed to respond to his invitation to participate in today’s event. In response to questions about his intentions, Senator Hatch stated he had never declined an invitation to a debate. Apparently he feels failing to respond or show up technically allows him to continue to claim he has never formally declined such an invitation.

It is a sad day when our representatives do not believe they need to face the people that elected them and face their questions, hear their concerns, or be held accountable for their votes/positions. Senator Hatch’s refusal to participate in this debate, and failure to offer alternative dates when he could appear before the voters of Utah and take their questions, represents the kind of unique hubris that only comes with 30 years in office.

In 1976 while campaigning to replace then Seantor Frank Moss, Hatch asked the question “what do you call a Senator after 18 years? You call him home.” If Hatch was right then, his answer is at least doubly true for a Senator that has been in office for 30 years and refuses to face the people he claims to represent.