August 12, 2026

Behind the scenes, a walk down “Radio Row” at the Republican Convention

Not even qualifying as a cub reporter, or even a novice, I made friends with a few good staffers from Senator Mike Lee’s office early on, and they were quick to lend me a helping hand to meet and talk to the other political luminaries cruising the area. [cont…]

Packing hygiene kits with the Utah Delegation

With tropical storm/hurricane Isaac crossing the Gulf of Mexico, the schedule for the Republican National Convention was abbreviated today, but that doesn’t mean Utah’s delegates weren’t busy. This morning, after a breakfast honoring Senator Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican Party organized a humanitarian service project for delegates packing hygiene kits for use in any areas affected by the Isaac storm system.

Prologue to the Convention: First Impressions

We left Salt Lake in the early hours of morning Sunday and after, changing planes in sunny Los Angeles, we descended through a cloudy layer and into Tampa Bay, Florida. The Republican National Convention won’t get rolling until Tuesday, though there were events tonight and more tomorrow. Just a few quick observations from this battleground state: [cont…]

What I’m looking for at the Republican National Convention

Next week, the Republican National Convention will gather in Tampa Bay to formally nominate Mitt Romney for President and Paul Ryan as Vice President. In spite of hurricane Isaac, I’ll be there with KSL News Radio as their “Star Correspondent” for the week. We’ll be there to report back to Utah on the convention, to make sure you hear about what is happening, even if it doesn’t make the prime time broadcast.

Here’s a few of the things I’ll be looking for at the convention: [cont…]

Utah Democrats refuse Republican help & continue their tantrum

Given the choice between accepting Republican help and continuing a public temper tantrum, Utah Democrat Jim Dabakis prefers a tantrum.

In the end, Utahns can tell the difference between grand standing and good public policy. On one hand we have Litvak, who represents the image of a consistent, fair public servant. On the other hand, we have Dabakis, more interested in a headline, in smearing his opponents than seeking compromise and the public interest.

We need public servants more like Litvack, willing to stand by his oath to the public over short-term interest and party loyalty. Politicians like Dabakis are savvy with the media, and he makes for great copy, but his grandstanding does little for the public interest. [cont…]

Round-up: Newsweek turns on Obama, and Romney’s Mormonism to play in the Convention?

This is a bird’s eye view of the race for the White House in the week before the Republican convention. Rasmussen find Romney up and Obama down, under-40 breaking for Romney, Newsweek turns on Obama while the Obama campaign fights internal strife, and Noonan asks: “If it had been a Republican vice presidential candidate who had made those gaffes…the subject today of the panel would be how stupid is this person, can this person possibly govern?”

Also, Romney’s Mormon faith and the opening prayer at the convention…

Are you overtaxed? Do you know how much you pay?

Do Americans “dramatically underestimate” taxes? Not only do more than half of Americans believe they are overtaxed, it turns out that many of us don’t even realize that our employer pays more taxes on top of our payroll deductions. In other words, many Americans don’t realize that your employer is paying an extra price for every worker, money that might otherwise be spent wages, R&D, employee benefits, or investment. I’m just sayin’…