Utah GOP Senate Candidate Mark Shurtleff Stands Up for Governor Palin Against Obama

Editor's Note: This post is dedicated to our friend, Beehive and other folks from Utah who follow C4P. This post should not be read in any way as an endorsement of either candidate given the many endorsement requests that we receive on a daily basis. :)

Utah Senator Bob Bennett was one of four Republicans to stand up and applaud when Barack Obama effectively accused Governor Palin of lying when she used the phrase "death panel" as a metaphor for what would likely occur down the road should Obamacare ever become law. Bennett is also up for re-election in 2010. Mark Shurtleff, Utah's Attorney General, is challenging Bennett for the GOP nomination and highlighted Bennett's decision to support Obama:

"It is no surprise Bob Bennett stood with the Democrats and applauded Obama's attack on Sarah Palin," said Jason Powers, campaign spokesman for Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who entered the race in late May. "In Washington, D.C., you are known for the company you keep." Powers also went after Bennett for S391, legislation he is co-sponsoring with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon.

"Bob Bennett's own health care proposal has a provision calling for end-of life clearinghouses," Powers said. "No one knows exactly what those clearinghouses would do or advise, but we do know Bennett wants to appropriate one million of our tax dollars to them each year."

The Club for Growth recently released a television advertisement highlighting how the Wyden-Bennett healthcare bill would "turn[] control of our health insurance system over to the government."

While Bennett is a heavy favorite for the nomination, in the last poll taken of the race in February and before Shurtleff announced his candidacy, Bennett polled under 50% in a hypothetical matchup with Shurtleff. Polling under 50% against an opponent is typically considered a danger sign for an incumbent in a general election, let alone a primary. The data is really surprising considering that Bennett has served as Utah's junior Senator since 1992.

Pallin' around with Obama probably wasn't the smartest decision by Bennett. The same poll showing Bennett under 50% against Shurtleff shows Obama's favorables/unfavorables in Utah to be at 33/53 at a time when Obama was actually fairly popular nationwide.