Convention Confidential - Hurricane Or No, This City Is Awash With Convention Fever
by Jared Whitley
08/27/2012 | 848 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Jared Whitley, Washington correspondent
Jared Whitley, Washington correspondent
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Jared Whitley's Pictures from the RNC - Day One
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Though a veteran of several Utah state conventions, I have never attended a national one. Thusly I am excited to deliver this report not from Washington, DC, but lovely Tampa, FL, which is anything but lovely right now.

Though the hurricane threatens us, my trip to Tampa was uneventful, except for sharing a flight with former presidential campaign and gangster-themed pizza magnate Herman Cain (who sat in first class) and the Josh Romney family (who sat in coach).

I am volunteering as a member of the communications team for this week and will spend long hours preparing and proofing documents for public release. The logistics that go into an event like this are so staggering that even just the communications effort alone itself dwarfs anything I’ve previously done.

Everyone is friendly, polite, dedicated and hardworking. This is important because the people I’m working alongside will be virtually all I see for the next four days. I thought the convention would be a good opportunity to hang out with my DC and Utah politico friends in our off hours. Hah! No such thing exists.

We have also been encouraged to be on extra good behavior while visiting the Sunshine State representing the party and our nominee. One colleague counseled us:

“What happens in Tampa … will be on the Internet forever.”



…and with that advice, I’m going to read my scriptures and go to bed.
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Ten Things You Need to Know for Friday
by Bryan Schott
May 24, 2013 | 11676 views | 0 0 comments | 3 3 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Countdown: There are 166 days to the 2013 municipal elections, 249 days until the start of the 2014 Legislature, 525 days until the 2014 midterm elections and 962 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. 

An analysis says expanding Medicaid coverage will save Utah more than $130 million and would give health insurance to 123,000 residents [Tribune].

A new report ranks Utah #1 for economic outlook next year [Utah Policy, Tribune].

House Majority Leader Brad Dee goes on a European vacation with three lobbyists, but Dee insists the trip was above board because everybody paid their own way and they didn’t discuss politics [Tribune].

Former Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is caught on tape offering to get $2 million for Utah Businessman Darl McBride if he would shut down a website critical of another Utah businessman. That money was to come from a third Utah businessman who was in trouble with the Attorney General’s office [Tribune].

Former Legislator and current blogger Holly Richardson says she’s had enough with the “culture of corruption” permeating the Attorney General’s office [Holly on the Hill].

Sen. Orrin Hatch wants to hear from Utahns who think they have been inappropriately targeted by the IRS as part of his investigation into misconduct by the agency [Tribune].

Kennecott lays off 100 workers because of the massive landslide at their Bingham Canyon Mine [Tribune, Deseret News].

The Boy Scouts vote to allow gay members in their ranks [Deseret News].

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman launches a new political action committee to support Republicans who share his point of view [Tribune].

Gov. Gary Herbert says he is confident the state can work out a deal to avoid taxing the electricity used by the new National Security Agency data center at Camp Williams [Tribune].
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