On MSNBC this afternoon, Andrea Mitchell asked Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) about a MoveOn-organized protest outside his Salt Lake City office, where protesters criticized Hatch for allegedly being beholden to the insurance industry because it donated a lot of money to his past campaigns.
“I’m supported by people all over the health care system,” Hatch said, “including doctors, including hospitals, including insurers, including liberal people, conservative people and moderate people. Everybody knows how much money you have to raise to run for the Senate.”
Then Hatch turned his fury to MoveOn and George Soros.
“MoveOn.org is a scurrilous organization,” he said. “It’s funded by George Soros. He’s about as left wing as you can find in this country. And they’re up to just one thing, and that is to smear good people. And frankly, they’re not gonna smear me without getting kicked in the teeth by me.”
So…Hatch says he gets donations from all sorts of people — “including liberal people” — but as for that supposed left-winger George Soros and that “scurrilous” liberal group MoveOn.org — they’ve got a kick in the teeth coming.
We’ll have video for you shortly.
Late Update: An inside source points out what appears to be blatant inaccuracies in Hatch’s claims about MoveOn.org and George Soros. The source says: “MoveOn is a PAC funded by small donors – including it’s almost 23,000 members in Utah. It is not funded by Soros. It is a completely false right-wing talking point. Soros gave a one time contribution in 2004. MoveOn does not accept any donations over $5,000, and the average donation to MoveOn.org Political Action is under $100.”
And here’s that video.
Late Late Update: I’ve received the following statement from Justin Ruben, MoveOn.org’s executive director.
Local Utah MoveOn members went to Orrin Hatch’s office to question whether his opposition to health care reform is tied to the $900,000 he took from insurance interests, and what did he do? Go on national TV and threaten to kick them in the teeth. Apparently, this was easier than defending his ties to the insurance companies who have a stranglehold on our healthcare system. The people of Utah, including 23,000 Utah MoveOn members, deserve better. Hopefully, whoever Sen. Hatch kicks in the teeth is independently wealthy, in case their claim is denied by one of the insurance companies who’ve been funding his campaigns.
