Reading the tea leaves

摘要

The political class first sat up and paid real attention to the "tea-party" movement two years ago, when its acolytes in Utah ended the career of Bob Bennett, a venerable Republican senator, by denying him the party's nomination for his re-election bid. If Bob Bennett is not conservative enough, incredulous congressmen asked, who on earth is? One person assumed to have dwelt long and hard on that question is the other, even more venerable Republican senator from Utah, Orrin Hatch, who has been in office since 1977.