11 seconds ago 2009-11-10T08:20:03-08:00
Fun facts about Orrin Hatch:
-He's a songwriter and musician. He plays the piano, violin and organ. His song "Heal Our Land" was performed at George W. Bush's January 2005 inauguration.
-He's a Mormon. He has a painting of his great-grandfather, Jeremiah Hatch, entering Utah's Ashley Valley in 1878. The Hatches helped found what is now Vernal.
-He's not a fan of college football's Bowl Championship Series, or BCS. He's asked the Justice Department to investigate whether that format violates antitrust laws. Hatch would prefer to see a playoff system. Why? It might have to do with the fact that the University of Utah was bypassed for last year's national championship despite going undefeated in the regular season.
-When it comes to Sotomayor, Hatch is one of the senior Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and fought with Democrats over their filibusters of President George W. Bush's lower court judicial nominees. He's also one of the more conservative senators on the panel, but he has been known to work with Democrats on issues when it suits his purpose.
-Jesse J. Holland, AP reporter, Supreme Court
