NOT GOOD, NOT GOOD – AT 8:23 A.M. ET:  I know it's a lot of fun to play the "purge the impure" game in politics, but it usually winds up destroying a political party.  Now, according to The Politico, another Republican is in trouble because some see him as impure:

The Utah Republican delegates who unceremoniously dumped Sen. Bob Bennett at their state convention last weekend also left an ominous warning for their longest-serving senator: You could be next.

Sen. Orrin Hatch’s expected bid for a seventh term won’t happen until 2012 — a lifetime away in political terms. But while it’s impossible to predict the level of anti-establishment fervor or the staying power of forces like the tea party movement two years from now, there are plentiful telltale signs that Hatch may have real reason to start worrying.

Roughly half of Utah voters would vote for someone other than Hatch if he were up for reelection this year, according to a Mason-Dixon poll released Tuesday and commissioned by the Salt Lake Tribune.

And the same sentiment was easy to find at this year’s convention. Many of the same delegates who helped bring down Bennett signaled that Hatch could encounter similar problems with grass-roots conservatives who view any break from ideological purity as a betrayal of the cause.

“He’s toast,” chimed in delegate Saima Leon, when she overheard a reporter inquiring about Hatch’s political vulnerability.

COMMENT:  Now let's just control ourselves, shall we?  If Orrin Hatch, a fine, solid, conservative senator isn't considered conservative enough, who is? 

This is exactly what happened to the Democratic Party, starting in 1968.  The greats – including the legendary Scoop Jackson ("Mr. National Defense") were cast aside in favor of this year's trendies.  You see the result.

America is an idealistic, but not an ideological country.  We like our political parties a bit more flexible than do the Europeans.  We are a nation of 305 million, with vast territory.  We have always respected local traditions.

A conservative in one region may not be exactly the same as a conservative in another.  Thus, we embrace Rudy Giuliani, even though some of his views will not mesh with those of Tom Coburn.  We backed Scott Brown, even though a Massachusetts senator has to make certain compromises. 

A party must be a large tent, although, clearly, not an infinite one.  I'm afraid we have some people who want to start tossing loyal Republicans out of the tent because they're not pure on every issue.  If you agree with them, I'll simply ask you how the phrase "minority party forever" appeals to you. 

It's time for the grown-ups to assert themselves.  We expect reasonable adherence to party ideals.  But the idea of demanding every crossed "t" and dotted "i" is absurd.  By the standards of some of these purists, Ronald Reagan would, today, be shown the door.

May 12, 2010