Letter: Chaffetz is one of the conspiracy nuts McCain disdained
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Rep. Jason Chaffetz told members of the media at his home in Alpine during an impromptu press conference that he was leaving Congress to spend more time with his family. Chaffetz announced Thursday May 18, 2017 that he will step down from office June 30. In a letter to constituents, the Utah Republican and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said he did not want a "lifetime career" in Congress, although it is rumored that he is in talks about a job with Fox News and hasn't ruled out a race for Utah governor in 2020.
One of the advantages of reading the print version of the Tribune is that in a given day’s edition, one article often sheds light on another, sometimes in a deliciously humorous way. Such was the case with the Aug. 29 edition.
One article announced the publication of Jason Chaffetz’s book “The Deep State” (“Chaffetz’s book paints a picture of conspiracy”).
A second article, an opinion piece by Dana Milbank, quoted Sen. John McCain’s insights on conspiracy theorists: “They ignore the methods of science, the protocols of investigation and the dictates of logic. The conspiracy theorists chase any bit of information, no matter how flimsy, and use it to fit their preordained conclusions. They ascribe to the government, or to some secretive group, powers wholly out of proportion to what the evidence suggests. And they ignore the facts that are present in plain sight.”
In just four sentences, Sen. McCain summed up not only Chaffetz’s book, but his entire tenure in Congress.
Blair Bateman, Provo
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