What I want to know is if the claims made by Ellis were true. If not, we can all vote for Clark. If they were, who leaked them to the press in the 1st place. Walker didn't have enough experience. Ellis does.

Pretty amazing that we voted for experience for Ellis and to get rid of Cannon.

At this point, Ellis should be more afraid than Walker.

After years of one-party rule, perhaps Utahns may be re-looking the entire political scene....and realizing that change starts at the bottom?

Ellis is a career employee who is seeking state office for the first time. Walker is from the legislature.

Calling Sheryl Allen and Steve Mascaro moderate republican is incorrect, since they are republican in name only, but democrats in action.

Speaker Curtis is quoted in your article as saying that he sees no provision in law for appointment of a special prosecutor. But if he would just open his eyes, he wouldn't have to look very far. Indeed, he should just look at his own legislative rules. JR6-4-302(1)(a), dealing with ethics complaints against House members, says that "The chair [of the House ethics committee] shall appoint a special prosecutor." How does somebody become Speaker of the House of Representatives when he doesn't even know the House Rules of Procedure? Is his tendency to mislead and cover so deeply entrenched that he can't just admit, "I don't know what our rules say about special prosecutors; I'll look into it?" Or how about something statesmanlike, such as, "Charges of bribery, election fraud, and conflict of interest of constitutional magnitude are very serious. We don't want anybody implicated in this kind of conduct to have a seat in our House. We need to assure the public that this will be reviewed disinterestedly rather than politically. To that end, I'll look carefully at the possibility of a special prosecutor?" Is he so morally blind that he can't see this? Vote him out this fall.

The entire RIGHTeous Republican Club will find this whole process to be a learning, revealing experience. It's about time!

The hard thing for the far right to grasp, is that if Allen and Mascaro are RINO's, so is 40-50% of the Utah Republican Party (assording to their definition). Ask the defeated incumbents and Mr. Ethics Mark Walker about that. Curtis has reason to be worried. Democrats united with moderate Republicans have enough votes to clean house in November.

Maybe the statement "Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely" applies to some members of Utah's Legislature.

How much power do they want? (1) They whine when the Court might analyze the bundlinging of education bills (even the sponsor said it wasn't proper); (2) They complain when "strong education unions" take opposition to spouses running for school board races; (3) They nominate pro-voucher candidates for the state school board; (4) And now I read that one of Utah County's top politicians is perhaps going to be implicated in this alleged bribing mess.

I purposely didn't include names because anyone who keeps on top of what is going on knows. Fill in the blanks and see where the names of Curtis, Stephenson, Lockhart, Bramble, etc. belong.

I, for one, am grateful that there members of the Legislature, Republican or Democrat, who challenge this "Absolute Power Mentality" that prevails.

To predict the future -- (1) education vouchers in Utah is not a dead issue; and (2) Mike Leavitt will replace Bob Bennett in two years and will disappear in Washington, D.C. just like he used to disappear when Utah's Governor.

*"I think" those bringing the new ethics investigation "are just using me as a whipping boy to get to (GOP) leaders," said Walker,*

You bet they are, and it's about time. What that legislature needs is some balance to show the GOP leaders they can't just do whatever they want and get away with it.

Could you please offer your PR services to Curtis and the House GOP? It would only seem natural for someone to think with their brain, but they tend to think with their egos instead. Maybe they just need a gentle reminder - like getting voted out in Nov.

I think I am one of many Republicans who are very tired of the right-wing of the party being in contol for so long. This includes Curtis, Clark, Bramble, Shurtleff, etc. Their arrogance is astounding. Thank goodness for those like Mascaro and Allen who have the courage to stand up to them. They are very representative of many moderate Republicans.

I for one am glad to see this happening. The legislature that we have is a group of self-serving individuals. It was ever so obvious in the school voucher incident. It appears to me that there are some individuals in this group that if they don't get what they want, they will try anything so as to get it. Backing a legislator for the position of State Treasurer is just another step to do away with any opposition they have encountered in getting their "agenda" passed. I for one am glad Walker didn't make it. He would have been a rubber stamper for these legislators. Kudos to Ed Alter for having the guts to oppose them. I'm sorry he is tired of doing it and I am disappointed (not surprised) that the legislature tried to pull a fast one on the citizens of this great state. Kudos to you who saw the reality of what was going on and took a stand against it.

It is absolutely appropriate that a special prosecutor be appointed (in fact, Speaker Curtis doesn't know his own House Rules -- which HE drafted -- which say that a "special prosecutor SHALL be appointed" in such cases). Voters need to know whether those higher-ups in the Hosue Leadership (Speaker Curtis, Greg Hughes, Bramble, etc.) have committed a crime by aiding in a bribery scheme. Our Legislators are SO CORRUPT it is not out of the question. I hope voters vote against these arrogant incumbents and elect people who will truly lead ethically.

GOOD!!!

Mayne this will bust up this state's Theocracy, and Utah will become a democrcy.

Mr. Mascaro, you are one of the few bright spots in Utah Republican politics. Thank you.

Sheryl Allen and Steve Mascaro give me hope for the republicans. I was going to unaffilate myself, but I know that in order to get the corrupt ones (Curtis, Bramble, Valentine, Shurtleff) out of office I have to vote in the primary.

I hope that some action is taken against Walker for not being honest.

I'm actually disgusted with all of you who blast good solid conservatives. Oops, that means you moderate and liberal dolts out there. Why don't you just switch parties where you belong?
Neither are real Republicans. They are Democrats in Republican clothes. Simply not being true to themselves is, in itself, is reason to distrust them.
By the way, Allen and Mascaro need to be very careful. They are so self righteously throwing rocks while living in a glass house. Both have some muddy history themselves. No doubt, Mr. Arrogance Ellis has skeletons too. Stay tuned!