



Utah Republican Orrin Hatch has a reputation as a classy conservative.

A trusted voice for right-wing causes, he is a stalwart foe of abortion who voted against Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. But Hatch, a Mormon, is also part of what might be called the Civil Caucus in Congress, often pairing up on legislation with liberal Ted Kennedy, supporting stem cell research, immigration reform and a DREAM Act that would allow children of illegal immigrants to attend college.

So it came as something of a surprise to hear Hatch, in an interview Monday night with Cybercast News Service, attribute the Obama White House passion for healthcare to a ploy by the Democratic Party to take over the political system. He seemed to suggest that healthcare reform will be so popular that Americans will come to rely on Democrats to keep it coming.

Take a listen and let us know what you think.

The 75-year-old Hatch also said he thought the Democrats' healthcare reform was unconstitutional, arguing that if the federal government can force Americans to buy health insurance “then there is literally nothing the federal government can’t force us to do.”

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Hatch and Kennedy confer during a 1987 hearing on the minimum wage. Credit: Terry Ash /T ime & Life Pictures / Getty Images

Click here to get Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot. We're also over here on Facebook.