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Note to GOP: Voters pick candidates, not donors. Hartley to take over as House CoS. Utah will have $638M in new tax revenue.
Happy Wednesday. Yesterday we brought you the news that some big-time GOP donors are looking to anoint a candidate ahead of the primaries to try and give the party the best chance at the White House. But that may be a bit naive, according to National Journal's Josh Kraushaar. After all, voters pick candidates, not donors — and the latter hasn't really had the best track record in the past. "Betting on a two-time losing presidential candidate, another Bush who hasn't run a campaign in 12 years, and an intemperate governor with declining popularity in his home state as the strongest nominees for the party would be comical if it weren't true." [http://www.nationaljournal.com/against-the-grain/republicans-should-listen-to-their-voters-not-donors-20141209" target="_blank">NJ]
Topping the news: Greg Hartley, a longtime GOP consultant, will take over as House chief of staff under Speaker Greg Hughes. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/4226-greg-harley-new-house-chief-deputy" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
-> A BYU grad who wrote a key memo with legal justifications for use of enhanced interrogation methods misled by the CIA, according to a new Senate report. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/1927608-155/senate-torture-report-says-cia-misled" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Utah will now have another $638 million in tax revenue that can be used on an array of programs thanks to a spike in the state's economy. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/1927901-155/utah-will-have-another-638m-to" target="_blank">Trib][http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/4223-utah-revenue-estimates-up-meaning-tax-hike-unlikely-in-2015" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
-> Utah Democratic Party Chairman Peter Corroon says he plans to run again for his gig and discusses why Democrats lost so badly in the 2014 races. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/multimedia/4229-corroon-hopes-owens-will-run-again-in-2016-video" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
Tweet of the day: From https://twitter.com/DamienFahey" target="_blank">@DamienFahey: "The CIA torture report is Dick Cheney's Fifty Shades of Grey.
Tune in: Attorney and former Army brigadier general David Irvine, University of Utah law professor Wayne McCormack and Tribune reporter Nate Carlisle join Jennifer Napier-Pearce to discuss yesterday's CIA interrogation disclosures and implications for U.S.-foreign relations. Watch Trib Talk live at12:15 p.m. Mountain Time on http://sltrib.com/" target="_blank">sltrib.com.
In other news: As of Jan. 1, Salt Lake County will begin charging fees for the use of the county's senior centers. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/1928853-155/county-to-charge-fees-for-senior" target="_blank">Trib]
-> According to a report by the Elected Official and Judicial Compensation Commission, Gov. Gary Herbert should be given a 36.5 percent salary bump. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/1928791-155/pay-commission-give-governor-a-365" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Rep.-elect Mia Love says moving the new state prison to her district is "not warranted." [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865617314/Rep-elect-Mia-Love-says-new-state-prison-not-warranted-in-her-district.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> Pat Bagley offers his take on Dick Cheney's defense of the use of torture. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/1928882-155/bagley-cartoon-torture-kept-us-safe" target="_blank">Trib]
-> According to the Utah Supreme Court, a woman can be married posthumously to a man. [http://fox13now.com/2014/12/09/utah-supreme-court-says-woman-can-be-married-to-dead-man/" target="_blank">Fox13]
-> Paul Rolly discuss a Utahn whose recurring campaign donation to Democratic congressional candidate Doug Owens continues to be withdrawn despite the end of Owens' campaign. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/1927080-155/rolly-utahn-laments-the-campaign-donation" target="_blank">Trib]
Nationally: According to a torture report released by the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Central Intelligence Agency is at fault for misleading the White House and Congress regarding information obtained from terrorism suspects and the brutal methods that were used to acquire such information. The report also shows that President George W. Bush was never briefed by the agency on specific techniques until 2006. [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/world/senate-intelligence-committee-cia-torture-report.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=span-ab-top-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0" target="_blank">NYTimes][http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senate-report-on-cia-program-details-brutality-dishonesty/2014/12/09/1075c726-7f0e-11e4-9f38-95a187e4c1f7_story.html" target="_blank">WaPost][http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/senate-report-cia-interrogations-much-harsher-than-disclosed/article/2557173" target="_blank">Examiner][http://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-report-calls-cia-interrogation-tactics-ineffective-1418141913?mod=WSJ_hp_RightTopStories" target="_blank">WSJ][http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/cia-torture-report-113420.html?hp=t1_r" target="_blank">Politico][http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-82230524/" target="_blank">LATimes]
-> During his visit in Nashville, President Barack Obama said that Congress could could eliminate the need for his immigration actions if they approved a legislative overhaul to the nation's immigration system. [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/us/politics/obama-says-congress-could-eliminate-need-for-his-immigration-actions.html?ref=politics" target="_blank">NYTimes]
-> The House introduced a $1.1 trillion spending package that will avert a government shutdown. [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/house-introduces-spending-bill/article/2557188" target="_blank">Examiner][http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/11-trillion-spending-package-reflects-republican-priorities-113455.html?hp=t1_r" target="_blank">Politico][http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-spending-bill-20141209-story.html" target="_blank">LATimes]
Where are they?
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com" target="_blank">cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [http://www.sltrib.com/pages/email" target="_blank">Trib]
— Thomas Burr and Mallory Jesperson
https://twitter.com/thomaswburr" target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr and https://twitter.com/JespersonM" target="_blank">Twitter.com/JespersonM