Senator Hatch: both sides "ridiculous" in squabbles

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff

NEW YORK -- Senator Orrin Hatch, a conservative Utah Republican, today defended Barack Obama from what Hatch called ``ridiculous'' charges that Obama had insulted GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin with the use of an age-old expression, ``lipstick on a pig.''

``I think it's ridiculous, what they've said about Sarah Palin,'' Hatch said, referring to criticisms of her fitness for the White House. But to suggest that Democratic nominee Obama was calling Palin a ``pig?'' Just as silly, Hatch said.

``I think it's ridiculous to make too much of Barack Obama [and his comments about the McCain campaign message]. I'm sure he didn't mean it that way, the way it's being interpreted,'' Hatch said in a brief interview after he formally announced a sweeping national service bill he authored with his Democratic friend and colleague, Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

While Hatch said he is committed to electing GOP nominee John McCain, ``Barack Obama is a nice person. He's smart; he's intelligent. He writes well. He's very charismatic.'' Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, who has served with Hatch for decades in the US Senate, is ``a very fine human being,'' Hatch added.

While both nominees reverted back to their increasingly combative campaign today, Hatch urged all of his colleagues to work on a bipartisan basis, as Hatch has frequently done with Kennedy.

``Ted Kennedy is the lion of the Senate. As much as Republicans make a fuss against him, every one of us are praying for his safe return to the Senate in January,'' Hatch said earlier, addressing a summit of Servicenation, a national service group.

The Kennedy-Hatch bill, introduced today, would provide $5 billion over five years to give modest one-year stipends to people of all ages willing to do community service work in health, education, the environment and anti-poverty efforts. Hatch said the bill combined Democratic approaches of creating domestic and international service programs -- such as former Presidents Kennedy and Clinton did -- with Republican ideas to encourage volunteerism, and help nonprofits support themselves financially.

Both Obama and McCain, who appeared separately last night at the national service forum, have agreed to co-sponsor the measure, Hatch said.

Caroline Kennedy, the senator's niece, said her ``uncle Teddy'' was delighted to see the legislation moving ahead, and was looking forward to passing the bill under the next administration. ``Theirs is a strong partnership,'' Kennedy said of the two senators. After years of working on health, education and jobs legislation together, ``I'm happy to report that today, they have done it again,'' she told the summit attendees.

Hatch said he had recently spoken with Senator Kennedy, who is under treatment in Massachusetts for a malignant brain tumor.

``He told me he was dealt a rough hand,'' Hatch said, his voice softening as he talked about the friend he considers ``like a brother.''

``But he's going to fight back, and he's going to whip this thing,'' Hatch said.