Oct. 31--The Utah Eagle Forum's e-mail list has been quivering, bulging, all but bursting from a flurry of pleas streaming through the electrical currents of conservatism to rally the troops and save one of their patriots: Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan.

E-mails sent from the Eagle Forum site almost daily in mid-October implored the soldiers of moral decency to contribute, to walk, to lick envelopes and to knock on doors to help the two-term champion of intelligent design and gay-bashing get re-elected.

"He is VITAL to what we are able to accomplish in the state Senate and WE NEED HIM BACK!" said one of the e-mails dispatched to the faithful on Oct. 15. "If we lose him, we will lose important footing in the Senate, particularly when it comes to legislation protecting our traditional, moral way of life AND rights of parents and families!"

The e-mail also divulged the discovery of skulduggery among the liberal media elite.

"We have learned that the earlier published [KSL-Deseret News] Dan Jones poll incorrectly elevated the senator's lead against [Democratic opponent John] Rendell. We are speculating this may have been intentionally done to lull his constituents and supporters into a feeling of safety, expecting we wouldn't work as hard in getting out the truth and representing our values," it warned.

(I do not concur with the Forum's conclusion that the esteemed pollster Dan Jones would ever falsify his poll results.)

While the conservative crusading Eagle Forum frequently gets involved in political races to elect candidates who will support its causes, the Buttars campaign seems to be the most aggressive it has been since its siege several years ago of former Republican Rep. Nancy Lyon, of Bountiful, who angered the Eagles with a committee vote on a technical item dealing with abortion.

The telephone tree went wild. Delegates were recruited and enlisted. And Lyon lost, being replaced by the Eagles' choice, a legislator whose chief passion was the support of gun-toting private militias.

He lasted one term.

What does he know? Utah is posed once again to vote overwhelmingly for the Republican presidential candidate, just as the Beehive State has done each presidential election since 1964.

But the Utah citizen who brought more international renown to the state than any other has bucked that trend by joining a group of equally prestigious folks to once again make headlines.

Seventy-six living Nobel Laureates, including the University of Utah's Mario Capecchi, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize for medicine, have signed a letter endorsing Democrat Barack Obama. It is the largest number in history of Nobel winners endorsing a presidential candidate, easily surpassing the previous record of 47 who endorsed John Kerry four years ago.

"During the administration of George W. Bush, vital parts of our country's scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support. The government's scientific advisory process has been distorted by political considerations," the letter said. It went on to praise Obama's understanding of need for government support of scientific research.

The letter was signed by all three 2008 American Nobel winners.

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