Utah Republicans oust Bennett in party convention

Delegates at the Utah Republican Convention today ousted Bennett in a move likely to send shivers through the campaigns of other politicians around the country running for re-election this year.

The longtime senator from Salt Lake City, son of former Sen. Wallace Bennett, was pushed aside in the second of three rounds of balloting among the 3,400 delegates gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Attorney Mike Lee and businessman Tim Bridgewater advance to a final round. If one captures 60 percent of the vote, he'll clinch the nomination. If not, they go on to a June 22 primary.

Bennett is the first Utah senator to fail to get his party's nomination since Democrats tossed out Sen. William King in 1940 over King's opposition to the New Deal.

In order to survive a second ballot, Bennett had to peel off more supporters than Bridgewater from those five candidates who are out of the running. And it didn't happen.

Bridgewater picked up momentum on the second ballot to place first with 37 percent and Lee with 36. Bennett finished third and out with 27 percent.

In what was his final appeal to delegates, Bennett argued his experience and ability to fight the Democrats is what separated him from the other two remaining contenders.

"There's only one question between the three of us; it's a question of which one will be most effective at stopping [Barack] Obama,