Hatch gives Obama a 'C'

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), a frequent critics of the Democrats' agenda, on Tuesday gave President Barack Obama a grade of "C."

Hatch, appearing on the "Imus in the Morning," said that Obama has articulated some good ideas but is surrounded by "academics" and "bureaucrats" in the White House and is burdened by a poorly-performing Democratic Congress.

"Well, I'm not for grading presidents but he's probably in the middle, a 'C.' I think B-plus is pretty high under the circumstances," he said. "But a C is good for your first year. You know some of these presidents had a real rough time their first year. Part of it is the mess up here in Congress."

In a recent interview with daytime television host Oprah Winfrey, Obama gave himself a grade of "B-plus" and an "A-minus" if healthcare reform passes.

Republican Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), however, graded the president harsher than Hatch.

"I'm not a big grader, but it'd be below a C, I'll tell you that," the Wisconsin conservative said on CNBC yesterday.

---