SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of letters are en route to Washington, D.C., from Salt Lake City, after more than 500 Utahns convened at a coffee shop Thursday to put their displeasure with Sen. Mike Lee in writing.
Although the letter-writing campaign was organized to let Utahns vent their frustrations with the current state of politics, those sprawled across several dozen tables at Publik Coffee Roasters were upbeat and cheerful, displaying a sense of tragic optimism.
“I wish I could be optimistic. I’m reading ’1984′ with my students and it’s actually just like reading the news. There’s basically no difference,” said Camden Smith, an openly gay teacher who said Republicans like Lee are waging an open “assault on my lifestyle.”…