Senator Orrin Hatch Says Ronald Reagan Richly Deserves an Oscar

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch is down with Ronald Reagan receiving a posthumous Oscar, but he concedes it would be an uphill battle.

We got the Republican Senator Tuesday on Capitol Hill and he thinks Reagan's CV is Oscar-worthy -- movie star, SAG President and Prez of the U.S.

There's a petition being circulated asking the Academy to honor Reagan -- as the only Academy member to become Prez.

The Senator -- who's retiring this year -- admits it's a tough road to hoe for any conservative to get love from members of the Academy.

BTW ... when Reagan first ran for Governor of California, his opponent campaigned against Reagan using his movie, "Bedtime for Bonzo" -- where Reagan chummed up to a chimp -- to argue he was unqualified.