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Chuck Todd Hearing Noises about Ayotte for Senate

by: Dean Barker

Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 22:07:25 PM EDT

I don't believe it for a minute, but FWIW:

I'm hearing that efforts to recruit appointed state Atty Gen. Kelly Ayotte may just come to fruition. In New Hampshire, the governor has the power to appoint the state A.G. Ayotte was first appointed to the post by ex-Republican Gov. Craig Benson, then re-appointed by Democratic Gov. John Lynch. And it's these bipartisan credentials that have had some Republicans in New Hampshire salivating over the prospect of her candidacy.

Todd says to look out for a July announcement, if there's going to be one at all.

(Of course, Sununu Senior has been clear that Junior won't tell the world his senate intentions until the fall, so that makes it extremely unlikely any high profile Republican is going to cross them with an announcement earlier than that. Vide Bass' repeated ambiguous statements running for Something.)

My guess is that some "salivating" New Hampshire Republican talked up Todd in order to create some buzz around the idea of the AG running.

Update: although... Zandra made an interesting catch in that ayotteforsenate.com was privately registered on May 6th of this year.

Dean Barker :: Chuck Todd Hearing Noises about Ayotte for Senate

Tags: NH-Sen, Kelly Ayotte, (All Tags)

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Chuck Todd Hearing Noises about Ayotte for Senate | 23 comments

Ha Ha (0.00 / 0)

That's rich. . . . I don't buy it, though. Am still thinking that Sununu or Bass will fill the vacuum.

by: Dartmouth Dem @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 21:28:34 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Chuck is nobody's fool (4.00 / 1)

I know Chuck and trust him.

I should have updated the BH website before I posted my diary, but this is all Lynch's doing. He gave her the visiblity that allowed her to be mentioned as a possible Senatorial candidate.

by: Putney Swope @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 21:30:01 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Agreed (0.00 / 0)

There was no good reason to re-appoint Ayotte except to pacify Republicans, and perhaps because Lynch didn't have any big objections with her. I'm not questioning Lynch's motives, because I don't think they're suspect here, but I think her views and policies are fairly incompatible with his and he should have picked someone who was closer to his ideals and policies, whether a Democrat or a more like-minded Republican. Appointing Republicans is fine, but they must either be in lower, less important positions, or be closer to the policies of the Democratic governor.

by: FrankLloydMike @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 08:23:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

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What Was the Reason? (0.00 / 0)

It has been obvious all along that she is politically ambitious.
I'd love for someone to explain to me why Lynch chose to re-nominate Ayotte.
If her views were truly not "close to the policies of the Democratic governor," then why?
I expect to read a good analysis here, because I sure don't have one.

No'm Sayn?

by: BurtCohen @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 09:23:51 AM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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I don't either (0.00 / 0)

and I don't know what his reason was. I just didn't want to imply anything either way, but really I think there was no gain for Democrats at all in re-nominating her.

by: FrankLloydMike @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 13:33:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Inconclusive (4.00 / 4)

But I did find this nugget:

Domain Name: ayotteforsenate.com

Created on..............: Wed, May 06, 2009
Expires on..............: Thu, May 06, 2010
Record last updated on..: Wed, May 06, 2009

Registered privately - which means I can't find out who owns it.

(By the way - GSP now has a Twitter account, https://twitter.com/progressnh. It's been up for all of 5 seconds, but more to come.)

Zandra Rice Hawkins (Granite State Progress)

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 21:45:04 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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The period messed up the link (0.00 / 0)

but you get the point.
https://twitter.com/progressnh

Zandra Rice Hawkins (Granite State Progress)

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 21:50:53 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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The other Electronic Forensics to watch (0.00 / 0)

include wikipedia edits... nothing telling there yet
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/inde...

Hope > Fear

Create a free Blue Hampshire account and join the conversation.

by: Mike Hoefer @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 23:26:54 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Nice catch. (4.00 / 1)

And I see that ayotteforcongress and ayotteforgovernor are both available.

by: Dean Barker @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 04:19:25 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

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Crazy as it sounds (4.00 / 4)

I think Papa 'nunu has his sights set on Lynch. He dwells alot on the Governor. Lynch gives cover to GOoPers that want to lean left and for Rip Van 'nunu, that simply won't do.

Yes, the Senate seat is huge to the national GOP, but the corner office is the prize, if one seeks to rebuild the state party.

Besides, E. is way young. A stint as Gov would give him "executive experience."

www.KusterforCongress.com

by: Jack Mitchell @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 22:01:36 PM CDT

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Yes. (0.00 / 0)

Sununu's focus is on Lynch. My sense is that he's upset that it wasn't in 2008, and that this played a role in dragging down his son.

by: Dean Barker @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 04:22:10 AM CDT

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"Lynch gives cover to GOopers (0.00 / 0)

that want to lean left..."

I can see how that might happen, in theory. But I haven't seen any any cases of it. The Republicans in the General Court and the EC have been pretty united on everything from marriage equality to tax policy.

Maybe among the voters? But there it seems more likely that Lynch makes a segment of Independents more comfortable voting Dem...

by: elwood @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 05:23:29 AM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Two fears for 'nunus (0.00 / 0)

Reality-based: Lynch does give cover to Undeclared-Republicans in particular to vote Democratic. Many, many Republicans and independents voted for Lynch in consecutive cycles, and from the point of view of the state party this is a threat to survival. (Lynch as gateway drug.)

Loony: The GOP is losing because we're not conservative enough! We have to enforce orthodoxy! Those damn citizen legislators voted for [dehumanizing slur] because Lynch gave them cover to break the party line! (Lynch as Obama-Popularity-Level Boogeyman.)

by: Mormo @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 08:24:28 AM CDT

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But they DIDN'T break the party line - (0.00 / 0)

That's my point.

Every Republican in the Senate opposed marriage equality, very few Republicans in the House supported it.

by: elwood @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 18:36:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

thank god... (4.00 / 1)

the governor chose to reappoint AG Ayotte. For all the reasons I've long harped on, I think Paul Hodes would eat her lunch.

by: measurestaken @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 22:28:33 PM CDT

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Poor Ovide... (0.00 / 0)

Poor, poor Ovide...
Cast aside so swiftly?

Doing my best to elect NH Democrats since 1968 and getting better at it every year!

by: Ray Buckley @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 22:41:29 PM CDT

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Avoid Lamontagne n/t (4.00 / 1)

www.KusterforCongress.com

by: JonnyBBad @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 00:07:51 AM CDT

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And whither Fred Tausch? n/t (0.00 / 0)

by: Dean Barker @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 04:13:38 AM CDT

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Cokie's Law (4.00 / 2)

A phrase I just learned today, from Digby.

It doesn't matter whether it's true, it's out there.

by: JimC @ Tue Jun 16, 2009 at 22:53:51 PM CDT

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The worst thing about the Ayotte reappointment (4.00 / 3)

isn't that it might help a Republican candidacy.

It is that having an AG with obvious political ambitions, who is being groomed as a statewide candidate, means that every action by the AG's office - on death penalty cases, on medical marijuana, on casino gambling - must be viewed through the lens of "What's in it for Kelly?"

by: elwood @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 05:34:04 AM CDT

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Let's combine the three, shall we? (4.00 / 1)

She has no qualms with taking the gamble that denying marijuana to people dying in pain will grease her path to higher office.

To hell with that.

Ayotte: Unsafe In Any Office

by: Tim C. @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 19:00:09 PM CDT

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Ongoing investigations will kill Ayotte's chances (0.00 / 0)

Kelly Ayotte will be lucky if she serves out the remainder of this year, let alone be available to run in 2010. Now that her good friend Tom Colantuono is no longer U.S. attorney, the investigation ordered by Federal Judge Joseph Laplante of her office can go full steam ahead.

by: davecoltin @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 08:47:32 AM CDT

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You may find an ear or two, now. n/t (0.00 / 0)

www.KusterforCongress.com

by: Jack Mitchell @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 09:33:36 AM CDT

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Chuck Todd Hearing Noises about Ayotte for Senate | 23 comments