Ayotte: "The political landscape has changed drastically"

She said WHAT? (4.00 / 7)

She was reappointed in, what, March? It is July 7.

According to Republicans, no one can predict anything.

How do they balance a checkbook or fill a gas tank? No one could have predicted it was 100 miles to Graceland.

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by: JimC @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 16:10:23 PM CDT

Not accurate (0.00 / 0)

The political landscape has not changed - Gregg said he wasn't running back in what - January, February?  All that has changed is that (1) Kelly has  gotten a lot of phone calls promising her the earth, moon and stars if she runs for the senate and (2) based on all those phone calls she is starting to believe she really may be the political equivalent of Kelly Clarkson.

Flattery and promises that her campaign will be fully funded by the NRSC are pretty seductive.  Poor Ovide is going to be under a lot of pressure not to run, but, the ultra-conservative wing of the party may not warm up to Ayotte.
   

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 17:24:43 PM CDT

The most interesting conversation, imo, will be (4.00 / 5)

when Bass is asked not to run.

Who will be the one to do it?

I mean, how many times was he elected into office? Six?

Probably the whole GOPer universe inside NH and out doesn't want him to run, but who's going to tell him that? Especially to make way for a total novice.

I'm still wondering how these hard-line pro-lifers Ovide and Ayotte are going to win indies.

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by: Dean Barker @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 17:32:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think you may be jumping the gun on where Kelly Ayotte positions herself. (4.00 / 3)

If Ovide doesnt run she likely will be vague on social issues giving herself ample room to move to the center in the general.

If Ovide does run, Kelly wont have the luxury of ambiguity in the primary and will have to make a hard decision.

Either way I dont think the data yet exists to label her a 'hard-line pro lifer'. I think it is going to take a little bit more than a legal position on parental notification to make that label resonate with centrist voters, many of whom may misapprehend the nuances of that case.

I agree with your main point-- someone is going to be telling some hard truths to Charlie Bass in the near future, after which he will decide that it is the 2nd District is where his heart longs to be.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 19:24:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Good points, but for me, (4.00 / 1)

being a bit of a latecomer to the Benson era, I was surprised to learn this part of the timeline:

Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who replaced Heed in 2004, appealed the case to the Supreme Court of the United States over the objections of Benson's successor, Governor John Lynch.

I didn't realize she carried the banner on this without Benson around to make her do it and despite Lynch's objections.

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by: Dean Barker @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 19:49:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

She also signed on to (4.00 / 2)

the amicus brief claiming marriage equality in CA would cause "confusion" in NH. From Box Turtle Bulletin (bold mine)

Last week the Attorneys General of ten states united to request that the Supreme Court of California stay its decision to treat all citizens equal under the law until November: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah.

Although not all of these states have anti-gay marriage clauses in their constitution, only one state, New Hampshire, has taken efforts to offer recognition to same-sex relationships. And New Hampshire already had taken legislative steps to direct how out-of-state gay marriages would be treated - as civil unions.

Now it seems that the havoc and confusion caused by gay marriage in New Hampshire has been cleared up. Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, has now been apprised of the law in her state.

This was, of course, before marriage equality passed in NH.  Even so, Ayotte was either unaware of her own state's law--bad for an AG or she put her political ambitions for higher office as a Republican above her state's law, also bad for an AG. She also presumably used state resources to do this.

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by: Jennifer Daler @ Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 20:47:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I still have some questions about that episode (0.00 / 0)

9 of them.

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by: elwood @ Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 21:01:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Could end up being Bass' trump card (4.00 / 1)

Ayotte, Tausch, and Ovide all beat up on each other trying to out-wingnut each other, and Charlie Bass just sits back and says "Look! I must be a moderate because all the other Republicans in the race are completely insane!"

IT for John Lynch '04 and NHDP '08 - I'm liking my track record so far!

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by: RealNRH @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 19:26:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

In my limited dealings with the soon-to-be ex-AG... (4.00 / 3)

... she doesn't come across as completely insane. In fact she seems thoughtful, concerned, and conservative in the let's-not-move-too-fast-on-this-issue way that used to be the hallmark of Main Street Republicans.

Whether she has the instincts and stomach for a tough political race is another question entirely.  

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by: Michael Marsh @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 19:47:32 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Mike, I agree with your comments.. (4.00 / 1)

 I think Kelly Ayotte will be a viable  candidate. Especially if she picks up the endorsements of the NH Assoc. of Chiefs of Police, NH Troopers Assoc, and the NH Police Assoc. I think law enforcement support, like veterans support, brings a lot of credibility to a political campaign.  

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by: Rep. Stephen Shurtleff @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 21:54:49 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Steve and Mike make good points... (0.00 / 0)

I, too, think she is a candidate who should not be dismissed lightly.

My suggestion is to look at her use of resources throughout her career in the AG's office--as said elsewhere, the pursuit of the two death penalty cases absorbed enormous resources which I think could have been put to better use elsewhere in the court system.  So did the appeal to the US Supreme Court of the now repealed parental notification law.  Bear in mind that a majority of voters support the death penalty, and I don't remember the last poll, but I assume the majority favor some kind of parental notification as well.

The elephant in the room (so to speak) will be the outcome of the suit regarding the use of JUA funds in this budget cycle.  If the challenge were successful, that creates a problem for AG Ayotte.

Of course, it would create a far more immediate problem for the legislature and the Governor...

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by: Lucy Weber @ Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 05:40:02 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

And, unfortunately, (0.00 / 0)

the people of New Hampshire.

Zandra Rice Hawkins (Granite State Progress)

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by: Zandra Rice Hawkins @ Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 09:49:58 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Fire Fighters have supported Hodes (4.00 / 1)

CONCORD--The Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire (PFFNH) have endorsed U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) in the 2nd Congressional District race.

David Lang, president of the PFFNH said the group endorsed Hodes because of his stance on the FIRE and SAFER Acts and Hodes economic record.

"There can be doubt in my mind, in your mind, that there is no one who cares more for Main Street than for Wall Street," David Lang, president of the PFFNH, said outside the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall.

Lang added, "We need to send Paul Hodes back to Washington and keep him in Washington."

Getting the good word out to law enforcement folks will take a team effort. That is where you come in, Steve. With veterans, too!

www.KusterforCongress.com  

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 12:23:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I was almost right.... (0.00 / 0)

my bet...   (0.00 / 0)
My hunch is that if Ayotte runs she counters this by saying she took Lynch's request that she not run for any state office (i.e., against him) and this is different.

by: HoldenDC @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 14:52:19 PM EDT
[ Reply ]  

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by: HoldenDC @ Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 20:22:35 PM CDT