GSP Video: NH Birther State Reps Behaving Badly

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins

Tue Nov 22, 2011 at 15:53:32 PM EST

The Concord Monitor is reporting is that a strategy meeting scheduled for today between NH House Speaker Bill O'Brien and those same birther State Reps has been canceled pending an investigation into that behavior, as requested by the Attorney General. Which should be interesting given that Rep. Al Baldasaro, an O'Brien leadership team member, is visibly amused and comfortable with the proceedings documented in the video, and in fact goes on to highlight how he and other birthers can work with the Speaker to pass legislation barring President Obama from the ballot. (Oh, yes, it is on the video.)

GSP Video 1: NH Birther State Reps, feat. Harry Accornero & Al Baldasaro, Challenge President's Citizenship:

GSP Video 2: NH Birther State Rep. Susan DeLemus Behaving Badly:

You'll note that birther advocates have posted several video transcripts of the hearing as well, but edited out all of these interactions. Surprised?

Also note Baldasaro's plans to use the Rules Committee and/or NH Supreme Court to push his agenda.

Two GOP Notables Will Defend Marriage Equity

by: Mike Hoefer

Mon Nov 21, 2011 at 16:28:19 PM EST

Today Standing Up for New Hampshire Families announced that two New Hampshire Republican strategists have joined its bipartisan campaign to protect the state's popular marriage law. Former Communications Director of the state Republican Party, Christine Baratta, and the former State Director for Gary Johnson 2012, Brinck Slattery, will serve as high-level field organizers to amplify the deep grassroots opposition to any repeal of the law.

I'm starting to wonder what happens when Speaker O'Brien fails to deliver on the so called "Right to Work" and fails to overturn Marriage Equity?

How long will NH's "Five Families" allow William O'Brien to damage the GOP brand?

Entire press release below the fold.

What Will Bill O'Brien Do About This Disgraceful Behavior?

by: Kathy Sullivan 2

Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 17:10:23 PM EST

Everybody jumped to their feet.  They were screaming and yelling and saying, "Traitors!  You're traitors! You have no decency!  You have no honesty!  You're committing treason!"  It was huge...(Rep.) Harry Accornero started yelling at to the chair of the committee and the corrupt attorney, and the attorney, Brad E. Cook, said, "Representative Accornero, you are out of order."  And Accornero said, "No, you are out of order; you are committing treason.  You have to face the people of the state of New Hampshire, and you better not get out of the house without a mask!"  Representative Carol Vita kept getting right in the face of the assistant attorney general; she was yelling and screaming at him

Telling the (Republican) chairman of the BLC that he better not leave the house without a mask is at the very least an effort to intimidate, at worst a threat. It would be unacceptable if a private citizen did it; coming from a state representative, it is a disgrace. Rep. Accornero should at the very least face censure by the House for his behavior.

Open Thread: Quantifying the Expressions of Unease

by: William Tucker

Sat Nov 19, 2011 at 09:07:00 AM EST

After a lost decade of flat wages and the worst downturn since the Great Depression, the findings can be thought of as putting numbers to the bleak national mood — quantifying the expressions of unease erupting in protests and political swings. They convey levels of economic stress sharply felt but until now hard to measure.

This is an open thread.

Four State Reps Join N.H. Primary Birther Challenge

by: William Tucker

Fri Nov 18, 2011 at 06:00:00 AM EST

Four New Hampshire state representatives have joined an election law complaint challenging President Obama's right to be on the ballot for the 2012 New Hampshire primary.

The 85-page complaint was filed by Birther Queen Orly Taitz, who claims President Obama is using a fraudulent Social Security number and a forged birth certificate.

Reps. Harry Accornero (R, Laconia), Laurence Rappaport (R, Colebrook), Carol Vita (R, Middleton) and Lucien Vita (R, Middleton) notified Taitz they are joining as additional complainants.

The Ballot Law Commission will meet today at 2:00 p.m. in Room 307 of the Legislative Office Building to hear the complaint.

A Blue Hampshire Endorsement

by: William Tucker

Thu Nov 17, 2011 at 14:52:54 PM EST

Smith, you may remember, was responsible for the single most immoral and offensive campaign ad of 2010. This year, despite claiming to not be focused on social issues, he pressured the legislature to defund Planned Parenthood, pass parental notification and roll back marriage equality. He was "a force behind the passage of right-to-work legislation."

But politics makes strange bedfellows and, hey, Smith knows a kick-ass web site and online, activist community when he sees one. We accept his endorsement.

NH GOP Rep: Guns on Campus Will Prevent Violence

by: William Tucker

Thu Nov 17, 2011 at 06:00:00 AM EST

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee recently voted to recommend passage of HB 334, a bill that would prohibit local governments or state agencies from enacting any ordinances or regulations regarding gun use and possession.

In response, officials from Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth wrote letters to their representatives emphasizing the dangers in eliminating current restrictions on gun possession on college campuses. They urged the representatives to amend the bill to allow the state’s community college and universities to continue to set gun policies for their campuses.

GOP state Rep. Mark Proulx was incensed by their "ridiculous" objections and fired off an email, first reported by the Huffington Post, with the claim that allowing guns on campus will prevent violent incidents.

"For people that are supposed to be so smart, you never learn from history," Proulx wrote from his state email account. "The history lesson you should have learned is that gun free zones become killing zones*. These killing zones are the places that crazy people who are looking to make a name for themselves go."

"Not to mention when these incidents happen there were people there that could have stopped the killing early on but could not," he wrote. "They could not because they were following some ridiculous law or rule that would not allow them to carry the weapon they wear every day."

* Proulx was quoting historian Rep. Al Baldasaro who testified in favor of repealing the gun ban in the New Hampshire Statehouse.

Shaheen 1, Perry 0

by: William Tucker

Wed Nov 16, 2011 at 06:00:00 AM EST

During Gov. Rick Perry's "colorful" speech to the Cornerstone Action Dinner last month, he attacked Sen. Jeanne Shaheen over a bill she sponsored to promote energy efficiency.

"Instead of relieving the economic burden … you have your counterpart in the United States Senate who is working on a bill that would make things worse for home builders." Perry said to great applause at the Cornerstone Action Dinner, October 28, 2011 in Manchester, N.H.

"Under her scheme, federal bureaucrats could take over the local building code enforcement in your city if so-called green mandates are not complied with quickly enough," Perry said. "It is just simply bureaucratic overkill."

Perry was referring to the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011, a bill Shaheen introduced with Republican co-sponsor Sen. Rob Portman. The bill proposes numerous changes to national energy policies and practices with the goal of increasing the use of energy efficiency technologies and fostering job creation.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning researchers at Politifact reviewed the details of the proposed legislation. Would it potentially allow the federal government to take over local building code enforcement as Perry alleged? In a word, no.

Under Shaheen’s energy legislation, states would be required to report whether they plan to meet the model building codes. Those states that agree to the standards and accept federal dollars would be subject to a certification process to ensure they meet the regulations. But there is nothing in the bill that requires states to take part, nor are there any penalties for non-compliance. The bill is voluntary, not mandatory. We rate Perry’s claim False.

Frank Guinta: Turning His Back on the 99%

by: William Tucker

Tue Nov 15, 2011 at 14:12:16 PM EST

Earlier this month, Congressman Frank Guinta took to the editorial pages to lambaste President Obama's jobs bill as an attack on the work of charitable organizations.

You may be surprised to learn just how big [nonprofit organizations] role is, and even more surprised to hear what some people in Washington are trying to do that would hinder their efforts to provide much-needed services. ...

[T]he jobs bill that President Obama submitted to Congress last month contained harmful consequences to nonprofit groups.

I agree our tax code needs substantial, powerful reforms. But we must ensure we don’t penalize the very groups that are doing so much to help our communities.

In a letter to the editor, Joan Jacobs sets the record straight on the jobs bill provisions -- and takes Guinta to task for choosing to protect the tax privileges of the top 1% over putting people back to work.

Mr. Guinta should know better. President Obama's proposed limitations would apply only to families with taxable incomes over $250,000. And for that top 1 percent, the change would be modest. Their tax deductions for charitable giving would be reduced from the high 35 percent they get now to the 28 percent most of the rest of us get.

Among the many good things that would result from the Jobs Act: preventing layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters; modernizing more than 35,000 schools; expanding access to high-speed wireless Internet service; and helping veterans get hired. An estimated 18,000 long-term unemployed in New Hampshire could benefits from this legislation.

Frank Guinta and his tea party Republican allies in Congress are doing everything they can to kill the American Jobs Act. Their overriding goal is to protect the tax privileges given to the top 1 percent, even if it means turning their backs on the rest of us.

N.H. House Bills Flying Under the Radar

by: William Tucker

Tue Nov 15, 2011 at 06:00:00 AM EST

When the House meets on November 30 and December 14, members are scheduled to vote on a host of bills that have received little publicity. The following bills (compiled by Bob Sanders, subscription required) are on the House consent calendar. They will likely all pass the House in a single vote -- unless a House member objects and has one removed from the consent calendar before the vote.

• HCR 2: Expresses support for controversial legislation passed by State of Arizona to reduce illegal immigration.

• HB 344: Expands the judicial branch evaluation program by adding non judicial branch members and obtaining "a greater citizen response." Judges who are judged to have performed poorly will be publicly identified.

• HB 533: Establishes a cap of $50 million per year on school building aid grants and continues the current moratorium.

• HB 545: Repeals the Department of Education's rule making authority for home education programs. This bill gives the Home Education Advisory Council the final say for all rules for home education and prevents school districts from making policies that are inconsistent or more restrictive than the home education statute.

• HB 574: Repeals the law enacted after September 11, 2001 that allows the state to take private property during a state of emergency. "The committee believes ... that citizens who properly prepare for emergencies should not be placed in an inferior position because others, including government officials, have failed to properly anticipate a need."

• HB 624: Prohibits state agencies from instituting or raising fees not specifically authorized by the legislature (pending review by Dartmouth Public Policy Research).

Gutting Public Schools, One Bad Bill at a Time

by: William Tucker

Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 07:58:20 AM EST

The scale and scope of the attack is staggering. Bills that have attracted broad Republican support include lowering the high school drop out age, eliminating universal kindergarten, repealing compulsory school attendance, defunding the University of New Hampshire and the community colleges, and eliminating the state Department of Education.

The theme is clear.

America's system of public education, invented by Jefferson and Adams, is the foundation of our democracy and our market economy. The debates, regardless of politics, have always been about how to improve it to enable our kids to compete in the world.

But when today's Republicans talk public education reform, they mean to dismantle public education - or "government schools," as they call them - and replace them with private, religious and home schools.

Frank Guinta Does "All the Right Things Politically"

by: Dean Barker

Sun Nov 13, 2011 at 07:31:15 AM EST

The first district Congressman continues to do all the right things politically. This week, he was in the paper for visiting a school, and now he is holding job fairs for veterans.

I had the displeasure recently of attending U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta's job fair at the New Hampshire Community College in Manchester. My son, who is a U.S. Marine, and I traveled from the Monadnock Region to attend this job fair. We arrived just before 10 a.m.

Companies with applications were nowhere to be found, not a good thing for veteran job-seekers. They had a table with some snacks on it...

It was a sorry excuse for wasting my gas money. I didn't see one representative from a company that had job applications.

Congressman Frank Guinta is fighting to strengthen & preserve Social Security and Medicare

Politically, Frank Guinta's photo op in front of a project funded with stimulus money was especially effective. A central pillar of candidate Frank Guinta's campaign was his opposition to the American Recovery Act. Here's one of numerous examples:

"When will Congresswoman Shea-Porter finally agree with the rest of us who believe her failed stimulus was a waste of our money?"

I AM Big! It's the Campaigns That Got Small!

by: elwood

Sat Nov 12, 2011 at 19:49:15 PM EST

First among equals is the 2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. She had the name recognition, but reading all those newspapers every day just didn't leave time for a campaign this year.

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey rode a groundswell of support lasting hours and hours, but decided against a run.  It's hard to be the "Anybody but Mitt" choice when you're a middle-of-the--Republican-road Governor from a Northeast state.

11-11-11!  9-9-9!  Whatever happened to 9/11-9/11/9-11?  Rudy Giuliani decided that the electorate was not yet ready for his candor - much as Holmes decided that the world was not ready for the story of the Giant Rat of Sumatra. (Rudy is the one who reminds me of Gloria Swanson, perhaps a result of his penchant for dressing in drag. I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Demille!)

There are still some exclamation points left in the punctuation jar, so we can remember Jeb! By now we were supposed to be looking back with fondness and admiration to the GWB years, eager for another scion to reclaim the throne. Maybe next interregnum?

A few years ago there was a movement to amend the Constitution to let Arnold Schwarzenegger run for President.  Unless some robots from the future re-write recent history, that now seems unlikely.

I suspect that I'm forgetting a lot of pre-season favorites. Who else deserves a nod?

* "Serious Republican candidates" include pizza magnate / accused molester Herman Cain, perennial third-party candidate Ron Paul, and voter-rejected former Senator Rick Santorum. Unserious candidates include former Governors Gary Johnson and Ray Roemer.

Armistice Day

by: elwood

Fri Nov 11, 2011 at 15:41:02 PM EST

Even the Civil War in the United States - the conflict that killed more Americans than any other -  is often seen more as a noble undertaking, less as a bloody waste of lives and families. Matthew Brady's daguerrotypes weren't enough to end that romance. Somehow that sugarcoating disappeared in the War to End All Wars. Maybe it was the industrialization of war, maybe the sense of inevitability and forces beyond our control. If it did not end all wars, it did end the myth of war as a Great Game or Heroic Adventure.

So when my grandfather came home from the gas and the trenches, the country celebrated Armistice Day. Not "VE Day", not "Glorious Doughboys Day." The eleventh day of the eleventh month was set aside to welcome the end of a war and its slaughter, and the promise of peace.

I'm not sure when and how we came to rename it Veterans Day. Perhaps it was a move for inclusiveness as the World War I veterans passed on and new veterans earned our gratitude and commemoration. And whether or not that was the reason: Thank you, to all veterans - we owe you.

But I still think of this as Armistice Day, when we join those veterans in celebrating the end of slaughter and outbreak of peace.

It happened in 1918. It will happen again.

"I Came to Washington to CUT ! "

by: elwood

Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 20:20:26 PM EST

Maybe if we named it the William O'Brien Reproductive Health Program instead of Planned Parenthood??