Democrats Might Deny Bill O'Brien House Speakership

It seems like there should be some (0.00 / 0)

concessions on a) committee makeups and b) not cracking the whip too hard on party-line voting when it comes to veto overrides. If Chandler offered something there, I could see it.

---

by: elwood @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 18:20:20 PM CST

Good thinking (0.00 / 0)

especially with the veto overrides--get some concessions and work with him.  No sense in licking our wounds for the next two years.

---

by: FrankLloydMike @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 19:38:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]

And it might be a concession that (4.00 / 2)

less... boisterous Republicans would be happy to make.

Making 2012 all about social issues isn't necessarily in their enlightened best interest.  

---

by: elwood @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 20:10:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Anything can happen (and usually does happen) in Concord (0.00 / 0)

I was at the State House today for just the second time this fall.  The House Republican Alliance had a well-attended meeting.  That was not why I was there, I hasten to add.  All I know for sure was that there was an overflow crowd in the big Finance Committee hearing room on Floor 2 of the LOB and that the Republicans seemed energized.

O'Brien has a lot of fans amongst his fellow Republicans.  His unpopularity with liberal Democrats is considered a plus by members of his own party.  Chandler is universally well-liked as a human being, but he was involved in  a serious campaign finance scandal not too long ago. He did not in fact serve as the minority leader the last two terms, although he was the Senior Assistant Leader last term.  O'Brien was not part of the official caucus leadership at all, but he was the chair of the HRA.  Anything can happen (and usually does happen) in Concord, but Pindell's scenario is unlikely.

Terie Norelli, by the way, is being challenged within her own caucus.  Kris Roberts from Keene & David Campbell from Nashua will both run against her at the party caucus on Saturday.

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 19:32:24 PM CST

So what you are saying is that (4.00 / 1)

you believe Bill O'Brien will secure 201 Republican votes prior to Organization Day?

birch, finch, beech

---

by: Dean Barker @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 19:46:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I think... (4.00 / 1)

I think whoever wins the Republican caucus will get approximately 298 votes.  The Republicans seem united and energized, and they seem disinclined to let the minority party (especially a small minority) choose their Speaker.  But like I said, anything can happen.

There are two other announced candidates aside from O'Brien & Chandler: John Reagan and Susan Emerson.

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 20:22:59 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Chandler told DiStasio (0.00 / 0)

Here is an excerpt from John DiStasio's next Union Leader "Granite Status" column:

[S]speculation has been rampant that if Chandler loses the caucus nomination vote, he would be open to making a deal with the Democratic minority that would give him enough overall House votes to secure the speaker's post. With 400 members in the House, 201 votes are necessary to be elected.

But Chandler put to rest such speculation about a deal with the Democrats in an interview with the Granite Status on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm running in the Republican caucus to be the Republican nominee for Speaker," Chandler said. "It's as simple as that. I'm not running for any other position or for any other party."

There might be a few Republicans who would refuse to vote for Bill O'Brien, but probably not 98 of them.  Bill's HRA meeting drew an overflow crowd which spilled out into the Finance Committee's anteroom, and the Finance hearing room holds more than 201 people.  (Not everyone who showed up at that meeting will necessarily vote for O'Brien on the first ballot, however.)

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 15:34:48 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts (4.00 / 1)

Go ahead and square dance with your Republican friends. See what that gets ya.

Keep your eye on Lynch. If he slips into "legacy preservation mode," help him choose wisely.


Whack-a-mole, anyone?

---

by: Jack Mitchell @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 21:01:33 PM CST

Vergil, Aeneid, Bk II, lines 41-49 (4.00 / 3)

Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce,
et procul 'o miseri, quae tanta insania, ciues?
creditis auectos hostis? aut ulla putatis
dona carere dolis Danaum? sic notus Vlixes?
aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achiui,               45
aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros,
inspectura domos uenturaque desuper urbi,
aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri.
quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis.'

More or less:

Laocoon, burning, runs down from the top of the citadel,
and far off: O wretched citizens, what so great madness is this?
Do you believe the enemy has been carried off? Or do you think any
gifts of the Greeks are without tricks? Is Ulysses thus known?
Either the Acheans, closed off in this wood, are hidden,
or this artifice has been made against our city walls,
intending to peer into our homes and come down onto the city,
or some other mistake lies hidden.  Don't trust the horse, Trojans.
Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even when bearing gifts.

birch, finch, beech

---

by: Dean Barker @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 21:15:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

"O'Brien Deniers" n/t (0.00 / 0)

for transparency sake ~I represent Union print shops

---

by: JonnyBBad @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 21:11:48 PM CST

Later in the piece, (4.00 / 1)

however, Pindell says that 60% of the Republican caucus are freshman. He also says that 85% will be in their first or second terms, and that these people want a "fresh face". O'Brien recruited and has lobbied all these people since before they were elected.

We'll see what happens.

---

by: Jennifer Daler @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 21:42:19 PM CST

The Newt model (0.00 / 0)

Didn't work out for Newt, in the end.

---

by: JimC @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 23:00:52 PM CST

[ Parent ]

nobody cares about Chandler's Corn Robberies (4.00 / 1)

They slapped him lightly on the wrist, kissed him to make it better, and voted against booting him out. And gave him a standing ovation, as I recall. Let's not pretend that his "I know nothing" ethics violation means anything to his ethically challenged party.

I don't have any use for Gene, but he's a semi rational human being, at least. O'Brien is a gibbering lunatic.

I sure hope that plenty of people plan to visit the NH House next year with video cameras.  

sanctimonious purist/professional lefty

---

by: susanthe @ Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 22:16:29 PM CST

Yes... He can and does work with Dems... (0.00 / 0)

Chandler is an old hand at state house politics... He's not like his irate opponent.  He's not a punishing idealogue either... I've worked with Chandler on bills, and would encourage other Dems to favor him, the old hand over the righous one from Mont Vernon.

---Steven Lindsey
  state rep.

---

by: TaxiManSteveSigh @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 12:25:53 PM CST

No compromise with Chandler (4.00 / 4)

Now that Chandler has announced that he will not run for speaker if he is not the caucus nominee,  I have to ask what was the thinking here?

Compromising on Gene Chandler would not stop stop all this bat crazy lunatic legislation from being introduced, debated and passed. We are Democrats, and after this last election, it would be sad if our legislators whould make one of their first votes of the new session voting for a Republican for speaker.  It would be one thing if we were talking about a Doug Scammon type Republican, but we are not.  

IIRC in 2003, the Democrats elected Peter Burling to be Democratic (minority) leader.  Gene Chandler told him that since it was a legislative leadership position, and the speaker chooses leadership, it was not the Democratic members choice, it was his, and if Peter wanted the job, he would have to apply. That was wrong. That is not someone who is a good "compromise" choice.

Stand proud, stand strong. Nominate a Democrat for speaker. If we lose, we lose, but at least we will be able to be proud of the first vote that the Democrats take.

I am all for working cooperatively to pass or stop legislation when it is in the best interst of the people of NH. This choice for speaker between very right wing Gene Chandler and very very right wing O'Brien isn't that type of vote.  

Besides - the people elected a Republican majority.  The Republicans should have the opportunity to elect the Speaker, and we should stay out of it. It is like walking the batter; it often leads to a home run by the next batter.

to face the guy on deck. One other thing - I hope we don't see Democrats co-sponsoring bills of address to remove judges or marital masters or voting for nullification resolutions or other bills or resolutions introduced by Itse or his ideoplogical soulmates this session. When it comes to these ideolgical votes, Democrats need to stand together.  

   



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

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 16:05:39 PM CST

So was electing Scamman a bad move ? (0.00 / 0)

This is odd. You're channeling my "damn the torpedoes" mojo and I'm wondering if that isn't naive.

---

by: elwood @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 18:16:22 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I said.... (4.00 / 1)

It would be one thing if we were talking about a Doug Scammon type R, but we are not. Chandler has shown in the past that he will treat D's badly as in the Burling story. Plus, what the heck - we are talking about participating in the election of someone who stepped down due to taking unreported donations. Are you kidding me? Are we that desperate?  What do we stand for?

 



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

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 19:02:18 PM CST

[ Parent ]

No, i'm not kidding you. (4.00 / 1)

I wonder if cutting a deal to lessen the destruction makes sense.

Making Peter Burling jump through hoops doesn't tip the balance, compared to other issues.

---

by: elwood @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 19:12:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

The bad moon is rising - (0.00 / 0)

doesn't matter who the town crier is.  The Cretan Bulls are stomping at the gates.  

"Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world." A. Einstein

---

by: StraffordDem @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 19:32:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

you mean cretin bulls? n/t (4.00 / 2)

sanctimonious purist/professional lefty

---

by: susanthe @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 20:20:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Take your pick. (0.00 / 0)

But things are going to get worse before they get worse.  We're about to enter the Dark Ages.


"Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world." A. Einstein

---

by: StraffordDem @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 20:58:16 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Here's a genuine Cretan bull: (4.00 / 2)

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/...

and here's a genuinely mythological Cretan half-bull:

http://philosophicaladventures...

birch, finch, beech

---

by: Dean Barker @ Thu Nov 11, 2010 at 04:50:52 AM CST

[ Parent ]

The insane, fire breathing (0.00 / 0)

type that Hercules subdued is just the sort I had in mind.  But in retrospect, cretins might just be a better fit.


"Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world." A. Einstein

---

by: StraffordDem @ Thu Nov 11, 2010 at 06:25:18 AM CST

[ Parent ]

this sounds like a song cue to me... (0.00 / 0)

---

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 20:22:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

There never was going to be a deal (4.00 / 2)

The Republicans weren't and aren't going to allow a deal to be made with Democrats, it would cast a pall on their victory dance. It was press speculation and Democrats when asked should have said, we are voting for the Democrat our caucus nominates. Period.

   



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

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Wed Nov 10, 2010 at 22:07:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]