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Rep. Baldasaro Should Step Down After Troubling Comments About Those Serving the Nation

by: JeffBallardforSenate

Wed Oct 05, 2011 at 20:44:52 PM EDT
(NH GOP continues to make NH look like a Backwater State. - promoted by Mike Hoefer)

Concord, N.H. - Afghanistan War Veteran and state Senate District three candidate Jeff Ballard released the following statement after Rep. Al Baldasaro remarked that a member of the military "disgusted" him and thought it was "great" when the audience boo-ed the soldier because of his debate question about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

"Rep. Baldasaro should have immediately apologized for his shameful comments after the Republican Presidential Debate. As a veteran and a New Hampshire citizen, I found his applauding the booing of an Iraq War Veteran appalling. Rep. Baldasaro may have freedom of speech, but it exists because Stephen Hill, the veteran he called a 'disgrace,' risked his own life to protect it. It is no excuse for his inappropriate comments."

Rep. Baldasaro uses his credentials as a retired Marine Corps First Sargent to speak as a subject matter expert on Military Affairs. With such statements he is bringing discredit on our Military's Senior Non-Commissioned Officers whose role is not to make policy, but rather to enforce it and maintain order within the ranks. It is also the Senior NCO's role to protect soldiers like SGT Hill who is exercising his lawful right as an American Soldier. Rep Baldasaro's statements undermine his fellow Senior NCO's who are trying to maintain good order and military readiness during our ongoing hostilities in Afghanistan and contingency operations around the globe.

"Republican House Speaker Bill O'Brien should immediately call for him to resign and remove him as Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the State House. Rep. Baldasaro is clearly incapable of being an advocate for all veterans. Republican State Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley should also call on Rep. Baldasaro to resign; he should make clear that this kind of language is not the official position of New Hampshire Republican Party."

Please visit my Facebook page to be kept up to date on the campaign

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JeffBallardforSenate :: Rep. Baldasaro Should Step Down After Troubling Comments About Those Serving the Nation
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Rep. Baldasaro Should Step Down After Troubling Comments About Those Serving the Nation | 12 comments
Agreed... (4.00 / 1)
But we all know he won't do it.  He probably got quite a few pats on the back by the NH GOP leadership.

"We start working to beat these guys right now." -Jed Bartlet
Are you kidding? (4.00 / 4)
Al LOVES this stuff. They could literally make a two hour movie over the absolutely batshit stuff that he says.

One of the most dangerous Republicans in the country.

No, not kidding (4.00 / 3)
While we know he won't resign it is important to keep getting the word out about him.

Every time he says something like this and we get the message out it will chip away at his support a little. It might only cost him a few votes, but over time those few votes will add up, especially considering the frequency in which he says offensive things.

It is also important to be on record. Some day something more serious will happen and it will benefit us to have been on record calling for him to resign and calling for GOP leadership to hold him accountable.  

https://secure.actblue.com/pag...

[ Parent ]
New website (4.00 / 2)
www.albaldasaro.com  Check it out.  This guy must be voted out of office.  His days are numbered.  He is an embarrassment to patriotic Americans.  
"Something to boo about" (4.00 / 3)
Rep. Baldasaro's unfortunate remarks have prompted an editorial in today's Nashua Telegraph.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com...

Here are the last few paragraphs:

"When someone in uniform asks a question of a panelist in this case, the first response should be thanking the soldier for his or her service," former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman told ABC News. "We all wear the same uniform in America. We all salute the same flag."

Businessman Herman Cain, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum also condemned the booing days after the event.

But not our esteemed state representative from Londonderry. Four days after making those ill-conceived statements to ThinkProgress, Baldasaro chose to adamantly defend them in a interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader.

"I already said what I said," he said Tuesday. "This is just getting to be a big thing because this is the political season."

Bullfeathers.

This is a "big thing" because a New Hampshire elected official - the chairman of the House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee, no less - had the audacity to say it was "great" that a soldier putting his life on the line for his country was booed just because of his sexual orientation.  

p.s. Check out the comments section (4.00 / 4)
Himself has replied and it ain't pretty. He claims he was booing the guy for showing up at a partisan event in uniform. Another commenter mentions that he thinks the soldier appeared on videotape. I didn't see it, but if he did appear on videotape, this makes the representative a DOUBLE moron.
[ Parent ]
Yes (4.00 / 2)
It was via videotape, and he was wearing a T-SHIRT with Army or Marines printed on it.
[ Parent ]
Some People Have No Sense... (4.00 / 4)
...other people have no shame.  
[ Parent ]
And Al (4.00 / 7)
has neither.
[ Parent ]
I weighed in on his comments (0.00 / 0)
It was a soldier in a PT (physical training) uniform who identified himself as being in Iraq.  

https://secure.actblue.com/pag...
[ Parent ]
And what's with Al's threads? (0.00 / 0)

He dresses like the Sopranos going to church.
It's really a trip to listen to him (4.00 / 1)
address the House!

You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.  (John Morley, 1838-1923)
Rep. Baldasaro Should Step Down After Troubling Comments About Those Serving the Nation | 12 comments

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