Where Does John Stephen Stand on Iraq?

Republicans Love The Rhetoric (0.00 / 0)

During these past few years, I have noticed one major difference between Republican and Democrat WEBSITES, campaign brochures, and advertisements:  Republicans love the rhetoric, and Democrats talk about issues.

Republicans love to talk about EDUCATION in terms of "VALUES," CRIME in terms of "MORALS," FAMILY in terms of "TRADITION," IMMIGRATION in terms of "THREATS," and HEALTH CARE in terms of "SOCALISM."  

And on Iraq, they try to avoid the issue as much as they can because they don't understand what they did to get into this sinkhole.

John Stephen and many other Republican candidates for Senator or Congress in other states have no position on Iraq yet because they're doing polling.  Then their pollsters and advertising consultants can tell them the right way to say whatever their position will be to the Republicans who will vote in their primaries.  Then they'll attempt to figure out a way to adapt their positions so that they can explain themselves in the November Election.

Most Democrats running for national office throughout the country are clearly opposed to staying in Iraq.  Let's observe with a degree of wonderment the variety of positions on Iraq -- state by state -- of the Republican candidates.  They'll be pandering to the polls and their campaign consultants' interpretation of those polls.  It would be fun to watch if it wasn't so sad, and if it wasn't for so many lives at stake.

CAROL SHEA-PORTER, PAUL HODES, and JEANNE SHAHEEN have already made it clear:  get out of Iraq.  No polls needed.  No ifs.  No buts.  No 100 year war.  Get out.

---

by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 08:31:45 AM CDT

Chaz (0.00 / 0)

It's great to see you here!  

Netroots Outreach Director for the Carol Shea-Porter campaign

---

by: susanthe @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 09:47:11 AM CDT

I think Stephen must be following (0.00 / 0)

the Sununu model of providing no info on Iraq whatsoever.

Pretending the war doesn't exist is a strategy, I guess. A dumb strategy, but a strategy.

Off thread: I hope by seeing this post here, your log-in issues have resolved. let me know if not...

Wonder if Sununu's fired now.

---

by: Dean Barker @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 10:12:55 AM CDT

Two theories (4.00 / 1)

1. I have told the story before about how, when Johnny Stephen was on the Democratic payroll in 1988, he idolized Michael Dukakis, and then, when he ran for congress in 2002, he denied voting for the Duke (now, that is a Judas of Johnny Damon proportions).  When he worked for the Democrats, and when he worked for a Democratic County Attorney, he was a Democrat. When he went to work for the AG, under a Republican AG, he became a right wing Republican; he did that not just for the employment opportunities, but also because he thought that in order to be elected in NH, you had to be a Republican. Now that being a right wing Republican is not so good for his elective prospects, he is changing his stripes yet again. So, he is trying to pretend there is no Iraq War -kind of hard when April has turned into a deadly month for our troops.

2. Coming up with a position on Iraq or other issues requires some intelligent thought.  

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt   [I'm an advisor to the NHDP Coordinated Campaign]

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 10:53:56 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Mondale (0.00 / 0)

He was also on the Mondale campaign's payroll in 1983 while he was a UNH student.

I remember in the Fall of 1988 when Johnny was the statewide organizer for a massive visibility for Dukakis in Boston. Dukakis, the son of Greek immigrants reminded him of his own Lebanese immigrant grandfather Stephen Stephen. He talked incessently all the way down about how exctited he was - I know because I was in the car load he drove to Boston that day - it was at Faneuil Hall and we parked at the ciy hall plaza parking lot.

---

by: Ray Buckley @ Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 23:57:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

What happened? (0.00 / 0)

People change, but it's interesting that someone would change their political views by 180 degrees during adulthood.  Is there more to this story?  Has Stephen been asked about his change?  It'd be interesting to know what the UL would do with this....

"He who loves correction, loves knowledge.  He who hates reproof is stupid." - Proverbs 12:1

---

by: jdblanch @ Sat May 03, 2008 at 20:07:21 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hillary was a Goldwater Girl. (0.00 / 0)

---

by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Mon May 05, 2008 at 10:29:07 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

He denies it (0.00 / 0)

JD, he did an interview of some kind in 2002 with the then UL editorial writer, Bernadette Malone, in which he denied supporting Dukakis. He claimed that he worked for the Democratic Party, but that he voted for George H. W.Bush. So, either he was lying in 1988, when he was telling us all that he idolized the Duke, or he lied in 2002, when he said he didn't vote for Bush, or he had an election booth conversion, which is possible, but highly unlikely. It also would mean that he was willing to take a paycheck from the party even though he didn't support its presidential nominee, while running around telling everyone how much he loved the guy. Keep in mind he was not a kid, he had finished law school by then.

I heard a couple of times that he was asking people whom we both know from Manchester to ask me to please stop telling everyone that he had been such a big Dukakis supporter. So, it obviously was making him really uncomfortable that I was reminding people of how big a supporter of Dukakis he was.

Douglas, Hillary never denied being a Goldwater supporter. John Stephen denies being a Dukakis supporter. He wouldn't be the first person to change party. But instead of sucking it up and coming up with a reasonable explanation of why he idolized Dukakis, he denies it.

I would like someone in the press to ask him why he fibbed about in 2002, that would be an interesting answer to hear.


"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt   [I'm an advisor to the NHDP Coordinated Campaign]

---

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:42:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I never said Hillary denied anything. (0.00 / 0)

it's interesting that someone would change their political views by 180 degrees during adulthood

That's what I was responding to.

---

by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:49:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm looking forward to the Republican primary debates (0.00 / 0)

in both CDs.

Will there be a contest to Stand Firmest with John McCain's Hundred Year Occupation? Or a contest to most thoroughly duck the issue?

---

by: elwood @ Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 11:15:08 AM CDT