Kathy Webster v. Kelly Calhoun

by: Dean Barker

Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 20:17:45 PM EDT

The victory of union over secessionism in the Civil War consigned nullification to history's dustbin, but now an extremist few are trying to resurrect the theory. Sadly, some of them are in New Hampshire, a state that sent many soldiers to fight and die to uphold the Union and our constitutional form of government.

What is even sadder is seeing Republican senatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte pander to the misguided few. At a meeting of the Belknap County Republican Committee, she was asked if she approved of a resolution supporting nullification. Instead of taking a firm stand rejecting this nonsense, Ayotte waffled. She said she had not read the full text, adding "States' rights need to be respected. That is a very important issue to me."

Ayotte's flirtation with extreme silliness was on display at another Republican town committee meeting in Milford. She was asked if the democratically elected President of the United States was trying to turn our country into a socialist state. Again, Ayotte had the opportunity to take a firm stand against this kind of rhetoric, just as John McCain did recently when telling a town hall audience that President Obama respects the Constitution. Ayotte blew the chance to give a straight answer; instead, she said she saw "a shift in attitude." That answer can only be read to mean that she either agreed with the questioner or did not disagree.