Guinta Watch: The Toast With Butter and Jam Edition

Frank... (4.00 / 1)

Frank Guinta was elected twice to the NH House, during his service he did not sponsor or take the lead on a single significant issue.

Frank Guinta was elected twice as an Alderman in Manchester, during his service he did not take the lead on a single significant issue.

Frank was elected twice as mayor of Manchester, in his first campaign he promised to lower crime, lower taxes and improve schools. During his service crime went up, taxes went up and schools are worse. Other than the barroom fight can anyone point to an accomplishment Frank is known?

Frank is like the kid who keeps getting sent to the next grade despite being functionally illiterate and it looks like the GOP donors have finally caught on.

Democrats solve problems, Republicans sit and say no.

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by: Ray Buckley @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 15:08:01 PM CST

That is unfair... (4.00 / 1)

To kids who receive social promotions.    

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

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 15:25:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Another mistake (4.00 / 2)

Guinta lists a $600 contribution from someone in "Key Largo, NH". Obviously a mistake, but it proves part of the point of the diary - it is a sloppy and lazy campaign.  

One of the big donors on this report was former governor Steve Merrill, who gave Guinta $2,500.  Another $5,000 came in from Citizens United, founded by the guy who came up with the idea for the Willie Horton ad, another $5,000 from Eric Cantor's PAC, and another $5,000 from Peter Domenici's pac. So, at least 25% of this quarter's donations came from leadership pacs, a right wing extremists and a former governor who probably is wondering what the heck he was thinking when he signed that check!

And $2,500 from the National Restaurant Association; I don't think the East Side Fish and Game Club is a member, but you never know!  

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

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 15:24:50 PM CST

I only spotted one from Strafford County (0.00 / 0)

I only saw one donor from Strafford County & his Zip Code got dyslexed.  Eric Chinburg (the real estate developer) was listed as being from Durham, NH  03842 (which wd be Hampton's Zip Code.)

(Oops: there was a second one, and they did get Rollinsford's Zip Code right.)

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 20:34:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Failing candidates are a much more reliable source of (0.00 / 0)

revenue for political consultants, than those we elect.  They're much more likely to try and try again and buy into the line that politics is an art and, like getting to Carnegie Hall, takes practice.

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by: hannah @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 16:03:34 PM CST

are we headed for a rematch? (0.00 / 0)

Jeb Bradley is acting like he's feeling ambitious again.  He kept his head down and his mouth shut his first few months as a State Senator, but lately he has been raising his profile. He is rumored to have turned down several requests to run for Governor, and the Senate race is already overcrowded.  He can't enter either of those races.

But, there is still plenty of room to jump into he CD-1 candidate pool.  He would be in the embarrassing situation of running against his own Congressional aide--- but Guinta fails to mention his service in Jeb's office.  And that's  somewhat unfair.  Jeb is no Carol Shea-Porter, and he is a boring public speaker--- but he was far from the worst member of Congress we've ever had, and the Bradley team was actually pretty good at constituent service.  Guinta has a lot to be modest about, but his years as Jeb's Congressional aide are nothing to be ashamed of.

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 16:30:13 PM CST

No on both counts (0.00 / 0)

It is pretty obvious that Bradley is setting himself up to run for governor in 2012.

Not the worst? Are you kidding? The guy was a rubber stamp for George W. Bush, with a capital rub - it doesn't get any worse than that.

Well, actually, it could get worse - if Frank Guinta was elected.    

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

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 16:52:55 PM CST

[ Parent ]

2010? 2012? (0.00 / 0)

I have no idea why Jeb would wait till 2012 to run for Governor--- if he wants to run at all.  Maybe he is hoping to be swept along by a GOP landslide in 2012, but that takes a Presidential candidate & the Republicans don't have any.  (And I am confident that Obama will be re-elected.)

I agree he was a rubber stamp for George W. Bush.   Like Carol Shea Porter said: we sent Jeb Bradley to Washington and got Jeb Bush in return. But probably any other NH Republican would have been just as bad during those years.  I didn't say he was good: I said he was far from the worst we have had.

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 18:43:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It's called "open seat" (0.00 / 0)

Bradley has lost two big races; he needs to get one more smaller victory under his belt in 2010 before running and risking another higher profile loss which would be a career ender. He'll wait for the open seat.

As for "far from worst", you have a low threshhold.  

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

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 19:43:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

low threshold (0.00 / 0)

I would guess that the reason Guinta doesn't mention his service with Bradley is because Guinta's handlers have told him to be a Washington outsider.  That would be silly even if Bradley was a horrendous Congresscritter.  Bradley was somewhere below mediocre but above horrendous.

As for the open seat; I did not know that Lynch wasn't going to run in 2012. (I would be surprised to learn that Lynch himself knows what his plans are for 2012.)  He won't be there forever, but there is no particular reason for him to plan to step down in 2012.  He has served for a relatively long time and is close to the all-time longevity record, but that is because he was reasonably young when he was started and because he has strong bipartisan appeal.  (Also, he has been blessed with weak opponents.)  He will be just 59 years old when the 2012 general election rolls around.  He might very well still be the governor in 2022.

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 20:23:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Wrong Again (4.00 / 1)

He doesn't mention Bradley because the two of them can't stand each other. Guinta, in a staggering case of disloyalty to the person who gave him his start in politics, endorsed Johnny Stephen against Bradly in the 2008 congressional primary.

Supporting George W. Bush's agenda makes one a horrendous congressman. Go ahead and have the last word if you want.

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

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Tue Feb 02, 2010 at 07:26:44 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Stehen (sic) Merrill (0.00 / 0)

...no street address Bay St, Manchester.

Like you said Kathy, it can't be too hard to get the correct information.

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by: Putney Swope @ Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 17:05:26 PM CST