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Johhny Blunders Out of the Gate

by: Kathy Sullivan 2

Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 09:11:53 AM EST

( - promoted by Laura Clawson)

The Concord Monitor reports on the sort of classic Johnny Stephen moment that we can look forward to with regularity over the course of the next several months.

In criticizing the state's tax climate, Stephen cited a recent report by the independent Tax Foundation.
Stephen said the foundation ranked New Hampshire as the last state in the nation in business tax climate. A report on the foundation's website ranks New Hampshire as seventh-best in that category.

Greg Moore, a spokesman for Stephen, said the candidate misspoke about New Hampshire's business climate yesterday.

"If he did a better job of reading his notes, he would have gotten it," Moore said.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/...

Kathy Sullivan 2 :: Johhny Blunders Out of the Gate

While head of the NH Department of Health and Human Services, Johnny made several mistakes - including double counting $70,000,000 in federal revenues.

But Johnny has never been much of a detail guy. When he ran and lost in his first unsuccessful effort for congress, he said he had been the NH director of homeland security. NH did not have an official position called "director of homealnd security", and it actually was the director of emergency management who was in charge of homeland security after 9/11.

We shouldn't be surprised that Johnny's pattern of getting things wrong continued into his announcement!

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Johhny Blunders Out of the Gate | 17 comments

niiiice n/t (0.00 / 0)

'Aints no more

by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 08:48:41 AM CST

by: you @ soon

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You gotta love (4.00 / 1)

the dude in the three-cornered hat in the background of the photo accompanying the Monitor article. Says it all, IMO.

The candidate of choice for folks unencumbered by the thought process. Not a "details" guy, indeed.

by: GreyMike @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 09:06:43 AM CST

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Didn't we try this experiment (0.00 / 0)

at the national level recently? How did that work out? DOH! Never mind.

"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 Mar 04, 2010 at 10:22:55 AM CST

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by: you @ soon

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quite a lineup in the Concord Monitor photo (0.00 / 0)

John Stephen had some heavy hitters standing behind him in a photo published by the Concord Monitor: Fenton Groen! Jeb Bradley! Patriot Pastor Garrett Lear! That's what I call a star-studded press conference. Not since Joe Lieberman appeared alone in the lobby of the LOB (back in October 2008) has there been so much star power on display in Concord.

by: TimothyHorrigan @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 18:53:54 PM CST

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by: you @ soon

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at the end of the day (4.00 / 2)

do the details really matter?

by: susanthe @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 09:19:21 AM CST

by: you @ soon

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Not if you don't care whether people confabulate or not. (0.00 / 0)

Some people call prevarication lying, but I think that has to be done on purpose. Some people just can't keep their sequences straight and confabulate--sort of mixing past, present, and future together. Ronald Reagan did that when he told stories about his military adventures. Confabulation is very common in the elderly.

by: hannah @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 09:34:52 AM CST

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More Of Moore (0.00 / 0)

Sounds like we need more of Moore: The Stephen Truth Squad.

by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 10:43:48 AM CST

by: you @ soon

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Something tells me..... (4.00 / 1)

That Mr. Moore will find that his job will consist of a lot of explaining. Explaining Johnny's record, explaining Johnny's miscues, explaining why Johnny says he never supported Michael Dukakis when he was one of his biggest supporters in 1988, etc., etc., etc.

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

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 11:00:01 AM CST

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CM Comments (0.00 / 0)

The Republicans responding in the CM seem to think Mr. Stephen has something going for him. I have no clue what that might be. His record isn't very impressive to this point, IMHO.

by: mevansnh @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 13:07:32 PM CST

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Cause for Celebration (0.00 / 0)

The wonderful silver lining in all this is that when it's all over in November
NO MORE JOHNNY STEPHEN!
He is cooked, done, finished, toast, and NH will not be burdened with him anymore!! Yay!

No'm Sayn?

by: BurtCohen @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 13:14:30 PM CST

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Lets not do a martha coakley here. (4.00 / 5)

We can save the celebrations until they've been earned. For now, eyes on the prize.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.

by: Paul Twomey @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 13:28:44 PM CST

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*sigh* n/t (0.00 / 0)

www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com
www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

by: Jack Mitchell @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 13:40:23 PM CST

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Exactly (4.00 / 2)

There is a reason why they count the votes.

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

by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 13:55:54 PM CST

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marcia croakley -ed. n/t (0.00 / 0)

'Aints no more

by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 15:45:28 PM CST

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by: you @ soon

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You say Croakley (4.00 / 1)

I say Chokely.

Massachusetts Republicans will have to come up with another candidate if the party hopes to challenge Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley this fall.
After two weeks of serious deliberation, Peter Flaherty, a former prosecutor and long-time aide to Mitt Romney, has decided against taking the plunge.

www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com
www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

by: Jack Mitchell @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 15:57:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Good Points, Y'all (4.00 / 1)

Some of the best advice I ever got was from Elaine Krasker: Always run like you're ten points behind.

No'm Sayn?

by: BurtCohen @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 15:46:16 PM CST

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My favorite line from the Monitor story... (4.00 / 3)

If Stephen wins the GOP nomination, he will likely be the strongest candidate to face Lynch since Lynch defeated then-Gov. Craig Benson.

I'd put this in the category of "damning with faint praise."

Although, to be fair to Stephen, he might actually be a stronger candidate than then-Gov. Craig Benson.

Of course, that's still damning with faint praise.

by: jvwalt @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 23:10:01 PM CST

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Johhny Blunders Out of the Gate | 17 comments

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