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The Union Leader is happily assisting Fergus' new talking points about Jeanne Shaheen and nuclear energy. No surprise there.
But as long as we're taking a trip down memory lane, is there anyone in our state (or national media) who would mind bringing up the fact that radical community disorganizer John E. Sununu once campaigned proudly for abolishing the Department of Education?
Or that Jeb Bradley has flirted with the Social Security privatization bandwagon on more than one occasion?
Or that Cold War II Warrior John McCain supported closing the Portsmouth Naval Base, a decade before he used it as a backdrop prop to announce his candidacy?
Plenty of memories of how badly Republicans behaved during the Clinton years are ready and available for reporters who choose to dig. Just sayin'.
So that you don't have to plow through the love letter editorial dressed as interview journalism, a summary:
* John Sununu wears sweaters and has a folksy manner, so it's easy to forget he votes with Bush 90% of the time to protect Big Oil & Big Pharma, prolong the Iraq war, etc. etc...
* John McCain thinks John Sununu is the Smartest Man in the Senate. So smart that, like Sarah Palin, he refuses to acknowledge the influence of humans on climate change.
* Ignore all the data about our shifting state demographics, please. We have an election to keep close.
Sprintin' Sununu put out another ad today which consists largely of him about to break out into actual sprinting, and plenty of misleading metaphorical sprinting away from his Republican, Bush-enabling identity. For example, it touts how he called for Gonzo to be fired, but nowhere mentions that he supported him as AG in the first place despite the scandal of the torture revelations.
Shaheen and the DSCC both fought back today too. The first ad shines a light on Fergus' ridiculous "radical community organizing" talking point (for much more on this see Kathy's outstanding diary), and the second is just pretty straight ahead hard-hitting on how out of touch John E. is:
Obama's new ad today on McCain's (lack of) education policy:
What was that? Abolish the Department of Education???
Where have I heard such radical right fringe talk before? Hmmm... Oh yeah, this is it:
(Sununu has) pledged to work against all tax increases and abolish the Energy, Education, Housing and Commerce departments.
So hard to pin John E. down. One minute he's running hard right with Palin on denying that humans have anything to do with Climate Change, and the next he's dashing away from entire federal departments with McSame. But I guess that's why they call him the Sprinter.
Since Mayor Mooseburger and the Sprinter are BFF when it comes to disgraced Big Oil interest VECO, it makes perfect sense that they would also be united with the Flat Earth fringers on denying the basics of climate change science. The AP on Palin:
While acknowledging the climate is changing, Palin expresses doubt as to whether emissions from human activities are causing it.
While average global temperatures have increased by one degree over the last century, it is difficult to determine how much of this increase is due to human influence.
Seriously, who is there left who holds this view?
And how did we get to the nightmare scenario that this fringe thinking could direct the policy agenda of our next Vice President and Senator? If that doesn't get you to phonebank or canvass or donate or write LTEs, I don't know what will.
Adding: you really should read the whole article on Palin and environmental issues. It makes Dick Cheney look like Rachel Carson. The more regular Granite Staters learn about Palin's environmental record, the better we will do here in November.
The Wise Old Men of Washington (and the GOP operatives whispering in their ears) will tell you that Bush is not on the ticket this year.
He isn't, that's for sure. Rather, he's all around us as we try to climb out of eight years of catastrophe aided and abetted by his Senate Republican enablers.
Republicans and Phones. They go together like um, nitro and glycerine...
The infamous AJS Ad is back. I'm watching it right now on MSNBC during the Republican convention.
Except there seem to be some differences since last time we encountered it:
1. It's not AJS anymore, it's by AJS godfather organization the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
2. It's not a radio ad -- it's a TV ad.
Oh, right, almost forgot --
3. The last frame gives you the Shaheen for Senate phone number and asks you to call it if you're upset with taxes.
Here's a photo of my TV here, a luddite screenshot:
I could be wrong, but I remember the radio ad asking listeners to call Jeanne Shaheen, but I don't remember the radio ad giving out the phone number of the campaign.
To me that seems like it hits a little too close to old history, doesn't it? Keep in mind Shaheen, unlike Sununu, is currently not in elected office. This is not a a call to action to phone your Rep or Governor. This is asking you to bother the campaign office, after riling you up with a misleading ad.
I think it's likely that the Chamber of Commerce merely tacks on the phone number of the campaign so that it can continue the charade that it is doing issues based lobbying (Mad about taxes? Call the person not in office!).
Still, it says something that this out-of-state defender of Sununu is so tone-deaf to our local history that they would post the campaign number in the ad, don't you think?
What does it mean for the future of the Republican party that Senators Sununu and Gregg are downplaying the fact that they are avoiding the GOP Convention on the one hand...
...and on the other Team McCain-Palin is highlighting the fact that Levi Johnston will be making an appearance there?
Adding: and how much do you want to bet that, when Palin finally emerges from her bizarre seclusion, they'll use the two baby stories with as much intention of political gain, or more, than the phony scorn they've dumped in the media/blogs (AP excepted) for discussing the story.
I see that Sarah Palin "reformed" Ted Stevens so much that she partook of the the rotten fruit of his VECO tree in 2002.
In the fundraising corruption probe, VECO founder Allen is cooperating in an FBI investigation that has already sent several state political figures to prison. He is expected to be the Justice Department's star witness at Stevens' trial later this month when he testifies about home renovations and other gifts he provided the longtime senator - gifts Stevens is charged with concealing on Senate documents.
Palin received $500, the maximum amount allowed by law, from Allen and VECO vice president Rick Smith. Several other VECO managers, including Pete Leathard, who came up with the idea for the special bonus program, also donated the maximum. Allen's son, a VECO employee, also donated $500. All the checks were donated the same day, except for Leathard's, which was dated two days after the rest.
VECO, 2002, Allen, Smith, Leathard... where have I heard those names before?
Oh yeah, those were some of John E.'s donors in 2002 too:
June 29
$1,000 -- Steven J. Leathard, VECO Corporation
June 30...
$1,000 -- Bill J. Allen, VECO Corporation (fishing trip buddy)
$1,000 -- Mark J. Allen, VECO Corporation
$1,000 -- Peter Leathard, VECO Corporation
$1,000 -- Richard L. Smith, VECO Corporation
I'll give Palin one thing: at least for her, the money was in-state, unlike Sununu, who has to be propped up by Big Oil interests from afar.
"There will not be a speech by the President today about the convention -- or John McCain," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters...
Oh, wait. Scratch that. Better stick to that aw shucks "town to town" meme:
But when asked if he might gio to St. Paul later in the week, she replied, "I think we have to wait and see what the convention and the campaign say, and determine from there."
A Bush appearance might create some problems since many delegates seemed somewhat relieved that the unpopular president would be unable to come.
Can't have any more of these, can we:
p.s. HAHAHAHA. It's never to early to think about 2010. Judd Gregg can't be bothered to be a Republican this week either.
This is almost too good to be true. Sprintin' John Sununu's first TeeVee ad highlights... actual sprintin'!
(he doesn't bother to waste any of the thirty seconds on issues, but hey, would you, if you were George W. Bush's handmaiden for the past eight years in House and Senate?)
But here is the best part, by far. Something about the utter vapidity of the piece, combined with the narrator's voice, reminded me of another ad.
Sure enough, Strategic Perception Inc, the producers of this ad, were also behind the hands down funniest Republican ad of the cycle, Big Bad John:
FYI: Strategic is also the source of some of those hateful McCain "celebrity" ads, and you can see some visual similarities in the Cornyn piece with those, imho. So, a real classy outfit the Sprinter's gone with.
"I feel very positive about not just my race, but about all of our Republican races," said Sununu.
Standard caveat: Sununu's hoarding a pile of treasure to be spent after Labor Day, lots of out of state shadow GOTV group helping him, the race will tighten, etc, etc.
The Republican Party is better funded and better organized than ever, Sen. John Sununu told a gathering at the Harley-Sanford VFW in Milford Friday night, Aug. 15.
"I feel very positive about not just my race, but about all of our Republican races," said Sununu.
NRSC Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) said Friday that he would not be able to make good on a promise to match Democrats "dollar for dollar" this year, blaming his GOP colleagues for not chipping in.
..."I recently challenged my colleagues to step up to the plate and help me provide the resources our candidates need to compete in races across the country - to match the DSCC expenditures in targeted races," Ensign said in a statement. "It has become clear that my call has gone largely unanswered. I have no control over the timing or content of [independent expenditure] ads, but I have had no choice but to decrease the total budget of our IE Unit.
I guess I can see why Sununu would play make-believe about the funding at an event where folks might have their checkbooks out - nobody wants to throw away money on a losing horse. Even if it means fudging the fact that the NHDP, DNC, DSCC, and DCCC are all now outraising the NHGOP, RNC, NRSC, and NRCC, respectively.
But how could he say Republicans are more organized, when he can't even be bothered to show up for the Republican convention? Not exactly an expert on the subject, imho.
"Senator Sununu will continue his town to town, person to person campaign throughout New Hampshire during the Republican National Convention," said Stefani Zimmerman, Sununu's campaign press secretary, in a statement. "He looks forward to campaigning with our next President, Senator John McCain, during the Senator's trips to the Granite State."
Well, if he's not a Republican anymore, can we scratch his name off the ballot?
Seriously, does he think that after six years in the Senate, and earlier in the House, he can hide from his association with the Bush years? So lame. And note that this comes out at the "Friday night news dump" time.
Shaheen, of course, is proud of her party and will even be giving a speech at the Democratic convention.
The Washington Times' Sean Lengell is apparently auditioning for The Onion:
Sen. John E. Sununu is in serious political trouble, and it's largely no fault of his own.
The first-term New Hampshire Republican is one of the most vulnerable sitting members of Congress facing re-election this year, a victim of surging anti-Republican and anti-Bush sentiments that have swept the Granite State in recent years.
Riiiight, Sprintin' John Sununu is a "victim" and his lack of support is "no fault of his own." Surely, Sununu's lack of support among Granite Staters cannot be attributed to his votes for an endless Iraq War, his decisive vote killing stem cell research, his opposition to cheaper prescription drugs, and his votes against increasing the minimum wage. Sununu is just a victim of circumstance.
"There's nothing less sincere than a politician that says, 'I'm with you on every single issue,' " Sununu said. "You can't do that, but I certainly vote with New Hampshire in mind every single time, and I listen on every single issue."
The smartest man in the senate puts New Hampshire first every single time. And he votes for President Bush's wishes ninety percent of the time.
I'm not an engineer or anything, but simple math tells me that George W. Bush must have a ninety percent approval rating in this state for the Sprinter to be thinking of us so much when he votes with the President.
(Exhibit A on the utility of a community blog. - promoted by Dean Barker)
A couple of weeks ago I read Mike Caulfield's great post "A Blatant Lie on Heating Assistance from Sununu" ( http://www.bluehampshire.com/s... ). I thought he had done important work in untangling this for us and that there must be a way to make his point more widely understood. So I wrote a letter to the editor of the Portsmouth Herald summarizing his points.
And here's what came out today: http://www.seacoastonline.com/... . The first letter is John Sununun selling his LIHEAP scam. Then there's mine, summarizing Mike's point but with the confidence that it's well grounded.
Just thought BHers should know how leveraged your work is.
And the award for the funniest LOL statement of the race goes to... the Mooney Times:
Sen. John E. Sununu is in serious political trouble, and it's largely no fault of his own.
I remember Charlies Bass explaining away his loss the same way back in 2006, but at least he had the decorum to wait until after he got defeated.
In other party of personal responsibility news, Shaheen will be speaking slot at the DNC convention, but still, at this late date, we have no idea whether Sununu has decided if he's a Republican and will be attending his own convention.
Rasmussen (which weighs for party affiliation) continues to show a clear lead for the former Governor, and the Sprinter once again falls well below the 50% incumbent danger zone
Shaheen 51%
Sununu 40%
With "leaners"
Shaheen 52%
Sununu 43%
Combined "very" and "somewhat favorable"
Shaheen 55%
Sununu 49%
Combined "very" and "somewhat unfavorable"
Shaheen 39%
Sununu 44%
Look for the local papers to cover this non-horesrace showing with as much breathless vigor as they did the summer UNH one < /snark>.
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