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(NH GOP continues to make NH look like a Backwater State. - promoted by Mike Hoefer)
Concord, N.H. - Afghanistan War Veteran and state Senate District three candidate Jeff Ballard released the following statement after Rep. Al Baldasaro remarked that a member of the military "disgusted" him and thought it was "great" when the audience boo-ed the soldier because of his debate question about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
"Rep. Baldasaro should have immediately apologized for his shameful comments after the Republican Presidential Debate. As a veteran and a New Hampshire citizen, I found his applauding the booing of an Iraq War Veteran appalling. Rep. Baldasaro may have freedom of speech, but it exists because Stephen Hill, the veteran he called a 'disgrace,' risked his own life to protect it. It is no excuse for his inappropriate comments."
Rep. Baldasaro uses his credentials as a retired Marine Corps First Sargent to speak as a subject matter expert on Military Affairs. With such statements he is bringing discredit on our Military's Senior Non-Commissioned Officers whose role is not to make policy, but rather to enforce it and maintain order within the ranks. It is also the Senior NCO's role to protect soldiers like SGT Hill who is exercising his lawful right as an American Soldier. Rep Baldasaro's statements undermine his fellow Senior NCO's who are trying to maintain good order and military readiness during our ongoing hostilities in Afghanistan and contingency operations around the globe.
"Republican House Speaker Bill O'Brien should immediately call for him to resign and remove him as Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the State House. Rep. Baldasaro is clearly incapable of being an advocate for all veterans. Republican State Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley should also call on Rep. Baldasaro to resign; he should make clear that this kind of language is not the official position of New Hampshire Republican Party."
Please visit my Facebook page to be kept up to date on the campaign
Governor Lynch vetoed some bills this week. One was a bill to expand the use of deadly force. From the Monitor
In the House, where the bill passed 283-89, Speaker William O'Brien and Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt characterized the veto as a rejection of the rights of gun owners.
Oh?
The leaders of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police and the New Hampshire Sheriffs Association asked Lynch to veto the bill in a letter last week. They said the legislation would alter a careful balance between the right to use deadly force in self-defense and the safety of innocent bystanders.
Because O'Brien and Deej know more than the state's law enforcement agencies.
Carol Shea-Porter is the first woman to hold national office in New Hampshire's long history. In her two terms in office she provided the first line of defense against the administration of George W. Bush, a president regarded by historians as one of the worst in our nation's history. She subsequently participated in one of the most productive congresses ever under President Obama.
Representing a top swing district in the country, Representative Shea-Porter never accepted business PAC money in her fundraising, and never deviated in her words or actions from her core principle of serving "the rest of us" during her time in public office.
Below are the top ten bogus charges made against her in the 2010 cycle by right-wing old and new media, sloppy journalists, Republican candidates, and professional GOP operatives.
Coming soon is a top ten list of Shea-Porter's legislative accomplishments.
This was published as an op-ed in the November 26, 2010 edition of the Conway Daily Sun:
Thanksgiving is the time for giving thanks, and showing compassion, or so tradition dictates. The natives helped the struggling Pilgrims so that they didn't starve to death during their first winter in New England. Their crops had failed, and they relied upon socialist Indian handouts to survive. Of course we know how the Indians were repaid for their generosity. The voters who enthusiastically supported the recent red tide are likely to have a similar experience.
"If there's not a satisfactory explanation," Guinta "absolutely," should drop out, [Jeb] Bradley told POLITICO. "It would be an obstacle, I think, that would prevent any nominee that had any kind of issue, to successfully compete against Carol Shea-Porter."
State Senate candidate Beverly Woods challenges Bradley to explain discrepancy to voters
Concord - Last week, Jeb Bradley's voting record in the New Hampshire Senate collided with attacks from John Stephen's gubernatorial campaign, of which Bradley is co-chair. In a Manchester Union Leader article from Aug. 13, John Stephen's campaign made scathing attacks on Senate Bill 500 and stated that John Stephen never would have let the bill pass. Bradley and all but one his Republican colleagues in the Senate voted in favor of Senate Bill 500.
"Jeb Bradley has some explaining to do to the voters here in District 3," said Democratic state Senate candidate Beverly Woods. "It seems that his position as campaign co-chair for John Stephen is interfering with his role as state Senator."
After once labeling John Stephen a "big spending bureaucrat," Bradley confirmed his commitment to John Stephen's bid for governor in March. So far, Bradley has not commented on the clear disconnect between his Senate voting record and the conflicting talking points of the Stephen campaign.
"Does Jeb Bradley now agree with the Stephen campaign on Senate Bill 500? Will he flip-flop on his vote, or stand behind it?" asked Woods. "I challenge Bradley to address this discrepancy and explain to voters how he can support John Stephen and his campaign's attacks on Senate Bill 500, when Bradley himself voted in favor of it."
"This November, voters have choices," continued Woods. "The question is whether or not they will choose to re-elect someone whose rhetoric does not correspond with his record."
The Republican candidates in the first district congressional primary are coming to blows. Jeb Bradley, who cutely says he has not endorsed Sean Mahoney but has his bumper sticker on his car, called for Frank Guinta to resign if Guinta could not prove that he held an account with over $250,000 in it from which Guinta lent his campaign money. Guinta used to work for Bradley, but in '08 Guinta endorsed Johnny Stephen in the congressinal primary, which may explain both why Guinta's web site omits his employment by Bradley from his bio, and why Bradley has it in for Guinta.
Guinta should not be elected to congress. He was a do nothing mayor of Manchester marking time for his next political race. His flight from a bar fight a little over a year ago without either calling the police to report an assault on an alderman or an ambulance for a fellow whose leg was badly broken raises judgment issues. He really does need to answer these question about why he failed to report this account in prior financial disclosures, and show that the loan money was a personal loan. But if the press is going to cover Bradley's attacks on Guinta for his FEC problems, they should take a look at Sean Mahoney, too.
Concord - Foster's Daily Democrat ran an op-ed by Ray Buckley, the New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman, in honor of 'Tax Day,' April 15th. The op-ed contrasts the reckless Republican record of spending increases over the past thirty years with the responsible and balanced approach taken by Democrats and Governor Lynch.
Foster's Daily Democrat: Numbers tell the story on Tax Day
New Hampshire Republicans have expertly spread the myth that their party is the party of fiscal responsibility and low taxes. The problem is that this claim is only that - a myth. The numbers don't lie.
According to the right wing think tank the Tax Foundation, when Republicans are in control in New Hampshire taxes go up. Over the last three decades, when a Republican was in the corner office, taxes increased by an average of 7 percent per person every year.
This is an astronomical sum compared to Gov. Lynch's record of fiscal responsibility and low taxes. Under Gov. Lynch, New Hampshire has the second lowest state tax burden per capita in the country.
And the Republican record on spending is as dismal as their record on keeping taxes low. Cutting general fund spending is something that John Sununu, Judd Gregg, and Craig Benson never did as governor, but it is something Gov. John Lynch has already done. Twice.
Over the past 30 years, Republican governors in New Hampshire have increased spending by an average of 17 percent per biennium - more than double the rate of Democratic governors.
And many of the most prominent members of today's Republican Party are the worst offenders. Current Republican chair and former Governor John H. Sununu increased spending by an average of 22 percent per biennium as governor and left the state budget in deficit.
John Stephen, the leading Republican candidate for Governor, has been just as irresponsible with the state's finances as his mentor John H. Sununu. Stephen asked for a half-billion dollar increase in his budget when he served as Health and Human Services commissioner. Stephen also double-counted revenue, creating a $70 million budget hole, and today the state is facing a federal audit from his years as commissioner.
The New Hampshire Republican Party's lack of fiscal responsibility shouldn't come as a surprise. We've seen the same thing on the federal level. President George W. Bush took the largest surplus in U.S. history and turned it into the largest deficit we have ever seen. He then ignored all the warning signs and drove the economy into the ground creating the worst recession and highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression.
Since the moment he took office President Obama has been working hard to fix these problems. Over the past 14 months, the job market has improved dramatically. We were losing 800,000 jobs a month when Bush left office, but just last month over 160,000 new jobs were created. He's done this while also passing a series of tax cuts targeted to help middle class families and those struggling to stay afloat in these difficult economic times.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included the largest tax cut for the middle class in United States history. It contained 25 individual tax cuts for American families - from the 'Making Work Pay' refundable income tax credit, to the 'American Opportunity' tax credit for education costs, to the giving three quarters of small businesses relief from the Capital Gains Tax. And it was passed despite the support of only three Republicans in the Senate and no Republicans in the House of Representatives.
We can't afford the Republican ideas of fiscal responsibility - turning surpluses into deficit, 22 percent increases in state spending, and taking money away from middle class tax cuts to provide corporate tax breaks. The myth that Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility should end today.
Ray Buckley is the Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Link: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100415/GJOPINION_0102/704159765/-1/FOSOPINION
Key Facts on Democrats' Record of Fiscal Responsibility and Republican Recklessness
Nearly all the taxes in New Hampshire were created by Republican governors and Republican legislatures.
Unlike how Democrats are responsibly handling the budget today, in the last major recession Republicans imposed a 3 percent communications services tax, increased the Real Estate Transfer Tax from $4.75 to $6 per thousand, imposed a 2 cent per gallon tax on all motor fuels, plus a $5 process fee for diesel fuel users and hazardous waste transporters. And these are just a few of the dozens of taxes and fees that were increased that year.
Over the past 30 years Republican governors have increased spending more than twice as much as Democrats. And more than three times the rate of Governor Lynch.
Republican governors increased spending by an average of 17% compared to less than 8% for Democrats. And 5% for Governor Lynch.
One of the worst offenders is Governor Sununu who increased spending an average of 23% per biennium and almost doubled state spending during his time as Governor, increasing it by 87.2%.
Governor Lynch and Governor Shaheen, have been the two most fiscally responsible governors in New Hampshire history.
Cutting general fund spending is something that John Sununu, Judd Gregg, and Craig Benson never did as governor, but it is something Gov. John Lynch has already done. Twice.
New Hampshire has the fourth lowest spending of any state government per capita. And New Hampshire's current tax burden ranks 5th lowest in the nation, 3.1% lower than the national average.
Under Democratic Leadership Granite Staters get the best bang for their buck. New Hampshire is the safest state in the nation according to the FBI, ranks among the top five states in key measures of reading and math, New Hampshire is the number one place to raise a family according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and CQ Press Ranked New Hampshire as the most livable state in the nation for the fifth year in a row.
President Obama and Democrats in Congress cut individuals' federal tax bills for this year by approximately $173 billion. And over the life of the Recovery Act, Americans can expect to save around $300 billion in taxes. Families are receiving record tax refunds - on average $266 more than last year.
John Stephen's Record of Fiscal Incompetence
During his five years at the Department of Safety, that agency's budget more than doubled, increasing 103 percent - or over 12 percent a year.
In 2004, in his first budget as Health and Human Services Commissioner, John Stephen asked for an 11 percent increase in general funds.
Just weeks before the budget was to be presented to the legislature in 2005, John Stephen confessed that he had double-counted $70 million in federal funds - opening up a huge new hole in his department's budget.
In his second budget as Health and Human Services commissioner, John Stephen requested a 13 percent increase in his budget.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General is demanding the state repay $35 million from 2004, claiming improper use of federal funds during the time John Stephen was commissioner.
Former Republican Congressman and current state senator, Jeb Bradley called John Stephen, a "big spending bureaucrat."
(Posted by Harrell Kirstein, deputy press secretary for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.)
When we first got in touch with our Congressman Jeb Bradley's local offices back in 2005, it was refreshing to be assured that the staff considered themselves to be working for us, the citizens, and eager to be of assistance in any way they could. Perhaps they were making up for the fact that the Representative for the First District was, at best, lackadaisical.
In any event, the commitment to staff providing service to citizens seems to be somewhat less on Capitol hill, where revolving doors don't just connect the public and private corporate establishments. Senate and House staffs rotating internally also seems routine.
"Some of my libertarian friends balk at what looks like an individual mandate. But remember, someone has to pay for the health care that must, by law, be provided: Either the individual pays or the taxpayers pay. A free ride on government is not libertarian."
Who said that?
The same guy who gave Jeb Bradley $1000 last year when he ran for state senate.
Still don't know? Well, I'll let Senator Bradley answer this one:
"He lost a tough race," New Hampshire state Sen. Jeb Bradley, a Republican former member of the U.S. House, told the newspaper. "After that, Mitt could have done anything he wanted with his life: back to the non-profit world or start a new business. But what has he been doing? He's kept at it. He's been busting his butt since losing more than anyone I have ever seen."
I'm so confused now. Is the GOP position for or against the individual mandate?
This was published today as an op-ed in the Conway Daily Sun.
John Stephen, former Congressional candidate, is now running for governor of NH. Stephen ran for Congress in 2002, and again in 2008. He lost both times, in the primaries, to Jeb Bradley, who lost the Congressional seat in 2006. Bradley will co chair Stephen's campaign.
It's long been rumored that Bradley was going to run for governor, but apparently he's decided to help throw his old foe to the wolves. The GOP hasn't had much success in fielding candidates against the popular Governor John Lynch. The last human sacrifice was former District 3 state senator Joe Kenney. The best that can be said about that matchup is that in other parts of the state people are still asking, "Joe who?"
Bass, Bradley, H. Sununu, and now Stephen. Is it any wonder Gregg was so desperate to fill his seat with a non retread?
Former state Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen met with the Republican Governor's Association at their Washington office this Tuesday, an encouraging sign for some Republicans who have been urging him to challenge Democratic Gov. John Lynch next year.
This news is worth the mental image of Governor Stephen meeting with State Senator Bradley.
(And don't forget to hang out at Susan's place now and then. Great stuff there. - promoted by Dean Barker)
this was published as an op-ed in the 10/23 edition of the Conway Daily Sun
Ah, New Hampshire. This year we had a long, cold, wet spring; a cold, wet summer, and a glorious fall with spectacular foliage. It was a rancorous year in the NH legislature, with the budget being a particular thorny issue. Mel Thomson and William Loeb still dictate our tax policy from the grave, and Judd Gregg voted in favor of rape. It was a year blissfully free of electoral politics for most of us, but the end of the year is drawing near. Next year we'll be voting for 2 Congresscritters, one US Senator, the entire NH legislature, the Executive Council, and the Governor.
The NH GOP is unhappy about losing their divine right to run our state. Despite steady losses in the last 4 years, they have not been able to come up with a new message. They're still saying "no taxes and cut spending." It was a great message in 1910. In 2010 the reality is somewhat different. Things cost more, an elementary concept that the NH GOP is unable to embrace. Sure, there are ways to spend less money. At a time when many states are eliminating the costly death penalty as a way to save millions, NH is the only state looking to begin executions. The budget for lead paint testing has been cut recently, but we'll be building a death row and an execution chamber.
Last month, former NH GOP Chairman Wayne Semprini wrote a letter to the editor accusing Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter of being a disruptive activist at a Jeb Bradley town hall meeting he moderated. Semprini claimed that Shea-Porter and her supporters wore waffle hats, and were disruptive. Sadly for poor Wayne Semprini - the very same paper had covered the meeting in 2005, and had a picture of Carol who was lacking any form of haberdashery that day. I was there - wearing a waffle hat. So was State Rep. Susi Nord
To the best of my knowledge, Wayne Semprini has not apologized for being either A) a very forgetful individual, or B) A big honking liar.
During a campaign trip in October to New Hampshire, [Sarah Palin] balked at sharing the stage with former congressman Jeb Bradley because they differed on abortion and drilling in the Arctic wilderness," the authors wrote. "That same day, she was reluctant to join Bradley and Senator John Sununu for conversation aboard her campaign bus and had to be coaxed out of the back of the bus to talk to them, according to a McCain adviser."
Something tells me those two will line up with Romney anyhow. But still, nice to know how she treats members of her own party from the Granite State.
So the Jebster, freshly sworn into his downgrade, apparently is the point man for the boss, That Garbage Man, on HB436 (boldface mine):
Going into the debate on same-sex marriage, all 10 Republicans, myself included, committed to oppose passage as did two Democrats. Twelve "No" votes means a tie and failure of legislation.
But a last-minute amendment was secretly circulated by Democrats and, according to observers, was intensely lobbied for by the chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. Suddenly this secret amendment was cast as a compromise, even though it unilaterally allows same sex-marriage. As a result, one of the two Democrats committed to oppose same-sex marriage recanted, and the 13th vote for passage materialized.
Opponents of same-sex marriage were stunned and angered as promises made turned into promises betrayed.
...If Gov. Lynch vetoes same-sex marriage he will unambiguously tell fellow Democrats: Enough is enough and that it is time to start focusing on voters' primary concern - the economy. Governor Lynch can deliver that message - or voters will continue to do so in elections, special or not.
This tells me four things about Bush League:
1) Jeb and his Republicans pals go into a "debate" with a pre-determined position. Ah, that independent Yankee spirit!
2) Jeb, though being in the senate, doesn't qualify as an "observer" to the process and has to rely on right-wing faux "news" for his information.
3) Somebody made "promises" to the anti-equality crowd. Care to elaborate, State Senator Bradley?
4) Jeb is sooo running for Governor.
And as a side note: does it feel like GOPer Groundhog Day to you all too? Charlie, Two Sununus, Jeb. Throw in Benson and it'll be like 2002 all over again.
Totals are starting to come in via the Laconia Citizen. I'll update as I see it:
FINAL TOTAL: Bradley 5,996 , Martin 3,789
And James Pindell has put together a comparison spreadsheet from the GE in '08 here. And Andrew has one here as well.
So involuntarily retired pro baller Bush League Bradley decides to play a high school game on his home turf and wins with the bleachers 3/4 empty and on a field that has never once gone to the opponent. Tomorrow that reality will be spun by John H. and the Union Leader as the Comeback of the Republican Party in New Hampshire.
My only question is: since this is obviously a perch from which Jeb can rehabilitate another vanity run for the national stage, how on earth are they going to come up with a nominee set now with so many re-treads in the running (Jeb, Charlie, Horn, Sununu) and Guinta knocking at the door?
More: In an effort to prevent this from happening again, help me game out the likeliest next special election and the NHGOP nominee. Some initial thoughts:
HD-378: Judd Gregg
Selectman: Charlie Bass
School Board: Craig Benson
(Polls now closed. Bumped. - promoted by Dean Barker)
CLICK HERE FOR POLLING STATIONS AND TIMES. - All polling locations close at 7PM.
A cold, rainy day? Should make turnout numbers, always hard to gauge for a special election, even more so.
If Jeb Bradley wins, a two-term US Congressman with statewide name recognition manages to hold onto a previously GOP-held state senate seat, changing nothing in the balance of power.
If Bush League Bradley loses, his political career, already zombie-like, is over. And the senate gets a good man and, inter alia, another vote in favor of marriage equality (though we all know the Democratically controlled senate already has votes to spare to pass HB436).
This is a Special Election Open Thread.
Update #1: Turnout good in Moultonborough, but will we have a winner tonight?
Because the District 3 Senate seat was the only item on the ballot and the weather was bad, local election officials said they were surprised by stronger-than-expected turnout.
"Quite frankly, we are running a little further ahead than what I thought we would be doing," said Mel Borrin, Moultonborough moderator. "I don't have the numbers, but people are coming through the doors and they are in the booth, so for a special election, I think we are doing fine."
After the polls close, there may not be a final tally Tuesday night. All ballots will be counted by hand before they're reported to the secretary of state's office.
