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When elections end, there is a tendency in NH not to pay attention to the post election financial reports of the losers. The media gets caught up in the legislative session, and no one finds the losers that interesting anymore. We miss things that way, like Sean Mahoney's fec fine after his first congressional race.
However, since John Stephen will continue to run for office, despite three significant losses, I decided to look at his Nov. 10 report, in which he disclosed raising $46,000 and some change. $18,000 came from 18 LLC's, all related to a dunkin donut franchise holder named Mark Cafua. 16 of the companies operate stores in NH.
Stephen's willingness to avoid donation limits like this speaks volumes. We also don't know how much more money was funneled into groups like NOM and Cornerstone to fund anti-Lynch efforts. In any event, when you drill down and match the various llc donations and individual donations together, a substantial amount of the Stephen's campaign was funded by a small group, including Craig Benson and his affiliates and the donut companies. There is a story there somewhere.
My old friend and neighbor Peter Burling sends his thoughts on John Stephen's campaign style:
In his concession speech Tuesday night, John Stephen said he was proud of his "positive" campaign for Governor. I was stunned to hear his characterization. The Stephen campaign has been mendacious from the start. His statement put the final cap on the false narrative that characterized his entire effort.
Here is the truth: John Stephen and his storm troopers attacked Gov. John Lynch repeatedly for the past nine months, misleading the voters on the budget, on taxes and on public safety, lying about Gov. Lynch's leadership style, and telling whoppers about Stephen's own record.
(I tried hard not to, but at the end of the day I had to promote this. It's the least I can do after Stephen refused to denounce Cornerstone's disgusting mailer. - promoted by Dean Barker)
On a night when just about any Republican, regardless of qualifications, legal history, IQ, or mental health was elected, John Stephen still lost.
The third time was definitely not a charm for Mr. Stephen, who has to be one of the most unpopular candidates in NH GOP history. Will he finally take his little pen and go home?
(Frank Guinta continues to hide from voters and their pesky questions. - promoted by Dean Barker)
I am at the Temple Adeth Yeshurun in Manchester for the traditional final debates. Frank Guinta is not showing up, which is pretty rude, since this is his adopted home town where he was mayor and he knows this is a traditional must stop before general election. He is dis'ing the Queen City.
Kelly Ayotte is not showing up either, which also shows a certain tone deafness, but at least she isn't from Manchester.
So, we will hear from both CSP and Paul, and see the final debate between Governor Lynch and Johnny Stephen.
And ask, why is Frank afraid to face the hometown crowd?
Adding (Dean):
GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV!
Call NHDP at 603-225-6899 to find out how to help.
Call the Shea-Porter campaign at 603-531-9653 to find out how to help. ALL HANDS ON DECK: WE CAN WIN THIS RACE!
Today's Union Leader reports on two press conferences held to tout the business support of each of the gubernatorial candidates. To my amazement, at the Stephen press conference attacking John Lynch, Stephen supporter Arthur (no we are not related) Sullivan complained about state laws requiring the registration of residential condominiums with the N.H. Attorney General.
One problem. The condominium statute, which was enacted to protect consumers and municipalities by requiring, inter alia, proof of financing to complete promised improvements like roads, became law in 1977, during Mel Thompson's administration. 33 years ago. Why is Planet Stephen attacking policies adopted during the Thompson administration? Have things gotten that bad for the Stephen campaign?
Senate Bill 500 (SB 500) reforms New Hampshire's prison parole and probation guidelines, emphasizing community supervision of inmates leaving prison. John Stephen and his supporters have made it the centerpiece of a vicious, negative campaign, calling it, "John Lynch's sex offender release bill.”
Over at Front Door Politics, Michael McCord and Hilary Niles separate fact from fiction in a dispassionate, week-long series on the new law. The series begins with a look back at the legislation’s background.
Before it became an election season issue for New Hampshire, Senate Bill 500 was hailed by Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike as an innovation in criminal justice. It would deal with the state’s problem of recidivism, fueled largely by parole and probation violations. It would reduce incarceration rates. It would improve public safety and save money along the way.
The series continues by fact-checking the SB 500 campaign ads. Upcoming articles promise to compare New Hampshire's new law with similar initiatives from other states and provide perspective from candidates and residents alike to determine what the new law really means for New Hampshire.
In 1998, Karl Rove’s mentor, Lee Atwater, masterminded an infamous political ad that played on racial fears and portrayed Gov. Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The Willie Horton ad featured the menacing mug shot of Horton, an African-American convicted of assault, armed robbery, and rape while out on a prison furlough. The ad was roundly condemned as racist and Atwater eventually issued a deathbed apology to Dukakis.
Histoy repeats itself in a direct mail piece attacking Gov. John Lynch. The mailer from Cornerstone Action attacks Lynch for his support of SB 500, the prison parole reform bill Cornerstone describes as "John Lynch's sex offender release bill." The mailer features Lynch in a line-up with four sex offenders, including two African-Americans and a Latino.
Why hasn't John Stephen denounced this mailer? Where's the outrage?
John Stephen can't wait to get back into power so he can be like Kelly and start frivolous lawsuits, the goal of which is to keep you uninsured:
Stephen said one of the first things he would do if elected on Nov. 2 would be do "make sure... New Hampshire is the 23rd state to join the lawsuit" alleging the health care bill is unconstitutional, which received hearty approval from many in the church.
(The "many" there refers to the 912 Glenn Beck crowd.)
The UNH Survey Center results for the gubernatorial race are in. Nothing terribly surprising, given that we've already seen the crazy demographics in the house and senate polls. Giant registration edge given to Republicans (particularly in the 1st), dramatic undersample of 18-34, no cellphones, an implausibly large number of Tea Party supporters.
And even with all the edges that Andy Smith can manufacture, John Stephen still can't break 40%.
After all that bluff and bluster, after all those misleading ads from hate groups, and even with a typically pro-GOP UNH sample, Johnny Stephen is still turning out to be (.pdf) 2010's version of... what was that fellow's name again?
John Lynch: 51%
John Stephen 37%
Undecided: 9%
Other: 3%
709 respondents, 10/7-10/12, MoE +/-3.7
Is it mixing metaphors to stick a fork in a donut?
Oh, and: thanks to the careful stewardship of John Lynch and the Democratic majorities in House and Senate during this Great Recession, New Hampshire saw its unemployment drop yet again last month to 5.5%, among the lowest rates in the nation (release below the fold).
(Funny - even FOX's favorite pollster can't help Stephen. FOX, which gave a million to the RGA, which is filling our airwaves with attack ads against Lynch. - promoted by Dean Barker)
Imagine you are John Stephen. Imagine that you have entered into another dimension, a dimension where tons of cash from Craig Benson, Benson's buddies, mysterious donut store operators, and other sources are showered upon you for reasons unrelated to your talents or abilities. A dimension where shadowy secretive out of state groups like NOM, AJS and the like run ads for you, and against your opponent. A dimension where the only state wide newspaper runs daily stories attacking John Lynch. It seems that you have unlocked the door to a future of unlimited possibilities - but there is one problem,
Despite the ads, despite the money, your poll numbers are going down, down, down. Even Rasmussen has you down by ten points - after showing you in statistical tie just a few weeks ago.
You are slipping into the Twilight Zone.
Golden Earring video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Governor Lynch had some good news to announce for a change today: the state actually ran a budget surplus of $70 million in Fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010). This is not a structural surplus: the next budget will still start out several hundred million dollars in the hole. But nevertheless the state government actually has positive cash flow.
$20 million of the surplus comes from larger than expected lapses: the last budget anticipated $23.6M in lapses, but there were $44M. Lapses are money which is appropriated but not spent when (for example) a worker leaves his or her job and the state doesn't have to pay the salary while a replacement is being recruited.
Please take some today to read the Concord Monitor's editorial calling John Stephen out on his misleading claims and scare tactics about New Hampshire's corrections reforms.
"The public should be insulted, not frightened, by Republican gubernatorial candidate John Stephen's shameless demagoguery. He is waging a campaign of fear in his zeal to unseat Gov. John Lynch that should not be rewarded ... Stephen knows all this, of course. But he also knows that if he can frighten people enough with his talk of rapists in the streets, he might get elected. That's unconscionable."
Craig assembled the group back in 2003-2004. Critics said their titles made them sound like a Village People cover band: the Senate President, the Attorney General, the HHS Commissioner. But oh! when they started to play!
Remember (Lost My) Right to Choose Blues? Craig wrote the tune but the lyrics were by Two-Time Tom Eaton. That "pro-choice" intro followed by the slow dance backwards, silently nodding while his bandmates sang out the votes to criminalize choice? Eaton's moonwalk was reminiscent of Motown in the gracefulness of its choreography - at least, Motown in the Hummer era.
Craig and Tom introduced the song but Kelly took it to the top of the charts. And what single-minded dedication it took! Another AG might have been distracted by minutiae - you know, Ponzi schemes n' stuff. Not Kelly. She took the act on the road. The doubters told her to slow down - the legislature, the new Governor. But she was going to keep singing until she got that audition with the Supremes - no matter what it cost!
It was bandmate John Stephen who inspired Kelly's "Damn the cost, full speed ahead!" moves. His anthemic (There Must Be) 70 Million Ways to Bust a Budget made carping about a few million bucks to promote her favorite songs seem stodgy.
Craig won't be on stage for the reunion tour - comparisons to Brian Wilson are not near-fetched.
But the band will be rockin' with all their old hits!
If this is the music you grew up with, it will bring back memories you thought had faded away!
Special treat: For her encore, we understand Ayotte will do a solo of Bobby Fuller's classic I Fought the Law (And the Law Won).
John Stephen's allies at the National Organization for Marriage have just bought $425,000 in advertising for next week, presumably to resume their attacks on Gov. John Lynch.
As you know, Gov. Lynch is the only Governor to sign a standing marriage equality law -- and NOM has publicly said it intends to make an example of him because of it.
NOM's media buy is 10 times what our campaign is currently spending on advertising.
I appreciate Dean's comments earlier about our efforts to fight back. But we can't fight back successfully without your help -- both with your time and your campaign contributions.
While Rasmussen and ARG aren't to be trusted, this is going to be a tough race. We cannot underestimate John Stephen's willingness to mislead in his efforts to get elected.
Please sign up today to volunteer or contribution at www.lynch10.com.
[John Stephen's] latest report has a mini version right here in the Nashua area, with four company LLCs having the same post office box in Milford. Together, the group has given Stephen $10,000 for his primary and general elections.
I am surprised that this blatant abuse of the spirit of campaign finance law hasn't become an issue before now.
Does anyone have background on this happening in the past, and whether or not a loophole needs closing?
Administrative Services, Not Change in Technology, Put an End to Stephen Billing Taxpayers for Household Expenses
Stephen Continues Pattern of Not Telling the Truth About His Record to Media, Public
MANCHESTER - Contrary to the Stephen campaign's statements to the Concord Monitor, the Department of Administrative Services - not a change in technology - put a stop to John Stephen's practice of billing taxpayers for "common household" expenses, including his home internet - and even his home cable box.
"John Stephen has established a clear pattern of failing to be honest with the public and the media when confronted with facts about his record," said Pamela Walsh, campaign manager for New Hampshire for John Lynch.
"John Stephen helped create or raise 162 fees in just four of his 20 years as a career bureaucrat. And as health and human services commissioner, John Stephen billed taxpayers for his home internet and home cable box. When confronted with these facts by the media, John Stephen did not tell the truth about his record. We can't trust what John Stephen says about his record or his attacks on Governor Lynch."
The Concord Monitor reported on Sunday that John Stephen billed taxpayers for his home internet and cable box from 2004 through 2006. When confronted about the charges, Stephen's spokesman said the practice ended "when Stephen acquired a broadband card for his state-issued laptop."
But documents obtained through a right-to-know request show that it was the Department of Administrative Services - not a change in technology - that ended Stephen's habit of billing taxpayers for his personal costs.
In May 2007, in response to a new series of bills from Stephen, an Administrative Services business supervisor denied the reimbursement request.
"I still don't think the state pays for these kind of expenses. The fact that it has been paid in the past doesn't indicate to me that is approved, but more likely it was overlooked or not questioned when it should have been," the business supervisor wrote. "High speed internet is a common household expense and, if approved for the commissioner, one could argue that there are hundreds of other state employees that could also justify this cost."
Stephen is establishing a pattern of refusing to be straight about his record.
On Monday, when asked by WMUR about the 162 fees he helped create or raise, Stephen claimed: "Commissioners don't increase ... fees."
But RSA 126-A5, IV says: "Pursuant to RSA 541-A, the commissioner shall have the authority to establish fees, copayments or any other charges for services or assistance provided by or on behalf of the department." Neither the full legislature, nor the governor, was presented with Stephen's fee increases for approval. He submitted his fee increases to the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules.
In addition, while assistant commissioner of Safety, Stephen helped created or raise more than 20 fees in just a two-year period, for example publicly urging lawmakers to pass a bill increasing license plate fees by $1.50 and vehicle title fees by $5. (Associated Press, April 9, 2002)
Remember (Lost My) Right to Choose Blues? Craig wrote the tune but the lyrics were by Two-Time Tom Eaton. That "pro-choice" intro followed by the slow dance backwards, silently nodding while his bandmates sang out the votes to criminalize choice? Eaton's moonwalk was reminiscent of Motown in the gracefulness of its choreography - at least, Motown in the Hummer era.
Craig and Tom introduced the song but Kelly took it to the top of the charts. And what single-minded dedication it took! Another AG might have been distracted by minutiae - you know, Ponzi schemes n' stuff. Not Kelly. She took the act on the road. The doubters told her to slow down - the legislature, the new Governor. But she was going to keep singing until she got that audition with the Supremes - no matter what it cost!
