Prog Blogs, Orgs & Alumni
Bank Slate
Betsy Devine
birch, finch, beech
Democracy for NH
Live Free or Die
Mike Caulfield
Miscellany Blue
Granite State Progress
Seacoast for Change
Still No Going Back
Susan the Bruce
Tomorrow's Progressives
Politicos & Punditry
The Burt Cohen Show
John Gregg
Krauss
Landrigan
Lawson
Pindell
Primary Monitor
Primary Wire
Scala
Schoenberg
Spiliotes
Welch
Campaigns, Et Alia.
Paul Hodes
Carol Shea-Porter
Ann McLane Kuster
John Lynch
Jennifer Daler
ActBlue Hampshire
NHDP
DCCC
DSCC
DNC
National
Balloon Juice
billmon
Congress Matters
DailyKos
Digby
Hold Fast
Eschaton
FiveThirtyEight
MyDD
The Next Hurrah
Open Left
Senate Guru
Swing State Project
Talking Points Memo
50 State Blog Network
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
This is from Brian Brown of National Organization for Marriage:
I wish nobody had to do what I do for a living: fight gay marriage. You and I didn't decide that now is the time to impose gay marriage on unsuspecting voters in the Northeast. But let me tell you something: The people who did are in for an unexpected fight!
In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch is trying to weasel his way out of his repeated commitment to the people of New Hampshire, by saying he'll sign a gay marriage bill if they go back and put in some religious-liberty protections. I mean, don't get me wrong: It's nice that Gov. Lynch personally at least doesn't want to use same-sex marriage to go after churches (unlike some of the base in his party). But politicians who get elected saying one thing are supposed to keep their word. Our press release says it best:
"Governor John Lynch has repeatedly promised voters that he opposes same-sex marriage. When he signed the civil union legislation into law, he told people, 'I still think marriage is between a man and a woman.' Voters believed him, but now he claims that he must look at the issue through a broader 'lens' than being a man of his word. This so-called lens is really just weasel words to explain away why he is breaking his word to voters. It is really unfortunate that he is proving himself to be just another politician who cannot keep his promises. Unfortunately, New Hampshire children and families will pay the price for this betrayal." (We will need your help to defend marriage, in New Hampshire and around the country--can you possibly help us out today?)
His language does nothing to stop schools from taking young children to celebrate a lesbian wedding, as happened in California.
Back to me now.
They add that they're gearing for a fight in Maine, but it sounds like they surrender NH.
I emailed him back, asking sincerely what they're afraid of. It's been a baffling mystery. The best guess I heard from someone today: they're afraid their wives will leave them for another woman. Best guess I've heard yet! Other guesses?
According to a report by Laura Dorgan in today's Concord Monitor, our governor has said he will veto HB 648, passed by solid votes in both the House and Senate.
It's clear to all who've followed the bill, AG Ayotte has no problem sweeping aside science.
And unfortunately, the governor appears to accept her word.
The weight of evidence is overwhelming. People with cancer and other serious illnesses can get the healing they would not get without medical marijuana.
Now would be a good time to call Governor Lynch's office (271-2121) and let him know that Kelly Ayotte doesn't know what she's talking about when the subject is medical marijuana. We need to keep generating calls and emails to the Governor's office in support of HB 648 until this bill's fate is ultimately decided.
And letters to the editor help a lot too.
And I thought since we got rid of Bush/Cheney, science was back.
Patients are not criminals! Please call the governor.
As some of you may have noticed (but most of you haven't) I have a web site TimothyHorrigan.com, which has Google AdSense ads on it. Basically, I give Google a few square inches of space which they auction off to advertisers and if someone clicks on the ads, I get a cut of the proceeds. Right now, many of the ads are incongruously urging Gov. Lynch to veto HB436.
Some actual information from the WhoIs database is shown below. The NOM is based at the same address as a conservative think tank known as the Witherspoon Institute, which sponsors seminars like "Natural Law and Economics."
Before AG Kelly Ayotte signed her name to this letter (also read this response), her office was represented on this issue by Assistant AG Karin Eckel. Here's a video I made showing part of Eckel's testimony to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Watch and you'll have little trouble seeing why the committee was not convinced by her position.
(Credit to "Biker" Bill for the original video footage)
Prior to the Senate vote on medical marijuana, Sen. Jack Barnes argued that senators should oppose the bill because members of law enforcement are the true experts on marijuana and marijuana policy. He then read aloud a portion of this letter from AG Kelly Ayotte to senators.
The letter contains many false and misleading statements, so it is easy to see why the House and Senate were not convinced by the Attorney General's objections. If Ayotte's concerns are also Governor Lynch's concerns, then unfortunately the Governor is acting based on some very bad information. The following refutations (two-page version, seven-page version) should help.
If you are embarrassed that the attorney general of your state would send such an uninformed letter to senators, please call Governor Lynch's office at 271-2121 and tell him Kelly Ayotte is not an expert on medical marijuana!
(Note: the House and Senate have both passed HB 648 in different forms. The House would have agreed to the Senate's minor changes on Wednesday, but Governor Lynch indicated that he would veto the bill as written. Instead, legislators on the "committee of conference" will attempt to craft a compromise bill that Lynch won't veto.)
It appears Lynch may be believing the absurd nonsense put out by Ayotte on medical marijuana.
Understandibly the focus of late has been totally on equality of marriage rights, meantime a lot of seriously ill patients will remain criminalized if Lynch blocks the medical marijuana bill HB 648, as now seems likely.
Seriously ill patients lives are at stake.
The state does not require prescriptions or metered dosages for ginseng, St. John's Wort, or fish oil, and it would be absurd to require them for a simple, non-toxic plant that patients can cultivate for themselves at no cost to the state.
Please contact the governor to support HB 648 as passed. Access is tightly controlled, it is a remarkably tight bill.
Many peoples lives can be saved from wasting and the inability to stand chemo treatment.
Please ask the governor to support HB 648!
The New Hampshire Senate approved a same-sex marriage bill today 13 to 11. Governor Lynch hasn't said whether or not he will allow the bill to become law without his signature or veto the bill. While the New Hampshire House still needs to vote on the Senate bill it had previously approved a same-sex marriage bill so there is almost no doubt that it will be passed and so it'll all be up to Governor Lynch about whether or not to permit same-sex marriage.
Blue Hampshire has Lynch's statement regarding the passage of the bill and they think it might be a veto. In anticipation of this, we, progressives, would like New Hampshire Citizens to write, call or fax the Governor in support of same-sex marriage. You can do that by:
Office of the Governor
State House
25 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603)271-2121 - phone
(603)271-7680 - fax
I'm guessing that if Governor Lynch doesn't sign the bill he won't be the Democrats top pick in 2010. But, that's just my opinion.
Currently "forty-two percent of Americans now say same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds. That's up nine points from last month, when 33 percent supported legalizing same sex marriage."
And that support is showing progress in the Northeast. The Legislature's Judiciary Committee voted 11-2-1 today in support of a bill to allow gay marriage in Maine...Eleven members voted in favor of the bill, two voted against it, and one voted to send it to referendum."
It is starting to look more and more like the Northeast (New England + New York) will be a bastion for same-sex marriage by 2010. That's bound to bring the issue up in the 2012 Presidential Election. Of course, California is still the site of the most contentious fight over same-sex marriage. Amidst todays revelations the National Organization for Marriage announced that Miss California would star in their new ad against same-sex marriage.
While Conservative Groups fighting against same-sex marriage think California is the be all end all it's pretty clear that the best they can do now is delay the inevitable. We could see 5 or 6 states supporting Gay Marriage by the 2010 midterms.
I think that Nate Silver's timeline didn't factor in the possibility of a tipping point. Considering that a majority of New Yorkers support Governor Patterson's same-sex marriage bill its certainly time to start talking about whether or not same-sex marriage is at a tipping point.
The latest big three bills have made me wonder, does Gov. Lynch really represent us as a state? He has made it public that he plans to veto the death penalty bill if it ever crosses his desk and the medicinal marijuana bill's future does not look much better. So after thinking about this I had another idea, if Gov. Lynch is not right for us who could do a better job? After thinking about it I decided on Jackie Cilley. Jackie is exactly the progressive force I think our state needs. She has said that as a Senator she will never vote to deny some one their rights. She's against the death penalty, she's pro-gay rights, and she is in support of medicinal marijuana. In my opinion she is exactly what our state needs in a governor. She would make us a leader in our region on human rights. I would just like to make it clear that I do not work for her and she does not plan on running in 2010 (although I wish she would) I'm simply just posting this because I think she should run and I would like to see what everyone else thinks.
New Mexico Hampshire Governor Bill Richardson John Lynch signed a bill to repeal the death penalty in the state and replace it with a sentence of life imprisonment without parole, his office said on Wednesday.
Last week, the state's Democratic-controlled Senate voted 24-18 14-10 for a bill to revoke the death penalty. It had already been passed by Mexico's New Hampshire's House of Representatives.
Richardson Lynch, a Democrat, previously supported the death penalty. The decision to repeal it marked the "end of a long personal journey on the issue," he said in a news release.
There are two is one prisoners currently on death row in the state.
New Mexico Hampshire is the 15th16th state to abandon capital punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. New York and New Jersey repealed capital punishment in 2007 and bills to abolish it are pending in several states, the center said.
New Mexico Hampshire has carried out only one execution since 1939. the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976. Neighboring Texas is America's most active death penalty state.
There have been more than 1,130 executions in the United States since the 1970s.
Unfortunately, we will not see that press release as Gov Lynch has promised to continue the tradition of Democratic Governors vetoing a repeal of the Death Penalty (should it get to his desk.)
The surprise 193-174 House vote marked the second time in a decade that state legislators have backed a repeal of the death penalty; in 2000, then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen vetoed a repeal bill with a statement now echoed by Lynch: that some murders are "so heinous that the death penalty is an appropriate punishment."
Kudos to Governor Richardson for being on the progressive side of this issue.
I'm shocked that nobody has peeped a word of Governor Lynch's budget on this website. While fully funding schools he has balanced his budget by withholding revenue sharing to the cities and towns. The result is chaos with municipal employees. Cities are largely unwilling to increase property taxes to make up for the shortfall, so they're talking massive layoffs of Fire, Police and Public works employees.
As a firefighter that is part of PFFNH, the state fire union that backed Lynch hard, I'm wholly disappointed at what he's created.
(I'm a well known prude about legal and illegal drugs, but when ideology trumps relief for the suffering, it's infuriating. Has AG Ayotte ever spent time inside a chemo ward? - promoted by Dean Barker)
Yet again, Ms. Ayotte has proven that she is more interested in making certain of her right-wing bona fides than in representing New Hampshire's citizens.
Anti-choice? Check...
Against marriage equality? Check...
Extra-extra pro-death penalty? Check...
and, as of yesterday...
Anti-medical marijuana!
She's practically Sarah Palin without the trendy eyewear.
Medical Marijuana Story in the Concord Monitor: http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/p...
I found in my inbox this morning a blast e-mail from the irreplaceable Bill Siroty. In it, he mentioned an example of Attorney General Kelly Ayotte's right-wing activism that I had forgotten and I think merits recounting.
In the summer of 2008, the California Supreme Court declared "that California's ban on same-sex marriage violates the 'fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship,'" and made same-sex marriage legal in the nation's largest state. This ruling was met with tooth-gnashing outrage by right-wingers and homophobes throughout our great land.
Throughout the country, politicians of the right searched for ways to make political hay out of the Court's decision. Many municipal politicians and state legislators (including here in NH) introduced anti-same sex marriage resolutions and ordinances, Republicans in state houses throughout the land made impassioned speeches, and radio hosts amplified these efforts with bile and enthusiasm.
Stepping into this fray was none other than New Hampshire attorney general Kelly Ayotte.
(Title threw me for a bit... - promoted by Dean Barker)
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities periodically provides an update on the deteriorating situation with the various states' budgets. Their latest update came out last week (http://www.cbpp.org/9-8-08sfp.htm). Here is the nickel tour, focusing on NH.
Discontent over Gov. Lynch's-unfunded-but-required Kindergarten is spreading. Last week, Salem's budget committee balked at the cost of kindergarten for its youngsters. And Hudson is planning to sue the State over the matter. Ironically, Governor Lynch and his 49 peers around the country constantly beg the federal government not to place any more unfunded mandates at their doors. Yet at the same instant Lynch and his Dem legislature play the exactly same mandate game to cities & towns in New Hampshire. So. Lynch takes credit in his inaugural address for requiring Kindergarten. Lynch gets enormous applause from his fellow pols (even though he blows the line). Adequate money to fund Kindergartens is not forthcoming from the State. Cities and towns are left holding the bag. And the elderly homeowners in New Hampshire who can no longer afford to pay their property taxes are left to fend for themselves. It's a Blue Movie. About No Cost Democrats.
Would you allow me to paraphrase Governor John Lynch's third Inaugural Address?
May I? Would it be alright?
OK, then...here goes:
Madam Speaker, Madam President, Mr. Chief Justice and members of the judiciary, honorable members of the House, Senate and Executive Council, and my fellow citizens of New Hampshire:
I am really pleased that I slaughtered my opponent and believe me when I tell you that I will do nothing during the next 632 days to anger anyone who lives in the Granite State.
I pledge two years of constant attention to my favorability ratings which - not bragging or anything - are currently way the heck up there.
Let me start by totally pandering to all our folks who love to applaud meaningless bull: Let me say something that even John Sununu The Elder will have to pretend to agree with: We live in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world. As proof of our greatness, for example, there aren't 47 million Americans without health insurance and unemployment in this Land of Free is not currently at 7.2% and our national government has been so very responsible over the past eight years that EVERYONE else in the world absolutely loves us.
And if you think I am wrong then you can move to the People's Republic of Vermont!
Now, here's the deal: This next budget cannot be balanced by tweaks and minor adjustments. And let me go back to my initial point; that I am not about to upset any voter living in - for instance - Newcastle.
So, let me say it this way: We have a proven record of allowing rich people keep all their dough...I mean we have a proven record of sensibly managing our state budget - and we have done so without a sales or income tax. We will continue to do so (as long as 50.1% of voters would be unhappy with me for recommending otherwise).
And may I remind the presumptive new Chairman of the State Republican Party, Mr. Sununu, that I have taken the NO TAX PLEDGE every day for the past four years immediately before brushing teeth in the early morning. And I shall continue to do so, so help me God.
As we develop the next budget, we will have to examine every area of spending, look at every program and say 'no' more often than we would like. We will say "no" when the poor, the disenfranchised, and the ignorant are involved.
Because we live in the greatest State in the country.
Because you have entrusted me with the solemn responsibility of avoiding all the hard challenges that face New Hampshire.
You have chosen me to be the one who pretends to be a progressive, who pretends to be a Democrat . I pledge to you that I will work every day to keep pretending."
It's been almost two months since an election where the NH Democratic ticket did pretty well for themselves.
But, in the view of many of us in the State who call ourselves "liberals" or "progressives" things have been going downhill pretty rapidly.
Our governor (to steal a simile from Nobel-winner Paul Klugman) has been doing a terrific Herbert Hoover impression, slashing the budget. His cuts are going to hurt defenseless people. And, of course, he will have nothing to do with looking at new recurring sources because doing so might hurt his popularity.
City leaders throughout the State are canceling or postponing capital improvements and major infrastructural maintenance.
And, of course, the real challenges of our State - properly funding public education, providing property tax relief to the elderly and working-poor, and similar issues - are being totally ignored.
Meanwhile, fiscal reactionaries in the Republican Party have brought Sununu the Elder back to life. And they said that cryogenics wouldn't work! Sununu will push the discussion way to the right and things could deteriorate even further.
The challenge here is for Democrats to start acting like Democrats. The opportunity is for them to tackle the real issues, issues we have faced for decades.
You've been running around the State celebrating the fact that registered Dems now outnumber registered Republicans. With respect, thatis is not your job.
Your job is to set the terms of the debate. Force everyone to talk about real solutions to real problems. Stand up to Governor Hoover and challenge him to be the Democrat he claims to be. Demand that House and Senate leaders work with the Governor and, for once, make some tough decisions.
Because if this does not happen, if the Governor continues to pander and run away from real issues, then he will start to lose those of us on the Left who believe that a truly adequate public education is the right of every child, that the kids in Claremont deserve the same quality as the kids in New Castle.
It's been two years of nothing, Chairman Buckley. It's time for some Democratic action.
Gov. John Lynch (D-Hopkinton) spoke to reporters after attending a meeting with President-elect Obama and said that he is not depending on money from the federal government to help New Hampshire close its current budget deficit.
"I'm certainly not counting on money from the federal government to deal with our remaining $75 million shortfall, so I'm not counting on that," Lynch said on a conference call with reporters.
Lynch was attending a meeting of the National Governors Association which met with Obama in Philadelphia and said he does not think Obama will give states money that would make the current state budgets worse.
"I believe that President-elect Obama is sensitive to not requiring that states to match investment dollars coming from the federal government because I think he's sensitive to the fact that that would exacerbate the financial challenges that the state is facing and not help," he said. "I also think that he's sensitive to the fact that he doesn't want to offer one time moneys that will just raise the cost of the fix cost infrastructure such that the states will be dealing with a year or two later."
President-elect Obama is to meet with the nation's governors next week to discuss the severe economic crisis facing the states.
Many economists think that aid to state and local governments should be tops on the agenda for any new stimulus spending, as they have less borrowing authority than the federal government during an economic downturn. That means that states are slashing budgets as the slowdown causes tax revenues fall.
Already the Governor has cut 25.4 million dollars from the Health and Human Services budget. From the news reports, it was unclear to me whether this number takes the federal matching monies into account. Whatever money the state cuts will also be cut in terms of federal grants coming in to the state.
I'm not sure whether Governor Lynch is attending, but assuming he is, what should he tell the President-elect? What should he request for our state?
The Concord Monitor covers Katy Forry's long shot primary for the democratic nomination for Governor.
"He gets an F in school funding," said Forry. "As a former teacher, I give him an F."
"There's a desperation about property tax bills, and the unfairness of it, that nobody's talking about," she said. "We have to talk about the unfair way we tax ourselves."
Since John Lynch has taken "The Pledge", I will be voting for Katy in the Democratic Primary on September 9th. You see, I've taken a pledge too, no more voting for candidates that take revenue options off the table.
