Rethuglican Blogger Promotes Dirty Tricks
A front page blogger here at NH INSIDER is promoting the dirty work of organized hate troops that are harassing our first district Congresswoman and her staff.
The blogger in question has posted a highly edited and highly contrived “hit” video.
These videos are the snuff films of New Hampshire Politics.
Shame.
Here’s a little background on the movement to “CRASH” Carol Shea-Porter events.
I’ll start with Neil Rowland who goes by the name of “Rowland” on this site.
Last Spring Neil began posting a lot of comments under my column and on the discussion board of NH INSIDER. Neil lives in Fremont (not far from me here in Raymond). We’re practically neighbors--that alone raised my interest level.
Neil is also the webmaster of NH Citizen, a libertarian leaning political site. Let me point out immediately that Libertarians I know wish Neil would move to Idaho or someplace where he won’t embarrass them any longer.
Last spring Neil’s comments below my column went from nasty to obscene.
It was obvious to me that Neil wanted to make a name for himself by attacking Carol Shea-Porter and to a lesser extent me. Nothing new there, but I also picked up enough cues to keep an eye on the situation.
My policy is to never edit or delete any comments, but Neil became so obnoxious that I called him one day. When I did he handed the phone to Peter Bearse, who is running for Congress as an independent against Carol Shea-Porter. Peter and I had a civil and productive conversation. Neil has been heavily promoting Peters candidacy from day one.
After the phone call, Neil called the Fremont police to complain about me. I found that out by reading a webpage Neil titled “Chaz loses it.” I’m honored that Neil thinks he’s tough for standing up to me, ( read it yourself if you care to) but if someone calls the police about me, I have to call them too!
Anyway I explained the situation to the police and they laughed along with me. I told them that I can handle myself, but I did have concerns that Neil’s actions could escalate or trigger some nut case to do something stupid. After all, its an election year and passions are very high.
Within days Peter Bearse and I got together not once but twice to discuss grass root politics. He dropped by my home both times. I told Peter that if anyone on a campaign I was running acted as Mr. Rowland does, he would get no second chance.
I also signed Peters petition to get on the ballot in November and joked that he would take votes away from Republicans so I hope he does well.
Peter and I get along fine.
Not long after these events, Neil Rowland posted a comment here at NH INSIDER to the effect that someone should slap Carol Shea-Porter. That thread was getting closer to recommending violence. I think that someone, perhaps NH INSIDER had to pull it down.
Mr. Rowland also has dedicated a web page to disrupting Carol Shea-Porter events. He has exhorted people to “crash” her events. I’ve seen him in action. In Epping I witnessed Neil shoving video cameras in people faces. He stuck one in mine as a matter of fact.
When Carol Shea Porter appeared in Raymond a few weeks ago Mr. Rowland was not there, but Peter was. So were about eight people who were insufferably obnoxious. Shouting, interrupting and insulting not just the Congresswoman, but a panel of people representing various non profits, banks and a few government agencies.
It was embarrassing to me because Raymond is my home town. I didn’t recognize any of the rude folks and noticed license plates from as far away as Connecticut with political bumper stickers.
There have been more incidents but you get the picture.
So now we have a loud mouth “caught” on camera hollering and badgering our Congresswoman and her staff all the way into a parking lot. I know for a fact that the man has been treated fairly. His concerns have been heard. But fairness isn’t what this video is all about.
The video is of course featured at NH Citizen right now.
If anyone can watch that video and not figure out what is going on there then they are just as ignorant and low slung as the blogger who posted it.
Chaz Proulx
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Reader Comments (74)
I can't believe the party whose titular head is the inventor and master of all the dirty tricks in the book that NH has ever experienced, including harassing one's family, and then some, has had some awfully whiny posts about dirty tricks, and are even using press releases to attack their opponents.
Methinks you doth protest too much.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander. If you DemonRats are going to come to our events and drink our coffee and eat our cookies while we treat you in a civil manner as you question us, then I guess you'd better allow the same for everyone else who wants to attend your events.
Or is that too fair for a DemonRat to understand?
Speaking of fair, Jeanne Shaheen totally dodged the question about the right to vote in private - a right that Democrats want to take away in the workplace as it pertains to unions, and her 'trackers', doing nothing thuggish at all, were blocked or asked to leave. She gave a total non-answer when asked about this, avoiding the question completely.
Anyway, anyone who has been the brunt of the dirtiest of tricksters, your feckless 'leader' Mr. Amsterdam himself, knows that it is really laughable that you should be talking about dirty tricks - especially when they are simply after the bare minimum a candidate or official should be expected to do as their duty to their constituents, answer questions.
Get some sense of decency, won't you Chaz?
I too am a Traffic fan. What a band! I don't know who you are but I know you're in my age bracket.
We have a real problem here folks and perpetuating partisanship while the two headed snake squeezes the life from us is only adding to it.
If you can't tell, I'm absolutely in no temper to tolerate ignorance these days. I'm unabashedly unashamedly sick to death of this ignorance.
In the time I've known you, you have never posted a critique of anyone here but me.
Republicans and fellow Libertarians get a pass, no matter how low they stoop.
That's partisan in my book.
I just read what you posted under ( re: Demon-Rats)my other recent column.
Thank you!
I'm afraid though, that it's way too late to even expect a slow down in partisan nastiness between now and November.
For years the right wing has used the most vile techniques.
I began my political writing "career" by exposing right wing propoganda and how it spreads in NH.
Now--with blogging I can throw the attacks right back. Remember how John Kerry was Swiftboated?"
Those days are over for me.
My days of political writing here are limited too. I often get sick of having to do this for some of the very reasons you point out.
So I'll be writing my last column here immediately following the November elections.
But in the meantime, I'll fight fire with fire.
Both "sides" provide me equal opportunities to criticize.
I just think there is a fundamental intellectual dishonesty and a blatant ignorance of the pressing issues which are the value of our dollar, the imperialistic state of our military, the loss of our freedoms and the re-writing of the constitution via judicial activism that gets overshadowed by all the "I know you are but what am I" bullcrap.
I'm just a regular gal here trying my hardest to do what's right, raise my child right, be a good wife and find time to raise the alert to the fact that, Houston, we've got a huge problem here.
So, when you say fighting fire with fire, from my perspective from what I see and know, these childish tactics boil down to a petty pissing match.
There are actual criticism that need to be made. They can be made in an intellectually honest manner of civil debate.
When people become so heavily entrenched in partisan politics, they spend more time trying to justify their party politics by "hearsay" and no time even listening to actual the criticisms of the other party. Because, when someone goads you into an argument, you're automatically on the defense.
We're all just people and most of us are very decent people. It's shameful for me to see people behaving in this manner. It's like you've been duped and don't even know it.
"For years the right wing has used the most vile techniques."
Because my friend, the republicans aren't the only ones who have used vile tactics.
Both parties are guilty of prettying up these kinds of events and even going so far as plant questioners and script the events. They formulate how many blacks, whites Asians and Muslims to put in the audience so as to appear "PC" and "multi-cultured" It's all an act. Phony bologna bullcrap that leaves me parched for substance.
Take for example the Republican primary debates and Ron Paul. He was literally scoffed at by the likes of Rudi Giuliani and Mitt Romney. RP would answer a question the only way he knew how. With honesty and integrity and when he spoke you KNEW it was the truth. And they laughed at him like insolent schoolyard bullies. Like cowards who feared the truth he spoke.
It is truly disgusting how people are taken, and not just taken but willing and active audience participants in this most obscene facade that is US politics. How far can it go?
Why do politicians shy away from answering questions? I mean, if they're so justified in their beliefs as they espouse to their bases, certainly the worst case scenario is that their opinions become espoused publicly.
There needs to be passionate arguments and yes, even hurt feelings if the case necessitates.
Instead, politicians tend to rely on their constituents and die hard "believers" who arbitrarily consume their demagoguery as fact to do their bidding. The "sides" are kept at odds with one another but are they really so different as to warrant fighting at all? Differences can be reasoned and reasonable people can agree to disagree.
What control would the powers that be have over people if partisans started actually thinking for themselves?
And in the mean time, the truth is being buried by time and the agenda driven writing of history.
The level of accountability for politicians is minimal. I mean, they continue to get reelected in spit of their deplorable achievements in office and this I attribute to the results of the "sides" fighting. You're too distracted by arguing with "them" and defending your demagogue to see what's really happening.
Clumsiest slight of hand trick if I may say so.
Hows this for a classic line..."Oh, I know so and so isn't really that good BUT, at least they're not a republicrat or democan."
They say "United we stand" well folks, our government is gone to hell in a hand basket and no amount of partisan bickering is going to help the problem out.
Ok, I'm done for now but my brain is still spinning and I don't feel the least bit exorcised by these ventilations...
Thanks for the compliment. I like you too.
I think that over the years I've hosted many intellectual debates. The ones I'm proudest of usually revolved around the role of government. I also tried to "elevate" the tax debate, but was drowned out for the most part.
As for "vile right wing techniques" here's where I'm coming from and I'll show my age for sure.
I grew up when William Loeb held NH Public opinion in the palm of his hand, He ran the Union Leader. He kept the McArthy era alive in NH for an extra twenty years. In those days there was NOTHING like the internet to even slow his rotten to the core propaganda.
Democrats and people like me were voiceless.
Now you have right wing talk radio stirring up the same type of hogwash.
Plus the Sciafe and Coors family empires pumped literally billions of dollars into print and internet communications networks to amplify the hatred of the Rush crowd.
That's why I feel one hundred percent justified in singling out the right.
All I have is this column and my keypad, and people act like I'm taking some unfair advantage.
At this site I'm usually the only voice of Democrats. Jim Splaine is too, but hasn't posted for a while.
So really, I'm surrounded.
I'm sorry but when need be I will always fight fire with fire
Also, the video you revisited only shows what the morons that made it want to show.
CSP answers questions and has a terrific record of constituant service.
Following someone to their car, hollering relentlessly and playing to a video camera is not ( I hope ) and example of the discourse you wish to see.
As for the video, of course it's obvious that it's biased but the guy wasn't off the mark when he commented that the forum was scheduled for 2 hours and the first hour was a CSP self gratifying love fest. She does have a terrific record of constituent paid for service. I would have like to see her say, ok, assuming you're here you're informed, I'm certain you must subscribe to my newsletter and get my taxpayer funded mailings so enough about me, what do you want know. That would have taken her 5 minutes and on to constituent questions.
If people act as though you are taking some kind of unfair advantage, that's their problem, not yours. It's obvious that anyone has an opportunity to say whatever on the internet.
Don't apologize for feeling the need to defend yourself. I just don't happen to feel that either side of the partisan argument is worth justifying.
Peace,
Suzanne
And then, let the questions begin. Tough questions, easy questions, whatever types of questions so long as they are appropriate which is to say relevant and above board.
And no, following someone to their car and hollering at them isn't an above board tactic. However, CSP did tell the man with the camera that he could see her after the forum.
The proper role of government is a fantastic topic as is a tax debate.
Eh, to read my comment, you have to ignore my sign off until the end, insert the remainder of the comment following my preemptive sign off between the second and third paragraph.
Don't worry about computer glitches here. I make ten a day.
I'm glad you acknowledge that the guy shouldn't have been doing what he did. But my article goes a step further and shows how planned all of this is.
Tough rhetoric is one thing, but in the You-Tube age we are seeing rehtoric and physical intimidation combined with video.
Please try to see why this is an alarming trend and why I won't idly stand by and let Richard Barnes glorify it here.
Also note that Dems do use video. As a matter of fact I was video taped at an event with John Stephen and Grover Norquist.
I had no idea but someone from the Dem party did have a video camera.
I'll try to get a copy and show the world how you can ask tough questions politely.
That's what I did. Then I spoke at length with John Stephen and spoke with his wife too.
I would have enjoyed a lengthy debate with Mr. Norquist too, but would never in my wildest dreams want a video of me chasing him and Mr. Stephen out of the building while hollering at them and on camera.
If you can tell me an incident where a Democrat acts like these thugs let me know.
If you listen closely you will hear CSP tell the yeller to continue to deal with her office.
Of course you can barely hear that, because I'm sure the audio is doctored.
Listen closely though its there.
Matt Simon and Seth and others were involved in the role of government. Matt also suggested a book swap in which we read books by authors who opposed our views.
But those things take time. We did our best in 2007 which was a non election year.
This year I am far to busy for that luxury.
It's a shame you can't admit that sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, or that I'm NOT a Republican!
Remember Che-Porter bird dogged Bradley to get this gig! And lots of people hate Komissar Carol who are NOT Republican!
Also let me the set the record straight. I didn't call the police to complain. I emailed my local police chief to advise him that there was a possible loony calling me up to swear at me in a disjointed fashion so if I turned up dead they'd have a lead. I specifically asked him not to make a big deal about unless there was violence. But you really were off your rocker that day Chaz. You couldn't even form a coherent sentence. I only wished I could have recorded that rant.
On a related note USMC Sgt. Peter MacDonald is still running for state Senate. Remember he was deemed NOT a threat after Shea-Porter's staff had him locked up for 30 days. More to the point there was NO SPECIFIC THREAT in the letter.
For the record I have never asked to have Chaz locked up.
Chaz you and your kind have no concept of free speech at all. You seem to think it only goes one way and that your side is above being questioned.
What do you mean by this comment?
"Remember Che-Porter bird dogged Bradley to get this gig!"
I know what bird dogged means but I don't see how that is a bad thing in politics and I don't see how it is the same as harassing a politician at a public forum. In my opinion, bird dogging in politics is engaging in competitive politics and competition isn't necessarily subversive.
Also, on a personal note, I've read several letters by Sgt. Peter MacDonald and if he was writing me letters, I'd be wary to say the least. The man is unnerving.