HORN TO NHGOP: TIME TO FOCUS

Originally Published September 1, 2011

HORN TO NHGOP: TIME TO FOCUS

The New Hampshire Republican Party is suffering some growing pains right now.  The tides are changing as conservatives are not only making their voices heard, but accomplishing measurable electoral success.  Unfortunately, as is often the case when any organization goes through structural change, the NHGOP is facing some difficult adjustments as new people come to the party with new ideas.

The contributions of life long Republicans however, can not be dismissed.  In New Hampshire, it was the combined efforts of new liberty Republicans and long-time dedicated, principled GOP activists that led to widespread Republican successes in 2010.

Liberty, freedom, individual rights, unlimited opportunity: these are the founding principles of our great nation and they are the building blocks of the Republican platform.  A burning desire to return our nation to these principles lit the fire for a nationwide populace movement that inspired millions of Americans to reclaim their authority in our democratic process.

Ultimately these values are neither Republican nor tea party alone - they are American principles and the fight to preserve them for future generations is both a noble and worthy one.  Those who take on this battle under any banner should be natural allies in the fight.

Freedom and unlimited opportunity can not flourish under a government that believes it knows better than you how you should live your life, invest your earnings and raise your family. 

In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch is the embodiment of anti-opportunity policy.  Granite State families can not afford another term of the failed leadership of John Lynch.  His policies led us to one of the largest deficits in our state's history, creating a debt that we are all now scrambling to pay off before we pass it on to our children.

After four terms in office, John Lynch still has not presented a viable plan for education funding, NH ranks in the top five states for unfunded pension liability, and the Governor spent much of the last legislative session signing the repeal of legislation he previously championed.

We face similar, if not much greater, assaults on freedom and opportunity at the federal level as President Obama marches ever forward with his trillion dollar deficits, 9.2%  unemployment, youth unemployment  at it's highest levels since 1948, the first downgrade of American credit in the history of our nation and consumer confidence at it's lowest level since Jimmy Carter.

The Obama economy has destroyed 2.2 million jobs, home values are worth approximately one third less than five years ago, and in two and a half years he has increased our nation's debt by four trillion dollars. The unconstitutional Obamacare will add trillions of dollars in debt and make healthcare more expensive and less accessible.

This is the battle we face.  These are the challenges we must overcome.  Here in the Granite State, in addition to choosing the next Governor of our great state, we have the responsibility of seriously vetting the candidates and starting our nation on the path to choosing the next leader of the free world.

Jennifer Horn: It's Time For Tim Pawlenty

From The Desk of Jennifer Horn "The greatest threat to the future of our nation is a government that has become too big to control, too expensive to sustain and too intrusive to allow men and women to live in freedom." Originally Published in the Union Leader June 23, 2011 It Is Time For Tim Pawlenty I was raised by parents who promised their ten children that, as long as we were willing to work hard and sacrifice, we could do and become anything we dreamed of because we lived in the freest, greatest nation on earth. I became actively involved in politics when I realized that my five children would not be able to make that same promise to their children if our country remained on its current path. For the past two and a half years we have been led by a President who embraces a centralized European model of government that crushes opportunity rather than promoting it.  Our President has forced policies on the American people that have cost us millions of jobs, trillions of dollars and trampled on our Constitution. Obama's economy has taken us from 7.5% unemployment to over 10 percent, the average price for a gallon of gas from $1.83 to almost $4.00 and has raised our national debt by over 32%, from 10.6 trillion dollars to over 14.3 trillion.  Obama's economy crushes jobs, destroys opportunity and limits freedom. It is time for a new president. It's time for a president with the courage to stand against our enemies without apology, the strength to lead our nation forward and the executive experience to solve the challenges we face. It's time for a President who loves America, her people, and her Constitution.  It's time for a president who embraces America's destiny to remain forever a beacon of hope to freedom-seeking people everywhere. It is time for Tim Pawlenty. America requires a tough, bold, courageous, experienced leader.  Americans deserve a President who leads with character, integrity and optimism.  That leader is Tim Pawlenty and he has the record to prove it. As Governor of one of the bluest states in the nation, Pawlenty earned reelection without compromising his conservative principles.  He grew jobs, cut spending and taxes, reformed healthcare and entitlements, and appointed strong conservative judges. He is a chief executive who vetoed 7.5 billion dollars in tax hikes, cut spending in real terms for the first time in Minnesota's 150 year history, grew Minnesota's economy at a time when the nation's economy was failing and added jobs in 2010 at a rate of 1.6%. Nationally, Obama added jobs at just 0.5% in 2010. He stood for the people against the abuses of Minnesota's public-sector unions.  He led the state through a 44-day transit strike and won.  He stood against the teachers unions and brought to Minnesota the nation's first system of state-wide merit pay for teachers. And at a time when the entire nation was seeking responsible, market-based healthcare reform, he brought it to Minnesota, implementing a patient-centered, quality conscious system that has led to one of the lowest rates of uninsured and a state that was ranked the healthiest in the nation in 2009.  Now that is an example worth copying. But what truly qualifies the former Minnesota governor to be the next President of the United States is the man behind the record. Tim Pawlenty grew up in a blue-collar community, working in the meat packing plants of South St. Paul and helped to care for his brothers and sisters after his mother passed away from cancer.  He understands hard work and personal sacrifice.  He is led first and foremost by love of God, family and country. Pawlenty has the courage to tell the truth, a trait that too many Republicans and Democrats are unfamiliar with.  In Iowa he called for an end to ethanol subsidies, in Florida he called for Social Security reform and on Wall Street he called for an end to big bank bailouts.  He is exactly the type of person we have always told our children a President should be. The greatest threat to the future of our nation is a government that has become too big to control, too expensive to sustain and too intrusive to allow men and women to live in freedom. I want a Commander-in-Chief who will stand with those who fight to protect our great nation, one who will forever honor the sacrifices of those who have laid themselves down to protect and defend my children and yours. I want a President who will help me pass down to my children and grandchildren the America of unlimited opportunity that my parents passed on to me. The 2011 GOP field of candidates is as strong as it is diverse; but Pawlenty stands out in the field.  He is not only a strong candidate that all Republicans can feel good about supporting, he is a bold, courageous, principled leader that all Americans can be proud to tell their children "That's Tim Pawlenty.  He is our President."

Copyright  2011 Jennifer Horn - All Rights Reserved.

A Victory With A Message

by Jennifer Horn

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE NH UNION LEADER
MAY 3, 2011

Victory is often bittersweet.  On Sunday night, as President Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by US Navy Seals in Pakistan, one could not fully appreciate the victory without also revisiting the loss that made it necessary.

On September 11, 2001 the attacks orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden plunged a dagger into the heart of our nation.  Nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost that day, and thousands more in the years since as we have fought an enemy that would destroy all we hold dear if allowed to go unchallenged. 

The pain of our loss continues to this day.  How can we understand the sadness of a child whose mother was snatched away, or of a Dad whose son was lost?  How will we ever understand the courage of firefighters and police officers who run headlong toward danger, as we all run away?  And to this day, young American sons and daughters continue to courageously and voluntarily, offer themselves in defense of our nation with a valor we will never be able to fully comprehend.

What happened in Pakistan was, however, a victory.  It was a victory for those who lost loved ones, it was a victory for a nation that suffered an unprovoked, horrific attack, and above all it was a victory for freedom.

Osama Bin Laden was an evil man who perpetrated an evil ideal.  The radical belief of Islamic extremists that all those who do not embrace their faith must die, is an evil belief.  And while this fight against terrorism is not, and may never be over, this particular battle was won by freedom.

The death of Osama Bin Laden sends a loud, clear message that America does not give in.  For nearly ten years al Qaed has continued to fight in the belief that Americans are weak-willed and would eventually give up and go home.  Now they know, and the world knows, that America will never give up the fight for freedom.

On Sunday night, as word spread of the defeat of the alQaeda leader, thousands of Americans gathered around the country; in front of the White House, at Times Square, and at Boston Common.  The crowds sang the national anthem, "God Bless America" and at dawn, at Ground Zero, they spontaneously faced the sun and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. 

The crowds that gathered at midnight across our great nation were led by students and young people who were just children on September 11^th.  Ronald Reagan said that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction, that we do not pass it down to our children in the bloodstream.  But I say we pass it down in our spirits, and in our hearts, and now we know that this generation is ready to protect and preserve it for the next.

The glory of this victory goes to those who have given their lives to its pursuit, but there is little time to celebrate, for the threat to liberty continues.  As long as there are people who hold hatred in their hearts for freedom, who would assault our sovereignty, who deny our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then the fight must go on.

Let the alarm ring loud and strong to the enemies of freedom everywhere, that wherever they hide, wherever they gather to plot and plan, the American people are strong, that we live in the greatest nation ever conceived by man and we will not give up, we will not rest, we will not lay down until freedom and liberty are assured for our children and all future generations.

Jennifer Horn is founder of We The People and the 2008 Republican nominee for Congress in New Hampshire's Second District

Jennifer Horn in today's Union Leader: The Next GOP Chairman Must Respect 'We the People'

From Today's Union Leader

by Jennifer Horn

NH Republican Party needs an activist leader: the next GOP Chairman must respect 'We the People'

O N NOV. 2, voters across New Hampshire turned the Granite State into an island of red in a sea of New England Democratic blue. At every level of government, Republicans earned huge wins, including a veto-proof majority in Concord and every available federal seat.

There were a lot of changes that contributed to those wins, both here at home and across the country: an electorate that was generally disappointed in "hope and change," a stronger, more organized Republican effort, and most of all, a dramatic increase in citizen participation in the democratic process.

Make no mistake, it was "we the people" that was the deciding factor in these elections. It was the combination of efforts of longtime GOP activists, new Republicans and liberty Republicans, and it would be arrogant and selfdestructive for the winning politicians and the leadership of the party to believe otherwise.

As the Republican Party prepares to select a new leader, it is important to remember that "the party" is not an inanimate object, a prize on the shelf waiting to be passed down. The party is a living, breathing, everchanging organization of real people who have dedicated enormous sums of personal time, energy and hard-earned dollars to further a cause they believe to be for the greater good.

The idea that we have to protect against allowing the activists to take over the party is ridiculous. The activists - the people - are the party. We must elect a chairman who respects that and will provide an articulate voice to the Republican message, one who will unite the many arms of activists who have come to the table, and one who understands that like all living things, "the party" can only grow from the ground up.

Raising the funds necessary to support the committee's responsibilities is also a priority. The next chairman must assemble a strong finance committee and coordinate an effort that encompasses traditional givers, the help of our federal delegation and brings new support to the endeavor at the same time.

There will be many dedicated to this effort because they recognize the cause is right. It is insulting to suggest that any of these people would withhold their support from the cause based on the selection of chairman.

There is no question, in my mind, that the Republican Party is best equipped to lead us through the next decade as we confront some of the greatest challenges of our time. Putting Americans back to work, balancing our state budget, eliminating the $13-trillion federal debt and securing our nation against all threats are challenges that we must overcome without assaulting the Bill of Rights and trampling on the liberties of our citizens.

We must stand firm on the principles of limited government and personal responsibility, and provide the leadership to move our nation forward.

The Republican Party was founded in the fight to abolish slavery; it was Republicans who stood by women early in the last century as they demanded their right to vote; and it was a Republican Congress that fought for and finally passed civil rights legislation in the '60s.

It is this Republican Party that must reemerge today, a party that gives voice to the people by standing on the founding principles, a party dedicated to preserving freedom and an America of unlimited opportunity.

Above all, we must have a chairman who recognizes that the party's purpose is to serve the people, for if it does not, it will serve no purpose at all.

.

Jennifer Horn is a former radio talk show host in Nashua and was a Republican nominee for Congress in the 2nd District.



Charlie Bass, where have you been?

By Jennifer Horn  (as written for publication in the Union Leader OP-ED section)

Suddenly Charlie Bass is sounding the alarm against the out-of-control spending of Congress. But every voter in New Hampshire has the right to question his abrupt conversion to fiscal conservatism. Charlie Bass had a bad deficit-spending habit of his own. In 2006, Charlie Bass was a member of the Congress that spent $247.7 billion more than we had. The figure was $318.7 billion in 2005, and $413 billion in 2004. He voted for the federal budget in each of those years.

If Washington's spending problem was new to this Congress, it might be a different story, but it is not. The establishment attitude that "our spending was bad, but not as bad as their spending" will not solve the problems our nation faces, and it will not protect us from one day finding ourselves facing the same type of economic collapse that we see in Greece.

It should be no surprise that the first idea career politicians like Charlie Bass offer on how to fix the problem is to create a new government committee to evaluate a government-made problem. This pass-the-buck approach has been a favorite among Washington insiders for decades. It allows our elected representatives to blame someone else when their job doesn't get done.

Under our Constitution, all federal spending begins in the U.S. House of Representatives. The House controls the purse strings, and it is the responsibility of every single member to tighten them. In times of crisis, politicians offer a review of "nonessential spending," as if they are doing us a favor.

It is time to hold our members of Congress accountable.

It is time to demand meaningful and lasting reforms that will rein in spending and restore integrity to government.

First, we must recognize that what is happening in Greece today is a direct result of an entitlement society that has gotten too big to sustain. Our entitlement programs are growing out of control, and our ability to fund them is diminishing every year.

According to the Heritage Foundation, entitlements will consume 100 percent of our tax revenues by 2052 (based on taxes being held at historical average). Entitlement reform is an immediate necessity. These programs were intended to supplement personal savings accounts, not become the primary income for a 20-year retirement. We need practical reforms that create new incentives to save and protect those who have been paying into the system for decades. But more than anything else, we need a Congress with the courage to take on what has been a political hot potato for  too long.

Next, we must have a balanced budget amendment and a constitutionally sound line-item veto. It is time to force Congress to think before it spends our hard-earned money. The days of voting to increase to the federal debt limit twice a year have got to end. Families and small business owners across New Hampshire must live within their means - it is time for Congress to do the same.

Sunset provisions will force Congress to revisit every federal expenditure on a regular basis and prevent them from indefinitely funding wasteful, ineffective programs.

We must completely eliminate the earmark process. It is inherently wasteful and corrupting, nothing more than a shady exchange using taxpayer dollars to buy favors and votes. According to The Washington Post, from 1994-2004 pork-barrel spending rose from $29.11 billion to $52.69 billion.

We need a completely transparent method for allotting funds that forces each request to meet stringent requirements of constitutionality and necessity.

The repeal of Obamacare, a corrupt and unconstitutional program, will immediately remove more than $1 trillion from the national debt. And ending congressional pensions permanently will both save us money and help end the "career" mentality in Congress.

Career politicians and Washington insiders cannot fix what they have broken; in fact, they are the problem. We don't need people who suggest you send them to Washington because of their experience at manipulating the system; we need people who are going to fix the system.

Some experience is just too expensive.