CONCORD – New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen released the following statement on Jeanne Shaheen’s latest television advertisement and her record of failed leadership, higher taxes and record spending :

“Jeanne Shaheen should be very familiar with digging holes – her failed attempt to solve the education crisis and her reckless spending plunged New Hampshire into a ditch that we are struggling to climb out of today. The ongoing school funding dilemma, oppressive statewide property tax and severe fiscal challenges we face are a direct result of the failed leadership and devastating policies that marked her six years in office . ”

“As governor, Shaheen’s signature proposals included a capital gains tax and 2.5% sales tax that would have ruined New Hampshire’s economy. As a Senate candidate, she has opposed more domestic drilling andadvocated the same tired, failed energy policies of the 1970s that made our country more dependent on foreign oil. The only direction that Jeanne Shaheen will take us is toward higher taxes, more spending, bigger government and an energy plan that will do nothing to lower fuel prices for New Hampshire families.”

BACKGROUND

Jeanne Shaheen Failed To Solve The School Funding Crisis, But Signed New Hampshire’s First Statewide Property Tax, Proposed A Capital Gains Tax And A 2.5% Sales Tax That Would Have Devastated The State’s Economy:

Union Leader: “Here’s what Shaheen said at a Wednesday press conference about a solution to the school funding crisis... ‘I think it is very difficult, if not impossible, to get to the amount that is going to be required without including the (statewide) property tax in some way.’” ( “Shaheen ‘Pledge’ Comment Slammed, Defended,” Union Leader, 2/5/1999)

Union Leader: “It also means the state has its first broad-based tax. The new statewide property tax forces communities able to raise $4,220 per pupil at an equalized rate of less than $6.60 per $1,000 to eventually raise taxes to that level for schools anyway, and send the excess to the state for redistribution to poor communities.” ( “School Crisis Over; Tax Fight Isn’t. Portsmouth Mayor Threatens Suit,” Union Leader,4/30/1999)

Union Leader : “Gov. Jeanne Shaheen proposed a tax reform package to fund education yesterday that includes a new 2.5 percent sales tax…” ( Union Leader, 2/8/2001)

Union Leader : “Gov. Jeanne Shaheen said yesterday a 4.5 percent capital gains tax will raise enough money to solve the school funding crisis..” ( “4.5 Percent Capital Gains Tax Proposed By Shaheen. Revenue Chief Says Time Is Running Short In School Aid Debate,” Union Leader,11/20/1999)\

Jeanne Shaheen Has Opposed More Drilling For Domestic Energy :

Shaheen: “ More drilling is the answer the oil companies are looking for, not the answer New Hampshire families are looking for.” (Shaheen Campaign Press Release, John Sununu Votes To Continue Bush-Cheney Energy Policy, Open Up ANWR, Atlantic Costal Waters To Drilling, 5/13/08)

Nashua Telegraph: “Sununu has voted to drill for oil in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge and lift the ban on offshore drilling. Shaheen opposes both.” (Sununu Faults Shaheen Energy Plans, Nashua Telegraph , 6/26/2008)

Jeanne Shaheen Supports A WindfallTax Proposal That Would Make America More Dependent On Foreign Oil:

Shaheen supported legislation that would have imposed a windfall profits tax . (Shaheen Release, 6/10/2008)

A windfall profits tax was imposed by the Carter Administration in 1980 and according to the non-partisan Congressional Research Serviceincreased our dependence on foreign oil 8% to 16%percent. Because of its failure the tax was rescinded as part of The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988.(The Crude Oil Windfall Profit Tax of the 1980s: Implications for Current Energy Policy 5/9/2006)

In time for Labor Day, CEI ’s labor policy analyst, Ivan Osorio, does mucho blogging on Openmarket.org, on various bits of Big Labor skulduggery.

Two new articles, Happy Labor Day! and A union spokeswoman is left out in the cold, report on Big Labor’s election agenda and unions’ politicized use of their pension funds:

Osorio has also written a series of posts on the 2 million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose head, Andy Stern, is one of the most influential union bosses in America.

A developing scandal at California’s biggest union local:

SEIU’s California Scheming, Part 1

SEIU’s California Scheming, Part 2

SEIU’s California Scheming, Part 3

SEIU colludes with an employer to undermine employee choice on joining a union:

More SEIU skullduggery — with employer help?

SEIU targets private equity firms, again:

Yet more on SEIU — it’s going after private equity, again

>> More great content from CEI's New Media Team:

Issue in a Minute: Colombia Deserves The Free Trade Agreement

Fran Smith, adjunct fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, refutes some criticism of the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

Watch it here

CEI's New Weekly Podcast w/Special Guest Dick Heller

This week, your hosts Richard Morrison and Cord Blomquist take on the best technology conference in Aspen, financial regulations in court, private toll roads for DC, cutting edge convention coverage, and the Olympic aftermath.

SPECIAL GUEST INTERVIEW : In addition to everything else, we interview Second Amendment hero and Supreme Court victor Dick Heller. (Segment begins around 30:20). Read more on the case, District of Columbia v. Heller, at Cato Unbound.

Listen to it here

>> Check out the latest blogs posts, articles, and Op-Eds from the public policy experts at the Competitive Enterprise Institute:

Russia Bears Down on European Energy

by Iain Murray

European nations can’t reduce emissions on their own, for the aforementioned reasons, so they need to buy credit from elsewhere. This was the central reason behind Russia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. To put it bluntly, the Kyoto Protocol is subsidizing Putin’s military retrenchment.

http://www.openmarket.org/2008/08/26/russia-bears-down-on-european-energy/

Cruising in Loving Memory of Cheap Gas

by Sam Kazman

A chance encounter on Route 29 turns me happily superstitious on the topic of cheaper gas.

http://www.openmarket.org/2008/08/25/%E2%80%9Ccruising-in-loving-memory-of-cheap-gas%E2%80%9D/

DMCA takedown notices should take fair use into consideration

by Ryan Radia

Ryan Radia discusses a recent Court decision which held that content owners may be liable for sending DMCA takedown notices without first evaluating fair use.

http://www.openmarket.org/2008/08/21/dmca-takedown-notices-should-take-fair-use-into-consideration/

For more analysis and wit, visit OpenMarket.org and GlobalWarming.org/blog.

In liberty,

Cord Blomquist

Online Editor

Competitive Enterprise Institute

http://www.cei.org

http://www.openmarket.org

ARLINGTON, VA -- Tonight, the McCain campaign issued the following statement from Tucker Bounds, McCain 2008 spokesman, on Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention:

BARACK OBAMA'S TOP MISLEADING CLAIMS

MISLEADING CLAIM #1: Barack Obama Can Bring Democrats And Republicans Together. OBAMA: "America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

· NPR's Juan Williams: Barack Obama "Doesn't Have The Record" Of Bipartisanship That John McCain Has. NPR'S JUAN WILLIAMS: "You think about everything from campaign finance to immigration and on, and there's John McCain working across party lines. Senator Obama doesn't have a record. Now, he can make the claim and he can hold himself up as pure and trying to reach to a new generation of post partisan politics, but he has to do so largely based on rhetoric and wishful thinking because he doesn't have the record." (Fox News' "Special Report With Brit Hume," 5/7/08)

· Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpPp2usgY6Y

· The Washington Post's Richard Cohen: "There Is Scant Evidence The Illinois Senator Takes Positions That Challenge His Base Or Otherwise Threaten Him Politically." "Obama might have a similar bottom line, core principles for which, in some sense, he is willing to die. If so, we don't know what they are. Nothing so far in his life approaches McCain's decision to refuse repatriation as a POW so as to deny his jailors a propaganda coup. In fact, there is scant evidence the Illinois senator takes positions that challenge his base or otherwise threaten him politically. That's why his reversal on campaign financing and his transparently false justification of it matter more than similar acts by McCain." (Richard Cohen, Op-Ed, "McCain's Core Advantage," The Washington Post, 6/24/08)

· Politico's Jonathan Martin: "He's pretty much a conventional liberal on the issues and has few examples of breaking with his own party, so how does Obama try to pull off being 'post-partisan?'" (Jonathan Martin, "Obama's Third Way: It's All In The Tone," Politico, 6/30/08)

· Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK): "His Record Does Not Reflect Working In A Bipartisan Fashion." "Boren, the lone Democrat in Oklahoma's congressional delegate, said that while Obama has talked about working with Republicans, 'unfortunately, his record does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion.'" (Tim Talley, "Okla. Dem Calls Obama Liberal, Declines To Endorse," The Associated Press, 6/10/08)

· "The Record Shows Obama To Be A Fairly Doctrinaire Liberal Democrat ..." (Editorial, "Obama's Rhetoric Soars, But What Does His Record Suggest?" USA Today, 1/28/08)

· In 2007, Obama Voted With The Democrat Party 97 Percent Of The Time. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 3/3/08)

· In 2006, Obama Voted With The Democrat Party 96 Percent Of The Time. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 1/27/08)

· In 2005, Obama Voted With The Democrat Party 97 Percent Of The Time. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 1/27/08)

MISLEADING CLAIM #2: Barack Obama Will Ensure That Our Troops On The Ground Have "The Equipment They Need In Battle." OBAMA: "As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

· Barack Obama Voted Against Providing $94.4 Billion In Critical Funding For The Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan. (H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Nay)

MISLEADING CLAIM #3: Barack Obama Has Not Supported The President. OBAMA: "These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush. ... But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

· Barack Obama Says He Voted With President Bush "For The Most Part." REPORTER: "For a couple of days, they've been saying you voted to raise taxes something like 94 times. That seems to be the drumbeat that's going to happen during this campaign. Are you going to raise taxes in a big way for average Americans?" OBAMA: "I mean this is the standard fare of politics. And the truth of the matter is that the only bills that I voted for, for the most part, since I've been in the Senate were introduced by Republicans with George Bush. You know, they were the majority for a big chunk of the time I was there." (KMOV [St. Louis, MO], 6/10/08)

· Watch Barack Obama's KMOV Interview

· John McCain Is "Widely Acknowledged To Have Charted A Course Independent Of Bush" On Climate Change. "On global warming, McCain is widely acknowledged to have charted a course independent of Bush. Immediately after the 2004 election, in which he stumped for Bush's re-election, he sharply distanced himself from Bush on climate change, calling the administration's stance 'terribly disappointing.' McCain had co-sponsored a bill with Sen. Joe Lieberman to curb greenhouse gases in 2003. Bush had opposed any such move, citing possible harm to the economy and doubts over global warming." (William March, "McCain Bucks Ties To Bush," The Tampa Tribune, 6/11/08)

MISLEADING CLAIM #4: John McCain Believes We've Made "Great Progress" And Families Aren't Hurting. OBAMA: "He said that our economy has made 'great progress' under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

· FactCheck.org: Obama Use Of Quote Is "Misleading" And "Distorts" John McCain's Words. "The second and third quotes the Obama campaign uses from McCain are more misleading. The ad shows McCain saying: '[T]here's been great progress economically.' The quote comes from an interview McCain did with Peter Cook at Bloomberg Television in April. ... McCain was making a case for what he believed were positive economic developments during Bush's time in office. However, the fuller quote shows McCain was saying that whatever progress had been made, it wouldn't be enough to comfort families 'facing these tremendous economic challenges.' His comments overall are pessimistic; he cites 'challenging times' and 'enormous difficulties.' The Obama campaign distorts his views by using just a snippet of his remarks." (D'Angelo Gore, "Distorting McCain's Remarks," FactCheck.org, 8/19/08)

· In The Full Question And Answer Cited By Barack Obama, John McCain Clearly Said That We Are In "Tough Times" And Families Are Facing "Tremendous Economic Challenges." Bloomberg's Peter Cook: "I'm going to ask you a version of the Ronald Reagan question. You think if Americans were asked, are you better off today than you were before George Bush took office more than seven years ago, what answer would they give?" McCain: "Certainly, in this time, we are in very challenging times. We all recognize that. Families are sitting around the kitchen table this evening and figuring out whether they're going to be able to keep their home or not. They're figuring out whether they're -- why it is that suddenly and recently someone in their family or their neighbor has lost their job. There's no doubt that we are in enormous difficulties. "I think if you look at the overall record and millions of jobs have been created, et cetera, et cetera, you could make an argument that there's been great progress economically over that period of time. But that's no comfort. That's no comfort to families now that are facing these tremendous economic challenges. But let me just add, Peter, the fundamentals of America's economy are strong. We're the greatest exporter, the greatest importer, the greatest innovator, the greatest producer, still the greatest economic engine in the world. And, by the way, exports and free trade are a key element in economic recovery. But these are tough times, tough times, and nobody knows that more than American families including in small towns of Pennsylvania. They haven't lost their fundamental religious beliefs, their respect for the Constitution, their right to bear arms. They are still -- keep America as a beacon of hope and freedom throughout the world." (John McCain, Interview With Bloomberg TV, 4/17/08)

· Watch Video Of Obama Economic Attack Compared To John McCain's Full Response: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WynLgJFBxSs

· ABC News: Barack Obama Proved "He Knows How To Twist With The Best Of Them" When He Cited The McCain Quote. "Although Obama gets substantial mileage out of running against politics as usual, he provided a reminder on Friday that he knows how to twist with the best of them. Speaking in Erie, Pa., Obama charged: 'John McCain went on television and said that there has "been great progress economically" over the last seven and a half years.' Obama did not tell his audience, however, that McCain's Thursday reference to economic progress was quickly followed by him adding that such progress is 'no comfort' to struggling families." (Teddy Davis And Talal Al-Khatib, "Obama Twists McCain On Economy," ABC News, 4/18/08)

MISLEADING CLAIM #5: Barack Obama Will Pay For His Massive Spending Increase. OBAMA: "Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime -- by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less -- because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

· Barack Obama: "I Do Not Make A Promise That We Can Reduce [The Budget Deficit] By 2013." "'I do not make a promise that we can reduce it by 2013 because I think it is important for us to make some critical investments right now in America's families,' Obama told reporters this week when asked if he'd match McCain's pledge." (Nedra Pickler, "Analysis: Obama Won't Try For McCain's Budget Goal," The Associated Press, 7/8/08)

· Chicago Tribune: Barack Obama Has "No Interest In Eliminating Deficit Spending." "Since winning the nomination, Obama reportedly has been moving toward the middle of the political spectrum. But on the budget, he still sounds left of center, with no interest in eliminating deficit spending." (Editorial, "Failure Of Nerve," Chicago Tribune, 7/8/08)

· The Associated Press: Barack Obama Not "Even Trying" To Balance The Budget And "Frankly Says He's Not Sure He'd Bring It Down At All In Four Years." "Barack Obama says John McCain's plan to balance the budget doesn't add up. Easy for him to say: It's not a goal he's even trying to reach. Not only does Obama say he won't eliminate the deficit in his first term, as McCain aims to do, he frankly says he's not sure he'd bring it down at all in four years, considering his own spending plans." (Nedra Pickler, "Analysis: Obama Won't Try For McCain's Budget Goal," The Associated Press, 7/8/08)

· The National Journal's John Maggs: "[Obama] Has Rhetorically Committed To A 'Pay-As-You-Go' Approach By Offsetting New Spending And Tax Cuts With New Taxes Or Spending Cuts, But His Proposals Do Not Come Close To Meeting This Standard." (John Maggs, "Obama On The Economy," The National Journal, 5/31/08)

· Los Angeles Times: Barack Obama "Has Not Identified New Revenue Sources Or Spending Cuts To Pay For Some Of" His Proposals. "The Obama campaign responds that tax cuts, once enacted, are usually renewed and do not expire. Therefore, they say, Obama can legitimately claim to be recouping money for other purposes by scaling back the tax cuts. Obama has not identified new revenue sources or spending cuts to pay for some of what he wants to do." (Peter Nicholas, "Adding Up The Cost Of Obama's Agenda," Los Angeles Times, 7/8/08)

· The New York Times' David Brooks Said For Barack Obama To Fund His Domestic Programs, He Will Have To Break His Pledge Not To Tax The Middle Class. "Both [Obama and Clinton] promised to not raise taxes on those making less than $200,000 or $250,000 a year. They both just emasculated their domestic programs. Returning the rich to their Clinton-era tax rates will yield, at best, $40 billion a year in revenue. It's impossible to fund a health care plan, let alone anything else, with that kind of money. The consequences are clear: if elected they will have to break their pledge, and thus destroy their credibility, or run a minimalist administration." (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "No Whining About The Media," The New York Times, 4/16/08)

MISLEADING CLAIM #6: Under Barack Obama, We Will Achieve Energy Independence. OBAMA: "And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

· The Detroit News: Barack Obama's Energy Plan Will "Do Nothing To Answer The Nation's Long-Term Needs." "The latest additions to Sen. Barack Obama's energy plan, outlined during an appearance in Lansing Monday, may win the Democratic presidential candidate some votes from disgruntled consumers in November, but they'll do nothing to answer the nation's long-term needs." (Editorial, "Obama's Energy Plan Is Fueled By Populism," The Detroit News, 8/5/08)

· The Washington Post Editorial: Barack Obama Offering Gimmicks On Energy. "When his presumptive Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), proposed a gas tax holiday as a way to reduce the high cost of driving, Mr. Obama showed political courage and intellectual honesty by refusing to sign on to that obvious gimmick. 'It's an idea to get them through an election,' Mr. Obama said. Now he has two such gimmicks of his own." (Editorial, "Tapping Tired Wells," The Washington Post, 8/6/08)

· Barack Obama Opposes Allowing States To Decide If They Want To Drill Offshore To Increase American Energy Independence. Obama: "The politics may have changed, but the facts haven't. The accuracy of Sen. McCain's original position has not changed: Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today, it would not lower gas prices next year and it would not lower gas prices five years from now." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Press Availability, Jacksonville, FL, 6/20/08)

· Barack Obama Opposes Immediate Gas Tax Relief For American Families. Obama: "I think John McCain's proposal for a three month tax holiday is a bad idea." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Blue Bell, PA, 4/21/08)

· Barack Obama Called John McCain's $300 Million Prize For A Better Battery A "Gimmick." Obama: "In this campaign, John McCain is offering the same old gimmicks that will provide almost no short-term relief to folks who are struggling with high gas prices. Gimmicks that will only increase our addiction for another four years." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Las Vegas, NV, 6/24/08)

· Barack Obama Criticized Expanding Nuclear Power. Obama: "That might make sense in Washington, but it doesn't make sense for America. In fact, it makes about as much sense as his proposal to build 45 new nuclear reactors without a plan to store the waste some place other than, guess where? Right here in Nevada at Yucca Mountain." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Las Vegas, NV, 6/24/08)

· Barack Obama Is Proposing A Tax On Oil That Will Only Lead To Higher Prices At The Pump. "Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal for a windfall profits tax on oil companies could cost $15 billion a year at last year's profit levels, a campaign adviser said." (Daniel Whitten, "Obama May Levy $15 Billion Tax On Oil Company Profit," Bloomberg News, 5/1/08)

· The Washington Post: Barack Obama's Tax On Oil Will Only Lead To "Higher Prices At The Pump." "But to add a five-year tax increase on top of that to pay for a one-year gift to voters would, indeed, increase the cost of doing business. That cost would be passed along in forgone investment in new production, lower dividends for pension funds and other shareholders, and higher prices at the pump -- thus socking it to the consumers whom the plan is supposed to help. If oil prices fall, there might be no windfall profits to tax. Then the Obama rebate would have to be paid for through spending cuts, taxes on something else or borrowing." (Editorial, "Tapping Tired Wells," The Washington Post, 8/6/08)

MISLEADING CLAIM #7: Barack Obama Will Cut Taxes. OBAMA: "I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow. I will cut taxes -- cut taxes -- for 95% of all working families." (Barack Obama, Remarks, Denver, CO, 8/28/08)

· Barack Obama Voted Twice In Favor Of The Democrats' FY 2009 Budget Resolution. (S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #85: Adopted 51-44: R 2-43; D 47-1; I 2-0, 3/14/08, Obama Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #142: Adopted 48- 45: R 2- 44; D 44- 1; I 2-0, 6/4/08, Obama Voted Yea)

· FactCheck.org: The Budget Resolution Would Have Allowed Most Of The Provisions Of The 2001 And 2003 Tax Cuts To Expire, Effectively Raising Taxes On Those Making $41,500 In Total Income. "What Obama voted for was a budget resolution that would have allowed most of the provisions of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to expire. In particular, the resolution would allow the 25 percent tax bracket to return to its pre-2001 level of 28 percent. That bracket kicks in at $32,550 for an individual or $65,100 for a married couple. ... But as those of you who have filled out a 1040 know, that's not actually how income taxes work. We don't pay taxes on our total earnings; we pay them based on our 'taxable income.' The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center's Eric Toder told FactCheck.org that 'people with taxable income of $32,000 would have a total income greater than that.' In 2008, anyone filing taxes with single status would be entitled to a standard deduction of $5,450, as well as a personal exemption of $3,500. So to have a taxable income high enough to reach the 25 percent bracket, an individual would need to earn at least $41,500 in total income, while a married couple would need a combined income of at least $83,000." ("The $32,000 Question," FactCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 7/8/08)

· FactCheck.org: "Obama's Votes Indicate A Willingness To Raise Taxes." "Certainly Obama's votes indicate a willingness to raise taxes, and Obama has not been shy about saying explicitly that he will raise some taxes." ("The $32,000 Question," FactCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 7/8/08)

· Obama Campaign: Barack Obama Voted For A Budget Resolution That Wouldn't Have Increased Taxes For Any Taxpayers Making Less Than $41,500. ROSEN: "Campaign aides to Senator Obama today, called the charge that he voted for tax hikes on people making only $32,000 a year, quote, 'bogus.' They circulated an analysis stating that the resolution that Obama had voted for would not have increase taxes on single taxpayer making less than $41,500 a year in total income." (Fox News' "America's Election Headquarters," 7/30/08)

· The New York Times: Barack Obama's "Vote Was On A Budget Resolution To Raise Taxes On People Making $41,500 A Year." "FactCheck.org, a nonpartisan Web site, said the vote was on a budget resolution to raise taxes on people making $41,500 a year; the $32,000 figure, it said, was the amount of taxable income those people had." (Michael Cooper, "McCain Goes Negative, Worrying Some In GOP," The New York Times, 7/30/08)

“Jeanne Shaheen’s address to the Democratic National Convention showcased her continued dependence on the standard, scripted, liberal talking points supplied by politician insiders and Washington partisans. In her speech, Shaheen failed to offer any specific ideas on how strengthen our economy and once again refused to support any efforts to expand domestic drilling and energy exploration.

Instead, Shaheen presented the same empty promise to lower taxes that she offered at the 1996 Democratic Convention. Granite Starters remember that she flip-flopped on this pledge, signing New Hampshire’s first statewide property tax and proposing a capital gains tax and a 2.5% sales tax that would have devastated the state’s economy.

Jeanne Shaheen’s speech tonight was just another reminder of her failed record and her inability to keep her election year promises.”

Fergus Cullen

Chairman, NH Republican Party

PS: Did you notice that they spelled her name wrong on the jumbotron?

CONCORD - As Jeanne Shaheen ditches the Granite State this evening to address the Democratic National Convention, the New Hampshire Republican Party brings you the Top 10 things she won’t mention as she panders to the left-wing activists and tries to impress political insiders gathered in Denver, Colorado:

10. The Record Drop-Out Rates That Occurred During Her Watch: During the first four years of Shaheen’s administration more than 25% of New Hampshire’s high school students dropped out (New Hampshire Center For Public Policy, June2002).

9. Her Shifting Energy Rhetoric: In May 2007 Shaheen declared her opposition to new any new domestic drilling and bluntly stated that “More drilling is the answer the oil companies are looking for, not the answer New Hampshire families are looking for,” (Shaheen Campaign Press Release, 5/13/08). Now with gas prices at record levels, Shaheen has shifted her campaign energy rhetoric and is trying to run from her previous comments about drilling.

8 Her Position On Second Amendment Rights: Shaheen refuses to talk about her position on the recent landmark Supreme Court ruling on Second Amendment Rights. The Eagle Tribune ( The Eagle Tribune , 6/27/08) reports that “Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen did not return calls asking for a comment,” about the ruling and The Keene Sentinel said they “didn’t hear” from her either when they asked her for comment on the same topic (The Keene Sentinel , 6/30/08).

7 Her Position On Major National Security Legislation: The Nashua Telegraph asked Shaheen how she would have voted on the critical Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). “We’re still waiting for an answer to that question,” reports the Telegraph. ( The Nashua Telegraph , 7/13/08)

6 Her Legislation That Increased Health Care Costs For New Hampshire Families: As a state senator, Shaheen authored SB711, a disastrous bill that increased government mandates and drove 6 out of 10health insurance companies out of New Hampshire. Her legislation resulted in fewer choices and higher insurance premiums for all Granite Staters. (Council for Affordable Health Insurance, “Destroying Insurance Markets”2005)

5 Her Abysmal Tax Record: As Governor, Jeanne Shaheen signed the state’s first statewide property tax and proposed a capital gains tax and a 2.5 % sales tax that would have devastated New Hampshire’s economy.

4 Her Previous Support For The Bush Tax Cuts: Jeanne Shaheen doesn’t want her union buddies and liberal backers to know that in 2002 she was an unabashed supporter of the 2001 Bush tax cuts – clearly stating that “I supported the Bush tax cuts” and “ I would have voted for the Bush tax cut had I been in the Senate.” (Associated Press, 10/25/2002).In 2007 Shaheen flip-flopped on her previous position and now wants to raise taxes on working families and shamelessly criticizes the very same tax cuts she once supported.

Watch Shaheen in 2002 Support The Bush Tax Cuts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Ts4HTG570

3 Her Record Of Failed Leadership: While Jeanne Shaheen will try to portray herself as a successful Governor, the reality is that she failed to provide leadership on the major issues she encountered during her six years in the corner office. Shaheen left New Hampshire’s school funding system in crisis, proposed new taxes as her “solution” to virtually every problem, and doubled state spending. Shaheen recently admitted in an i nterview with the Concord Monitor that she lost her 2002 Senate race because of “the job that I did as Governor.” (Concord Monitor, 7/2/2008)

2 Her Previous Support For The War In Iraq: In 2008, Jeanne Shaheen panders to the liberal MoveOn.org crowd by portraying herself as a consistent critic of the mission in Iraq. But, what she doesn’t want her radical, left wing supporters to know is that she is a blatant flip-flopper, and in 2002 she strongly supported President Bush’s “goals for regime change in Iraq, ” (Union Leader, 10/3/2002). Shaheen actually bragged that she “came out very early in support of the president on Iraq,” and she “came out very early the day the White House and the House leadership negotiated the resolution on Iraq,” (Associated Press,10/25/2002).

Watch Shaheen In 2002 Support “Regime Change” In Iraq: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Ts4HTG570

And the number one thing Jeanne Shaheen won’t mention during her speech to the DNC Convention…

1 Her Commitment To “Stand With President Bush”: She wasn’t afraid to say it in 2002 ( Click Here For Video )while campaigning in New Hampshire - but something tells us she won’t use that line this year in front of tens of thou sands of liberal activists in Colorado . (UNH/NHPTV Debate, October 2002)