NHDP -ICYMI: Here's Something to Really Boo About

Concord, NH - Today's Nashua Telegraph editorial took Republican State Representative Al Baldasaro, the Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the State House, to task, for applauding the boo-ing of an American soldier currently serving in Iraq and calling him a "disgrace."

Despite Rep. Baldasaro's refusal to apologize, Republican House Speaker Bill O'Brien and the New Hampshire GOP have said nothing to condemn the offensive remarks, distance themselves from them, or ask Rep. Baldasaro to step down from either his elected position or his leadership post with the House Republicans.

The full text of the editorial is below.

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Nashua Telegraph: Here's something to really boo about 

What's worse than an audience at a Republican presidential debate booing an American soldier now serving his country in Iraq?

A New Hampshire lawmaker praising that behavior as "great" a week later.

There isn't much else to say about what transpired last month at a nationally televised Fox News/Google debate at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Oh, did we mention the soldier asking the question was gay?

Or that he was asking if any of the candidates, if elected, intended to reinstate the recently repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that banned gays from serving openly in the military?

Does it matter? Does that make the booing any more acceptable?

We thought it was bad enough when not one of the nine candidates on stage - not one - said a single word in defense of Army soldier Stephen Hill or condemned the audience's boorish behavior, though several did apologize for not doing so in the days after the debate.

But then we read and watched the embarrassing comments made by one of our elected officials - Rep. Alfred Baldasaro, R-Londonderry - after Rick Perry staged a town hall meeting in Derry last Friday.

Baldasaro, who is backing the Texas governor's bid for the GOP nomination, was asked about the incident that night by the liberal Web site ThinkProgress.org.

During that interview, which was recorded and is available on the organization's Web site, Baldasaro said he was "so disgusted over that gay Marine (sic) coming out" at a political event.

Then there was this gem: "He doesn't realize it, but when the (expletive) hits the fan, you want your brothers covering your back, not looking at your back."

Finally, he was asked if he took any offense to the audience's reaction.

"Oh no, I thought the audience, when they booed (him), I thought it was great."

There you have it. A state lawmaker, a retired Marine himself, praising those in the audience who booed and jeered a U.S. serviceman on active duty in Iraq.

Several Republican presidential candidates - admittedly under intense duress - later apologized for not thanking Hill for his service to his country and not condemning the audience's reaction.

"When someone in uniform asks a question of a panelist in this case, the first response should be thanking the soldier for his or her service," former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman told ABC News. "We all wear the same uniform in America. We all salute the same flag."

Businessman Herman Cain, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum also condemned the booing days after the event.

But not our esteemed state representative from Londonderry. Four days after making those ill-conceived statements to ThinkProgress, Baldasaro chose to adamantly defend them in an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader.

"I already said what I said," he said Tuesday. "This is just getting to be a big thing because this is the political season."

Bullfeathers.

This is a "big thing" because a New Hampshire elected official - the chairman of the House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee, no less - had the audacity to say it was "great" that a soldier putting his life on the line for his country was booed just because of his sexual orientation.

NHDP - ICYMI : No transparency in override vote

Concord, NH - In case you missed it, today's Nashua Telegraph editorial took House Republican Speaker Bill O'Brien to task for not conducting himself "in a manner consistent with the principles of open government in a democratic society."  This week, O'Brien called a veto override vote, without any public notice - and after his office told members of the state House and the media that it would not come up.

The Telegraph continued, noting that this wasn't the "first time O'Brien's actions have run counter to open government practices."

"This is the same speaker who cleared the House gallery back in March in response to heckling over talk of deep budget cuts and collective bargaining restrictions.

"This is the same speaker who wasn't bashful about replacing GOP committee members prior to key votes if they weren't deemed loyal to the cause.

"This is the same speaker who, in his attorney's response to a lawsuit filed over the gallery closing, argues that 'the House can close its gallery whenever it deems appropriate and for as long as it deems appropriate.'"

The full text of the editorial is below.

Nashua Telegraph: No transparency in override vote 

When the House of Representatives calendar was released last week in anticipation of Wednesday's session, it ran 29 pages and consisted of more than 7,800 words - and not one of those words was spelled "O-V-E-R-R-I-D-E."

What's more, Republican leaders said publicly prior to the session they did not intend to act that day on any of the bills vetoed by Gov. John Lynch at what was expected to be a relatively short session.

So why weren't we surprised to learn House Speaker William O'Brien seized the opportunity - without notifying either the minority party or the public - to call for an override of one of the most controversial bills to come up this year, the deadly force legislation (SB 88)?

Simple. Because this type of behavior is consistent with a party leadership that talks a good game about open government but doesn't comprehend what it really means.

"Can you explain to me where the people of New Hampshire can find in an agenda on any given day when a veto will be taken up?" Assistant Democratic Leader Lucy Weber of Walpole asked at Wednesday's session.

"The chair sets the agenda," O'Brien replied. "It is now on the agenda."

With those pleasantries out of the way, the House then proceeded to debate and ultimately vote to override the veto, 251-111.

That vote came on the heels of a similar vote in the Senate last week, where members overrode the governor's veto by a much tighter 17-7 margin.

As a result, the bill that broadens the rights of individuals to use deadly force to defend themselves in public will become law Nov. 13.

While it's true we opposed this bill on the grounds it was unnecessary and urged lawmakers to support the governor's veto (Aug. 17: "Veto should stand on deadly force bill"), that's not really the point here. This is about legislative leaders conducting themselves in a manner consistent with the principles of open government in a democratic society.

So why did the speaker feel it was necessary to play hardball with this bill by calling for a surprise override vote?

We give up. Maybe he just can't help himself. Maybe it's just part of his political DNA after observing his former Boston law partner Thomas Finneran, who was no stranger to strong-arm tactics when he served as speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives until resigning under the cloud of a federal probe in 2004.

Still, this isn't the first time O'Brien's actions have run counter to open government practices.

This is the same speaker who cleared the House gallery back in March in response to heckling over talk of deep budget cuts and collective bargaining restrictions.

This is the same speaker who wasn't bashful about replacing GOP committee members prior to key votes if they weren't deemed loyal to the cause.

This is the same speaker who, in his attorney's response to a lawsuit filed over the gallery closing, argues that "the House can close its gallery whenever it deems appropriate and for as long as it deems appropriate."

All this from the same person who was quoted in a House-issued news release earlier this year as saying: "We are committed to bringing transparency to state government and making it easier for people to know what their government is doing."

After Wednesday's House shenanigans, it's now clear he meant after the fact.

NHDP - Republican House Speaker, House Lawyer Trying to Use Taxpayer Money for Personal Gain

Concord - In a move that raises serious ethical questions, Republican House Speaker Bill O'Brien and taxpayer paid legal counsel Ed Mosca petitioned the state attorney general get involved in a lawsuit that could bring financial gain to both O'Brien and Mosca at the taxpayers' expense.

As reported in today's Nashua Telegraph, O'Brien and Mosca have filed a petition to have the legal fees of Republican state Representative Edmond Gionet paid for by the state of New Hampshire.  Gionet brought suit against former State Representative Martha McLeod over a disagreement surrounding McLeod's proposed legislation to have a section of road in Franconia named for Franconia Police Cpl. Bruce McKay, who was murdered in the line of duty in 2007. Gionet opposed the legislation.  

Bill O'Brien was retained by Gionet to serve as his lawyer, until he was elected House Speaker in November.  At that point, Mosca took over the case.  The Attorney General previously denied a request to have the state foot the costs of his legal fees. 

"At a time when he claims to be focused on the budget, Speaker O'Brien and his House legal cousel want to divert money away from job creation programs, education, and local cities and towns to pay their legal fees," said Harrell Kirstein, press secretary for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.  "O'Brien owes New Hampshire taxpayers an explanation.  Is he really asking New Hampshire taxpayers to pay his billable hours?" 

"An independent review needs to be conducted in order to determine whether House ethics rules have been violated," continued Kirstein.  "But most importantly, O'Brien and Mosca should immediately withdraw their petition asking New Hampshire taxpayers to pick up the bill for their legal work."  

The petition to pressure the Attorney General's Office to pursue this issue continues a disturbing trend.  Earlier this month, the House Republicans tried to unconstitutionally force the Attorney General to join a lawsuit against the federal government. 

"House Republicans should be focused on creating jobs and building the economy," added Kirstein.  "Not pressuring the executive branch to pursue a matter that is of personal interest to O'Brien and Mosca."

The full text of the article in the Nashua Telegraph can be found here.

Shea-Porter For Congress - The Nashua Telegraph Endorses Shea-Porter

New Hampshire—Today, the Nashua Telegraph endorsed Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter for reelection.  The Telegraph noted, “she’s one of the few Democrats or Republicans in this race who hasn’t muddied her personal beliefs to snag votes. She deserves voter support for a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

The text of the Nashua Telegraph’s endorsement is below.

Carol Shea-Porter, like most incumbent Democrats this election cycle, has been chastised for voting along party lines, particularly with Republican enemy No. 1 Nancy Pelosi.

Unlike most Democrats, however, Shea-Porter is proud of it.

Even if you can’t stand Shea-Porter’s politics, don’t argue that she’s anything less than genuine. She ran as an unknown in 2006 as an advocate for the middle class and has been true to that. She stands by her record and is honest with her answers, even when it’s unpopular.

She’s well-versed on the issues and is one of the few incumbents this cycle who doesn’t try to paint herself as a moderate. Maybe she can’t, considering that she’s not.

Still, she’s one of the few Democrats or Republicans in this race who hasn’t muddied her personal beliefs to snag votes. She deserves voter support for a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Her challenger, former Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, is not so well-versed. He’s a one-note, anti-spending candidate who has campaigned too heavily on his budget-cutting tactics in Manchester, while ignoring the fact that his unilateral approach wouldn’t translate to the congressional style of governing.

We’re all for reining in Washington spending, but Guinta has missed the mark. When pressed on his opposition to the TARP program during an editorial board interview with The Telegraph, Guinta said cutting spending was the answer to the banking crisis of 2008. That just doesn’t make sense.

Guinta’s “Frank’s Fifty” plan for saving $827 billion contains some good ideas (ending federally funded iPods for Utah students who graduate), but also proposals that would be harmful to New Hampshire (eliminating funding for private-sector technology research).

It’s no secret to regular readers that we tend to favor moderate candidates, but there isn’t one in this race. Given that, our beliefs are more in line with Shea-Porter’s.

The Rochester Democrat supports extending the Bush tax cuts for middle-class Americans and repealing them for the wealthy. Guinta supports extending the tax cuts for all Americans, including the richest 2 percent, adding an estimated $700 billion to the deficit.

The daughter of a World War II veteran, Shea-Porter has established herself as a tireless advocate of the state’s veterans, an example of her impressive constituent services record.

Earlier this year, for example, she introduced the Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009, which would require the VA to ensure that veterans eligible for hospital and medical care in the contiguous 48 states have access to at least one full-service hospital or comparable services outside the VA network.

She supported the stimulus package and the health care bill. Admittedly, we have some serious reservations about both. It’s pretty clear that the stimulus package did not create enough jobs to justify $787 billion, and the health care bill does not resolve many of the country’s health care woes – particularly the crushing burden of health care costs on businesses – but it’s a good first step. It extends coverage to the 46 million uninsured Americans and ends the unconscionable practice of denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Guinta supports repealing both, and we don’t.

It would have been easy for Shea-Porter to explain away her votes with the famous “I made the best decision with the information I had at the time” excuse, but she hasn’t.

Even as the stimulus program faces widespread public criticism, Shea-Porter maintains that it saved the country from entering a deeper recession. Even if you don’t agree, convictions that strong make Shea-Porter a rare breed in Congress.

Voters in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District should send a message that this kind of representation should be rewarded. They can do that by sending Shea-Porter back to Washington.



Bass For Congress - The Nashua Telegraph Endorses Charlie and More News!

THE NASHUA TELEGRAPH ENDORSES CHARLIE!

Dear Supporter,

BIG NEWS - The Nashua Telegraph has endorsed Charlie and the Bass for Congress campaign in the 2nd District Republican Primary! This is the second major newspaper to pick Charlie as the best candidate for New Hampshire Republicans to nominate for November's General Election.

Here are some of the things that the Nashua Telegraph's Editorial Board said about Charlie on Thursday, September 9:

"This time, we are supporting Bass in his bid to secure his party’s nomination for the 2nd Congressional District seat..."

"At a time when polls show that six out of every 10 Americans believe Congress will become even more partisan next year – now there’s a comforting thought – we believe Republicans would be wise to nominate someone who has demonstrated he can act independently during his six terms in Congress."

"As such, the Peterborough Republican earns our endorsement over Horn, the former Nashua radio talk-show host and Telegraph columnist; Robert Giuda, a commercial airline pilot and former state lawmaker from Warren;"

"During his meeting with our editorial board, Bass said that, if elected, he would focus on reducing the deficit and promoting renewable energy, certainly two worthwhile priorities."

"We believe Republicans should give the proven vote-getter serious consideration when they go the polls Tuesday."

This editorial, along with the National Rifle Associations and the United States Chamber of Commerce shows that our campaign clearly has momentum going into Tuesday's primary, and it is because of the hard work of supporters like you that Charlie will be the party's next nominee for Congress in the 2nd District.

If you have any time to spare over the weekend, we would appreciate your help making phone calls or knocking on doors in multiple locations. Please contact the campaign by calling (603) 226-6000 or via email at volunteer@votebass.com and a member of the staff will provide you details.

Sincerely,
Dave Kanevsky
Campaign Manager
Bass for Congress

P.S.: Please join us at our victory party on Tuesday night in Concord- Details to Come! _____________________________________

Please click on the CONTRIBUTE, VOLUNTEER, or TELL A FRIEND buttons on this page to support my campaign. With your help, we can fix the mess in Washington together! Please contact my campaign if you have any questions, comments or would like to get involved at (603) 226-6000 or by emailing info@votebass.com.