Holy Slur Batman! Is This Bobby Burns' Idea Of Unity?

The recount is over and as expected, Incompetent Hillsborough County Treasurer Robert Burns has held on to win the Republican nod in a close three way race for Executive Councilor in District 4.  He was ahead of Senator Tom DeBlois by 99 votes and businessman Chuck Rolecek by a few hundred when the recount was called.

But that's tantamount to burying the lead.

Here's the real story.

As I was driving from my home in South Manchester to the party's Unity Breakfast in Bedford last Thursday morning, I happened to tune in Rich Girard's morning chat show (the station is so weak, I have problems picking up the city north of th city, but it was coming in loudly and clearly on Brown Ave).

Girard's guest was the presumptive Republican winner Burns.  Even as Republicans were pulling into the Unity breakfast parking lot, there was Bob Burns slurring both the Republican opponents he had beaten two days before.  He tried to avoid the subject, but Girard lured him right into it.

Burns took a shot at Rolececk as being part of the Millenium company trying to bring expanded gambling (slots) to Rockingham Park.  That was just after he blasted Tom DeBlois for overcharging the state on rental properties.

I'm not saying either of those charges is either accurate.  One with an ounce of political sense, however, would think that even if Burns leveled those charges to help win the primary, he would be smart enough to shut up about them in the wake of a close election.  Certainly, the word will get back to DeBlois and Rolecek if it hasn't already.  After all, I couldn't have been the only one listening to the broadcast.

The district 4 seat, currently held by Ray Wieczorek, is now very much in play, and I wouldn't be surprised if Democrat Chris Pappas pulls it out.  The district is less Republican due to redistricting, and although a Republican candidate should still be favored, a Republican candidate who continues to attack his primary opponents can hardly be favored. 

Pappas, who was defeated by Burns for country treasurer in the GOP sweep year of 2010, has signs up all over south Manchester.

As a member of the Hillsborough County Executive Committee, I worked with both treasurers in recent years.  There can be no doubt that Pappas was vastly superior to the incompetent Burns.

No, that's not an endorsement.  Just a non-partisan statement of fact, and if you don't believe me, just ask any other Rep, either Republican or Democrat on the Executive Committee.

But that would be another story, and this one was supposed to be about the lack of unity Burns seems to be engendering.  If DeBlois or Rolecek endorses him after hearing those comments, it will certainly be no more than a lukewarm nod done for party unity. 

He doesn't even deserve that.