GraniteGrok

If Ray is really all that worried about out of state money [Lynch-Lied Ads from the national organization for Marriage (NOM)] he can start with his own candidates.  Carol Shea-Porter gets a huge chunk of her cash from congressional PACs, national unions, and special interests like Emily’s List, whose only “interest” in her is her vote for their cause.  They are not interested in New Hampshire.  They want to force their will through her on us and the entire nation. 

Then there’s Paul Hodes, victim—yes victim I tell you—of solicited millions from out of state.  Historically, he gets most of his money from someplace ‘Not” New Hampshire. At present about 66% or two-thirds of his campaign money for his 2010 bid for the senate comes from outside the state.  That’s almost one million dollars of outside money for Paul Hodes vote so far—and it’s only April; that’s money from Goldman Sachs, big insurance and investment companies, congressional PACs and NARAL.  And we know how he votes.  He votes for the party first, more federal government second, and every now and then, mostly because he actually needs people from New Hampshire to vote for him, he’ll toss us a bone to keep us under the porch.  

Then there’s Ray’s blessed party apparatus here in New Hampshire.  The NHDP takes buckets of money from outside the state to sell the national liberal agenda.  Tim Gill is but one fine example.  He regularly drops a check in Ray’s tin cup, but funneled plenty of money into the state to get a legislature willing to pass same-sex marriage (because civil unions were good enough for other folks who were not religious but not the GBLT crowd), and to pressure a governor to change his mind and sign off on it.  And it worked. No contradictions there are there—that was outside money for democrats?  And here he is, whining like a little girl about a group that bought some TV time to point out an incontrovertible fact.  Lynch lied.  

And they’ll do anything to hide the fact that he lied.  The source of the funding is but one such tactic to distract you. 

Outside money is simply a feature of politics.  It is regualrly dribbling of their pointy little liberal chins like special sauce from a take out binge.   But the cry babies in the NHDP and over at Boo Hoo Hampshire—being the serial hypocrites that they are—can’t stand it when anyone plays the game the way they do.  I would not be surprised to hear Ray or Kathy jump up and start screaming “Only I get to use outside money!  Give it to me!  Mommmmmmmmm!  Those stupid republicans are using outside moneyyyy!” 

Hypocrites.

It all comes down to this (unfortunately). Politics is often a money war.  It always has been.  That is why the liberals hate the Supreme Court decision on campaign finance—it creates competition in an area they used to command.  But the right has already begun to use the tactics of the left successfully.  They are organizing around non-profits who can collect anonymous donations, building war chests to advocate for issues and ideologies.  And they are prepared to go toe to toe with their entrenched liberal counterparts on those issues, and matters of public record.   The liberals simply do not like competition.  In a center right nation, the left wing can only suffer from it.   They may own the entertainment industrial complex, but anyone can buy an ad.  So all they can do is object.  Unfortunately for the Lynch Lied ads, they can't prove them false, so they will do what they always do, distract from the issue, and evade the truth.

Cross posted from NH Insider

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Filed under Humor

In a tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek edition, GraniteGrok asked Grant Bosse  about his delusional run for the newly Obama declared Congressional District, the "fighting Double Zero" (NH CD-00).  While totally in farce mode when we met at the NH GOP annual meeting, Grant does take the opportunity to make a few very serious points.

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A guest post by Tom on the TEA Party movement and Charlie Bass

I attended two Tea Parties in New Hampshire yesterday, April 15, to protest high taxes and irresponsible spending by our State and Federal Governments.  The arrogance and betrayal by many of our politicians is deeply concerning and disheartening; this is what drives me to attend Tea Parties and to become more politically active.

At the first rally in Concord, I was listening with interest to the speaker at the front when I found myself distracted by another conversation just a few feet behind me.  Clearly, it is difficult to focus on the primary speaker when a few people inside the crowd, near you, are talking.

I turned around and saw Charlie Bass, hamming it up with a small group of attendees.  It appeared that he was politicking the crowd within his earshot.  The distraction grew when a man with a professional-looking video camera began interviewing Mr. Bass (he was working solo and appeared to be a free-lance journalist).  Now that he was on camera, without a microphone, he had to speak even louder than when in the close-quarter conversations he was just having.  As you can imagine, the distraction changed to a nuisance.

This went on for a few minutes, when he continued back to his earlier conversations.  Now, he was standing with his back to the person at the podium.

At that point, I had had enough and approached Mr. Bass explaining that he was not only making it difficult to hear the speech, his overlapping conversations (with his back turned) were disrespectful to the speaker.  He turned to me, caught off-guard, replying, "Yes.  I understand, right".

As I said earlier, the audacity and arrogance seen in most of our politicians are what drive hundreds of New Hampshire residents to give up valuable time and resources to plan, execute and attend Tea Parties.  I could not have had a more visible example of this arrogance than my experience with Charlie Bass on our State House plaza.  With the exception of Jim Bender, who was also making the rounds within the crowd, creating similar distractions, the other candidates were standing up front, near the podium, as I would expect them to do; as they should do.

The Tea Parties are a grass-roots effort, conducted by individual citizens who band together to make their voices heard.  Although we expect candidates will meet and greet voters during these rallies, they are not purely political events and there is a proper time and manner in which to conduct this activity.  Charlie Bass did not seem to understand that yesterday.  He was in the center of his political world, exploiting the fact that so many hands were there for the shaking, and so many ears were there for the listening.  The Tea Parties, Mr. Bass, are not there for you, they are there for us.  You should respect that.  You should respect us.
 

Posted by Skip at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Gov. Sununu was kind enough to do a micro-interview with GraniteGrok at the end of the annual NH GOP meeting.  In a pretty satisfied mood, he had an upbeat manner and a twinkle in his eye when I reminded him of something he had said a "long time ago".

Posted by Skip at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Updated and bumped: OK, I lied - I just did it.  Let's try this new embedded player (for the 'Grok, anyways) as well:

Audio interview with Frank Guinta at the end of the Manchester TEA Party

Just before we all packed up to leave, Frank Guinta showed up.  The last time I had seen him, I had asked if he would be at the TEA Party and his response was that he was certainly going to try if I wanted to do an interview if he made it.  I said yes.  My jaw dropped as he said he had already been to multiple events today and rushed to get to Manchester to fulfill a promise - to me, your lowly, ordinary schlub of a blogger!

Color me impressed!  While it was too late to do a video interview (the sun had set and lighting was not to be had), I had my handy dandy Edirol audio recorder with me, so on the spot (with me already starting to melt down into the cobblestones from the length of the day, the frenzied activity, and only 3 hours of sleep from finishing my taxes) we did one.

Audio will be processed tomorrow after I get home from the NH GOP meeting in Bow, NH (ayup, I get to vote!), but I wanted to share this little episode - he keeps his promises if at all possible.  Appreciated sir!

Now THAT'S putting a constituent ahead of personal needs.  Such a novel concept!

(heh!)

Posted by Skip at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A little less than a year ago, Paul Hodes voted to kill funding for abstinence education in the 2010 Budget.  (I wrote about it here.) He hailed it as a necessary cost cutting measure even though 75% of all HHS money for teen sex programs already went to promoting condom and contraception use.  By his reckoning, 100% was the better course of action for any federal money to reduce unwanted pregnancies.  That’s choice for you.  His choice. 

But Hodes was wrong then and he is wrong now.  A recent report from the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent medicine, the most extensive of its kind to date, (Reported in the April 5^th issue of National Review- Sub. required) revealed that neither safe sex programs nor combined contraception and abstinence programs, were as successful as abstinence only education at reducing the risky sex that leads to unwanted teen pregnancy.    

Another problem that didn’t interest Paul Hodes much last spring won’t bother him much now either.  Studies continue to confirm that 90% of Parents (aka-Voters) prefer abstinence-only over safe sex education.  On the opposite side, only 9% of parents believe its ok for teenagers to have sex as long as they use contraception.  91% feel it is more important to wait to have sex at all.  So Paul Hodes is, if nothing else, consistent; whatever voters overwhelmingly want, we can expect he’ll advise against, based on what the party tells him is best, not the evidence or the will of the people.

Cross Posted From NH Insider

Posted by Steve at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A few pics of folks from the event:

There is always those that will low ball the number of folks at an event depending on who you are and what your bias is...and unless you have gridded out the space and are adept at counting heads, it is not always an easy task...

My guess at Manchester is perhaps a few less than last year but let's also add in that the Concord event was just before it and the Portsmouth event was running concurrent with the Manchester event - each which would siphon off attendees.

A couple of friends from my hamlet showed up: Don and Dick (the latter heads up our Budget Committee, on which I serve; Don is a former fighter pilot).

Another activist friend, Ann, was also in attendance...

And this is Jim Bender who is running for US Senate from NH - the only candidate that I had the sense to snap a quick pic of.  There were a number around from the Republican side of the aisle.  Now, the NH TEA Party Coalition, while partisan to a return to fiscal sanity, a limited government, and adherence to the Founders vision of the relationship between a people and its government, is non-partisan as to the parties.

In fact, each of the Federal and State-wide Democrat candidates were invited - twice.

None showed up.

Posted by Skip at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have to admit, seeing all of the signs at a TEA Party is both an act of intellectual curiosity, humor, and dismay:

• Compared to the vast majority of Liberal protest signs, TEA Partiers are handmade - they MEAN something to that particular person - upset with a specific aspect of an ever increasing intrusive Progressive-led national government.

After all, it is an act of the individual as opposed to just a boring sea of SEIU produced signs and banners - where's the creativity of holding the exact same sign that tens, if not hundreds, of others are are holding?

It shows one of the very important differences between the Right and the Left.  The latter demand subservient to the collective.  To be Star Trekkie, one has to submit to the Borg.  The Right, on the other hand, lifts up the rugged, self-responsible individual is not dependent on Government for his or her existence.

• I'm always looking for signs that bring a smile (or more) from  more clever with their wording. 

I like it when a smile (or more) rises unbidden to the fore - for who does not appreciate a humorous take on something or a clever twist of phrasing?

• The fact that SO many believe that Government is not listening to their issues should be cause for alarm.
  

Instead, we simply get the Democrats trying to denigrate us, the MSM marginalizing us, and the President mocking us.

More after the jump:

Continue reading "Manchester TEA Party 2010: Signs, signs, everywhere a sign..." »

Posted by Skip at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the pleasures of blogging is reminding people of what blatant hypocrats liberals are.  For example.  As we approach November neither Paul Hodes nor Carol Shea Porter should be expected to spend any time politicking on the issue on warrantless wire taps and violations of personal privacy committed by the executive branch.  And the reasons are not what they would have you believe.

Their silence on such matters is not a product of a newfound respect for rights and privacy.  It is not the result of having cleansed government of unscrupulous behavior.  It is because the administration is a democrat one, whose shepherd brooks no opposition from his sheep.

As a Senator Mr. Obama not only dropped all opposition to FISA he endorsed it with his vote.  And since attaining the highest political office in the land, it appears he has left the entire program, with all its avenues for surveillance, in tact.  So if these programs were heinous violations of the public trust, and an unconstitutional affront to personal rights and privacy before, why do we not hear the shrill harpy like cries of injustice from New Hampshire's democrat congressman now?

These programs were either perfectly reasonable efforts at securing national security abused for political gain--that means they lied and deceived you, or they are violations of our privacy and worthy of continued outcry from our representatives appointed for that purpose--which they stopped making the minute "their guy' took over the program.

Could it possibly be both?  Would it even matter?

Hodesheaporter have consistently demonstrated that their loyalties are first and foremost to the party, the left wing leadership, and the defense of their liberal-socialist president and not those of the state or federal constitution, New Hampshire, the people in their districts, or freedom or rights in general.

They are hypocrites and opportunists.   They work the will of the electorate with the crass misrepresentation of facts which they themselves foist on those they lie about for their personal political advancement.  This makes them the worst kind of government officials, the poorest of role models, and bad citizens to boot.  They have abrogated their oath of office, and by their own admission of prior objection either ignored unconstitutional acts or by  their own inaction affirmed them.

What is most amusing is that you can be for or against domestic surveillance programs and come to the same conclusion.  Hodesheaporter are creatures of party politics first and the people after.  You cannot trust them to say or do anything that is not first in their interests or that of the party, no matter how inappropriate or unconstitutional it may be.   We used to call that treason.  These days the NHDP and the democrat party call it public service. 

Posted by Steve at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The communications director of Green Peace India, Gene Hashmi, vented his spleen recently.  The problem?  Pressuring politicians is not working to his satisfaction. The failure at the global climate conference at  “Hope-n-change-in” has made it clear as Vodka that “the global climate movement now must do a course correction.”  Telling the truth would be a nice start, but don’t hold your breath, that’s not what the communications director of Green Peace India suggests. 

“Screw being climate activists.  It’s not working.  We need an army of climate outlaws… 

“If you’re one of those who have spent their lives undermining progressive climate legislation, bankrolling junk science, fueling spurious debates around false solutions, and cattle-prodding democratically elected governments into submission hear this: 

We know who you are.  We know where you live.  We know where you work.  And we be many, but you be few.” 

Mr. Mean Gene's reductio ad absurdum leads conveniently to his conclusion that peaceful environmental activism is nihilistic.  But rather than continue to suffer the fools ensconced in mankind’s reluctant institutions he’s prepared to sanction threats of violence against those that oppose him.  

I have two words in response to that, which I think represents the thoughts of a majority of the under-miners, cattle-prodders, and foot draggers who are unwilling to accede to Mr. Hasmi’s junk science, spurious debates, false solutions, hidden decline, wild supposition, and cattle prodding submission of left wing idiots in democratically elected governments who support the public reeducation camps the teach the failed “theory” of CO2 as a driver of anthropogenic global warming.

Bring it.

(H/T Weekly Standard)

More here

Cross Posted From NH Insider

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This year was a bit different - we had two keynote speakers and then all of the "Liberty and Freedom" groups (the individual advocacy groups that make up the NH TEA Party Coalition) that helped to put on the event were able to have a speaker. 

The two keynote speakers were former US Senator from NH, Gordon Humphrey:

Yes, he is absolutely livid as to what has happened to his beloved Granite State and what the clowns in DC have done to the nation.  He, to me, is the epitome of the man that even though retired, sees a wrong and will do what he can to right it, and then re-retire. 

and current US Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R) from Michigan:

This year, the Master of Ceremonies was Grant Bosse.  Yup, the same one that the 'Grok endorsed for Congress in NH's Second Congressional District).  Right now, he is the Lead Investigative Reporter for the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy (a free-market think tank based in Concord, NH).  Pretty much, his work is posted up at NH Watchdog.  By all reports, he did a splendiferous job of keeping the speakers moving along and did a great job of making the process of introducing each speaker informative and entertaining.

And yes, the videos will be coming soon!

First speaker of the day was former NH Senator George Lovejoy of the NH Advantage Coalition:

Rest of the pics are (coming soon) after the jump:

Continue reading "Manchester TEA Party 2010: Some of the speakers!" »

Posted by Skip at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

BIG sigh....done.  The last few days have been, er full - getting ready for the event this past Thursday, having the event, starting to process the pictures and video on Friday, and today (Sat), the annual NH GOP meeting.

I'm pooped!  But more work to do - now, have to post up stuff!

One thing is sure, some of the bloggers that came to the first annual NH TEAP Party Bloggers Row have already posted up - and I'll do a roundup of their posts.  Now, I posted their links earlier here; take a stroll over to each and have a look around their sites (they all are good folk).

It hit me later on in the afternoon that I had failed to take pics, so I didn't get them all, but here are some of the proprietors of those sites:

Steve Dennis (and sons)!    America's Watchtower

Cathy  Citizens for Reasonable&Fair Taxes-Croyden

Lori  ConChrist

Steve   GraniteGrok   NH Insider

Grant  NH Watchdog

(OK, so he was MCing - but he's a blogger too!)

Paul  Pun Salad

Once again, I want to thank them all for coming out to support the TEA Party! And I apologize to the other bloggers for not remembering to take their pictures!

Posted by Skip at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“The worst thing you can do for those you love is the thing they could and should do for themselves.”

- Abraham Lincoln, President

Posted by Skip at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

See this guy?   Rot-ro

This story from NOW!Hampshire brings NH's own Democrat attack machine, Kathy Sullivan, to the fore:

Source: State Dems scrambling to deploy tea party ‘crashers’

New Hampshire Democrats are engaged in a statewide search for liberal activists willing to attend so-called tea parties on Thursday and carry signs expressing racists or fringe sentiments, a Democratic source with knowledge of the effort tells NowHampshire.com.
 
According to the source, who sought anonymity for fear of reprisals, the Dems’ last minute scramble reflects a growing obsession among party leaders that they need to discredit the tea party movement soon or it will overwhelm them come the November election.
 
Former Democratic State Party Chairman Kathy Sullivan is heading up the search, the source said. Sullivan has been calling and e-mailing liberal activists trying to get them to attend tea parties in different parts of the state and hold signs denying the authenticity of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and make racially disparaging comments to reporters.
 
“This is Kathy’s [Sullivan] project,” the source told NowHampshire.com. “She is absolutely obsessed with painting the tea party people as racists.”

Well, MAJOR backpedaling ensued - major, major, major.

 Sullivan not only said that she had not called for progressives to storm tomorrow's tea party rallies, she also condemned the idea of anyone trying to distupt a tea party rally as undemocratic.

...Brunnelle [Executive Director, NH Democrat Party  -Skip] said that the state party wasn't sending anyone -- infiltrator or otherwise -- to the tea party rallies in New Hampshire tomorrow and suggested the party was steering clear of the whole event. He said that Now Hampshire's reporting saying otherwise was "absolutely not true."

So what does that have to do with anything?

This picture:

Who is this?

Same guy I pointed out in the top picture. 

"SO", you say?

Er, he's Tim Arsenault (son of Beth Arsenault, Dem NH House Rep from Laconia). 

"Yeah, still - so?"

He's the Head Honcho for New Hampshire for Organizing for America.

"Yeah!"

... "suggested the party was steering clear of the whole event."

Right.  Now, did the State Party send him?  Only they know - not me.  Doesn't look good, does it?

Now, any problems?  Nope, and none imputed in any fashion.  But certainly doesn't look good for a head honcho in the Dem Party to say one thing and find another one where the first said that there wouldn't be any.....

A case of "they weren't going before they did?" 

Posted by Skip at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week, as you saw in the video from Jeanie Forrester's campaign kickoff event, there was a special young lady that sang "God Bless America" - Mollie Brown.  She also sung at Jim Forsythe's campaign kickoff event and brought the house down at that time as well.  Gosh, so young and such a nice voice!  Given a wee bit of training and a couple of year and those pipes would shine!

Here she is, belting out "God Bless America":

Hopefully, others will see / hear her talent and ask for her to sing in other venues as well.

Posted by Skip at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Filed under Humor

This perfectly seems to cover it - common sense people being fried by the MainStream Media for what?  Insisting on fiscal sanity, limited government, the feeling that they are being used solely as ATM, and that their values and traditions are of no value whatsoever?  For believing in the traditions that have made this country great?  For believing in the limited government wisdom of the Founders and their insistence on individual Liberty and Freedoms as opposed to the more Progressive leanings of the MSM?

In fact, their values are not just valueless, but the source of denigration.

Well, probably for not much longer as the MSM stock prices, profits, readership, and viewership keep spiraling down the drain.

Just like with Fran, you can only insult your constituents for just so many times and for just so long before they turn on you.

The Bigger the Government, the smaller the Citizen

Posted by Skip at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

(Fran Wendelboe at a Belknap County meeting -

GraniteGrok picture)

Well, as I just let someone else know:

    She was merely semi-irritating before....

    ...now she's made it personal.....

...ink by the barrel and all that....

WELL!  "Somebody is looking for some attention, isn't she (am I hearing echos of "do you know who I am?")? 

Now, I as I have already posted, I went to Jeanie Forrester's kickoff meeting and then did a quick interview.  Why?  Four simple reasons:

• It was conveniently located (for me)
• It was conveniently timed (for me)
• I was simply asked if I would
• I blog about stuff that interests and amuses ME (and no one else).

I met Jeanie for the first time when I went to Jim Forsythe's kickoff meeting.  Hearing that she was a newcomer to politics because she was mad at the long term politicians in Concord for doing such a bad job of things, she decided to run.  As I am of the mind to favor such citizen/politicians that "lay down their implements for a time, leave the fields, server, and then return to the fields a short time later", I wanted to hear more.

And did.

Well, guess what I found in my inbox this morning - unrequested and now, unwanted?  Yeah, Fran Wendelboe's missive to me (I have decided to not post the forwarded email that came with it):

On 4/16/2010 4:16 AM, fran wendelboe wrote:
>
> Skip,
>
> Here is where McGee “offered” to help me back in Oct 09 ---which I did not take him up on….it was his reply to an answer I sent him to an inquiry of how his on how to contact someone and I had mentioned I was running for Senate.
>
> And
>
> I also have PROOF that it was back mid JANUARY that I called SPECTRUM to get some printing done. (not quite 3 weeks ago, eh)   Additionally,  I have email proof of contracting with someone ELSE for the printing back in JANUARY.
>
> I expect your disclosure of his offer of help to me back in 09 that “I” did not take him up on and the timeframe correction on your website with Chuck’s video.
>
> You also should note that I never mentioned Chuck’s name NOR that Jeannie was taking advice from him.  I just said the I WOULD NEVER HIRE SOMEONE…….. His shouting out his identity outed him.
>
> Nice you gave Chuck an opportunity to respond yet when Forrester gave her speech with the personal attacks against me that you videotaped at her kick-off, you never offered me response opportunity.
>
> Fran

RIGHT!  She both demands that I do something on her behalf, as if I was a public utlity, and where to do it.  And then with the " I never mentioned", she reminds me that during her speech to the Belknap County Republican the inward gasp of the attendees.  Almost every person in that room is in the "inside baseball" crowd for Republicans.  They know who was in the room AND who Fran is. 

If it had been me, I would not have stayed in the back of the room - Fran Wendelboe, as a long time politician,  knew EXACTLY what she was saying and EXACTLY what the result would be. She wanted a plausible "out" that comes out as a FAIL.  All one has to do is listen to her speech and fill in what she failed to do in quoting herself ("I WOULD NEVER HIRE SOMEONE").  She meant to lash out, in my opinion at Jeanie and decided to be underhanded and do so via Chuck.  This weak and lame attempt of a CYA action fools no one, not even this ordinary schlub from Central New Hampsha!

In doing so, she basically heaped coals on the NH GOP for her own, personal political betterment.   Remember, I may be tangentially here, but her "dirty trick" was reported first by both the Laconia Daily Sun and the Laconia Citizen this morning. Nice going, Fran, but I digress.

My response was:

Continue reading "Fran Wendelboe: "...now she's made it personal..."" »

Posted by Skip at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This morning I went to sign my Dogs up for welfare.  At first the lady said, "Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare".  So I explained to her that my Dogs are mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can't speak English and have no frigging clue who their Daddies are.  They expect me to feed them, provide them with housing and medical care, and feel guilty because they are dogs.

So she looked in her policy book to see what it takes to qualify.  My Dogs get their first check on Friday.

Damn, this is a great country.

(H/T: Karen)

Continue reading ""..this is a great country..."" »

Posted by Skip at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of my facebook friends was a US aviator who served over Iraq.  He currently flies commercial size aricraft for UPS.  I asked him to clarify the significant risks for pilots confronted by volcanic ash so we could get a better understanding of the problem.

"The dangers of flying into volcanic ash can be catastrophic. Our weather radars on board commercial planes are not designed to detect ash but rather water molecules. So boundaries of ash clouds would not be clearly defined allowing Pilots to safely navigate around them. NOTAM's, official communications to notify airman of hazardous conditions, will typically define the volcanic area and establish a buffer in Nautical Miles avoiding this airspace.

Concerning the operation of the airplane, it is the exterior sensors that are most vulnerable. The Pitot Tubes and Air Static intakes not only send information to our instruments in the cockpit, but in modern day aircraft vital information is also sent to the on board computers that regulate the engines.

Finally, in an effort to get more planes in the air, vertical separation was reduced between airplanes to 1000 feet. Beginning at flight level 290 (29,000) we now allow planes to operate with that separation and call it RVSM. Reduced Vertical Separation. When operating in that airspace it is essential that you have no conditions that might adversely affect your accurate information going to your Altimeters. This could lead to an airplane being off its assigned altitude. With 1000 feet of separation there is less room for this type of error.

People traveling can be sure that when these incidents occur, commercial pilots are doing everything necessary to insure their continued safety."

 

 

Posted by Steve at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Tea Party: A Heartfelt Hymn of American Redemption

by Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter 

Posted by Andrew Hemingway at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"A wise and frugal government...shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government."

- Thomas Jefferson, President

Posted by Skip at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

if you want to get information about upcoming events, news that is important to the TEA Party movement, and more about the individual Liberty and Freedom groups, here is the main site to visit:

And to visit the bloggers that came to the Manchester event - Thanks guys and gals!

NH Conservative Bloggers

Posted by Skip at 8:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The NHDP has it's panties in a bunch about an ad campaign claiming governor Lynch is a liar on the issue of same sex marriage.  This is to be expected from a party that sold spendocrat Jeff Goley as a small government anti-tax champion.

The analysis of this question is relatively simple.  John Lynch said he was for civil unions but against same sex marriage.  When presented with a bill legalizing same sex marriage, (which only passed the House after some stiff arming of reluctant state reps) he signed it. 

The NHDP's objection is of course predicated on the same litmus by which they interpet everything. If they want it to be true then it is.  The constitution is a flexible, living entity except when such an interpretation would deny them something they desire.  Tax and Spenders are actually tax advocates if for no other reason than that there are literally thousands of taxes they have not imposed upon voters----yet.  And John Lynch is not a liar, but he is.

Cross Posted From NH Insider

Posted by Steve at 7:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 We ARE HERE!  And so are a lot of your TEA'd off fellow NH Citizens. Festivities will start shortly!

Today.

5:30pm

Victory Park

Manchester, NH

See you there!

Posted by Skip at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Do you want Government taking care of you from the cradle to the grave?

- NH Senator Lovejoy

He is asking a number of questions of the assembled crowd - and they are ticked!  Each question goes to the effect "Do you want Government to do <fill in the blank>?  And each one, the retort from the crowd is NO!!

Sadly, the answers are already in the affirmative....the Democrats in Concord (NH) and DC have already done what the people do not want.

More Later...

Posted by Skip at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

At the 4/14/10 meeting of the Belknap County Republicans, Frank Guinta addresses the attendees.  He stressed his record of conservative values implemented as policies: his reducing of crime, holding the lines on taxes, taking on the Democrat heavy Board of Aldermen, and the School system in order to look out for the taxpayers of Manchester while he was Mayor.  He talks about the current mess that the Democrats here in NH and DC have put us into and discussed how Carol Shea-Porter is not representing the good people of NH well.

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Here in New Hampshire we’ve been at what Erik Erikson at Red State calls Tea Party 2.0 since day one.  Not a week goes by when the message from any one of the dozens of groups around the state who support the anti-tax rallies that define the Tea Party Movement is to get involved.  Learn something, join a group that shares your interests, and take action.  Support candidates, change the direction of your local GOP group, communicate, invigorate and activate.  Grab a weapon, and stand a post.  

But there is this underlying concern that the Tea Party rallies are not trying to hard enough to drive actual grass roots activism with a purpose and a goal.  That after the concert is over, people remember the lyrics but have no functional way to apply them.  And it's not an unreasonable concern.

Sure, a rally is a great thing, and there are plenty of them to go around.  They remind us that we are not the only ones who feel the way we do; that there are others who see the need for action and a new direction.   But you can’t just show up at anti-tax rallies and expect the government to back off.  You know you need to do more.  But maybe you are still not sure how or where to start.  And that concerns some people.

You start by talking to people at these gatherings.  They can show you how to work locally whether you have five minutes a week or all week.  There is a way for you to contribute.   And they can show you how to make contributions that matter.  This is as much about standing up to taxes and spending as it is changing the process that got us where we are.  That may require you at some point to get out of your comfort zone. But there is plenty you can do along the way.  You can read and comment on blogs or even start one yourself.  Write letters to the editor of your local paper, read bills and get familiar with how New Hampshire’s General Court does and reports its business.  You can learn to testify on legislation, engage your representatives locally and nationally, hold signs, do lit drops, and above all else educate yourself and your family about your state and federal constitutions.  

You also have to learn about how the oppostion works, and how to use that to your advantage.  But lets start by keeping it simple.

The left would have you believe that whatever policy it is of theirs you object to your objection is based on hate, or fear, or anger, or ignorance.  That's their beginning and end.  You are dumb, and mean spritied, and selfish, and greedy.   But you know the truth as it applies to you so do not beleive the lies they tell about others.    

As this applies to the tea party movement use basic common snese.  Taxes are someone else's property.  Every tax, no matter where applied, to no matter what purpose, denies someone of their legal property.   And that tax affects everyone in one way or another, inevitably hitting the pocketbooks of everyday Americans.  So do not believe the lies of the left.  Tax cuts are robberies not committed not privileges granted.  And taxing the rich, or big business, or tobacco, or energy, or anything that suits their fancy, is a tax you will inevitably pay, in higher prices, fewer choices, lower employment, and depressed wages; almost always for useless spending that is outside their authority, and that has well exceeded your ability to pay it.

But you have the power to stop the bloodletting of your tax dollars.   It is within your power.   This is your government.  But you can no longer sit by and hope that someone else will change it for you.  So you can’t just go to rallies.  You can’t just yell at your television or complain about it at the water cooler.  You can’t just scream at the darkness.  You have to be willing to light a candle.

And you also have to understand that the grow government liberals will do anything to snuff that candle out.  They do not want you questioning their government.  And they will smear you, lie to you, intimidate you, even frighten you, to keep you away.  They do not want you to carry that light.

Not to worry though.  There is strength in knowledge and numbers.  If your candle goes out you can learn to relight it yourself.  Until you learn how to do that, you can have someone close to you re-light it for you.  That's where the rallies come in.  They help you keep the candle lit.  You leave that rally or that meeting, and you take some ifnormation or an idea, and you learn to share that light with someone else.  That's what the Tea Party movement is about.  Sharing the light of liberty.  Helping people fight back the darkness of creeping tyranny one person at a time. 

So no matter how desperate the left gets, the more of us there are the harder it is to put all those lights out.  And as long as one still burns--somewhere in the darkness--we can relight them all again.

The idea of American exceptionalism is the movement.  Knowledge and experience are the weapons.  The desire for Liberty and freedom are the delivery vehicles.  Now go out and light a candle.

Cross Posted From NH Insider

Posted by Steve at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just plain meanness - picking on a newcomer like that!  Fran Wendelboe, long term politician in the Lakes Region, vowed to run a campaign on the issues and then unloaded on one of political newcomer Jeanie Forrester's staffers, Chuck McGhee.  Jeanie's mistake in Fran's eyes?  Hiring the firm that employ's Chuck. 

So much for sticking with the issues, eh?

Since I was there recording the event, I caught up with Chuck McGhee to give him a chance to respond to Fran Wendelboe's verbal attack on him last night:

Posted by Skip at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Jeanie Forrester, newcomer to politics, addresses the crowd at the 4/14/10 meeting of the Belknap County Republicans in her bid to become the nominee for NH Senate District 2.

Bet she didn't expect the attack from Fran Wendelboe that came after she took her seat from speaking to this crowd (I sure didn't)!  Respectful?  I'd say not...

Posted by Skip at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fran Wendelboe, candidate for NH Senate District 2, vowed to run "a race on the issues" to the crowd assembled at the 4/10/10 Belknap County Republicans meeting and then promptly went viciously negative on one of her opponent's staffers - Chuck McGhee - and indirectly impugned Jeanie Forrester (her opponent and a brand new person to politics).

She is a long term politician here in the Lakes Region of NH; she knew exactly what she was doing and what she wanted to accomplish.  She decries "gutter politics" and then went and wallowed in it.

I have just met Jeanie (have known her for a couple of weeks only).  It will be interesting to see how this newcomer reacts to the shiv that was put between her ribs by Fran with this "calling out".  Thus far, she has given me the impression that she is a soft spoken and thoughtful person - I wonder if there is an inner MMA / Cage Fighter that will now be unleashed?

Hmm....she does have that pink Glock while Fran says she defends 2nd Amendment rights - a political shoot out in the offing?

Posted by Skip at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Question & Answer time at the April 14th meeting of the Belknap County Republicans. Responding to questions were Frank Guinta (running for Congress in NH's First Congressional District) and the two people seeking to be the Republican nominee for NH Senate District 2 - Jeanie Forrester (newcomer to politics) and Fran Wendelboe (long term politician)

Posted by Skip at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

President Obama finds such values outdated. America must go beyond equal rights and responsibilities to guarantee equal outcomes and entitlement programs to ensure that. As a result, if you work hard, save, postpone gratification, and take care of yourself and your family, you lose. Not only must you support your family; you’re “forced” to support many others. Americans have no trouble providing temporary help, but they expect most to bounce back and lift their own weight.

When caring for your neighbor becomes a compulsory obligation imposed by government instead of voluntary, charity turns to confiscation and freedom to achieve to involuntary servitude. To liberals, compassion seems to be defined by how many people are dependent on the government; to conservatives, it’s defined by how many people no longer need help. One promotes dependence, the other freedom, responsibility and achievement.

There is no moral or Constitutional justification for taking money honorably earned from a neighbor to pay for what some citizens can’t afford. With one half of American voters no longer paying income taxes, wealth redistribution has turned envy into legitimized confiscation.

- Terry Paulson, psychologist & speaker

Posted by Skip at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was listening to Jim and Marjorie on the way into work this morning, (WTKK) and a gentleman called in with some concerns that the Tea Party might in fact have some racist undertones.  He mentioned a few signs he saw at a New Hampshire Tea Party event he went to that made him uncomfortable, nothing racist, just your standard refreshing the tree of liberty/ pro second amendment stuff.  (He did not mention when or where the event was while I was listening but I take him at his word.)  When asked the money question, "did you at any point feel like there was some racist sentiment," the gentleman suggested that there was, and he seemed to base this on the fact that he was the only black man there.   

This is an interesting notion.  I can't fault him for thinking it.  Being from Massachusetts he may not have known this, but the absence of African American’s at a New Hampshire Tea Party is as likely as the absence of African Americans from a lot of happening around the Granite State.  It’s not racist.  It’s a statistical fact.

New Hampshire has a black population below 2%.  So what do blacks have against New Hampshire? Is it low because we are all a bunch of gun toting racists?  Some people might say that, but I doubt it.  The NHDP has been selling NH as the new Blue liberal utopia since 2006 and wrecking the state economy as a matter of principle,  so given the dynamics of that argument the place should be teeming with diversity but it’s not.  We can take this several different ways, but white racism doesn’t cut it.

African Americans overwhelmingly vote democrat. They voted 88% for democrats in 2004, and significantly more so in 2008.  So while there are democrats at tea party events,  they are less likely to attend if they are white, or blue, or green, or any other color because they are democrats;  they do not object to the spending and deficits, so why would a fraction of a fraction  of them make the trip?

African Americans probably feel some degree of peer pressure to avoid objecting to Mr. Obama regardless of their feelings about his political agenda.  This is not measurable, certainly not by me, but I’ve been subjected to union pressure to conform, and everyone has felt peer pressure, so it is just as likely that this works against participation further, even if someone wanted to attend a Tea Party event or get involved in fighting the progressive left wing agenda. 

And at most, maybe one forth of the country publicly aligns with the te party movement itself--as in, actually attends events. 

So given these statistics, 24% of the population of which 1.2% in New Hampshire is black--but votes 90% democrat, and is encouraged not to object to the liberal assault on American liberty, the odds that you will see an African American in New Hampshire protesting at a Tea Party event falls below that of getting struck by lightning.   Maybe that's even a high estimate.

Racism has nothing to do with it.

So are there racists in New Hampshire.  Yes. And we’ll probably get to meet a few tomorrow if they decide to pretend to be with the Tea Party.  Remember racism is a job pro-liberty folks just won’t do, so the left has to import them from a foreign party--their own.  Of course if they actually act like they are with the tea party, you won’t be able to differentiate them from the crowd of enthusiastic, well behaved, patriotic Americans who could care less what color their president is because their money is all the same color.  What they object to is not the man, his color, not even to the color of the hundreds of stupid white members of congress who rammed through massive deficit increases and an unwanted trillion dollar social programs...

...It is the grotesque government incompetence, arrogance, disregard for public opinion, and outright greed that the liberals in the democrat party are perpetrating upon everyone at the expense of generations of Americans.   It's the spending stupid.

Cross Posted From NH Insider

Posted by Steve at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The NH TEA Party Coalition has been receiving a number of reports, as many have nationwide, about folks unhappy about the TEA Party movement and what it wants to accomplish. What is that, you ask?  Simply nefarious, dirty, and underhanded:

Simply moving the country back to a Constitutional footing according to the original Founders' Vision.

Gee, not so bad.  However, keep one thing in mind - for those that wish to enlarge a Big Government to an even larger size, this is tantamount to heresy.  In fact, one of the lines that you will hear me say tomorrow to the crowd is:

"The Democrats fear you"

This story from NOW!Hampshire brings NH's own Democrat attack machine, Kathy Sullivan, to the fore:

Source: State Dems scrambling to deploy tea party ‘crashers’

New Hampshire Democrats are engaged in a statewide search for liberal activists willing to attend so-called tea parties on Thursday and carry signs expressing racists or fringe sentiments, a Democratic source with knowledge of the effort tells NowHampshire.com.
 
According to the source, who sought anonymity for fear of reprisals, the Dems’ last minute scramble reflects a growing obsession among party leaders that they need to discredit the tea party movement soon or it will overwhelm them come the November election.
 
Former Democratic State Party Chairman Kathy Sullivan is heading up the search, the source said. Sullivan has been calling and e-mailing liberal activists trying to get them to attend tea parties in different parts of the state and hold signs denying the authenticity of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and make racially disparaging comments to reporters.
 
“This is Kathy’s [Sullivan] project,” the source told NowHampshire.com. “She is absolutely obsessed with painting the tea party people as racists.”
 
Similar “crash the tea party” efforts are taking place throughout the country on Tax Day.
 
If she pulls it off, this won’t be the first time Sullivan has endeavored to manufacture a racist controversy regarding the tea party movement. Last month Sullivan and other Democratic leaders attempted to portray a “white pride” rally in Concord held by a Massachusetts-based white supremacist organization as a tea party. Sullivan was forced to retract her bogus accusation.
 
Nor would this maneuver be a radical departure from other stunts the party has engaged in recently. Around Easter the Democrats sent someone dressed in a bunny costume to the Republican State Committee headquarters. The stunt was widely panned, though thinly covered, and some internet wags speculated Sullivan herself was inside the suit.
 
Sullivan has also been making herself a bit of a nuisance in Manchester.  She has been attending meetings of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to glower at Mayor Ted Gatsas.

Heh to that last part, and until proven true by a couple of other sources, we'll see as to its veracity.  But it does fit what even some of the national press has started to report - that the Progressives and Democrats fear what is about to happen in November and will do anything to slow people awakening to what has happened politically to this country.  And given what they last tried to do, which was a failed attempt to try to paint the NH TEA Party Coalition as in league with a white supremacists group out of MA, who knows what they will try next!

Posted by Skip at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"If God can get by on 10 percent, Uncle Sam ought to be able to keep getting by on 20."

— Mike Pence (Congressman, R-IN)

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Continue reading "Muslims’ Entrapment by Islam" »

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Normally, I am not a "movie person".  For the most part, if I go to a movie theater, it is because TMEW is excited to go watch something (although my interest level does go up if it is at an IMAX theater even as the drain on my wallet goes up as well).

That said, ever since it came out, "Patton" is one of my all time favorite movies - a guy dedicated to one thing, focused on one thing - and that was in defeating America's enemies (although he personalized whomever it was as "his" enemy).  The quote is:

Rommel... you magnificent bastard, *I read your book*! 

Why did that catch my eye?  This story.  Yes Progressives, we knuckledragging, gun loving, God fearing, and now TEA Party sympathizers know how to read as well...

Posted by Skip at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

...what's good for the goose should be good for the gander, eh?

Neal Boortz, a highly rated talk show host that classifies himself as a Libertarian has no love lost for Obama and his policies.  However, following on the good doctor that asked a similar question, Boortz has ticked off the Left:

Obama and his minions have effectively politicized and are ever inserting government everything else so why SHOULDN'T push back to that process be everywhere as well? And here is his rational, based on what and how Obama's healthcare is mandating that small business owners now find themselves, by law, to be arm-locked with the Government in now being social service organization (and not just a biz) (emphasis mine) :

The Democrats have passed ObamaCare. You have 50 employees. You're going to have to cut back to 49 employees to avoid the mandate that you provide health insurance for your employees. You have this strange idea that you hire people to work for you and you pay them well for that work. It is not your responsibility to take care of their health insurance. So .. you whittle down your choices to one of two employees. Both have been with your company for the same amount of time, both have similar work histories, and they are both very similar in their work habits and productivity. The only difference is that one is an unrepentant Obama voter, and the other is not. If it were not for Obama you would not be having to let an employee go ... so doesn't it make sense that the employee who contributed to this situation be the one to go on a job hunt? That employee was a part of your problem ... so he gets to realize the consequences of his actions.

Entitlement mentality on steroids.  What Government policy SHOULD be is to de-hook the tax credits that are given ONLY to companies for the health care premium sponsorship they give to their employees - give it to individuals instead.

But with this Administration?  Letting citizens make their own decisions?  Hah!

(H/T: Boortz)

Posted by Skip at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Guest post by Bob Giuda, candidate for NH CD-2 Congressional seat

In the House, we need to win 112 seats to become veto-proof; while all indications are there will be significant conservative gains in the House in November, retaking 112 seats would be a turnaround of epic proportions.  Thus, any repeal passed, even with new Republican majorities in the House and Senate, will be vetoed by the President, and the House and Senate will have the required votes to override the veto.

There are, however, steps we can take to mitigate ObamaCare's assault on our personal freedoms and our free enterprise system. At the same time, Congress can implement the true reforms we do need, without the shameful Congressional bribery and special interest payoffs that were needed to pass ObamaCare.

First, Congress should reverse the Medicare cuts the Democrats dumped on our seniors. These cuts will harm seniors' health and will drive up their medical costs dramatically.  Reversing them is the right thing to do.

Second, Congress should pass legislation requiring all elected members, congressional staff and Executive staff to use the ObamaCare plan for as long as it remains law. We must put an end to exemptions of the ruling elites from the policies and laws they enact for the people they are supposed to serve.

Third, Congress should deny funding for ObamaCare using the appropriations process. This will immediately stop the government takeover of our health care system comprising16% of our national economy.

Fourth, Congress needs to implement real health insurance reform, including (1) "loser-pays" tort reform requiring the losing attorney to pay some of the costs; (2) negating state restrictions on insurance competition; (3) requiring portability; (4) providing better tax incentives to businesses that insure employees; and, (5) allowing families to deduct the full cost of health insurance from federal income tax. These actions will significantly reduce health insurance costs; they will not raise taxes, and they will make health insurance available to all but the very poor.

Fifth: As a nation, we can provide a safety net for those who are truly unable to afford health insurance. It makes no sense -- and it costs a huge amount -- to care for them in hospital Emergency Rooms. Options we should consider include:

          o expanding Medicare and means testing participants
          o providing additional tax deductions to people under certain income thresholds
          o eliminating fraud and waste in the current Medicare system
          o further expanding the availability and use of Medical Savings Accounts

Everything should be on the table, except creating a massive, expensive and inefficient government health care bureaucracy. 

Sixth, and perhaps most importantly,...

Continue reading ""steps we can take to mitigate ObamaCare's assault on our personal freedoms and our free enterprise system"" »

Posted by Skip at 8:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By a 65-35 majority the voters of Merrimack would like the opportunity for a statewide vote on the question of gay marriage.

In other voting, the budgets passed-both less than the default, Chris Ortega and Shannon Barnes won the two open School board seats, Dwyer and Flood got elected to the two open town council seats, and as far as I can tell these are all good things. 

Another vote on articles to add teaching staff that was cut from the school budget back in at the last moment failed.  The cuts were made due to declining enrollment but several people in town and on the budget committee had been trying to get the positions put back in the school district operating budget as seperate articles.  The voters were not in the mood for it.

And finally, I still do not know if Bill Boyd won a seat on the School budget committee but I should have that by morning.

(H/T Rick Barnes)

Posted by Steve at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I live in Merrimack so I got to vote today.   As I approached the polls there was a small knot of young people holding handmade signs.  I'm always excited to see people who look to young to vote being politically active so I was curious about who or what they are supporting.

The signs either said vote no on article 6, or protect civil rights.

Article six asks members of the town if they would like to ask the state legislature for an opportunity to vote on gay marriage.  So our budding activists were there to try and persuade people against it. 

I wonder why they think it is a civil right to refuse the people of New Hamshire the right to vote on the question?  Are they afraid we might just deem it passed based on the results of article six?  Can't imagine where they would get an idea like that?

Must be that gud lernnin they getting et the pulik skool.

Cross Posted at NH Insider

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Posted by Steve at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A new site is up called LynchLied.com, and I guess Jennifer Daler from BH has her panties all up in a wad....boo-hoo.  Trust me, there are a lot of people here in NH that aren't all that happy over how the Democrats, from saying nothing during the campaign, made passing homosexual marriage their number one legislative priority. Here's the ad that has her just SO upset!

Over doing their jobs as stewards of the budget - and they have loused that up too!

And he did.  Consider it one of the reasons why Democrat Gov. John "Do Nuttin'" Lynch's sky high poll numbers have plummeted and relative unknown candidates are inching within striking distance of a 3 term Gov.

 From that site (reformat and emphasis mine):

• On Business Taxes
  

John Lynch lied to us when he said during his 2008 campaign, “I am not looking at increasing the business taxes.”

In fact, Lynch proposed and enacted his “LLC Tax” which costs New Hampshire businesses millions.

• On Government Spending
  

John Lynch lied to us when he said during his 2010 State of the State address, “We cut spending in nearly every state agency.”

The truth is that Lynch has increased state spending by 27% in the past two years.

• On Balancing the Budget

John Lynch lied to us in his State of the State speech earlier this year when he said, “We balanced the budget.”

In fact, Lynch drained the state’s “rainy day” fund and raided the malpractice fund to cover his exorbitant spending.

• On Gay Marriag

When John Lynch sought our votes in 2006, he said, “I do not support gay marriage.”

That, too, was a lie. Lynch signed the gay marriage bill into law.

Oh, and if you want to get a free "Lynch Lied" bumpersticker?  Come find me at the TEA Party event in Manchester on Thursday.  While the NH TEA Party Coalition is non-partisan, the plan is to be live blogging the event - and you know that GraniteGrok is far from being "non-partisan".   The National Organization for Marriage (or NOM) is making them up and I have asked for whole bunches to be delivered, hopefully in time for the event.  They also have this to say on their website:

“New Hampshire residents were shocked last year when they learned that Governor John Lynch had been lying to them about his position on gay marriage,” said Brian Brown, executive director of NOM. “Even though he promised voters when he ran for office that he did not support gay marriage, Lynch signed same-sex marriage legislation into law. However, this is not the only time he has lied to voters. Our new ad holds him to account for misrepresenting his positions on business taxes, government spending, balancing the budget and redefining marriage,” Brown added.

heh....the truth hurts, don't it!

(H/T: Carolyn)

Posted by Skip at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When I did my micro-interview with Jeanie Forrester, I mentioned NJ Gov. Chris Christie (R) who recently knocked off former Corzine (D) in a recent election.  I am following Christie as he is absolutely right on this issue - "When you are out of money and in a big money pit, you have to cut the spending" (here, here).

The title comes from the Wall Street Journal and Betsy of Betsy's Page has singled out the details of relevancy:

However quaint that may sound, when you have to cut nearly $11 billion in state spending to get there, you are going to get a lot of yelling and screaming. Most comes from the New Jersey Education Association, hollering that "the children" will be hurt by Mr. Christie's proposals for teachers to accept a one-year wage freeze and begin contributing something toward their health plans. What makes the battle interesting is the way Mr. Christie is throwing the old chestnuts back at his critics.

The children will be the ones to suffer from your education cuts. "The real question is, who's for the kids, and who's for their raises? This isn't about the kids. Let's dispense with that portion of the argument. Don't let them tell you that ever again while they are reaching into your pockets."

Your policies favor the rich. "We have the worst unemployment in the region and the highest taxes in America, and that's no coincidence."

Why not renew the 'millionaire's tax'? "The top 1% of taxpayers in New Jersey pay 40% of the income tax. In addition, we've got a situation where that tax applies to small businesses. I'm simply not going to put my foot on the back of the neck of small business while I want them to try to grow jobs by giving more revenue to New Jersey."

Budget cuts are unfair. "The special interests have already begun to scream their favorite word—which, coincidentally, is my 9-year-old son's favorite word when we are making him do something he knows is right but does not want to do—'unfair.' . . . One state retiree, 49 years old, paid, over the course of his entire career, a total of $124,000 towards his retirement pension and health benefits. What will we pay him? $3.3 million in pension payments over his life, and nearly $500,000 for health care benefits—a total of $3.8 million on a $120,000 investment. Is that fair?"

State budget cuts only shift the pain to our towns. "[L]et's remember this, in 2009 the private sector in New Jersey lost 121,000 jobs. In 2009, municipalities and school boards added 11,300 jobs. Now that's just outrageous. And they're going to have to start to lay some people off, not continue to hire at the pace they hired in 2009 in the middle of a recession."

Special Interests?  The Democrats are all over them - but usually the target is the private sector and NEVER the public ones and NEVER the union.

Sorry, but ANYONE that seeks favorable treatment from the Government is a special interest, be they public workers, pet projects, advocacy groups, or public sector unions.  

Christie is simply doing what an adult should say to all these whiny little "children": you spent you allowance, the wallet is empty, there is no more.

Posted by Skip at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some scary stats from an Economics student perspective:

Yikes?  And then you wonder why it is called Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Parties????

And if you are part of the Political Class that believes that Government is a benign, beneficial agent whose role is to make our lives better and lead us to being better people, I have seven words for you:

Then You Pay It All For Us!

And leave the rest of us alone and stop acting like most of Obama's tax cheating advisors - like Timmy Geithner (for starters).

(H/T: Instapundit)

Posted by Skip at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After her Kickoff Event, I had the chance to ask Jeanie a few quick questions about some of the topics that will define this election (both the primary and the general).  I found her to be quite honest, certainly willing to take on the questions, and with ANY first time folks running for office, a tad shy and a bit unsure of "who IS this guy and WHY is he asking me THESE types of questions?? (heh!)".  Well, given that she (and thousands of people like her all across the nation) are willing to put themselves into such uncomfortable situations should tell folks lots about their courage about facing their opposition (sometimes, long entrenched ones), hostile press, the voters, and of course, this strange breed of folks called bloggers.

All in all, for a first time out, she did pretty well.  In some cases, I could tell she was a bit unsure of "er, is this how I say this?" but she plowed on.  I'm sure that (on a gut feeling)  she will develop her speaking style so as to highlight the issues and her stances better than this first time "out of the chute".  And yes, running for a state wide office is like trying to ride a mean rodeo bull for the first time, so I'm will to cut her some slack (for now).

Included are 2nd Amendment, Pro Life / family, broadbased taxes for NH, Obamacare screwing up NH's Medicaid budget, States Rights and an evermore intrusive Federal Govt, personal responsibility, local control,  parental notification, and choice in education.

Take a listen (about 15 minutes), and let me know what you think!

Posted by Skip at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

But the bigger problem with the ACS is the underlying government mentality it exposes. From the Commerce Department thinking it can demand any personal information it wants, to a government representative thinking she can threaten her way into a private home to get those answers -- what today's government and its workers have forgotten is that government is accountable to the people, not the reverse. It is "government of the people, by the people, for the people," in Abraham Lincoln's immortal words. But in today's America, the servants are increasingly acting like the masters.

- Daniel Freedman

The longer story here.

ACS = American Community Survey

Posted by Skip at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Guest post by Ovide Lamontagne, Candidate for US Senate

Ovide Lamontagne, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, today made the following statement concerning the retirement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced today that he will retire at the end of the current Supreme Court term in June:

“Justice Stevens deserves the thanks of the people for his service to the country, including his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II.  But we must not let our gratitude for that service obscure the fact that Justice Stevens has, over the course of his long career on the Supreme Court, become part of the liberal majority of judicial activists who have eroded the plain meaning of the Constitution and dramatically undermined the ability of Americans to govern themselves.

“Unlike my primary opponent Kelly Ayotte, who said she would have voted ‘yes’ for Sonia Sotomayor, the liberal judicial activist who was the first Obama Supreme Court nominee, I took a firm stand against Sotomayor.  Like other authentic conservatives around the country, I saw that Judge Sotomayor had embraced liberal judicial activism in saying that courts of appeal are ‘where policy is made’ and that ‘a wise Latina woman . . . would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male.’

“Justice Sotomayor’s record, including her ruling in favor of racial preferences against the New Haven firefighters who had been denied jobs and promotions, showed that she was a clear liberal activist.  The U.S. Supreme Court reversed Sotomayor’s decision in the New Haven case before she joined it.  Sotomayor’s first year on the Court has proven that she is still the same far-left activist that Kelly Ayotte endorsed.

“Those of us who care about democracy and self-government must say ‘no’ to the Obama plan to pack the Court with a new generation of liberal judicial activists.  We must oppose liberal judicial activism on the Court.  As a U.S. Senator, I pledge to stand firm against liberal appointments of judges who would undermine our Constitution and let federal government dictate matters in which it has no business.”

Ovide is running for the nomination for the Republican candidacy for the US Senate from NH.  His campaign site is here.

Posted by Skip at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Blogging has been very light the last few days - real life decided that it needed my attention more than the old laptop - and it told the old laptop to play games with my head.  And then threw in a few other things to boot.

And of course - it's TAX TIME!  Yeah, this is a royal pain in the butt - I would will vote for the FairTax or a single level Flat Tax in a heartbeat if it meant:

• I don't have to waste days in figuring out how much of the "fruits of my labor" are being redistributed by Progressives.
• And that, NO LONGER, will we give Greedy, Power Hungry Politicians (mostly Progressive Democrats) the ability to use the tax code to coerce us to behave in ways THEY believe we should.

Remember, "greedy" capitalists want your money, but that is strictly a voluntary action on your part; if you don't like the product or service, you don't have to buy it.

Remember, Greedy Politicians give you no options - they WILL ratchet up the stakes to ensure you do as they think you should - and tax you for doing so.  And Greedy Politicians focus on the capitalists so as to keep the attention off themselves and what THEY are doing!

Now that I have your attention, take the 17 minutes and listen to this guy fire you up!

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Posted by Skip at 8:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Skip at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just got this email from Tom, a loyal reader and sometimes guest poster here on the 'Grok:

Good 'old Charlie Bass is running for NH's District-2 US Congressional seat again.  Charlie is a moderate Republican who consistently favored increased Federal spending, helping us get into the fiscal mess we're in.  He's now pretending to be a Conservative, claiming Pelosi-like kinship with the Tea Party community.  Some of Charlie's positions are:

• voted "no" on requiring photo ID to vote in Federal elections.
• voted to allow minors to be transported across state lines for abortions without the knowledge or consent of their parents.
• voted to continue the moratorium on offshore oil drilling.
• voted to prohibit oil drilling in ANWAR.
• voted "yes" on starting the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.
• voted "yes" on McCain/Feingold "Campaign Finance Reform".
• voted for massive budget deficits as a Congressman.
• ran on a platform of supporting term limits, but broke his promise after being elected.
• supported "Cap and Trade".
• Voted YES on increasing AMTRAK funding by adding $214M to $900M.
  

Charlie is attempting to get 1000 Facebook fans in the next week.  Unbelievably, he currently has 859.
 
Jennifer Horn, a true NH Conservative, is running against Charlie and would like to beat his goal.  She currently has 680.
 
I would ask everyone who wants to keep RINOS, like Charlie, out of Congress, to consider becoming a fan of Jennifer's Facebook page, to send Charlie a message.  The message is, "you are a moderate, spending, bending Republican; not a Conservative, who was complicit in the runup of the national debt from 1994 to 2006."
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Jennifer-Horn-For-Congress/161500556745?ref=ts
 
This is not an election or a poll; simply a statement.  One that says that we're done with the old-school Republicans, who either had no Conservative principles to start with, or simply had no backbone to stand on.  In my book, there isn't much of a spread between a Paul Hodes liberal, and a Republican who doesn't value Constitutional principles, smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and individual liberties.
 
Tom

Sure, you may not be a Jennifer fan as you may be a Bob Guida fan - I'm ok with that as  this is one of those years where we have, perhaps, too many good candidates trying to beat each other and the much less optimal one may win out.  Here's the deal, however - do you want to be the one that allows a squish and a "TEA Party wannabe" to split the vote in the Primary? 

Not me....

Posted by Skip at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In an April 10th press release the NHDP bases its budget management prowess on the fact that Norm Major said, "I don't see any exaggeration in the revenues at this point in time."  Of course they leave out the part where he mentions that...(quoting from the same Union Leader Article)

But when he looks two years ahead, he gets nervous.

"This is the easy one," he said, estimating the 2010-2011 plan uses roughly $600 million in one-time money -- federal stimulus, medical malpractice fund surplus, and other non-recurring funds.

I'm not suggesting he's right to think that we can suffer any revenue estimate based on the idea that there is federal money shoring up parts of the budget, but the NHDP never goes there because it softens their argument.  Here's something else that softens it.  They are taking a shot at one Republican out of hundreds on revenue estimates that were supported by hundreds of democrats.

And I'm not positive but I suspect that there were not too many nervous democrats, except when it came to not passing enough new tax burdens on the people of New Hampshire.

The thrust of the press release, if it even matters, is that based on a cautious generalization by one republican out of hundreds, in the rush to push a budget through, that all Republicans are hypocrites for complaining about revenue now?  Well, no.  Maybe Norm Major is, but is that all you've got?

What about the weeks of objections by republicans, or the rally outside the state house to object to the excessive spending and revenue estimates--a rally devoid of democrats; except for a handful the NHDP hired from out of state to parade around in chicken suits.

So yes I remember June 2009.  Democrats increased spending, and raised taxes in the middle of a recession, and since then have had to back off on most of them because they miscalculated public outrage.  The budget is still out of wack.  The spending is still out of control.  And it's all a product of the the New Hampshire Desperation Party's efforts to drive us into a broad-based tax by repeatedly busting the budget.  No amount of spin can chage that

Posted by Steve at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Week 14 - OK, last week, I had actually gone down to 215.8 - and then I eased up and TMEW and I ate out too many times on Friday and Sat.  S'all right, I already lost a pound from getting back on the diet and doing some manual labor outside yesterday....HAVE to - Chan's catching up! 

Previous weeks after the jump:

Continue reading "The Great New Hampshire Blogger Weight Loss Challenge - Week 12 results" »

Posted by Skip at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Oh, how I loathe these federal intrusions into state and local decision-making about public schooling. Money is raked out of the states and then dangled in front of them to entice them to do things they don't want to do and couldn't be forced to do by direct regulation. And the ultimate, ironic slap in the face is they don't even get the money. Let that be a lesson!

- Ann Althouse, law professor and blogger

Posted by Skip at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Guest post by Bryan K. Gould:

It is surely near the top of the long list of reasons that the public is fed up with the political class that politicians absolutely refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.  A case in point is the reaction to the New Hampshire Supreme Court’s recent decision preventing the state from grabbing $110 million of private funds belonging to a group of insurance policyholders.

New Hampshire’s budget woes have been widely reported.  Once Gov. John Lynch got a Democratic majority in the house and senate, state spending began to soar.  When the economy contracted, revenues dried up and the state faced a series of alarming budget shortfalls. 

Rather than take the responsible course and cut state spending, the governor and the legislature began looking for a pot of money to save them from their fiscal recklessness.  When they learned that the New Hampshire Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association (JUA) had been managed so well that it had an “excess surplus,” they drafted and passed legislation requiring the JUA to pay $110 million into the state’s general fund over three years, with $65 million of that amount payable in 2009. 

The JUA is essentially an insurance cooperative created by the state in 1975 to ensure that doctors and other healthcare providers have access to medical liability (or “malpractice”) insurance.  While the state made the formation of the JUA possible, it has never funded the JUA and has no responsibility for the JUA’s financial obligations.

The JUA has two principal sources of revenue, premiums paid by its insureds and income from investments of the premium revenues by the JUA’s board of directors.  If at the end of the year the JUA has a surplus, the JUA is required either to refund it to its insureds or to use it to reduce future premiums. 

Before the legislation became law, the governor and legislative leaders sought a written opinion from Attorney General Kelly Ayotte as to whether their plan to confiscate the JUA’s surplus was lawful.  Despite the fact that what the governor and legislative leadership proposed to do had every appearance of being an outright expropriation of private property, Attorney General Ayotte’s office rendered an opinion saying that there was no legal impediment to the raid on the JUA’s funds.

Continue reading ""...politicians absolutely refuse to take responsibility for their own actions..."" »

Posted by Skip at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 15th is coming up this weekend - and there are events planned here in NH in Concord, Manchester, and Portsmouth:

Concord:        Statehouse, Noon

Speakers:

former US Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-NH)

US Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI)

Manchester:   Victory Park, 5:30pm

Portsmouth:   Prescott Park, 5:00 - 7:00pm

Tired of politicians who will not protect your liberties but feel that their jobs are to give stuff to others after fleecing your wallets and then take credit for using your money for their "grand policies"?   Come on out and send a message!

And I'm getting tired of seeing politicians of all stripes claiming to be BFFs with TEA Party members and organizers.  You know, I have but one question to ask these Politicians:

Where were you when the hard work was being done? 

"I don't think so, Charlie" - Charlie Bass:

In a conference call announcing his candidacy, he played to the conservative wing of his party – the Tea Party group. “I love them,” Bass said of the Tea Partiers. “God bless every single one of them. Their agenda is exactly the same as mine. They want a new environment in Washington, leaders who make a difference, and are as terrified as I am of the spending that's going on.” 

Your previous record doesn't exactly make a true TEA Partier thump with pride....knock it off.

Sean Mahoney:

Any talk of a congressional candidacy "is premature right now," he insisted. For now, he said, he intends to "work with the Tea Parties" at events next week focused on the April 15 income tax deadline.

As a co-founding member of the NH TEA Party Coalition, I've heard bupkis of his "work with the TEA Parties" - anyone know differently? We're 4 days out from the biggest day for TEA Party events in the nation - and I haven't heard hide nor hair of him yet in offering help with the Manchester TEA Party - nor that of the Portsmouth event.

Note to Pols: if you have not already donated your time, if you have not already donated your talent, do not try to make it seem that you are "one of us" by merely talking to the Press. 

It will not endear you to us in the least....

Posted by Skip at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

update: Thank you, Professor Reynolds for the Instalaunche!  Welcome to GraniteGrok, folks!  We are the rabble rousers here in NH - thanks for stopping by!

======================

1984 has come and gone. And Big Brother is watching every move you make. But so what? That's not even always bad. Know why? Because We the People are watching right back. And that's even better. A growing consensus is emerging amongst newly energized liberty activists fighting against the socialist takeover of America: It's time to get a (relatively inexpensive) pocket video camera, and don't go anywhere without it. Especially when engaging in anti-socialist activism. Why? Glad you ask. Here's exactly why. Read it and heed it.

Prof. Glenn Reynolds over at Instapundit is a leader in urging liberty activists to buy and use small video cameras. Here's a recent discussion on the subject from Instapundit:

Posted by Tim at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday I had the chance to do a quick interview with Jim Forsythe who is running for the Republican nomination for NH Senate District 4 in order to go wipe the floor with MY current Democrat NH Senator, Kathy Sgambati (she who has so screwed up the financial relationship between the State of NH and the Counties vis-a-vis youth care and elder care - Yikes!!).

Topics covered:  Why was he in Laconia, proposal to expand gambling, over spending, a VAT tax here in NH, what would he spend less on (school choice, HSAs [and his experience with it], and on Democrat John "Do Nuttin'" Lynch doing a $25 Million money grab from UNH.

Sorry for the lowered quality of the audio, but the wind kicked up during the interview; one of these days, TMEW may let me get better video / recording equipment, but I do thank her for letting me do all this!

Posted by Skip at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

God or Government?

Look at what our leaders tell us:

• Government puts food on your table. God does not provide.
• Government keeps you healthy. God does not grant you favor.
• Government gives you money. God cannot help you financially.
• Government grants rights, such as the right to health care. God no longer is the sole provider of unalienable rights — as He did with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
• Government determines what is legitimate sexual expression. God's rules aren't even good for suggestions anymore.
• Government educates our children. Bringing children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord doesn't matter.
• Government decides what is illegal. God only gets to decide what is immoral. ... if we let Him.

I could go on and on. The list is endless.

But there's a problem. A big one. And it's a bigger problem than just the fact that government is a brutal, stupid, clumsy and bullying god.

...Those who look to the government for salvation — either in this life or the next — are on a fool's quest.

- Rev. John Schmidtke

Posted by Skip at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

If you have not seen the recent polling from Rasmussen it's not pretty for Paul Hodes.   He loses to everyone by a significant margin.  It might be better than the beating he'd have taken if he tried to retain his congressional seat, but with only 7 months to go and not one single thing on the legislative menu that American's agree with liberal on, there's not much chance this is going to get better.

Of course that also explains why Kathy Sullivan is out manufacturing scandals about 'events' that never happened.  When you have a lousy candidate who is voting against the popular will, you have to make things up to try and fish his ass out of the fire.  But pretending the tea part doesn't exist, or that it's not representative of average America will only make things worse for Hodes and the liberals.  Every time they open their mounts they piss off more people, who then abandon them in droves.

So while the left is in denial, the promise of a Red November continues to look good as the Live Free or Die state tries to salvage its reputation and rid itself of the blue skid mark the liberals left in our fiscal jockey shorts.

Posted by Steve at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)