Authors

Carolyn McKinney is the Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. A mother, activist, and business owner, she champions conservative principles and the cause of liberty.

Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom (and how Government is taking that away from us). My fight, from a Conservative (with small "L" libertarian leanings) and evangelical Christian perspective, is with the Progressives that are forcing a collectivized and secular humanistic future upon us. As TEA Party activist, citizen journalist (and pundit!), my goal is to use the New Media to advance the radical notions of America's Founders back into our culture again.

Steve is a New Hampshire resident, blogger and activist. He is a husband, Dad, homeowner, info junkie & dog lover who works a day job, and is also starting a small business. He is a member of the Coalition of New Hampshire taxpayers, co-Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Volunteer Coalition, has done political radio, and currently helps to produce GrokTALK! and GrokTV!.

Mike is a British import of some 26 years, who was a conservative in the days of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Content for many years to work hard and pay taxes as a "Resident Alien" (some think he's from another planet), Mike gradually came to the conclusion that generic low-level financial support for the GOP was not enough, and he became an activist working to promote genuinely conservative candidates at all levels. Especially watching some of the wealthiest Americans either verbally trash the country, or simply renounce their citizenship to escape the taxation and regulatory mess that was ensnaring their lives and money, Mike chose instead to stand and fight: He and his wife of 38 years, Mar-Mar are taking US citizenship so that they can vote for the candidates they are advocating. A staunch constitutionalist, Mike espouses all good causes toward the libertarian side of conservative - EG he who governs least, governs best. He believes that the Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights mean what they say, and that candidates for office should take their oaths of office seriously. Here to defend, without irony "Your rights as Englishmen from distant and tyrannical government", Mike knows whereof he speaks and exhorts all US citizens to live, breathe and teach our history and our constitution. Having witnessed the follies of Socialism in the UK, and the renaissance under Thatcher, Mike is in no mood to compromise with the advocates of larger government, regardless of which label they wear, indeed, Mike is in full agreement with Pat Toomey that RINO hunting is serious business, and it is always open season. Staunch supporter of the NHGOP, Tenth Amendment Center, Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, Club for Growth, Senate Conservatives Fund, Institute for Justice, CATO, Reason, Heritage, and more, and occasional supporter of the national republican apparatus. Mike's "do not feed" list includes RINO support groups like the National Republican Senatorial Committee, especially when SCF and CFG do a far better job of electing conservatives and scaring the establishment. A frequent business traveler, Mike has been known to arrange stopovers at political events and conferences, sending back words and pictures for the edification of our readers.

Rick Olson is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in Social Science, subsequently attending Massachusetts School of Law in Andover MA. An avid hunter and shooter, Rick can often be found on GraniteGrok taking up second amendment, hunting and wildlife issues. As a Social Scientist, Rick's commentary enjoys not only a focus on the political aspects from a conservative point of view, but also on the human relationship aspects and externalities of social policy results. Rick is Director for the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation, A Hunter education instructor and Past President of the Londonderry Fish & Game Club. He is currently a commissioner for the Manchester Conservation Commission and resides in Manchester.

I’ve been political my entire life, starting out with Barry Goldwater and The Conscience of a Conservative in the1960's. In 1972 I was a Florida presidential elector for Prof. John Hospers, the first Presidential candidate of the national Libertarian Party which was founded that same year. During the late 1970's and into the 1980's I was a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Reason magazine, and I’ve authored numerous articles in the print and online media about various subjects relating to individual rights and personal freedom. Today I'm a lawyer by profession; I divide my time between New Hampshire and Florida all year long, spending much of my time practicing law in Florida. As an early supporter and past member of the board of directors of the Free State Project, I was drawn to the Live Free or Die state of New Hampshire in late 2003 when it was chosen by a vote of the first 5,000 FSP participants. In 2004 I founded the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and continue today to work within the state political system to advance the traditional NH values of frugal small government, low taxes, small business, free enterprise, and self-responsibility. To all, I say "Come and see what we are building in the beautiful, healthy, livable Free State of New Hampshire!"