I thought it a bit strange, when I first heard it, that DJ was resigning from the House and from being the Majority Leader – after all, the session was just about over. Really, it was “dude, why bother, ya gotta run for re-election anyways”. Family? I knew that he was going to marrying Shannon Schutts soon, but it didn’t register is was REAL soon – like this week, so I kinda went “huh?” over the hackneyed phrase ” to spend more time with his family,” (a saying that is generally used in business when one has lost a position due to a corporate merger or political upheaval – or poor results come out) but decided, ok – a bit of a stretch, but it passes muster. And even though Grokster Tim writes here, I didn’t know that DJ was to be the Exec Dir. of the NHLRF (the new job bit). Then the real shoe dropped about the faked reports for the law internship at Brandon Guida’s office in order to graduate from UNH Law).
Sidenote: I do have to side with Guida in this and NOT just because that ‘silence is complicity’ would have put him at risk – cover ups are wrong for any reason and anyone (and not just someone of ‘high’ stature or any ideology)
A sad story indeed. No, it is not my point nor my deal to add gas to a fire he lit himself. All of us, at one time or another, have done stupid things and some of those have risen to the level of REAL stupid. I certainly have and I can commiserate with some of the torment that he is now putting himself through (“did I really think I could skate by?”) – and that of those around them (having been there around those whose actions got me involved as collateral damage). He may have blown up in actually getting that law degree and a shot at the bar, his political career here in NH may be in tatters
Sidenote: why does it seem that Dems who do similar things always seem to come back but Repubs aren’t allowed to (at the least, not for a LONG time)?
and he may have lost other things of much more value of a personal nature as well.
Look, I am not writing an apology for DJ – while he always had a smile and friendly greeting when we met, neither of us were in each other’s circle of close friends. But I also know that he’s going to pay a high price for this all by himself. However, I do see others that will be making political hay from this – it’s just the political way right now. Read some of the comments over at the Union Leader, WMUR, and at Blue Hampshire and you’ll see what I mean.
However, there are lots of people going all faux outrage on lots of targets; they are using a single person’s actions and already trying to paint anyone and every organization they oppose to get in their licks. For the record, DJ was not a TEA Party guy – trying to paint him as well simply to gain “brownie points” with your Lefty buds may make you feel good but does nothing else. Same deal for the Free Staters – DJ is not a part of that movement. Nor is the next target up – Bill O’Brien. Sure both are TEA Party friendly (just like many Democrat leaders are “Democrat Socialist friendly”), but not side-by-side in the trenches like many real TEA Party folks. Ditto with the Free State Project.
So knock it off. You all don’t know much more about this and I do – and I am viewing the “back story” of this story as real story of the Trayvon Martin case – what seems to be the real story at the start is not the same story as more evidence is found and comes to light. Blaming others of “did you know this and when did you know it” doesn’t hold much water right now, and using one’s political lens to merely say otherwise is wrong as well. If there are others that knew and helped in a coverup – fine, let your outrage fly then. Excoriating those that didn’t by claiming “they HAD to know” merely gives your opponents more ammo later on – so stop it unless you have real evidence actually in hand.
