Seriously – you watched the video and you can’t tell if you are plastered or not? True, the first one, maybe not so much. Second one – dude, you are seriously spinning (and it is SO obvious!) while praying to the political Gods (“Oh God, I promise, promise, promise that alcohol never touch my lips if I get out of this!!!”). S’alright – we got more videos; you’ll have a few more shots (heh!) to see if you were drunk or not. Stay tuned for tomorrow morning – but I digress.
Playing stoopid is not a strategy – especially when you are saying that while on your knees. Glad to see, however, that NH State Senator Dave Boutin agrees with me that his performance in the last video was “poor judgment”. I’m just disappointed that he didn’t contact us at GraniteGrok to discuss – but running to the Establishment mouthpiece for Establishment Republicans makes sense. Here’s a few snippets of what he said at NH Journal (reformatted a bit, emphasis mine):
CONCORD — State Sen. David Boutin on Wednesday apologized for using “poor judgment” at a local bar more than a year ago when he was captured on video making offensive remarks to other male patrons.
All I was trying to say in the videos so far posted is exactly that – poor judgment. But he decides to keep on digging;
The Hooksett Republican, who is seeking reelection in District 16 and is facing primary opposition on Sept. 9, said he was coming to the defense of a female patron who was sitting across the bar from him at The Asian Breeze in his home town. He said he did not know the woman and said the incident occurred “over a year ago.” “I got into an argument with a couple of men who bothered the woman,” Boutin told the New Hampshire Journal. “My natural reaction was to defend the women from the two men who were badgering her and I expressed my thoughts about their disrespectful behavior.
As I pointed out (and what was relayed to me), he butted into a private conversation where there was no problem – there was nothing or someone to come “to the defense” to.
What am I missing here – he didn’t have the judgment to determine that he was drunk (either then or watching the video – which it is obvious that he has in order to describe it), but he could tell if someone was being bothered? Is anyone else much bothered by the obvious logic flaw in that? Or do I detect a whiff of a bit more of political deflection (as in “I was drunk – but look at those two over there!!!”). Sorry, doesn’t work for me. Shouldn’t work for the voters, either.
Or the NH GOP – or is that standard slipping, too? I have certainly heard calls “resign!” for far, far less from others. You and I, we’ve had this conversation before about protecting the NH GOP “brand” – what say you, NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn? Or will it be more of the same-o, same-0: don’t air out dirty laundry.
Well, that’s fine IF you only are satisfied with the lowest common denominator – for me, I refuse to settle for that.
“But I should have known better,” he said. “I exercised poor judgment and I apologize to my constituents and I continue to work hard every day for my constituents to earn their respect and confidence.”
“Work hard every day for my constituents to earn their respect and confidence” – well, words are one thing. Actions are another – and one thing is sure, we are supposed to be able to see that action via their votes. Problem is, the Republicans in the Senate (who would determine such things and he’s right with the other Establishment Republicans) do mostly voice votes. How often did NH State Senator Dave Boutin stand up and insist on openness and transparency to do roll call votes so that his constituents would not have to guess whether he has earned their respect or their confidence? So that his votes, ALL his votes, would be on record?
We know that he voted for Obama’s Medicaid Expansion which was totally optional for the State of NH to do. I hope his constituents understand that THEY will be paying for a hugely increase in the State’s budget when the Federal Govt money runs out – if it is $300 million now, you can bet your finest whiskey bottle it’ll be $400-$500 million in 3 or so years. So he will be responsible, in part, for a large broad-based tax. We’ll get the other votes best we can – then the voters will have as full a picture as possible for the Primary in September.
That is, we’ll do it unless NH State Senator Dave Boutin put up every single vote he’s taken since the last election.
In one video, Boutin repeatedly yells at a man across the bar, “All you want to do is get —-.” In another he says to someone at the bar, “Pick on a man instead of a woman.” Boutin said he had consumed “a few drinks” but could not say whether he was intoxicated at the time.
Two shots (sorry, I like irony) at it and we still see the spin. I would think that this latest video would have made it rather clear…
Regardless, he said, “It was improper and probably illegal for them to tape our conversation.” He said he did not know who taped it.
Let’s review, shall we?
- You are in a public place
- You are publicly hollering near the top of your lungs
- Being a NH State Senator, you ARE a public figure
Note to the lawmaker that should know the law: you have no expectation to privacy. Not only that, you were screaming at the person holding the camera phone! Did you not hear one of them say to the bartender “Donny, you don’t want to be in this picture” in the first video. You can also see the couple to Boutin’s right get up and leave as they see the camera. Later, you can see everyone has left – they saw the camera. He didn’t. In a video yet to be put up, the men that NH State Rep Boutin is berating actually say “Go ahead, go ahead, you’re taking video of a *****n’ insane person” and Boutin just keeps on going (that whole thing about “but could not say whether he was intoxicated at the time” – perhaps poor judgment in saying that as well)?
“That being said this is an opportunity for me to get my side out,” he said. “Whoever is behind this obviously wants to discredit me and impact my reelection.”
Let’s put that in a different light, shall we? Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, he’s talking about GraniteGrok. However, let me ask these quick questions:
- did *I* force you to go into that bar?
- did anyone else force you to start drinking
- did you involve yourself voluntarily into someone else’s business – or was there someone invisible behind you twisting your arm?
Oh, by the way – there’s more to this than just videos. And you made a voluntary choice on that as well.
But, “I did not exercise good judgment,” Boutin said.
Nope. But there’s more.
Boutin is being opposed in a GOP primary by state Rep. Jane Cormier, also of Hooksett. Democrat Maureen Raiche Manning today announced her candidacy for the seat.
Boutin said he is working hard to earn another term in the Senate by having knocked on more than 4,000 door and speaking with constituents in their living rooms.
“Their concerns are about the economy and jobs,” Boutin said.
BTW, kudos (and thanks) to DiStaso thanks, for linking us:
Videos of Boutin’s outburst have been posted on the conservative web site GraniteGrok.com.
Here is the first one and the second “Go get &^%+ !” one
