Yesterday, we were hearing from sources that Shawn Jasper was shilling for David Hess to push aside Bill O’Brien even though the NH House Republican caucus nominated Bill O’Brien for NH House Speaker. Turns out, with the letter below, that we were right about the coup, just off concerning the players. Shawn Jasper was not shilling but the target, and Bob Mead (former friend and aide de camp to Bill when I first met Mead) is doing the shilling (reformatted, emphasis mine):
Dear Representatives-Elect,
For all of you who were planning to protest the caucus speaker nominee by withholding your vote or casting a blank ballot on Organization Day, you now have another choice. You no longer have the dilemma of wasting your vote or voting for a speaker candidate you are opposed to. Although the motion was brought forward, the Caucus failed to vote to unanimously support the Caucus’s speaker nominee.
This deliberate slight by the Caucus, opened the door for another candidate’s nomination on Organization Day, which has now happened. Bowing to growing pressure from a long list of supporters, Representative Shawn Jasper, who will be starting his eleventh term, will now have his name placed in nomination for speaker on Organization Day.
So, once again, you have an opportunity to cast your ballot for a more moderate speaker. Just goes to show that it isn’t over till it’s over. Please don’t waste your vote on Wednesday!
The Hon. Bob Mead
Mont Vernon
So, having run into each of their own troubles two sessions ago (Shawn Jasper losing a committee and Bob Mead losing his Legislative Outreach position for “accounting” reasons), they now have decided to join forces in their hatred for Bill and derail his Speakership bid.
Sidenote: I find it amusing – if Bob Mead is still ticked at Bill O’Brien for the perception of being thrown under the bus, well, this shows that Shawn Jasper did the same thing that Mead thinks Bill did. I cannot resist – from the NH House Democrats (you know, the ones that Steve talked about?):
The Concord Monitor quotes Deputy Majority Leader Shawn Jasper as saying: “To the best of my knowledge, he (Mead) is keeping track of which Republicans are planning on running. Beyond that, I’m really not sure what he’s doing.” Specifically, what other duties does Mr. Mead perform?
Strange bedfellows these two. I guess their Governing Principle of Politics, at least right now, is Revenge. However, as the saying goes “if you’re gonna kill the King, KILL THE KING!” it remains unclear whether these two clowns will do so. While that is the primary question (“can they?”), as Steve noted, are they that full of hatred to possibly throw the rest of the Republican caucus under the bus to achieve their aim?
Do they really want to be known as the Second Coming of Doug Scamman (who, back in 2004, DID throw Mike Whalley and the Republican caucus under the bus simply to satisfy his own soul and ego)? Are they so full of themselves to make the other Republicans their primary collateral damage?
