It seems that a lot of people never bother to read the first sentence of my bio that appears under every post I write: “Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom (and how Government is taking that away from us)“. I recently wrote “NH Governor could learn from South Dakota’s Governor: “My Responsibility is to Respect the Rights of the People“; excerpt below (reformatted, emphasis mine):
While most governmental leaders in the U.S. are imposing lockdowns of one sort or another, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is refusing to shut down South Dakota. At a press conference Wednesday, Kristi eschewed a one-size-fits-all approach to the pandemic. During this present viral threat, she’s interested in a specific kind of protection — that of individual rights:
“Our Constitution ensures the citizen’s right is protected. I agree with the role of our government as set forth in our state and in our national constitution. I took an oath to uphold these constitutions.”
I can tell you how many other Governors have said similar things – zero. And even if they were close, how many actually ACTED that way showing that they BELIEVE in their oaths? And read this emphasis:
She’s interested in public safety, AKA people’s responsibility:
“My role with respect to public safety is something I take very seriously. The people themselves are primarily responsible for their safety. They are the ones that are entrusted with expansive freedoms – they’re free to exercise their rights to work, to worship, and to play – or to even stay at home, or to conduct social distancing.”
And the purpose of the post was to point that out versus what we are undergoing here in NH. Sure, the strictures here are expansive to the total lockdowns in Vermont and Michigan (with the Right of religious freedom extremely aggrieved yesterday in Kentucky). Too many NH politicians do NOT take our State’s motto seriously: Live Free or Die. In fact, Chris Pappas, our Democrat CongressCritter rather sneers at it. The above was to show, however, that it seems that S. Dakota’s Guv was seemingly more in favor of that motto’s philosophy than ours.
I merely pointed it out – and on Facebook (thanks to Steve who does yeoman’s work on getting all our posts here up over there), we had a Republican’s Republican for the Sake of the Republican Party take quite the exception to that (e.g., “our s&&& don’t stink” and the usual inference that we want Democrats elected). So, I’m posting this, in some small measure, that even while I have become a registered Republican again, it doesn’t mean that when I or GraniteGrok see Republicans acting badly that we’re not going to say anything simply for the sake of another Republican. It hasn’t been that way in the past and it ain’t happening in the future. So if you are going to try to take us to task for not using the “dust rug” (as in “sweeping it under”), don’t bother.
Shutting up? Lay off-ing? BTW, we did have a Republican trifecta before 2018’s election – what did they get done? Go ahead, tell me what major pieces of the REPUBLICAN agenda did those majorities move forward (or really do a lot of rollbacks)? I remember – it wasn’t much. I’m always saying that what happens in DC happens in Concord and what was accomplished in DC (which was little to nothing outside of a tax cut but gave us a COMPLETE failure of ridding us of Obamacare).
So, add in “biting our lips” and “because I want you to shut up”. Er, WHEN has ANYONE seen us listen to anyone when told to do so? Sorry, but we’re not RRftsoTRP-ers. Not happening.
And then I gave him a great example (see above or here):
My beef is that we have a whole set of elected politicians that just said “SCREW YOU” to the limitations they should be following in the NH Constitution.
My beef isn’t the relatively puny cost of this unfunded mandate – it’s the Principle of fundamental Civics that we have a representative form of government that is supposed to be subject to the limitations and restriction laid upon it by our Constitution. It is a Constitution Principle.
In signing SB142, ALL of the NH Legislators who voted for it completely decided that the NH Constitution was an “unneeded impediment” in getting a Democrat Agenda item enacted – And Sununu, as the Chief Executor, decided that this was perfectly fine and signed it. So when the NH Governor ignores ANY Article of the NH Constitution (in this case, Article 28-A prohibiting the passage of any law that pushes an unfunded mandate from the State to the Towns and Cities). While I know that providing such items is NOT the Proper Role of Government, is it blatantly unconstitutional.
Apparently, doing so is is fine by RRftsoTRP Vincent Paul Migliore. We should ignore that completely. Note to the same – we don’t give all passes.
Yeah, Jeb Bradley and Joe LaChance, Republicans both, put NH into the Medicaid Expansion contra the NH GOP Platform stricture on Obamacare. And now Sununu is going to spend tax monies to keep NH in Obamacare and keep it active nationally, CONTRA THE NH GOP PLATFORM again. He’s the highest elected Republican – and voluntarily decides to screw over both the Constitution and the NH GOP Platform?
And Vincent Paul Migliore wants us to ignore that. Remain silent. Just win. For the sake of winning. And as you can read, above, you know what I think about that notion: screw that. If you can’t believe in Republican philosophies, speak like a Republican, and ACT like a Republican, why bother? If you can’t be consistent such that voters can trust you, why bother? And if winning is the only thing about running for office, well, that’s basically running a rudderless ship, right?
Sigh. Well, at least I’ve graduated from being called a Nazi (first time at a Republican Convention when I spoke in favor of respecting and implementing the Republican platform) when going back to my seat, at least VPM calls me a mere “JERK!”
So, he will vote for Sununu but he can’t tell anyone (although he tried/tries) how to vote either. Telling someone to “LAY OFF”, “YOU’D BETTER VOTE REPUBLICAN”, “SHUT THE H*** UP”, and that they are a “JERK” is no way to convince anyone to be on your side. Certainly, we at GraniteGrok understand sarcasm and satire – but that’s not it.
Republican’s Republican for the sake of the Republican Party.
That gets you nowhere either.
