Doug

Shipyard union ingrates toss Bradley overboard.

TheFreeDictionary.com defines an “ingrate” as an “ungrateful person.” It lists a similar word: “ungrateful wretch.”  That is the phrase I say most accurately describes the unionized workers of NH’s Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Remember how bad everybody felt for them when it was announced the military wanted to close their facility down? Luckily for them, that … Read more

Angling for Bass…

Our friend Liz Mair at GOPProgress.com informs us that their "Candidate of the Week" is NH’s congressman from the 2nd Congressional district, Charles Bass.
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With control of both houses of the federal legislative branches hanging in the balance, all of the closely contested elected positions are being carefully scrutinized by all. The Bass/Hodes race has suddenly become, according to polls, one of the ones to watch. As the election draws near, survey polls are, says conventional wisdom (more wrong than right in the last couple of elections), supposedly more accurate. If true, we may have a problem right here in the Granite State. Liz Mair writes
While Bass had led his opponent, Paul Hodes, by up to 20 points earlier this year, a poll came out yesterday showing him trailing Hodes by 9 points, with a substantial number of voters undecided.
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Hmmm. As a solid conservative, I have long waited for the day when he departs the seat, replaced by a more traditional conservative Republican. Not that I don’t think Charlie’s a good guy, mind you, it’s just that he’s often times too liberal for my liking.
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This got me thinking- what if some of my conservative friends in that district were to "sit out" the election, perhaps "offing" Rep. Bass once and for all? Nah- one thing’s for sure, they won’t "sit out" an election. Maybe leave Bass’s name unchecked on the ballot, or worse, would they vote for his opponent? Is that what I would do? (I live in the 1st CD- Jeb Bradley’s district) Would I risk turning the House over to Nancy Pelosi and company? Absolutely not!
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The odds of a Charlie Bass voting favorable on issues important to me as a conservative are much higher than his Democratic challenger, should he win. Besides, the time to make a run at Congressman Bass is during the primary. Does anybody really want a Democrat to hold that seat? Anybody remember when Democrat Dick Swett held this seat? Recall that he voted for the so-called "assault weapons" ban. This may have been his ultimate demise– but the damage was done. Do we want a rerun? I think not.
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The GOPProgress posting on Bass calls him
a key moderate, with a strong record of supporting the war in Iraq, pursuing tax cuts benefiting the middle class and small businesses, and working to protect New Hampshire’s environment.
Other than his environmental record, (I want more domestic oil drilling), I agree with the above sentiment. And really, given the more left of center nature of the portion of the state Bass represents, combined with classic NH frugality, I think he most closely reflects the belief of a majority of his constituents.
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Would I vote for Bass? You bet! ————————the word from several conservative friends from his district is that they plan on casting a ballot for Charlie as well.
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I think it will be up to that large group in the middle- the "great unwashed"- (those who never follow politics until a week before the election) as to who gets the seat in Congress. I really see no reason for these people, if they really think about it for a minute, to jettison Charlie Bass. 
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With friends like these…

As we start the week, the words of powerful US Senators spoken late last week and during Sunday talking heads shows reverberate across the land. The Dems and their accomplices throughout the main stream media just can’t trumpet them loud enough. "Bush wrong on Iraq," they say. "He must engage North Korea directly," abandoning his own administration’s … Read more

President: It IS like Tet. Bush on ABC News and on the radio explains…

The "big" news this week was President Bush’s "admission" that Iraq might be like Vietnam while on ABC News.
 WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2006 — President Bush said in a one-on-one interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that a newspaper column comparing the current fighting in Iraq to the 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam, which was widely seen as the turning point in that war, might be accurate.

Stephanopoulos asked whether the president agreed with the opinion of columnist Tom Friedman, who wrote in The New York Times today that the situation in Iraq may be equivalent to the Tet offensive in Vietnam almost 40 years ago.

"He could be right," the president said, before adding, "There’s certainly a stepped-up level of violence, and we’re heading into an election."

Naturally, in typical knee-jerk fashion, his detractors went wild. "Bush! Iraq! VietNam! Hooraay!" Now comes the final step towards the antiwar crowd’s (and the Democrats, of course) ultimate nirvana: pullout from Iraq a-la Saigon, 1975. With that, they believe, will come the complete disgrace of their most hated enemy: President Bush.

Yes, it is probably a lot like Tet. And luckily, we have a president who understands the meaning. Here is what Bush said on ABC that got kind of left out during the frenzy:

my gut tells me that they have all along been trying to inflict enough damage that we’d leave," Bush said. "And the leaders of al Qaeda have made that very clear. Look, here’s how I view it. First of all, al Qaeda is still very active in Iraq. They are dangerous. They are lethal. They are trying to not only kill American troops, but they’re trying to foment sectarian violence. They believe that if they can create enough chaos, the American people will grow sick and tired of the Iraqi effort and will cause government to withdraw."

Just like Vietnam. The President elaborated on this in his weekly radio address. He put it this way:

Another reason for the recent increase in attacks is that the terrorists are trying to influence public opinion here in the United States. They have a sophisticated propaganda strategy. They know they cannot defeat us in the battle, so they conduct high-profile attacks, hoping that the images of violence will demoralize our country and force us to retreat.

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The terrorists are trying to divide America and break our will, and we must not allow them to succeed.

Often times I’ve wondered if the various leaders we’ve had through the years actually have a grasp of the "big picture" of the ways of the world. Listening carefully to President Bush’s words give me a certain measure of comfort, in that I believe he truly does "get it."

Click "continue reading…" below to read the entire radio speech.

 

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Beltway Blogger pays Central NH a Visit

The second installment of the joint radio venture between GraniteGrok and AnkleBitingPundits is now "in the can" as they say. We were quite pleased to have Liz Mair of GOPProgress.com join us in the studio for some discussion on the upcoming election. (You might recall that I posted about her "reasons to vote Republican" a … Read more

New Media Rising…

Regular readers may or may not know that Skip and I have another blog, GilfordGrok, where we cover issues relating to our home town, Gilford, NH. Both of us also happen to serve on the town’s Budget Committee (GBC) that passes final judgement on town and school spending proposals the voters ultimately vote upon.
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GilfordGrok has become yet another source for townsfolk to become informed about the myriad of issues faced by the town as a whole. At the beginning of the budget season, a subcommittee of the GBC conducted a comparative study of salary data between Gilford and 32 similarly sized towns in NH. The executive summary is published on the blogsite, along with approximately 90 tables (!) of supporting data for all who care to see.
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Given the free-wheeling spirit of the blogosphere, at times you can imagine that the topics and thoughts that get posted can get mighty hot. And they have been. There has been reports of repeated grumbling on the part of those who wish to continue "business as usual" as far as out of control spending goes in our town. Certain elected and bureaucratic persons within the town and school governments have been heard openly complaining about the "stuff that’s up on that website, you know, the ‘Grok thing…"
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What really irks them is that they no longer have full control of the means to communicate with the citizens. Prior to the advent of the blogosphere, the main source of information for ordinary people was through the carefully filtered (yes, even at the local level) "mainstream media" like newspapers, TV, and to a lesser extent, radio. Now, anybody with a keyboard and a website address can help disseminate news and opinion.
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Today’s UnionLeader.com carries a story that demonstrates the growing power of blogs in the political arena at the local level. Correspondent Nancy Foster reports:
Milford – In the era of MySpace.com and The Drudge Report, it seems that everybody who’s anybody has a blog. Sending one’s opinions out into the infinite ether of the Internet has become part of daily life, and in Milford, it’s beginning to shape the town’s political landscape.
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Friday Humor

Hello, is this the Sheriff’s Office?" "Yes. What can I do for you?" I’m calling to report ’bout my neighbor Virgil Smith….He’s hidin’ marijuana inside his firewood! Don’t quite know how he gets it inside them logs, but he’s hidin’ it there." "Thank you very much for the call, sir." . The next day, the … Read more

Tag, dodge ball and jihad.

This is my weekly column for today’s Laconia Daily Sun.

Exercising the First    by Doug Lambert
Tag, dodge ball and jihad.

At what point will we ban childhood itself? While I’m all in favor of modern innovations like good helmets for children (and adults- if they choose) when bike riding and skiing, more and more lately, the notion of “child safety” just gets plain silly.
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Consider the latest playground rules at an elementary school just down in nearby Massachusetts. The Sun Chronicle (www.thesunchronicle.com) reports in an article by Susan LaHoud that the eternal childhood game of “Tag is now out during recess at Willett Elementary School.” That’s right- students will no longer be able to participate in the improvised game that has more likely than not been played by young humans since the children of Adam and Eve first set foot on the Earth. The story reports that tag will join other fabled games like touch football and dodge-ball on the growing list of games prohibited during recess. Apparently, dodge-ball is too much of an “exclusionary and dangerous game.”
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The Sun Chronicle notes that such rules are not unique to this one school. There is a “growing movement against traditional games played by young children in school gymnasiums and playgrounds” in states around the country, including Wyoming, Washington, and South Carolina. Before long, these so-called “chasing” games will undoubtedly be known as quaint activities from the “unenlightened” past. Only trained professionals at some historic “living” museum like Strawberry Banke or Sturbridge Village will “play” such games.
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Why is this? With child obesity becoming a more widespread problem, you would think that anything involving physical activity like running would be more encouraged. Hasn’t Gov. Lynch’s wife practically made an entire career of the issue? How can these games be allowed to be taken from the kids? Is it entirely because they’re “exclusionary and dangerous”? Or is it something else? You won’t be surprised, as I wasn’t, when I read the answer in the October 16th article: lawyers.
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Of course this involves lawyers- or, more specifically, lawsuits. The reasons described are attributed mostly as “reflecting society’s increasingly cautious and litigious nature.” Naturally. “[K]ids would get too rough or run into each other, giving rise to parent complaints and threats of lawsuits.” Once again, the vaunted “threat of lawsuit” stops tradition dead in its tracks.
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While we insulate a whole generation of American children from simple fun games that simultaneously teach important life skills like competition, self-sufficiency and independent thinking, what are our enemies doing? As we admonish our young to quit potentially “dangerous and exclusionary” activities like tag and dodge-ball, what are our adversaries, sworn to kill us all, teaching their children? Do they let them play games involving some sort of “chase?”
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In the August 23rd 1996 “Declaration of War Against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places,” Osama Bin Laden had much to say about Muslim youth: “I say: Since the sons of the land of the two Holy Places feel and strongly believe that fighting (Jihad) against the Kuffar in every part of the world, is absolutely essential; then they would be even more enthusiastic, more powerful and larger in number upon fighting on their own land… To liberate their sanctities is the greatest of issues concerning all Muslims; It is the duty of every Muslims in this world. I say to you William [Defense Secretary Cohen] that: These youths love death as you loves life. They inherit dignity, pride, courage, generosity, truthfulness and sacrifice from father to father. They are most delivering and steadfast at war. They inherit these values from their ancestors.” Wait a minute- there’s nothing about the dodge-ball being “exclusionary”. What gives?
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Grok ‘n Roll: Some really good new music

My rather extensive music collection tends to contain somewhat older material as a rule. I have oft said that most newer bands and musicians lack a certain "something" that older ones posses. Who can stack up against the likes of Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, ZZ Top, AC DC, Zep, Cactus, Peter Green, etc.? Most (except for blues, which is fodder for a future post) new stuff sounds forced, with second class singing.
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The problem for an audiophile like me with these notions is that eventually the most loved musicians stop- you know- they’re old! At a point, there’s nothing left to purchase for the collection (well, not really, but…). How many more CD’s will Hendrix release? While admittedly the move of the music marketplace to internet retail and its searchable databases combined with computer recording production capabilities has made more material available, a person must eventually seek some new music.
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After years of pooh-poohing my kids music, encouraging them to "give dear ‘ole dad’s stuff a chance" (actually, they do like lots of my music like Pink Floyd, etc.), I gave some of their tunes a listen. After always saying "no" to teenage requests to go to Boston or Great Woods for concerts, promising that I would take them to any concert they wish within the state- especially our beloved Meadowbrook Farm here in Gilford, NH, I had to put my money where my mouth is.
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There I was at a concert- not at Meadowbrook, but the Hampton Beach Club Casino (noted for it’s great lineups, but the crappiest place on the planet, other than Lupo’s in Providence, RI, to see a show) where I took my daughter and niece to see an Austrailian band called Jet. Wow! These guys absolutely rocked! Sitting with all the parents in back while the youngsters danced and watched standing on the dance floor, it seemed obvious that this group of musicians appealed to music lovers of all ages.

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“Useful Idiots” by Ed Mosca

Our friend Bill A. in Dover forwards attorney Ed Mosca’s latest piece on the education funding boondoggle here in NH. Big spending government types and their liberal adherants can’t stand that NH has the smallest state tax-take in the entire USA. Low taxes = small government. Proponents of a so-called "broadbased" tax (i.e. income, sales) have taken their quest to the unelected judges, naturally. As usual, Ed really nails it:

Useful Idiots by Ed Mosca

Lenin is credited with coining the term “useful idiots,” which he supposedly used to refer to supporters of the Soviet Union living in Western democracies.  They were idiots because they unwittingly were supporting a cause that would destroy the freedoms and prosperity they enjoyed under democratic governments.  When it comes to education funding, the term fits those candidates running for State office who want to define an adequate education “so the Supreme Court doesn’t do it for us.” 
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Obviously, their line of thinking is predicated on the notion that, if only the Legislature and Governor “finally” were to define an adequate education, the Court would then defer to this definition and the corresponding determination of the cost.  A brief history lesson is in order because, as the saying goes, those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.   
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The Court first asserted that the representative branches needed to define an adequate education in Claremont I, which was issued in 1993.  It provided no guidelines for doing so, telling the representative branches that they were free to choose from a “wealth of historical data … spanning more than three hundred years.”
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Despite over 200 years of history and precedent to the contrary, the representative branches took at face value this absolutely incredible proposition that the words a “duty to cherish public schools” were really code for a “duty to define an adequate education,” and through the State Board of Education defined an adequate education.  And how did the Court respond?  Only four years later, in Claremont II, it ruled the State Board’s definition was unconstitutional, claiming that it did not “sufficiently reflect the letter or spirit of the State Constitution’s mandate.” 
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What’s more, no longer were the representative branches free to define an adequate education based on a “wealth of historical data.”  Now the constitution required the definition to be based upon seven “aspirational guidelines” articulated in a 1986 decision by the Supreme Court of Kentucky.
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Rather than asking the obvious question what the aspirations of Kentuckian judges could possibly have to do with the New Hampshire constitution, the Legislature and Governor virtually bent over backwards to comply with Claremont II.  Committees were formed, forums were convened and experts were consulted.  Ultimately, a study prepared by Augenblick & Myers was used to set the cost of an adequate education.
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And then what happened? The Claremont plaintiffs immediately returned to court, claiming that the Legislature had not correctly calculated the cost of an adequate education.  Among other things, they claimed that the formula didn’t use the proper assessment tests to gauge student performance and didn’t contain enough money for transportation and capital costs. 

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More on “Meet the New Press”…

As Skip noted in his post on the subject, GraniteGrok, along with AnkleBitingPundits launched our new radio program, Meet the New Press. What was amazing was that despite all the problems with making the phone connection, our two guests managed to join us- and we’re sure glad they did. . Our first was Jon Henke. … Read more

President’s Radio Address: “Real Consequences”

This week President Bush spoke of North Korea’s apparent detonation of a nuclear bomb. This is, of course, really bad news for the US and the rest of the world- the fact that one of the main members of the "Axis of Evil" now has such a weapon.
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The president continues to push the "6-party" talks while his detractors want direct negotiations between the US and North Korea. Go figure- Bush, after getting lambasted for "going it alone" in various aspects of the new world war wants six nations (most of which are in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula) involved with the diplomatic efforts, while his political foes encourage a process that excludes all but the US. Thank God President Bush seemingly stays focused on the task at hand, and not his popularity as defined by the opposition…
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Earlier this week, the government of North Korea proclaimed to the world that it had conducted a successful nuclear weapons test. In response to North Korea’s provocative actions, America is working with our partners in the region and in the United Nations Security Council to ensure that there are serious repercussions for the North Korean regime.
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North Korea has been pursuing nuclear weapons and defying its international commitments for years. In 1993, North Korea announced that it was withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The United States negotiated with North Korea and reached a bilateral agreement in 1994: North Korea committed to giving up its pursuit of nuclear weapons in exchange for help with peaceful nuclear power.
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After I came to office, we discovered that North Korea had been violating this agreement for some time by continuing work on a covert nuclear weapons program. My administration confronted the North Korea regime with this evidence in 2002, and the North Koreans subsequently walked away from the 1994 agreement.
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Reasons to vote Republican next month

Eric at Redstate.com ran a contest a couple of days ago asking readers to state, in 100 words or less, why you should vote Republican in 2006. The winner was Liz Mair of gopprogress.com who really nailed it: I will vote Republican in 2006 because:   I want a prosperous America, where the poorest can achieve … Read more

McCain: When he’s wrong, he’s wrong. When he’s right, he’s right. Today he’s right.

Anybody that knows me knows that I am generally p-o’d at John McCain for whatever cause he happens to be championing. Whether it’s stifling free speech with campaign finance "reform" or seemingly protecting the "rights" of terrorists, I regard him as more harm than good for many of the issues important to me. Many crusades upon which he embarks appear designed for publicity and to distance himself from policies of the Bush administration.
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That being said, given the poor polling numbers that continue to dog President Bush, there may be- and it’s a big "may"- some "method to his madness." If large numbers of voters continue to allow themselves to be misled by the President’s detractors (main stream media, Democrats, etc.), the only way for any Republican to be successful in ’08 may be by being the "anti-Bush." Do I like this possibilty? No. In a perfect world, more people would wake up, see the soundness of the present administration’s overall strategy, and choose a candidate running a campaign based upon a continuation.
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The world is not perfect.
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McCain isn’t always wrong, either. He scored 2 positive points with me this week. First, he guest blogged at Captain’s Quarters (which, now that I think of it, earns him another point) on the North Korea situation. He did this nation a great service by reiterating the folly of the ’94 Clinton administration deal with the communist regime, helping people to recognize that mistake so that we don’t repeat it.
The worst thing we could do is accede to North Korea’s demand for bilateral talks. When has rewarding North Korea’s bad behavior ever gotten us anything more than worse behavior?
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I would remind Senator Hillary Clinton and other Democrats critical of Bush Administration policies that the framework agreement her husband’s administration negotiated was a failure. The Koreans received millions in energy assistance. They diverted millions in food assistance to their military. And what did they do? They secretly enriched uranium.
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Prior to the agreement, every single time the Clinton Administration warned the Koreans not to do something — not to kick out the IAEA inspectors, not to remove the fuel rods from their reactor — they did it. And they were rewarded every single time by the Clinton Administration with further talks. We had a carrots and no sticks policy that only encouraged bad behavior. When one carrot didn’t work, we offered another.
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This isn’t just about North Korea. Iran is watching this test of the Council’s will, and our decisions will surely influence their response to demands that they cease their nuclear program. Now, we must, at long last, stop reinforcing failure with failure.
Amen! This is "straight talk" of the kind that I only wish was more common. What’s not to understand? What is surprising about this from McCain is that he followed it up with another correct statement on an important issue- the Iraqi front in the war. 

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Notable Quote: Gibbon

Edward Gibbon wrote in his classic "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" of the eventual dominance of the barbarians over that epoch’s "superpower": Cold, poverty, and a life of danger and fatigue fortify the strength and courage of barbarians. In every age they have oppressed the polite and peaceful nations of China, India, and … Read more

Gaffney on the real “state of denial”

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. is one of my "go-to" people on national security matters and its relation to the new world war. With the mess the media (and the Republicans themselves) have made for the Republicans in the upcoming election thanks to the Foley/ page affair (no pun intended), stirred with the addition of the latest … Read more

Pataki joins the fray…

We can now officially add another name to the growing list of probable Republican candidates gearing up for a run at NH’s still "almost first in the nation" presidential nominating process- NY Governor George Pataki. As Chan Eddy over at WeekendPundit noted, Pataki opened a campaign office here in NH last Monday. Engaging in the normal … Read more

Two quick thoughts…

A couple of quick thoughts for a Columbus Day here in Central NH so beautiful that only God could have made it… . First, the anti- Columbus Day movement in the country mostly comes from the liberal-run public school system. The people in charge of those institutions these days despise Columbus. On the other hand, most … Read more

President’s Weekly Radio Message

In his weekly radio address, President Bush rightfully remembers the sad events in the Amish community of Lancaster, PA.
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He then goes on to discuss education in the country, and more specifically, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). I’m not wild about ANY federal involvement in education, and I can’t get over the fact that Teddy Kennedy originally supported it, but there must be something to it because most of the flaming liberal educational bureaucrats that I know of, like the superintendent of my town here in central NH (Skip covers our supe’s dislike of NCLB here), absolutely hate it. Here’s President Bush:

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.

In recent days, we have seen shocking acts of violence in schools across our Nation. Laura and I are praying for the victims and their families, and we extend our sympathies to them and to the communities that have been devastated by these attacks.

I have asked Secretary of Education Spellings and Attorney General Gonzales to host a conference on school safety this Tuesday. We will bring together teachers, parents, students, administrators, law enforcement officials, and other experts to discuss the best ways to keep violence out of our schools. Our goal is clear: Children and teachers should never fear for their safety when they enter a classroom.

As we work to keep our classrooms safe, we must also ensure that the children studying there get a good education. I believe every child can learn. So when I came to Washington, I worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, and I was proud to sign it into law. The theory behind this law is straightforward: We expect every school in America to teach every student to read, write, add, and subtract.

We are measuring progress, and giving parents the information they need to hold their schools accountable. Local schools remain under local control. The federal government is asking for demonstrated results in exchange for the money we send from Washington. Thanks to this good law, we are leaving behind the days when schools just shuffled children from grade to grade, whether they learned anything or not.

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Mr. Browne, have you no shame? ‘Teacher of Year’ accepts tainted WalMart cash…

Wait a minute… now I’m really confused- Yesterday’s Concord Monitor Online (NH) reported on a science teacher from Concord getting the "Teacher of the Year award from Wal Mart: Concord High School science teacher Phil Browne seized his five minutes of fame yesterday to talk about the environment. After being named Wal-Mart’s New Hampshire Teacher … Read more

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