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Skip Update: this will be topmost for a while – newer posts after this one
Nice. As Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit says – punch back twice as hard. Here is the video:
Here is the background: I am a co-founding member of the NH TEA Party Coalition and I believe in the TEA Party’s three (and ONLY three regardless of what the Left, the Democrats, or the Establishment wing of the Republican Party says) Principles: Constitutional bounds for Government, Fiscal Frugality, and Free Markets.
So, what used to be 1% is now 2.5%. Sure, it SOUNDS like just a bit more – but it has a large effect on all other new mortgage rates. It also shows that the vaunted recovery touted by Obama is not as strong as years before (which was pretty much steady-state before the community activists starting knuckling banks via CRA). But it gets worse:
“Selfishness is not living your life as you wish, it is asking others to live their lives as you wish.” – Oscar Wilde If only Progressives and Nanny Staters would read and meditate upon that…. (H/T: TTAG)
The only problem, “their” idea of family values seem far fetched from the traditional ones and I haven’t seen much in the way of Progressive governance (especially under Obama’s Administration) that says “stronger” – all indications are to the contrary. As to intrusiveness, well, Michelle has that example all locked up with her overwhelming urge to tell … Read more
Senator Stiles is Not What She Seems
After reading Rep. Fred Rice’s glowing support of Senator Nancy Stiles [here and after the jump -Skip], I felt it important to put forth a challenge to his endorsement. As a member of the 2013-2014 House of Representatives – Belknap District 8, I saw up close and personal, the disturbing voting record of REPUBLICAN Nancy Stiles. Here are a few of her REPUBLICAN votes:
If you look at Senator Stiles voting record, you will find many of her votes grow government. There are those who believe Nancy Stiles is really more of a Democrat than a Republican. I tend to agree. The Republican taxpayers in Senate District 24 should consider Senator Stile’s deviation from the largest planks of the Republican Platform. If you want a Democrat, you can vote for a Democrat. But, Republicans should expect their public servants to vote with AT LEAST with the larger planks in the platform. Stiles does not. Her primary opponent, Steve Kenda, is a true conservative Republican who espouses low taxation and smaller government. You can check out Steve Kenda @ Kenda4senate.com.
Just as in the Senatorial race, more people are in the race than who showed up this past Saturday at the CNHT Annual Picnic – in the First District, only Everett Jabour (Barrington) did not make an appearance and speak to the activist crowds. Here are the speeches by the others:
Frank Guinta Dan Innis
Brendan Kelly
Previous Videos:
What should be next up would be the Congressional Candidates in NH’s Second District – Marilinda Garcia and Gary Lambert. Unfortunately, we had a malfunction with the camera, so no video of their speeches – my apologies (its time to put it on the list for a replacement – DANG, that list keeps getting longer).
The only primary on the Republican side in the NH Executive Council District 5 race. Those that have signed up are former Exec. Councilor Dave Wheeler and his opponent, Steve Hattamer (they also were the only Exec. Council candidates that spoke):
Steve Hattamer Dave Wheeler
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From the latter part of his post:
…It’s ironic. In 2009, conservatives (myself included) pounced when Barack Obama seemed to dismiss American exceptionalism as an empty platitude. “I believe in American exceptionalism,” Obama explained, “just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”
Which is to say, there is no such thing as American Exceptionalism. One of my favorite phrases comes from an animated film – The Incredibles – a nuclear family that has to hide its superpowers from those that are envious (and thus believe them to be “unfair”): “If everyone is special, then no one is special”. And that was the point that Obama was and continues to make (and make true) – that America isn’t and shouldn’t be anything special.
By this standard, American exceptionalism isn’t exceptional, it’s a vague and meaningless form of national self-esteem, rather than a complex concept describing the uniqueness of the American founding and American character.
And that is what most Liberals wish to forget and for the rest of us as well –
Cloward & Piven were two NYU sociologists and Socialists that predicated that by overloading the welfare system and drive New York City so far into debt, it could not recover and Capitalism would have to be replaced by another form of governance (gee, guess which!). They almost succeeded.
Once again, we see it at play but this time, on a national scale. We are getting Dense Pack’d by the Obama Administration – in too many areas to fight back, our culture and Constitutional Republic are being pushed to the breaking point and now, a veritable Alinsky / Obama army is invading us. In my inbox:
America is getting what it voted for: CHANGE! AND IT ALL BECOMES CRYSTAL CLEAR
Born: Saul David Alinsky, January 30, 1909, Chicago, Illinois
- Died: June 12, 1972, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
- Education: University of Chicago,
Ph.D. 1930, University of Chicago Graduate School, criminology, 1930-1932.- Occupation: Community organizer, writer, political activist. He is generally considered to be the founder of modern community organizing.
- Notable works: Reveille for Radicals (1946); *Rules for Radicals* (1971)
He is often noted for his book Rules for Radicals. From that book here are Saul’s thoughts on how to create a social state:
There are 8 levels of control that must be obtained before you are able to create a social state. The first is the most important.
The CNHT Annual Picnic also had time for those running for the US Senate to speak. I bet you only thought that 4 people were running for the NH GOP nomination for US Senate from NH (and give Jeanne Shaheen her retirement):
And you would be wrong. There are a lot more: Gerard Beloin, Robert D’Arcy, Miro Dziedzic, Mark W. Farnham, Bob Heghmann, Walter W. Kelly, Andy Martin. So, how many of you know much of at all of this second set of folks? How many of you Of all of these people, only Bob Heghmann, Jim Rubens, and Bob Smith showed up to speak; in alphabetical order:
Bob Heghmann Jim Rubens
Bob Smith
Did you notice who also was NOT present?
Re: here. Here’s a GREAT reason why and it has nothing to do with being intellectual, being ideological, or philosophical. And it COMPLETELY explains….
Many people are wondering why Republicans are not doing more to stop the Illegal Alien influx, and more specifically not stop President Obama’s approach. We can answer that question…..
This guy, Tom Donohue, is at the root of the matter. Tom Donohue is the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the CoC. The CoC wants amnesty legislation, the CoC is also the primary source of campaign funding for the following Republicans:
Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rob Portman (R-OH), Bob Corker (R-TN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Cornyn (R-TX), Dean Heller (R-NV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Dan Coats (R-IN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Johanns (R-NE),
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH),
John Boozman (R-AR), Richard Burr (R-NC), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), John McCain (R-AZ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and John Hoeven (R-ND).
For those keeping score that’s 32, yes thirty two, of the current GOP Senators.
…why our Jr US Senator Kelly Ayotte went from being a raging
A clear case of dumbing down of the curriculum for the ideological purposes of Common Core in a high school? A parent writes to Ann Marie (emphasis mine): I am a resident of Rindge [NH -Skip] and was in attendance when you spoke to the JRF Republican Committee about Common Core. . I have been following you … Read more
General Kelly had better be careful how he criticizes Obama’s and La Raza’s (“The Race”) for completely opening our border with Mexicoor he’s gonna get to retire early (if not outright cashiered out) (emphasis mine, reformatted):
A top United States general in charge of protecting the southern border says he’s been unable to combat the steady flow of illegal drugs, weapons and people from Central America, and is looking to Congress for urgent help. Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, commander of U.S. Southern Command, has asked Congress this year for more money, drones and ships for his mission – a request unlikely to be met. Since October, an influx of nearly 100,000 migrants has made the dangerous journey north from Latin America to the United States border. Most are children, and three-quarters of the unaccompanied minors have traveled thousands of miles from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
“In comparison to other global threats, the near collapse of societies in the hemisphere with the associated drug and [undocumented immigrant] flow are frequently viewed to be of low importance,” Kelly told Defense One. “Many argue these threats are not existential and do not challenge our national security. I disagree.”
As Steve has the audio of our interview with Speaker Bill O’Brien, please know that he also spoke from the speakers’ podium. First, if you have the need to know. Thus, with no further ado:
The Democrats have demonized him because he actually stood up for and have the results that he believes in smaller, limited Government – to them, any diminishment of Government in any shape, form, size, reach, or intrusion is anathema. Sorrowfully, many Republicans (especially those in the middle) aren’t equipped constitutionally (and take that as many ways as you want) for the warfare needed to overcome the slings and arrows through that Democrats threw at him. And, I’m afraid, too many Republicans are also too comfortable being the Jr. Partners in Big Government with the Democrats (“we’ll just manage it better than the Ds!”).
Bill? No, not so much but no, no damn way! And the Establishment wing of the Party can’t get their heads around that – and why the Conservative / Libertarian activists support him.
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As for all of the posts from the CNHT Annual Picnic, anytime you see the word “primary”, think “Republican Primary” – again, this is Old Home Day for Conservative Activists. That said, at some point there might be a Democrat that would come to speak (and might actually get a bit more attention at the podium as someone willing to come into their version of the lion’s den). After all, Ed Naile, Chair of CNHT, is a registered Democrat!
Although a post has already been put up for the ‘Grok Endorsement for Andrew Hemingway in this race, here are both in order of speaking:
Walt Havenstein Andrew Hemingway
Previous Video:
The 16th Annual Coalition of NH Taxpayers (CNHT.org) was held yesterday in Hillsborough at the VFW Hall American Legion Post 59 (update H/T to Dennis Hamel; apologies for the screw up!). From around 11am until late in the afternoon, conservative activists from all over the State amassed to talk to long term friends, meet new … Read more
Off year elections means no Presidential Poll this time (thought I bet there may be next year!) but certainly we get to concentrate on the right and proper thing – home town and State level elections. Certainly, as you will hear Rich say when I put up the US Senate candidate videos, the NH US … Read more
We at GraniteGrok are going to be exceedingly stingy with endorsements this year. It isn’t because of poor candidate quality – indeed, there are some very good candidates that have decided that they have positive things to offer to NH citizens that want a limited government. One that will stop overreaching and spending their money “on stuff” simply because somebody else believes that “Government is the thing we all do together” and leaves no choice to opt out of those actions that more rightly belong to a vibrant and large Civil Society. We simply are going to set our bar very high.
Our first endorsement was in the NH State Senate Republican Primary in District 16, announced at the CNHT Annual Picnic, was for former NH State Representative Jane Cormier and now running for the NH GOP nomination in the NH State Senate’s District 16. Ever since she appeared on the scene, she has been a stalwart defender of, and advocate for, Conservative values and leading the charge on several issues such as the Life issue and the Federalization of local zoning issues due to the EPA / DOT / HUD pushing of “Sustainable Communities Initiative”. Here she gives her speech and then gets surprised by our endorsement:
Her competition has not, Dave Boutin, has been
We also gave out one (but only one) other Endorsement at yesterday’s CNHT Annual Picnic – and that was for Andrew Hemingway who is vying for the 2014 NH GOP NH Gubernatorial Primary against Walt Havenstein. When he called me, years ago now on a dark and stormy February nite (yeah, it was during a blizzard) asking … Read more
From the video:
…I have been asked why I would, at the age of 60, retire from BAE systems, a magnificent extraordinary company and come to SAIC. Raise your hands again? That’s the reason. That’s the reason. and there is a difference between being in an extraordinary company and a company of extraordinary people. We’ll talk a littl bit more about SAIC but that why I came to SAIC.
Um, when my wife thought I was going to retire, go to NH, get active politically; I said I will leave that to you.
…WE got a lot of problems in this country. The TEA-Baggers or whatever they are, they’ve been telling us that all summer long, alright (semi-smirk). Isn’t that who they are? (fuller smirk to get the audience to titter). I’m a little out of touch (full smirk, body language says he is pleased with himself). Heh!
From Political Scoop, the quote from Henry Goodwin:
“At the time Walt wasn’t involved in politics because he was busy running one of the world’s largest companies,” said Havenstein spokesman Henry Goodwin. “However, he has always believed that government should be limited, taxes should be low and spending should be restrained.”
Go ahead and watch either the short version (Kimberly’s post) or the longer one (put up by Mike). Watch his body language as he moves from talking about SAIC to his self-seeming joke about the TEA Party