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Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom and how the Government is taking that away. As an evangelical Christian and Conservative with small "L" libertarian leanings, my fight is with Progressives forcing a collectivized, secular humanistic future upon us. As a TEA Party activist, citizen journalist, and pundit!, my goal is to use the New Media to advance the radical notions of America's Founders back into our culture.

Team-NH of the Bachmann Campaign

News has been floating around for a few days about whether or not some of the staffers for Michele Bachmann had quit, none had quit, or all had quit.  Here is their joint statement (and I have a comment at the end):

Manchester, NH – October 23, 2011: For Immediate Release

The Team-NH of the Bachmann Campaign has chosen to release a joint statement regarding their departure from the campaign. This statement explains the following:

  • The NH Team didn?t want to leave the campaign, but it should be clear the entire NH team has departed.
  • Everyone should understand that the NH Team realizes the importance of this election
  • The NH team is committed to making Obama a one-term president, but it will be through other organizations/campaigns.
  • The team holds no ill will towards the candidate, but not longer feels relevant based on their poor relationship with the national team.

Team-NH of the Bachmann Campaign has decided to disband. This decision comes after much soul-searching by each individual and after countless hours of discussion as a team. Although the team members regret our departure from the campaign, we know there was very little choice.

The team also wants to clarify some of the confusion regarding their departure. While they collectively felt loyalty to the candidate, they no longer have faith in the national team. This is a sentiment that has been building since June, and was expressed on numerous occasions to members of the national team; it is now apparent that Team NH?s concerns were not fully shared with Congresswoman Bachmann, and were not taken seriously by some members of the national team. These are symptoms of the disease that infects too many members of the national campaign team.

It is also important that the chain of events of our departure is properly reported. During Congresswoman Bachmann?s recent trip to New Hampshire, several incidents happened that concerned some members of Team-NH. Those incidents will remain private, but they were serious enough for some members to depart the campaign. Jeff Chidester, the NH Campaign Manager, sent an e-mail on Thursday, October 13, 2011 to a person he trusted who was connected to the campaign announcing that Chidester was „done,? and would no longer stay with the team. The recipient of that e-mail asked if the entire NH team was also departing. Chidester informed this individual that some members of the team might be interested in staying, but that major changes needed to occur and that the national team must make contact with each member.

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Breaking News! Sununu endorses Romney!

Of course he does…did anyone really expect otherwise? I did get a kick out of Jon Huntsman’s campaign comment on this endorsement: Governor Sununu, Over the course of this campaign you have made it abundantly clear that you would endorse a conservative governor – a laudable criterion. However, I am surprised that you believe Mitt … Read more

Jeff Chidester speaks about the Bachmann TEAM-NH mass resignation

Well, in addition to the joint memo that the former Bachmann staffers released earlier today, Jeff Chidester went on with WGIR’s Paul Wescott to talk about the strife that the National campaign staff that led to that mass resignation of the entire NH based staff. I watched Michele on the Sunday show (FoxNews Sunday with … Read more

A working definition of “social contract” for the rest of us

As seen on Instapundit: “The social contract exists so that everyone doesn’t have to squat in the dust holding a spear to protect his woman and his meat all day every day. It does not exist so that the government can take your spear, your meat, and your woman because it knows better what to … Read more

Data Point – Cost of Iraq War vs Fed Deficits

Ending the Iraq war by fiat will not save President Obama much on his yearly deficits.  I’m betting that when we have to go back to Iraq, the price will be much higher. (H/T: GatewayPundit)

Niel Young: “While I am angry still, what I could not understand was why?” Er, let me give you a clue….

The short answer is still best summed up by Larry Frates commenting on Niel Young’s behavior: 

"It’s all about you, Neil"

And his assumptions are wrong to boot. The news in my local area is that there is a new talk radio show, The Tom Brown Show. Being that it is a late night / early morning show, I haven’t listened yet but I should give the podcasts a chance.  Yes, I know Tom personally as he has been a Republican activist in the local area; we are friendly and I should give the show a shot.  But that’s not the reason for this post.  Now Tom is now experiencing what Doug and I did when we had the chance for our own show with friend Pat Hynse.

Well, Niel Young, yet again, just can’t stand the fact that yet another person has left his show (Tom was a regular, just as Doug and I were years ago) and is delivering the same kind of coded vitriol he normally reserves for Liberal Democrats.  Simply, Niel is a control freak, it IS about him and his mission, and no one else is allowed to be front and center.  Normally, I would have let this go, but since Niel Young just can’t seem to help himself and decided to take a whack at the past, I figured that I’d give a response.

From his column in the Weirs Time (P14):

For many years I had a regular radio guest.  Being that my in studio roundtable participants usually share the same views – not because it is required.  I had protected THAT regular from any comments and discussion of Pro-Life and Parental Notification issues/legislation.  I value life – oppose abortion on demand – an believe at least one parent should be notified that their teenage daughter has chosen to abort a pregnancy.  Unfortunately there is nothing a parent can do to alter that decision.

OK, Niel sets himself up as the kind, selfless defender, willing to take the arrows that were mostly in his own mind.  And then, as Obama does, knock down the now display of ingratitude.  But then we find the real reason of his ire – he’s selfish (bolding mine):

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GrokTALK! – Podcast page for 10/15/11

Podcast – week of 10/15/11

GrokTALK!

Streaming Live! from GraniteGrok

To play (or "stream") a clip now, just click on it.  To download it to your PC, right click on it and tell the process where to save the file for you.

When we are live – join in by emailing us at GrokTALK@GraniteGrok.com or call our listener line at 603-524-7478 (Click here for the promo page)

Hour 1      Hour 2

Grokster Mike started off the show, and what else?  We talked Presidential Primary politics, the death of CLASS (Obamacare long term care proven to be insolvent), Iranian terrorist attack FAIL, demographics, Occupy Wall Street really believes it can get rid of a basic human trait: Greed?  Part 1    Part 2 

Buddy Roemer, former LA Congressman and Governor and running to be the Republican nominee for President, came on for to talk about his candidacy and why he went to visit the Occupy Wall Streeters in New York City.  A banker by profession, he agrees with the OWS movement about crony capitalism (by both Big Government & Big Banks) but disagrees with the remedy!   Part 1

Nick Mignanelli, Comm. Director for the UNH College Republicans came on.  We talked about a LOT of things – a very articulate and involved guy (we will have him back!). Yes, student conservatives get beat about the head by Liberal Professors who have taken out their ire with poorer grades and the resulting "lay low" – all in the ONE place that advertises itself as the place for the free flow of ideas.  And yes, the UNH College Republicans are working on  Presidential campaigns, and other issues as well.    Part 1    Part 2 

Closing out the show was Grokster Steve.  He brings up the connection of NH’s own US Senator Jeanne Shaheen to the Occupy Wall Street, political donations, and NH Wind farms development.  We also talk about Jeanne Shaheen’s utter contempt for NH making its own rules and having the Feds directly fund Planned Parenthood. That led to the Health Care Compact!  Part 1

Video recording after the jump

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GrokTALK! – Podcast page for 10/01/11

Podcast – week of 10/01/11 GrokTALK! Streaming Live! from GraniteGrok To play (or "stream") a clip now, just click on it.  To download it to your PC, right click on it and tell the process where to save the file for you. When we are live – join in by emailing us at GrokTALK@GraniteGrok.com or … Read more

GrokTALK! – Podcast page for 10/22/11

Podcast – week of 10/22/11 GrokTALK! Streaming Live! from GraniteGrok To play (or "stream") a clip now, just click on it.  To download it to your PC, right click on it and tell the process where to save the file for you. When we are live – join in by emailing us at GrokTALK@GraniteGrok.com or … Read more

Quick! Someone get him another TOTUS!

It’s like a little kid without their Teddy Bear – he IS lost without it! BAD men who carjacked poor TOTUS’s truck….but yields comedy gold!

Notable Quote – Dr. Thomas Sowell

One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain. – Dr. Thomas Sowell, economist

Occupy Boston – an amalgamation

My friend Kevin spent the weekend in Boston showing a friend from England what Boston was like, and kept ending up around Dewey Square where the Occupy Boston (a la Occupy Wall Street) had sent up a camp.  Upon returning, they stopped in and offered them to put up here (Thanks Kevin and Jack!)

The video is an amalgam of some short clips shot with a DSLR:

Some stills after the jump (and more to follow afterwards)

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In the mail – Democracy Denied by Phil Kerpen

Phil Kerpen, Vice President for Policy at Americans for Prosperity (and an Honorable Mention for RightWingNews Conservative of the Year), has a new book out called "Democracy Denied" which is all about the process by which our democratic way of self- government is at risk.  No, not the way that the #Occupy Wall Street folks … Read more

How many troops do we have overseas anyways?

A timely post by Marc Thiessen over at The Enterprise Blog has the list.  Given that Ron Paul (and a few other Republican nominee candidates for Prez) are saying "Bring them all home"), the question is "how many are there really"? Here’s the count (reformated): Belgium 1,234 Bahrain 1,894 Germany 54,198 Diego Garcia (UK) 286 … Read more

A Grievance Hearing: Oct 20, State Capital

Guest post for Frank M. Handibode

 

UNFAIR PROPERTY ASSESSMENT? COME TO A GRIEVANCE HEARING

If you, dear readers, feel as I do that the current property assessing and taxing practices in New Hampshire are often unfair and inequitable, then I invite you to join me at an upcoming grievance hearing in the NH House on October, 20th.  

I believe that my property is not fairly taxed so I appealed for redress to the NH Legislature in Concord. They granted me a hearing which is set for Thursday, October 20th at 10 a.m. in Room 303 of Legislative Office Building, the LOB, (directly behind the state house with the gold dome.)

Representative Duffy Daugherty, Coos District 1, has presented my petition. Among other things, Mr. Daugherty, on my behalf, is attempting to stop the towns and assessors from applying “separate subjective factors such as those related to views as indicated on current property cards.”

Yes, I am referring to the odious “View Tax.”

Let’s face facts. If five non-collaborating assessors come to a property on five different days, it is almost certain that five different tax values will result. The reason is simple. There are no written guidelines for assessing views leaving assessors to play the “I’ll know its value when I see it” game.

This is the sort of arbitrary tax that Mad King George the 3rd of England would have loved to impose on the subjects in the colonies! We all know how that story ended.

I cannot imagine that I am the only property owner in the state who feels this way. If you believe that your own property is not fairly assessed, for any reason, I invite you to come to Room 303, LOB in Concord on October 20th. This discussion on a potentially dull subject should prove to be pretty interesting.

Frank M. Handibode
Hebron

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