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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.

“Secrecy in the name of unity” – Yet, I thought the NH GOP was about “Openness & Transparency”?

From the NH GOP Platform:

II. TAXES AND SPENDING

Government Structure:

Expand openness and transparency to employment, expenditures and all recipients of taxpayers’ funds

“Secrecy in the name of unity” – what a phrase; anyone else see the uber-contradiction between what the NH GOP demands of its Government and what governance it is willing to hold itself to?  What a phrase from the person who held highest office in the State Party, now former NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald to utter.   Once again, the disconnect of “Fine for thee but not for me” rears its ugly head.  No, Wayne MacDonald and James “Jim” Foley, as we here at the ‘Grok have been pointing out for YEARS now, bloggers are not the problem.  We only hold the flashlights and flip the ON switch to ON.  What they shine on is strictly a manifestation of the internal works that folks like you have created.  Or do you not like that message either?  Good governance, either in Government or any other organization, yields trust – and that demands openness and transparency.  However, both of these “gentlemen” believes otherwise – that secrecy is the stuff of good governing, I guess.  We can only trust ourselves – the elected to rule govern.

Consistency – oh true, there are times we may continue the early practice of the blogosphere being the Wild Wild West (which does upset some of the delicates out there, or those that believe they are the be all and end all, and above criticism)  but in almost everything we say or believe in here at the ‘Grok, we are consistent.  Sure, like most folks, we do slip up now and then (heck, with almost 13,500 posts, we’ve said a whole lot a whole lot of times) – but they are the exception rather than the norm.  You read us, you know us.  Government, and the NH GOP, should be internally consistent.  They are not.

This was the most egregious fact that was brought out by Steve’s post (“Wayne Mac Donald ..”People who blog are those who are “ruining” the party”“)  linked to a piece by political newcomer Kathy Benuck about her experience at the NH GOP Annual Meeting.  Seen through her eyes, from a fresh unvarnished perspective should be viewed by those now in charge of the NH GOP.  My takeaways of her “cause for concern” items:

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Free Advice For Chairman Horn – Part II

OK, perhaps some might think we are piling on tonite – well, sometimes, that’s just what happens.  Besides, as bloggers, this past Saturday was like finding a field full of gold nuggets.  Sure, we do have fun doing some of this (after all, none of us get paid, not even me, and if you aren’t being paid, you’d better be having fun) but it is a lot of “seriousness” wrapped in that “fun”.  Sometimes, though, it’s just a having an observation thrown into your face by someone else.

This time, by new NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn.  Being a State Committee Member, I was on both her email list and Andrew’s – dualing messages.  Well, given her victory, she sent out one last email from her JenniferForGOPChair account (as it will be Jennifer@NHGOP.org next time). And had a facepalm moment.  After all, one of the Big Three “issues” of this campaign was Unity (“I can create this!”), another was Technology (“I can write and deploy this!”), and the biggest, in my mind, was Messaging (“I can articulate a convincing story”).  Messaging – to differentiate the NH GOP from the NH Democrats. Messaging – to give a clear and obvious choice. Messaging – to articulate the differences.

Difference.  Kinda hard to do, though, when you use their words their way, ma’am!  My immediate response to friends was:

>> And Now We Move Forward!

 PLEASE tell me that she really has no idea what she just said…...in copying the Obama campaign slogan “FORWARD!”

 FORWARD! – the slogan of Marxists and Socialist from time eternal.

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Did Saturday’s boos send a response to Jim Foley’s claim?

Well, when the call for a second for Jim Foley’s Finance report, all that was heard were “BOOS”.  Umm, no second was heard.  The call for a second was issued a second time for Jim Foley’s Finance report, all that was heard were “BOOS”.  Umm, no second was heard – a second time.

Togetherness?  Kumbaya moment?  Not so much, I guess.  But he did promise just that, once upon a time:

Jim Foley For NH GOP Chair

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Hillary: “What Difference Does It Make??” Former NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald: “What difference does it make?”

Hillary Clinton loses it Drudge BenghaziActually, in both cases, the answer to both cases is “It DOES make a difference – a tremendous one, in fact.”  And both are in the same area: trust.  Or in fact, creating more a lack of trust than what already exists.  Both questions from the top figures in the organization show a lack of concern of the perception of impropriety at best or a callous lack of concern (at all) at worst.

As Grokster Scott points out here, the question from Hillary was an avoidance of responsibility on her part.  She may, indeed, have future political plans and does not want a political albatross hung around her neck.  It was also, secondarily, a defense of Obama and of Obama’s claim that He has single handedly decimated Al Queda and made the word safe for Socialism (after all, an Obamessiah has to be blameless in order to mold us to be able to enter into his Heaven on earth).  After all, if that policy PR is shown to be false (and I believe that it has), the inference can be “where else is Obama’s foreign policies failing?”  or other policies as well.

But it matters even more – Government should be open and transparent.  It does matter, in that it is not YOUR Government, it is ours, the Citizens.  This is not YOUR nation, it is ours, the Citizens.  The reasoning of those we have elected to govern (not rule) as well as how that reasoning turns into action (and then how that action is carried out) should be able to be followed by the ordinary citizen.  When that open and transparency is violated, the lack of trust by the ordinary system rises.  Pulling down the shade by dint of her question only creates dark corners in Government in which bad things seem to sprout and create rot.

Oh, back to Wayne MacDonald, now the former NH GOP Chair…on the NH GOP Area 5 Vice-Chair race

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Speaking of the NH GOP Area 5 Vice-Chair race….

“What Difference Does It Make?” – one of the other things that I didn’t mention was that one of the “defenses” that MacDonald tried to use was “well, it was an uncontested race?”.  Seth Cohn easily refuted that “yes, but you destroyed the chance of anyone who had gone to lunch, believing that the recess for lunch had been officially called, to nominate someone from the floor – a valid part of the process.  Well, that finally was the clincher and the decision was to bring it back to the floor to a decision – re-vote now, re-vote at the end?  And then Chair MacDonald voted “Present” and left it to the winner of the first vote, Alan Glassman (current Barnstead-Alton Chair, Belknap County Chair, and incumbent / re-voted Vice-Chair – a “triple Chair”) to make the decision: “Do you want to do this again”?  To his credit, he said yes and the decision was made to do it right then and that the rest of the Committee would formally cast the one vote for each of the uncontested races.

Jacob Avery, as the official NH GOP staffer, oversaw the election (with good humor but efficiency, I might add).  He asked for nominations from the floor after announcing that Alan was the sole nominee – and Seth nominated me out of Principle: “People should have been accorded a choice the first time around – and it was not”.  I certainly did not campaign for the position – heck, I wasn’t even wearing a suit (setting up the Grok livestreaming gear often means crawling around on the floor – jeans are a much more suitable attire for that).  Three minutes were allotted for speaking; Alan spoke first and then I used my full three.

Jacob then asked for questions or comments – I asked to be recognized and said in trying to be bridge the gap (as I am seen as being one of those right-wing crazy TEA Party type guys that actually believes that being a “good Republican” means following the Republican Standard of Quality – the Platform (secondary only to both US & NH Constitutions).  Not only that, but I have no problem in pointing out “Alan deserves credit for being a stand up guy for agreeing to do this a second time.”

Alan then also asked to make a comment – and then launched into a tirade singling out a new person who had asked him a simple question – yeah, such bridge building to make what should have been kept between two people was now made a public row.

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Hey, James Foley! Skippie the basement blogger here! About your thin skin you showed on Saturday….

Meet The Basement Blogger
Image from CartoonStock
http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/b/basements.asp

You know, James, I do have to say “Thank you” for saying what you did from the stage on Saturday.  Really!  There you were, all suited up, looking magnificently upon that lighted stage, with 450 or so Members of the State Committee, Press, and visitors watching your stately oratory.  Your report on the Finance Committee was perfection in audible form.  The number and event retelling was spellbinding – you had everyone’s attention to see how well you had led an important part of the NH GOP…

Oh, woopsies! I guess my current surroundings have me a bit distracted – I haven’t been able to blog from Mom’s basement – she passed away at the end of last year.

But yes, I was correct about the pin drop quiet in the auditorium and about the amazement in the crowd, but not for the serious purpose for which you were called upon.  Instead of doing what adults do, which is to concentrate on the task at hand regardless of distractions, to put the greater purpose on the front burner and push others aside, you became yet another symbol the Leadership of the NH GOP that seemingly disrespects the grassroots, only listening when they have to, and despising them in private for what they have to say.  Thank you for fulfilling the stereotype that we out in the hinterland have of how valued we are.  After all, with your own words, James, we all out here don’t count, none of the other groups that could be aligned with the NH GOP in complementary missions don’t count – all that is left is the insularity, the anger, and the dismissive wave of the hand.

A perfect metaphor of the NH GOP displayed by one of the Inner Circle.  I am GLAD that you, now former NH GOP Chair MacDonald, and NH GOP Area 5 Vice-Chair Alan Glassman have shown that “private face” (as the Japanese speak of) to we peons.  It shows that valid criticisms of the Party are not to be tolerated – after all “WE ARE REPUBLICANS – we don’t air our dirty laundry”.  Nonsense.  The problem is, as I have pointed out, that dirty laundry has piled up and is now becoming the obstacle itself – a self-serving habit that does the Party no good at all.  After all, one can only throw that dirty laundry into the dark corner for just so long until it spills out into the lighted part of the room.

And James, you certainly brought it out into the lighted room on Saturday.

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NH GOP – fallout from the Annual Meeting

I was forwarded this email by Mary Bonser and she has given permission to publish it (emphasis mine, not Mary’s).  I do wonder if the NH GOP will accept its warnings? After all, now former NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald claims that blogs are ruining the Party.  Which is yet another problem – if a lowly blog can ruin an entire State Republican Party, one of two things is true (after Mary’s Letter):

Regina Birdsell, Chairman
Rockingham County Republican Committee
P.O. Box 772
Exeter, NH 03833

January 27, 2013

Dear Regina,

Please accept my resignation as a Committee Member and Area 3, Vice Chairman for the Rockingham County NH Republican Committee. I will also be leaving the Republican Party.

As a woman in my sixty’s this is not a decision that I make lightly, as I have been a Republican all of my adult life. However, it is something I have been seriously considering for almost 2 years as I have watched the NH Republican Party lose its noble purpose and stumble in on itself.

Saturday’s Annual Republican State Committee Meeting was a watershed moment for me and for the NH Republican Party.

At the meeting it became clear that the party has no idea that it is in a rut of inconsequentiality and proceeded in major ways to dig the rut deeper. It was a ridiculous demonstration of awarding people who have failed demonstratively with, what amounted to, “participation awards”, merely for showing up, apparently.

I can no longer waste my time with a party that operates in a stifling bell jar of delusions of former grandeur. The NH Republican Party is now the pathetic old high school football star that still wears his “letter” jacket and hangs out in the town square as the world leaves him farther and farther behind. The NH Republican Party has lost its way and doesn’t know it, and doesn’t want to know it, and anyone who tries to tell them is marginalized and even demonized.

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“Why do you need to have that?” – never a question an Elected Official should ask of a Citizen

Commerce Claws the rest of the Constitution?That question is reserved for parents talking to their children (either in a pique generated by the kids or in trying to teach them to think about the whys and wherefores) or to a boss questioning how a purchase is going to further the goals of that company (we’ll come back to both in a bit – the parent teaching a child to think or in setting limits or talking about limits).  My favorite (and most important) political question that I keep asking is “What is the Proper Role of Government?”.  While the issue at hand is gun control, the question really is meant to be asked at a higher level.  During this highly contested topic, all I hear from those that would take yet another slice of Freedom away from Citizes is “You don’t need that….I have no idea why anyone needs that” when talking about the kinds of weapons they do not deem appropriate for Joe and Jane Sixpack.  Now when a pundit or an ordinary citizen decides to “chastise” a gun owner over the issue of wanting or possessing a modern sporting rifle, that’s fine.

My beef is in hearing that from Constitutionally inept Progressives (or, really, wish to dispose of the Constitution altogether) who are elected officials keep asking “why do you NEED that?“.  I don’t hear them say that to those that would require more services from government, do I?  I don’t hear them say that to those that require more tax money from government, do I?  But yet, I do hear that when normal citizens that are pulling the wagon for the rest of Society start to say “why are you trying to take yet something more away from me?”  And those Politicians’ response seems to always be to belittle those that disagree with their “proper notions”  to the point ranging from “plain dumb” to “flat out evil”.

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We force you to wear a seatbelt because it will save your life.

SeatBelt - its the Law!As stupid an argument as can be said as in “since you OBVIOUSLY won’t take responsibility for yourself, we shall make you take responsibility for yourself”.  And if you do not, the force of Government will take away your money (via a fine) or take away your time (with jail time).  I am glad to be in the Live Free or Die State that still, at least in this respect, has told the Nanny Staters (both those in-state and those in the Federal Govt that has tried, over and over, to bribe NH officials with our own tax monies) to go pound sand – let adults make this decision for themselves.  However, many States have not treated their citizens this way – and started the slippery slope in motion.  The slippery slope didn’t start out that way – it was first a mandate to the car companies “you will put seatbelts in cars” rather than letting the marketplace make that decision and proceeded downward from there.

And we see it happening again.  As I wrote here, gun control is merely the symptom of a greater disease – those that govern believe they rule instead.  They are all too willing to breach the fidelity of the Constitution and the Declaration that Government is instituted by men, and not Government over men (a large difference, in my mind).  Government was to protect an Individual’s Rights – and not take them away simply because there is a problem at hand.  They have faced the problem – and answered wrongly.  They see not an Individual but the collective – and proceed to solve problems from that perspective,and in many cases, throw away and walk away from the ideals on which this Constitutional Republic was born.

We hear all the time that the Slippery Slope doesn’t exist – or that it will not happen.  B.S. on that – for here is a prime example of “oh it will never happen because we didn’t want that!”.  Cool, bucko, somebody else decided to drop that horizontal negative 70 degrees.

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Live Blogging – from the NH GOP Annual Meeting

Back on the road tomorrow at the NH GOP meeting at the Bedford High School – schlepping all the equipment and hoping to be able to live stream from there and talk to interesting people.  And yes, Groksters get to vote as well – new by-laws and new officers. It should turn out to be…..interesting. … Read more

Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 – Senator Diane Feinstein’s push to disarm the United States

She unveiled her renewed Assault Weapon Ban that not only is going to hurt two vibrant companies here in NH (are you listening Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) – Sturm Ruger and Sig Sauer – but effectively render civilians unable to defend themselves in a multi-person home invasion.

“We have tried to learn from the bill. We have tried to recognize legal hunting rights. We have tried to recognize legal defense rights. We have tried to recognize the right of a citizen to legally possess a weapon. No weapon is taken from anyone. The purpose is to dry up the supply of these weapons over time. Therefore, there is no sunset on this bill,”

Once again, we see a Progressive MORE than willing to punish law-abiding citizens as if they were criminals. No mention of the REAL reason for the Second Amendment – self-protection against a tyrannical government (as Progressives cannot even begin to fathom that their policies will end up as such as they are eroding individual Liberty and Freedom.  After all, as US Senator Schumer (or was it Durbin?) said “this isn’t about the Constitution”.

Of course not, it never is, is it?

The bill has not yet hit Thomas (it was supposed to be filed and online today) but here are some details.  The list of banned firearms are after the jump.  The Low Points:

  • Manufacture, transfer, or importation of new assault weapons
  • What is an assault rifle (redefining a real military term)?  Detachable magazine.  One of the following military features:
    • pistol grip
    • forward grip
    • adjustable, detachable or folding stock
    • barrel shroud
    • threaded barrel
    • grenade or rocket launcher
  • And yes, we now have a NEW “weenie legislator legal term” – an “assault pistol“: detachable magazine.  One of the following military features:
    • barrel shroud
    • threaded barrel
    • second pistol grip
    • accepting of a mag other than via the one allowed pistol grip
    • semi-automatic (if this is a “copy” of an automatic version)

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Endorsement – JP Marzullo for NH GOP Vice-Chair

All organizations need a Number Two person, and at this place in time for the the NH GOP, a good one is needed indeed. Someone who knows the people, knows the groups, and knows the nuts-and-bolts of both the Party as well as campaigns to help regain the House, the Executive Council, the corner office, … Read more

Endorsement – Diane Bitter for NH GOP Secretary

I have known Diane for a number of years now and was quite some time before I even knew that she was involved in Republican Party activities.  At that time, she was not an “out front” person – but she was the person “that made things and events work”.  If someone asked her to carry … Read more

GrokTV – 2nd Amendment Rally at NH State Capital: NH Rep JR Hoell

While NH State Rep Al Baldasaro led off the 2nd Amendment Rally on Saturday, NH State Rep JR Hoell also addressed the crowd and I caught up with him afterwards for a quick interview on his take of HB135 and the Democrats wishing to strip away the ability of NH Citizens to defend themselves where … Read more

Guest Post by Paladin – a short commentary on HB135 (the NH “Run Away!” bill) sponsored by Stephen Shurtleff

From time to time, we accept and post up guest posts from either folks that we consider to be “notables” or from someone who has something to say.  I have also had the policy that I accept anonymous submissions as well and have put some up in the past – people who have something to say but cannot afford to reveal their identity for fear of retribution.  This post has both attributes:

“DEPUTY DAWG” as quoted by the Union Leader. Wednesday, January 23, 2013.

 “I was in the Army. We used to say the best defense is a good offense,” Shurtleff said. “But I do not believe that should be true on the streets of New Hampshire.’ The Deputy is implying that, if left to our own devices, we the people will become proponents what he called “the best defense is a good offence”; i.e. we would shoot first?

 If his HB 135 is passed, the streets of New Hampshire will offer every criminal armed with a weapon, bats, knives and even toy guns to harm anyone at will, without fear for their lives.

 The Deputy is retired from the U.S. Marshals Service and has immunity from his HB 135, under “The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA). Will he leave his home without his “piece” so he can defend himself?

 Paladin’

I will add this: with his utterance, that Paladin correctly identifies,  of “I was in the Army. We used to say the best defense is a good offense” shows a radical and perverse view of armed lawfully abiding citizens (common among Socialists and Democrats in law making positions, it seems). It also shows a weak example of Obama-lite: a strawman argument that ascribes a combat mentality to a civilian population that is accepted by no one (except by Shurtleff himself).

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Comment Doodlings: What does “Why to you Need that?” have to do with Freedom?

Over at Bloomberg, Ramesh Pnnuru has piece on “Sensible Gun Legislation”.  A ‘fair enough” piece that brings up some items that an uncle of one of the slain kids at Sandy Hook Elementary that included a legal requirement to report a imminent threat (or suffer jail time for remaining silent), a standard for how guns are secured in the home (disregarding it could result in a felony conviction / large fine), Federally paid for security reviews and upgrades and a national team of grief counselors.

This post is not about the above (other than to point out “why the heck is it the duty of the Federal Government to pay for a local school – especially the grief counselors”? If it is THAT important, why isn’t the more local level of government doing these things?  But there was one comment that I did respond to:

Asked by “Leo”:

I just have one question for Matt A: Why?

Why do you own an AR-15 and 30-round magazines?

This is a 100% serious question. I’d appreciate a frank and full response. In legal terms, “the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

Since “Matt A” had not left a reply, I left one:

Your “worthiness” evaluation of my Need is irrelevant in a Free Society.

If we truly live in the “Land of the Free”, then the phrases “why do you need that?” or “I have no idea why anyone needs <insert whatever here>  are based on an irrelevant premise.  In a Free Society, perceived “need” is only based on the what the acquirer believes to be a need – or even a want.  Not anyone else’s perception of such.

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