Jennifer Horn and Kelly Ayotte got some ‘splaining to do!

Well, well, well.  Once in a while, the Concord Monitor can be useful (entire Letter after the jump):

Attack on Kimball is hypocritcal

By Howard Wilson / For the Monitor
August 31, 2011

There is wholesale hypocrisy among New Hampshire Republicans who want to dump Jack Kimball as their party chairman.

On Aug. 26, the Monitor reported that Kimball believed he was signing a Libertarian candidate petition, rather than a petition for the whole party he actually signed. That petition was returned to him, yet he is still castigated for his signature.

Now look back to 2010, when several prominent Republicans signed candidate petitions on behalf of the Libertarian Party. Some of these people are now calling for Kimball’s removal as state chairman because he signed a party-wide petition for that same Libertarian Party. Those signing individuals include Kelly Ayotte, Jennifer Horn, Jim Bender and Bill Binnie. How do I know? Easy, I asked and they said yes – for which I presented them the candidate petition in 2010.

                                    

Like I said, well, well, well.  Here are two folks openly advocating that Jack has done irreparable harm and that this "signing" is, in part,  a firing offense.  Yet, they both earlier signed a similar petition?  Really?  

Now, lest I be again accused of being sexist and a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal for offending delicate Political Correctness feelings (a supposedly derogatory status for which I have been accused in the past, but that is for another post about one of these names), yes, I did bold their names and not the two former male rivals of Kelly Ayotte – they are not the ones putting the hammer down for a dismissal.  Heck *I*’ve sign such a petition in the past (er, at least I think I did) as it is a philosophy of mine that unless you are a Communist or hard core socialist (there are places I refuse to go), I’d probably sign such a petition – if you cannot win in the arena of ideas, you deserve to lose against an opponent. 

Sidenote: that said, when I watched and listened to the candidate debate at the Word of Life Christian Fellowship last cycle [Yes, BRING back the Black Robed Regiment!], it was apparent why Libertarians generally lose.

At least I readily admit it – so where has their full disclosure been during all this?  So, I’m waiting to see what their consequence will be….and am betting it may well be a long wait.

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Legitimacy? No, you’re not the one the has the final say, ma’am.

I had originally come across this post at the WaPo as it seemed to want to pit the Tea Party Express folks against the FreedomWorks folks over whether or not to have Mitt Romney in for a speech (full disclosure: I have met and worked with folks in both groups): 

"FreedomWorks is pulling out of a nationwide bus tour led by Tea Party Express over the inclusion of 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney as a speaker, saying the group cannot endorse any event where the former Massachusetts governor speaks…

…The split signifies a growing divide between two groups that represent the ‘establishment’ of the tea party movement.

FreedomWorks was founded by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) and Tea Party Express was launched by longtime California GOP operative Sal Russo. Neither group shied away from backing insurgent challengers against longtime Republicans in 2010.

But Tea Party Express is a more conventional political action committee. The group is co-sponsoring a debate with CNN; it held a town hall at the National Press Club earlier this year. FreedomWorks, however, has positioned itself as a member-driven organization that will not lend its clout to anyone grassroots supporters deem too moderate." 

While there is some delight, IMHO, amongst the MSM elite to watch the other side have their internal-to-the-TEA-Party discord (after all, food fights anywhere attract eyeballs, I’m thinking this is a wee tremble in a tea cup, myself.  Romney has stayed away from the TEA Party movement here in NH – and for good (and the right) reason: he’s not a TEA Party kind of guy, to put it bluntly.  It would be a mistake for him to now try to cozy up – he’d be laughed off the stage like this guy when he tried to coattail it.

Here in NH, some groups are choosing up sides:

A number of tea party groups are planning to join the Romney protest. According to New Hampshire Liberty Caucus Chairman Andrew Hemingway, the The Lakes Region Tea Party, the Raymond Tea Party, and the Granite State Patriots are all participating.

This caught my eye, however:

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What would a Ron Paul Presidency do about this?

So here is my question – right now, Israel is an ally of the United States.  What would a Ron Paul Presidency do about this?

From Haaretz:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran was determined to eradicate Israel, ISNA news agency reported Thursday.

"Iran believes that whoever is for humanity should also be for eradicating the Zionist regime (Israel) as symbol of suppression and discrimination," Ahmadinejad said in an interview with a Lebanese television network, carried by ISNA.

 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on July 20, 2011.

"Iran follows this issue (the eradication of Israel) with determination and decisiveness and will never ever withdraw from this standpoint and policy," the Iranian president added in the interview with the Al-Manar network.

The remarks by Ahmadinejad came one day before the annual anti-Israeli rallies named Qods (Jerusalem) Day, which are held nationwide in Iran on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Ahmadinejad on Monday said that Iranians and Muslim nations worldwide should hold Qods rallies and show their willingness to dispose of this "infectious tumor and this regime full of rascality."

I ask without snark or malice – but of high concern.   Israel is smaller than NH, it would take but 3 or 4 nukes to do exactly when the Iranian Government has sworn to do on multiple occasions.  A strict "do not attack unless attacked" would not work if all the Israelis are already dead.  Does a Ron Paul Presidency just say "let them slug it out between themselves" or do we honor our commitments?  Does he make a declaration upon assuming the Presidency, that all such commitments are null & void (or like with what Obama is now doing, just refusing to enforce current law as a matter of Presidential policy)? 

Forget about Israel for just a moment – what if it was it was…

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So, whose fault (line) is it now?

Is there such a thing as a "double" of Geology / Poli-Sci at an advance degree level?   Frankly, I would it to map out all of the political faults put out by the Obama Administration. In mapping out all these faults, I notice, is nary a shake concerning responsibility for anything… (H/T: Hot Air)

GrokTV Event: NH Young Republican Lobster Bake and Straw Poll – The Videos

OK, I’m 10 days out…apologies for being late (sigh…) with putting up the videos and the audio interviews (the latter will be in a later post). Here are two: Intro by NHYR Chair David Hurst and a quick address by NH GOP Chair Jack Kimball.    David Hurst                   Jack Kimball

GrokTV Event: NH Young Republican Lobster Bake and Straw Poll – The Presidential Candidate Videos

Next up from the New Hampshire Young Republican Lobster Bake and Straw Poll were the Republicans striving to be the Republican nominee to go against Democrat socialist, Barack Hussein Obama. 

They are listed in alphabetical order:


 

Herman Cain                            Christopher V. Hill

Gov. Gary Johnson, Fred Karger, Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, Congressman Ron Paul, and Gov. and Congressman Buddy Roemer after the jump:

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Ah – it’s still here! Me too, mostly

Apologies to those that have been expecting me to put up posts of the events the ‘Grok went to the last week or so (or, a bit longer).  I had planned on putting up the videos, the audio interviews, and other stuff over the weekend – such a deal. Well, Irene came and went.  My … Read more

Stand with Israel – the Videos, Part 1

Last week, the ‘Grok was invited to the Stand With Israel rally held at Manchester’s Victory Park where a good sized crowd, advocacy groups, and vendors listened to music and and a mix of speakers (e.g., clergy, activists, politicians, and other notables). The original intention was to live stream the event but the WiFi signal that had been present during earlier checks of the location went somewhere into the ether…

So, we went into recording mode. Pretty much, here are the videos in chronological order – first four here and the rest after the jump:


 

Preliminary Music              National Anthems, Invocation, Clergy introductions, Gov. Lynch proclamation


 

Speaker of the NH House Bill O’Brien              Greg Salts for Congressman Frank Guinta

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Heh! Is aNOTHER Petition heading towards the NH GOP EBoard?

Haven’t seen it yet, but if the rumor is true, they are going to HATE it.  This one would not be pointing at the process by which the Chairman issue is being handled….this one would be directed at those 36 folks directly. I’m just chuckling over the visualization if all three arrived at the nexus … Read more

Hey, NH GOP Exec Board, you FUC***D up – where’s the DUE PROCESS??

As most of my close / long term friends know, I rarely use such impolite words like the above title implies.  When I do descend to such levels to use such, it shows a such level of disgust that I am failing to find a "high road" way that adequately describes the situation.  This whole mess is one of those times.  As I pointed out here, the politicalese is now coming out.  It always seems that when the tough gets going, the smoother and silkier the verbiage becomes. And now, within the boundaries of the ByLaws, the Executive Committee (36 or so members) will be finishing the borking of Jack Kimball on Thursday, Sept 1 with a fait accompli result of an undignified firing.  Such a deal – shred the TEA Party guy after only 8 months, lost three special elections, but had the 2nd best fundraising while Fergus Cullen lost two general elections, blithered through lots of money, an expensive lawsuit….. but got two full year?

Oh yeah, Fergus hates conservatives.

All we E-Boarders have to do is vote this problem away, right?

Not so fast, sports.  The base is not happy about this….and guess what – they can read too!  And active, they are.  With word that the Executive Board (contact info here) is going to merely go through the motions this Thursday (Sept 1), the activists have decided to take on the EBoard. Two petitions have now come out asking that elected delegates to the NH GOP Committee (the 400 or so Republicans that vote on stuff within the Party), sign one of several petitions that are calling for a Special Meeting. 

Their purpose?  To take the decision away from the E-Board, or, the ability to override their decision.  Those little people, such uppitiness!  Whatsa matter with them, don’t they know their place?  

Er, yes, they do.  And the Strafford County Republican GOP is the first out of the gate.  The question is,

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Strafford County GOP Committee – the petition

All it takes is 50 delegates to the NH GOP Committee (of the 400 or so) to call a Special Meeting.  I have a feeling it will be duly agreed to and signed by the requisite number of elected delegates. I am expecting they’ll get the required number of names or more.  Send Chris Buck … Read more

Yo, NH GOP Exec Board – here’s aNOTHER petition fer ya!

It’s the base telling the elites: "No, this is NOT your job – it is ours".  Am hearing that all heck is going to break out if the base is not allowed to pick their leader.  Woe to those that decide to end run or wimp out via technicality to NOT allow this Special Election … Read more

A man who is not to be trifled with shares his thoughts

Updated: I had identified Roland Six as a retired Navy SEAL – I blundered and apologize to Mr. Six for the misidentification and have removed that designation.

============================================

Posted with permission by Roland Six on the current situation in the NH GOP.  Lightly edited by me for presentation:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter. I have spent the day reading and re-reading your thoughts below as well as many other posts which have arrived in my inbox.

I understand the analogy you used, and, at some levels the “mission” as it might be considered, can be likened to warfare. However, in reading your words, a little voice in the back of my head whispers that it is the lockstep mentality so prevalent in the opposition political party that is being suggested here.

To speak directly to the “sides” issue, I find it curious that there seems to be an argument that donations to the GOP are being “withheld” because these unnamed donors  are disinclined to release said funds because Jack Kimball is the GOP chair. I’m not the smartest knife in the drawer, but there seems to be a “side” taken in this matter if this scenario is accurate. A little hypocrisy here? Where is the “team” behavior you cite on the part of those currently at odds with the Chairman? Probably not with “Jack and you folks ”, as you eloquently state below. Are you suggesting that you are on a different “side” than “Jack and you folks”; in conflict with the statement that “Once Jack was elected the "sides" issues go away and the team or mission and platform take precedent.”

There is a long-standing and well-documented history of conservatives of every flavor – social, fiscal, or otherwise – being marginalized or ignored by the “Establishment” Republicans in the Party. Because of this, there are some who are of the opinion that there is really no difference between the GOP and the Democrat political infrastructures. Both seem to engage in a…

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Nothing but a sop….

From Distaso:

O’Brien, who nominated Kimball for party chairman in January, still considers Kimball a friend, the source said, and hopes Kimball would resign “with dignity.”

Let’s translate – "Oops, this blew up in my face and in Jennifer Horn’s.  PLEASE resign so we can just get this to go away quietly – this was not supposed to happen".  Congratulations on picking on a former Navy guy (Jack).  I was asked by an activist that I trust "What is the last thing that a Navy captain wants to do?"  It took me all of 2 seconds to respond: "Abandon ship". The absolute phrase uttered only when nothing else has worked; worse than being relieved of command.  Any business owner has an inkling of the outlook – as their biz becomes "their baby", a ship becomes the leader’s raison d’etre and will sacrifice all for its benefit.

That is the mindset, I believe, with Jack.  No, he has not served for decades, but it IS that spirit in still observing his oath of fealty to this country.  The miscalculation was that Jack was a budding politician – wrong thing to do: the last thing that Jack does is think like a politician.  I guess that is one of the things people wanted when they voted for him, a real person, but must be driving the real pols absolutly bat-crazy thinking he is about to become one of them.

In this light, resigning is akin to "abandon ship" – a "friend" would know better and not evoke the condition under which that would be necessary.  An astute person would have realized it from the get go if they actually knew who Jack is. 

Let’s continue:

Horn, the source said, did not attend the meeting to urge Kimball to resign but rather to point out that “if the five top elected Republican officials in the state are telling you it’s time to go, it probably is.”

Sorry, that’s a distinction without…

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GrokTV Special Interview: Ovide Lamontagne

Last night was the "Stand With Israel" rally in Manchester, NH.  During the speakers, GraniteGrok caught up with Ovide Lamontagne (who spoke at the event) as to why it was important that he be there: More video over the next few days.  Also there getting some interviews was Paul Wescott – new morning host at … Read more

GrokTV Event: Senator Rick Santorum on Religion in the Public Square

This past Sunday, Americans for Prosperity / NH had a Presidential Summer Celebration in Center Harbor.  Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) was one that spoke. I pulled this clip out from his longer speech because it is one of the best defenses I have heard from any of the Presidential candidates thus far of why … Read more

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