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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.

Quick Thought: Necessary groveling?

NH’s Governor John Lynch, Democrat, just had his inauguration for a historic 4th term (never done before).  The Concord Monitor had the headline: Lynch Stresses Bipartisanship Ya think?  Actually, two thoughts: Er, does he really have much of a choice? Headline objectivity on the part of the paper? First, given that the Republicans have a … Read more

Choosing an RNC Chair

Guest post by Phyllis Woods, RNC Committeewoman from NH:

CHOOSING AN RNC CHAIR

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman, Michael Steele, will face four challengers on January 14th in Maryland as he seeks a second term for that post. The problems which have plagued the Committee are pretty well-known so it’s no surprise that all five people running generally agree about what the priorities should be for the next two years as the RNC chooses a leader going into the presidential election cycle.  Since they are all in substantial agreement on major policy issues and philosophy, the Members will need to dig deep to uncover the differences so that the best can prevail.

Quite simply, the job will require someone who is able to raise money and manage it efficiently and wisely, develop a winning message, stay acutely focused on message, and rebuild the public’s trust and confidence in the RNC.
The goal is to develop the best possible winning strategy to take back the Oval Office in 2012, gain a majority in the Senate and increase our numbers in the House.  Needless to say, the job of selecting who is most capable and best suited for the role of leading the RNC responsibly requires a lot of in-depth study, thought, discussion, and reflection. A good deal of time must be spent talking to and meeting with each candidate.

I have, like many of my colleagues on the Committee, formulated my own set of criteria for when I “vet” the candidates.  My process for choosing a candidate involves measuring the candidate against those criteria as well as other research. In addition to reading bios, endorsements, and memorandums in preparation for a personal one-on-one interview with a candidate, I also am speaking at length with a number of colleagues and associates on the Committee who are involved in their own “vetting” process. I give weight to the endorsements by other Members whose judgments I value as I know they are looking for many of the same qualities and traits that are important to me.

After doing this work and gathering as much information as I can on the individual prior to meeting them, I pay close attention to what…

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The UNH College Republicans want to get to CPAC – Help send them there!

The UNH College Republicans are going to be attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February. We were very active in helping campaigns this past fall, and CPAC helps energize Our group has been fundraising and we are almost to our goal. With your help, this trip will be a success. Donations can be … Read more

Endorsement for Jack Kimball for NH GOP Chair: Jennifer Horn

Jennifer Horn, former candidate for Congress in NH Second Congressional District, radio host, and NH GOP activist has announced her endorsement for Jack Kimball in his quest to succeed Gov. and current Chair, John Sununu: Nashua, NH   Jennifer Horn, 2008 Republican Congressional nominee and 2010 Congressional candidate, announced today her endorsement of Jack Kimball for … Read more

Endorsement for Jack Kimball for NH GOP Chair: Republican Liberty Caucus

REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS ENDORSES JACK KIMBALL FOR NH GOP CHAIRMAN Hemingway: ‘Kimball will unite grassroots energy with longtime party supporters for future victories.’ CONCORD, N.H.?Because a New Hampshire GOP Chairman’s first duty is to rally support for the party’s agenda and its candidates, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire endorses grassroots favorite Jack Kimball … Read more

So, Gov. Sununu – going “story shopping” now?

First it was Landrigan in the Telegraph.  I couldn’t figure out exactly what it was, journalistic malfeasance or bias, so I went with the latter. Now, in Roll Call, I see pretty much the same story.  Gee, I JUST can’t figure out WHY a national level reporter at a national level newspaper would deign to … Read more

Done with No Guns at the State House

Constitutional Rights are no rights at all if constrained unnecessarily; today, the Second Amendment was re-affirmed.  I talked about this here – and now it has come to pass.  Via Facebook:      Good news – By a vote of 11-1, the Joint Legislative Facilities Committee, which sets policy for the State House complex, reversed … Read more

The kerfuffle in the NH GOP – you know “you have arrived” when: Sununu Editorial in The Onion

Who Was I, And Why Was I Important Again?

January 4, 2011 | ISSUE 47•01

I was flipping through the channels the other day when I heard a CNN reporter say something along the lines of "Something, something, since John Sununu," and I thought, "Oh, yeah. John Sununu. Who was I again?"

I’ve heard my names enough times to think that I was a fairly big deal in Washington back in the day, but I can’t put a finger on what exactly I did or why I was important.

John Sununu. John Sununu. It’s like one of these iconic Washington names that you just know, right? I know it, people from Generation X know it, even some kids in their 20s might kind of know it, but all that comes to mind when I hear it is "political guy during the ’80s or early ’90s."

It’s on the tip of my tongue, just give me a minute.

Press secretary maybe? Secretary of state? I’m pretty sure I had a really important title, but I have no clue what that was. I know I wasn’t the president of the United States. I know that. I think I was fairly close to the president, though, because I vaguely remember news clips of myself shaking hands and talking with him, possibly in the Oval Office, so I must have been pretty high up, right? Which president, though? Bush? Or was it Reagan? I don’t think it was Clinton, because I’m pretty sure I’m a Republican who wasn’t Newt Gingrich.

Was I a senator? I don’t think so. Maybe.

Ugh, this is killing me. I really feel like…

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“That was a blast!” – Capital Access with Denis Goddard

Last Thursday I taped a segment of Capital Access with Denis Goddard out of Concord – and I royally enjoyed myself.  Ever get into "the zone" and everything seems to work from "pretty good to "Yo, Baby!")?  Yeah, that good: What does the Tea Party movement mean? What is the proper role of government? Can … Read more

The end of the beginning, the beginning of the middle…

Long day, full day; this is the first chance I’ve had a chance to set fingers to keyboard – and not long enough!  So, a quick clip from ABC – Mr. Guinta leaves for Washington! We’ll be watching! Early in her short tenure as a Congressman, Carol Shea-Porter famously told a Republican lady that she … Read more

Without context, the journalistic bias shows.

Who, what, when, where, and why – the basics.  Summarize five words to one as "context".  Nice to see that one of the topflight political reporters in NH, Kevin Landrigan, provides a full context for his readers on his article concerning Gov. Sununu’s endorsement and Jack Kimball’s response when he mentioned moi. Oh, wait – … Read more

“A Bullhorn or Bureaucrat for NH GOP?”

Guest post by Karen Testerman, founder of Cornerstone and candidate for NH Governor

A BULLHORN OR BUREAUCRAT FOR NH GOP?

Now that New Hampshire has changed from blue to red, will the political reporters and those prevailing Republican elected officials heed the very strong message sent by the voters? What were the voters looking for when they cast their ballots this past November?

When making a choice the informed voter looks at what distinguishes one candidate from another. The rhetoric of speeches, written statements and answers to questions provides some information. The letter behind the name indicates a governing philosophy or view of government reFlected in the platform of the candidate’s party. Thus, the voter expects the prevailing candidates will promote the advertised governing philosophy.

The NH Republican Platform begins, “We, New Hampshire Republicans, are united by our belief in God, individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, limited spending, limited taxes, economic opportunity, homeland security, compassion for the truly needy and our conFidence in the strength of families, places of worship, communities and volunteerism.” This appears to reFlect those underlying principles of the Declaration of Independence upon which America was founded, the “unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
 
Later this month, the Republican State Committee will be electing new officers, the most publicity going to the selection of their Party leader. According to the retiring Chairman, John H. Sununu, “the next chairman must have a real commitment to conservative Republican principles.”– those principle articulated in the party platform.

Additionally, reviewing the party website, one might expect…

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GrokTALK! – The Main Podcast Page

Welcome to the GrokTALK! Podcast page!  GrokTALK! is the Internet Radio show that "airs" every Saturday morning from 9 – 11 am.  We cover all kinds of topics from a Conservative (with Libertarian leanings) and concentrating on things political. Below you can directly select the podcast for each year of the show:     2011 … Read more

“This is the message of the establishment elites on both sides”

Steve has it right:

…Together they are building a wall whose mortar is mixed with excuses and platitudes about why someone like Jack Kimball should not be seriously considered for the post of party Chairman.

Even as such, his post only touched upon the tip of the iceberg – and there is, indeed, danger under the waterline.  One of the "outcroppings" falls along one of these:

  • "So-and-so hasn’t been around long enough to run for that"
  • "What’s s/he done lately for the Party?"

Both show the symptoms of a most peculiar disease and malfunctioning intellect which Steve correctly identified as "Party over Principle".  In short, it is not what you think and articulate but how

  • well you may have gravitated to power centers
  • how long have you spent "in grade". 

This is not a function of clear thinking based upon principle but solely a function of how long you have toiled (and kissed butt); think of it as the Republican version of governmental civil service.  This was best exemplified by the phrase "It’s Dole’s turn to run" when considering a Republican nominee for a higher office.  In summary, it is nothing more than a mentality that says:

"We say it’s not your turn"

Rubbish!  This is an entitlement proposition – the WE are entitled to say that YOU are not to have that office. My question asks "who made THEM the King Clowns?"  It is one thing to say – that person is insufficient for the job (like putting someone convicted of embezzlement (several times) in charge of the check book, or a RINO in charge of the Party…oh wait, we did that already in the middle of this decade!).

It is also the reason why the TEA Party movement has come so far in such a quick amount of time – it stood solely on principle.  Laughed at in the beginning, dismissed as that political train started to roll out of the station, and then "They" started throwing timbers onto the tracks as they saw it gain more and more speed and as other newly awakened Americans realized how far we had strayed (actually, been led by our "Elites") from our firm foundations based on Constitutional beginnings and principles.  Principles matter – and not the one of "Party over principle".

Let me give you a quintessential example: Neil Young (P 12) right here in central NH. The thrust of his message is doubled up:

  • he hasn’t served his time in the Party 
  • How dare he run without first coming to me for my blessing?

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GrokTALK! – Podcasts for 2011

GrokTALK! – Podcasts for 2011 Welcome to the GrokTALK! Podcast page for 2011 GrokTALK! is the Internet Radio show that "airs" every Saturday morning from 9 – 11 am.  We cover all kinds of topics from a Conservative (with Libertarian leanings) and concentrating on things political here in NH, the country, and the world.   … Read more

“We have become a nation of wusses”

A response to Kate Miller’s Letter to the Editor in one of my local dailies (page 4):

 I think Cam DeJong (now a Republican NH House Representative) said it well “We believe in people”.  Kate Miller, now a former Democrat NH House Representative, certainly does not believe that statement to be true in her latest Letter complaining about Republicans reversing what the Democrats had done.  

The scenario she cites was of citizens in the NH House Gallery letting their representatives below know of their ire in their voting.  To now state in her latest Letter “allowing for a true potential shout out at the OK Corral” is sheer demagoguery and shows a lack of respect for what was a purely legal activity.  Is Ms. Miller that afraid of guns, or is she that afraid of her own citizens that she represented (I love that past tense)?  If not, why else did she believe that her fellow citizens needed to be “controlled”?  Actual history (of the event itself) showed that no such scenario happened – I am quite sure that there were a number of Representatives were also carrying at the time.  It didn’t happen then and it is doubtful that a gallery of law abiding citizens would cause it to happen in the future.  It seems the Democrat PA Governor Rendell has it right when he posited “Are we becoming a nation of wusses?”

Republicans are simply about to revise a regulation (not even a law) that was promised during the last campaign cycle.  Ms. Miller has no reason to be kvetching – after all, many Republicans stated during their campaigns  that many issues would be in “rewind” mode; based on the huge mandate they have given, they will keep their promises – this was one.  After all, I would remind Ms. Miller – where were the Democrat campaign promises concerning gay marriage they ran on during the previous election cycle?  Right – there were none.  The Democrats ran in stealth mode on many issues and then rammed them through.  

Now, you have the temerity to complain about campaign promises being acted upon?  As that famous statement goes: “Oh please….”

Her Letter after the Jump:

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