Steve MacDonald

Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, an award-winning blogger, and a member of the Board of Directors of The 603 Alliance and the National Heritage Center for Constitutional Studies. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor, Executive Editor, assistant editor, Editor, content curator, and more (yes, there's more) at GraniteGrok.com. Steve is also a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, the Republican Volunteer Coalition, and has worked for or with many state and local campaigns and grassroots groups, and is a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy.

But they made the trains run on time…

Nobody disputes the fact that the National Socialists ruling Germany in the Thirties till the mid- Forties weren’t anything, if not efficient. Despite that, you don’t find many folks who would define that regime as "good" in any sense of the word. By now, everybody’s heard of the recent Pew Center study ranking the Granite … Read more

So, this is what happens when we “fix” global warming?

From the "be careful for what you wish for" files… This is a photo I snapped this morning (yep-Sunday) of the crew of guys removing snow from my commercial building here in Central NH. While "manmade" global warming’s hucksters and fanatical religious zealots continue to beat their drums in typical frenzied fashion, the reality is … Read more

President Bush to members of the House: Empower the trial bar, or empower the intelligence community.

Pres Bush

Pres Bush (GG file photo by Doug)

In his radio address this week, President Bush again implores the House to pass legislation protecting valuable intelligence tools necessary to fight a resourceful and determined enemy.

I hope Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes are listening!

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This Thursday, Laura and I returned from an inspiring visit to Africa. In Benin and Tanzania, we met leaders who are fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria — and people whose lives have been saved by the generosity of the American people. In Rwanda, we saw a nation overcoming the pain of genocide with courage and grace and hope. In Ghana, we met entrepreneurs who are exporting their products and building a more prosperous future. And in Liberia, we saw a nation that is recovering from civil war, led by the first democratically elected woman President on the continent. Laura and I returned to Washington impressed by the energy, optimism, and potential of the African people.

Members of Congress will soon be returning to Washington, as well, and they have urgent business to attend to. They left town on a 10-day recess without passing vital legislationgiving our intelligence professionals the tools they need to quickly and effectively monitor foreign terrorist communications. Congress’ failure to pass this legislation was irresponsible. It will leave our Nation increasingly vulnerable to attack. And Congress must fix this damage to our national security immediately.

The way ahead is clear. The Senate has already passed a good bill by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. This bill has strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, and would pass if given an up or down vote. But House leaders are blocking this legislation, and the reason can be summed up in three words: class action lawsuits.

 

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Not a dime’s worth of difference? Think again.

John McCain..Barack Hussein Osama

                    John McCain = reality.                                          Barack Obama= fairy tale.

In his speech following yesterday’s Wisconsin primary victory, John McCain made the case in favor of conservative based government and contrasted it with the… well, nothingness, really, of the Obama candidacy. Talking about the general campaign ahead, the Arizona Senator said,

…now comes the hard part and, for America, the bigger decision.  Will we make the right changes to restore the people’s trust in their government and meet the great challenges of our time with wisdom, and with faith in the values and ability of Americans for whom no challenge is greater than their resolve, courage and patriotism?  Or will we heed appeals for change that ignore the lessons of history, and lack confidence in the intelligence and ideals of free people?
Exactly. Government versus the individual. McCain sets the demarcation line:
I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change that promises no more than a holiday from history and a return to the false promises and failed policies of a tired philosophy that trusts in government more than people.  Our purpose is to keep this blessed country free, safe, prosperous and proud.  And the changes we offer to the institutions and policies of government will reflect and rely upon the strength, industry, aspirations and decency of the people we serve.
Obama and his supporters talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk. What he touts as "change" is simply nothing more than a massive shift to the left, embracing many of the failed, worn policies of days gone by. Whether it’s foreign policy, or domestic matters, when we do discern any real proposals or facts that might have accidently found their way into his bag of promises and rhetoric, they turn out to be nothing that haven’t been previously heard before. As noted by Robert Samuelson, writing in the Washington Post,

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“Fearmongering” and “Scare Tactics” [Updated]

.9-11..Jumping Man- September 11, 2001.the future? (?)
Paul Hodes.September 11.Carol Shea Porter
                Paul Hodes                               Only a dream, apparently…        Carol Shea Porter
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Sunday’s Union Leader had a story that, once again, clearly demonstrates why it is imperative, given the dangerous world in which we live, New Hampshire must send its two current Congressmen packing come November. Reacting to President Bush’s warning this week about the danger of not renewing the intelligence bill providing for electronic surveillance of potential threats, the antiwar peacenik turned Congresswoman brushed it off as if it was of little importance…

DERRY – U.S. Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter accused President Bush of fear-mongering yesterday, insisting the nation is not more vulnerable to a terror attack without the electronic surveillance legislation he wants in place.

"This really is a big scare tactic. Nothing terrible is going to happen" New Hampshire’s 1st District representative said at a town hall meeting in Derry’s Municipal Center.

Really? How does Ms. Shea Porter know this? Does she believe that the lack of further attacks following September 11th, 2001 is simply because our enemies have somehow seen the light? Let’s remember Osama bin Laden’s words from his 1996 "Declaration of Jihad against the United States" in which he takes note of how he and his followers will engage the US:

 

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McCain’s CPAC Speech. The turning point?

John McCain
John McCain (GG file photo)
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ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today released the following remarks by John McCain as prepared for delivery:
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Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. It’s been a little while since I’ve had the honor of addressing you, and I appreciate very much your courtesy to me today. We should do this more often. I hope you will pardon my absence last year, and understand that I intended no personal insult to any of you. I was merely pre-occupied with the business of trying to escape the distinction of pre-season frontrunner for the Republican nomination, which, I’m sure some of you observed, I managed to do in fairly short order. But, now, I again have the privilege of that distinction, and this time I would prefer to hold on to it for a while.
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I know I have a responsibility, if I am, as I hope to be, the Republican nominee for President, to unite the party and prepare for the great contest in November. And I am acutely aware that I cannot succeed in that endeavor, nor can our party prevail over the challenge we will face from either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, without the support of dedicated conservatives, whose convictions, creativity and energy have been indispensible to the success our party has had over the last quarter century. Many of you have disagreed strongly with some positions I have taken in recent years. I understand that. I might not agree with it, but I respect it for the principled position it is. And it is my sincere hope that even if you believe I have occasionally erred in my reasoning as a fellow conservative, you will still allow that I have, in many ways important to all of us, maintained the record of a conservative. Further, I hope you will grant that I have defended many positions we share just as ardently as I have made my case for positions that have provoked your opposition. If not, thank you for this opportunity to make my case today.
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Ten Reasons why I won’t join the McCain Derangement Express…

runaway train
Derangement Express
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While Skip has decided to climb aboard the McCain Derangement Syndrome Express in concert with Rush, Michelle, and the rest, I have taken a decidedly more sober approach. While I agree that certainly McCain has been a pain in the @$$ for Republicans on some issues through the years, when I consider the lay of the land and the current reality of the public’s mood, the Arizona Senator represents the best shot we’ve got at defying the conventional wisdom that puts a Dem in the White House come January 2009.
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Rather than join the anti-McCain chorus like some mind-numbed robot repeating the talking points, I have come to my own conclusions about the man. To do this, I applied the first hand contact I had with the most likely GOP nominee when he was campaigning here in the Granite State for almost a full year and considered the people that I greatly respect that have endorsed him. I have spoken directly with Senator McCain and asked him specific questions about things important to me, and was pleased with his answers. Skip had the same opportunities as well, and yet, given his recent postings on the subject, apparently was dissatisfied. I’m wondering why he didn’t address his concerns when he had the chance. It appeared to me at the time that Skip was OK with the exchanges he had with the man. I guess that the 88 blogs he reads daily weren’t interested in McCain enough at the time to be distributing memos of what to think. 
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When all things are considered, and then combined with his electability given the current zeitgeist, we could do a whole lot worse than John McCain. Here’s ten reasons to be optimistic about the possibility of a McCain presidency…
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John McCain
10) He’s a fighter. The present administration has inexplicably decided that it would never defend itself or its decisions when attacked by the opposition. Perhaps if they had taken more strong steps to explain things to the American people, Bush, and by extension, the Republicans wouldn’t be playing catch-up to the Democrats. I don’t see a McCain administration enfeebled in this area like Bush. I don’t see McCain allowing his opponents to define him.
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9) He can plausibly represent "change" in an election where people want "change." This is important, unless your idea of "change" means electing a Democrat, which I think would be disastrous for America. The few "sticks in the eye" of Bush through the years paints McCain as one marching independent of the present administration. People are tired of Bush, as they would be after any two term president.
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Dragon Soup: Front page of USA Today reports: 75% of Baghdad Secure

Colonel Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
Colonel Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, talks to Iraqi children in the Masafee neighborhood of East Rashid, Baghdad during a recent visit there. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Kirk Luedeke, 4IBCT Public Affairs)

 
Kudos to USA Today reporter Jim Michaels, whose front page story in the Jan. 18-20 edition of the paper reports that 75% of Baghdad’s neighborhoods are secure as opposed to just 8% exactly one year earlier.
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This is an important story because it quantifies the progress that has been gaining momentum in mainstream media reporting since General David Petraeus issued his Iraq War progress report to the House and Senate back in September.
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My boss, Colonel Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division stationed here in Southern Baghdad, was interviewed for the story and I sat in on the telephonic interview he conducted with Michaels. Here are some points that didn’t make the final cut in the story, but provide further context for Michaels’ fair and accurate reporting:

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“In the Iranian context…” Aid and comfort from Mike Huckabee?

Iranian hostages
Members of "Iranians for Huck" attend political rally. (just kidding– well, maybe not…)
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Among the topics covered during our Saturday radio program, Meet the New Press, we discussed the recent published article by Mike Huckabee in which he refered to the foreign policy of the Bush Administration in a rather blunt, disparaging way. A December 14th AP News piece has the details:
"American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out," Huckabee said. "The Bush administration’s arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. My administration will recognize that the United States’ main fight today does not pit us against the world but pits the world against the terrorists."
During the roundtable exchange, I stated that such pronouncements "feed into the detractors and the anti war people." This is, of course, something we don’t need during a time of war, especially when we are on the verge of some success and a turnaround of fortune in its main front in Iraq. You can download an .mp3 of the segment here, or use the handy player below, to listen. The Huck talk starts about a minute or so into the converstation…
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Well guess what? Now, several days later, it turns out that while my observation was somewhat close, Huck’s words might be, unfortunately, more harmful that I had originally imagined. Instead of merely feeding into President Bush’s political opposition here at home, Huckabee’s sentiment appears to be bringing a level of "aid and comfort" to one of our main enemies in the present world-wide terror war: Iran.
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The confirmation comes from the Iranian Fars News Agency (FNA) in a December 25th article discussing the American presidential campaign entitled "Top Republican Wants Dialogue with Iran". Care to guess which "top Republican" they are refering to? (No, not Ron Paul…)

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Dragon Soup– Baghdad’s Christians: An island in the sea of Islam (Part 3 of 3)

Baghdad Christmas
PHOTO (by author): Christmas trees are alight just outside the 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Tactical Operations Center (TOC) on Forward Operating Base Falcon, Baghdad in 2007.
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[Blogger’s note to the readers]
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It is Christmas Eve here in Baghdad as I write this.
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Tomorrow, I will go to Christmas mass at the St. John’s Church in Dora. What could be more perfect than sharing in the celebration of Christ’s birth in the middle of what was once a war-torn neighborhood? A place overrun with fanatics who would shoot a person dead on the street because she didn’t have on a hijjab, the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women?
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This is the final installment of my series on Christians in Baghdad. As you look back on the work as a whole, understand that this is just a snapshot of what I have personally seen and experienced in one part of Baghdad. The situation in Dora and the Rashid District is not a template that can be applied to Christians everywhere else in Iraq. But in reading these dispatches, I hope that you can at least come to appreciate that like many Iraqis, be they Sunni, Shia or Kurd- the Christians have done their share of suffering in this war. Yet at the same time, this year, more than any other, is a time for celebration and hope.
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This is why I can feel God’s presence here, at this most holy of times for our faith, as we witness firsthand Christians returning to neighborhoods they had fled in terror, and their Muslim neighbors reaching out to embrace them. If that is not a sign of the Lord at work, then I don’t know what is.
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-Major Kirk
Forward Operating Base Falcon
Baghdad
Dec. 24, 2007

A light shines in the darkness

They came from all over Baghdad to see Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni conduct mass at the St. John’s Chaldean Church in Dora Nov. 15.
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Christian families came not only from the immediate neighborhoods in southern Baghdad, but from other locales after having left their homes because of the Al Qaeda and other Muslim extremists groups’ threats and intimidation.
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Full Circle in Iran?

Protesting at Tehran University Sunday 12/8/07 (H/T Drudge) . This is a rather interesting pic given the slogan on the sign, and the fact that it is IRANIAN students waving it in protest AGAINST their fundamental Islamic overlords. As a citizen of the Granite State, it gives me pause to see our state’s motto hoisted for the world to … Read more

Mitt Romney: Faith in America

Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney (GG file photo)
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Here is Mitt Romney’s speech on faith in its entirety:
College Station, TX – Speaking at The George Bush Presidential Library, Governor Romney addressed the American people about his views on religious liberty, our country grand tradition of religious tolerance and how faith would inform his Presidency.
Governor Romney’s "Faith In America" Address (As Prepared For Delivery):
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"Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind introduction.
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"It is an honor to be here today.  This is an inspiring place because of you and the First Lady and because of the film exhibited across the way in the Presidential library.  For those who have not seen it, it shows the President as a young pilot, shot down during the Second World War, being rescued from his life-raft by the crew of an American submarine.  It is a moving reminder that when America has faced challenge and peril, Americans rise to the occasion, willing to risk their very lives to defend freedom and preserve our nation.  We are in your debt.  Thank you, Mr. President.
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"Mr. President, your generation rose to the occasion, first to defeat Fascism and then to vanquish the Soviet Union.  You left us, your children, a free and strong America.  It is why we call yours the greatest generation.  It is now my generation’s turn.  How we respond to today’s challenges will define our generation.  And it will determine what kind of America we will leave our children, and theirs.
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Precious Cargo

Veterans Cemetary
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The following was forwarded to us by our friend, Blue Star Mother Sue Peterson. It was written by L.D. Jeffries of West Ossipee, who gave us permission to share it with our readers…

It’s not about right or wrong, but how we treat soldiers

I am a pilot (first officer) for Continental Airlines and just recently had an event happen during one of my flights that I felt should be shared. I just had the honor and privilege of flying a fallen soldier flight on Flight 15 from Newark to Honolulu last Wednesday, Nov. 21. I had heard about these fallen soldier flights and knew we did them but I had no idea how intense and emotional it would be when and if it was my turn. Add to the intensity was the fact that one brother was escorting his deceased brother back home. They were from the little island of Pago Pago, and the young man that was killed was just doing the sergeant major a favor when he went on the patrol he was killed on. He was supposed to just be the driver for the top sergeant. I know they probably left their little island paradise to see the world, and likely the only way they could afford to, so they signed up. I’m guessing they still would have done so had they truly suspected the outcome, the perception of immortality as a young man is very powerful as I recall.
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The deceased soldier, a sergeant, was escorted by his real brother and active duty army specialist 5, and also a fellow Afghanistan campaign veteran. The young man was killed in Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED, probably sometime close to Veterans Day. His remains were non-viewable. The boys were on their way back home to an island wide and well deserved hero’s welcome.
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Captain Mike Montgomery, also a veteran, and I saluted the casket aboard our 767-400 for the 11-hour flight. The ceremony happened at gate C138 and in front of the huge windows of terminal C. There was standing room only in the windows and three people deep as we rode the cargo carrier up the 15 feet to bring the soldier aboard. We rode up the carrier elevator at "present arms" and held the salute until the casket was in the hold. The ceremony of bringing the body aboard was a significant and sobering event for me. I felt pride, honor and a deep sadness at the same time as I reflected on all the guys I knew personally who were killed in this war, the last one, and the one before that. Eleven hours later, my landing in Honolulu was the best I have ever done in the 767-400. I think the airplane knew we had extra precious cargo aboard as well.
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Baby doesn’t get what he wants from his nanny (state).

nanny state
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I was most amused by the news of the most recent tantrum thrown by one of the Lakes Region’s biggest crybabies, socialist David Stamps. "GASP! Doug– you just called him a…. socialist! That’s pretty harsh." Maybe, but here in these parts, he is the classic case study of a socialist in action. Before you move along, thinking this to be a local story, which it certainly is, keep in mind that there’s people just like this in every town, city, and hamlet in America (unfortunately).
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First, the news– Mr. Stamps was among the founders of one of these taxpayer black holes known as the "Main Street" program that cropped up in many locales some years back. You know the drill– taxpayers $$ used to fund more bureacratic positions and "gimme jobs" under the guise of "marketing". In Laconia, (which kicked in twenty grand a year of local property taxes raised on top of the "grant" monies) it was used mostly in the promotion of events that always seemed to have underlying, liberal social engineering themes like "multicultural day." When the city wanted Harley Davidson Corp. to set up shop in the downtown area during the annual Race & Rally Week, guaranteed to bring folks in for a visit, the Main Street group, for all intents and purposes, opposed it. Better to have the gay, lesbian, and transgendered crowd and antiwar peaceniks than a bunch of bikers with wallets full of money in town for Motorcycle Week…
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Well, the gig is up. Whoever was pushing the "Main Street Program" up the foodchain for some reason has pulled the plug on the free ride. Local groups, instead of recieving a good deal of taxpayer largesse from on high, must now reverse direction and PAY to belong. Probably some politicians started really paying attention to the bloated system that could not possibly justify its existence much longer, and figured they might face some heat from the taxpayers. Heh! It was good while it lasted.
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Apparently, Mr. Stamps didn’t get the memo. As if on cue, Stamps, like all good socialists, thinks it can be made to work, if only the pesky unbelievers would just let them be. More time. More people. MORE MONEY!!! The Citizen (Laconia, NH) has the details:
Less than six years ago, the Laconia Main Street program was launched amid great hopes for revitalizing the downtown economically while preserving its past.
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But now, short of volunteers, money and with accusations that some city officials do not support it, the program is in an uncertain place that became even more undefined on Wednesday when David Stamps, its co-founder and president, said he is stepping down from the program’s Board of Directors.
While the paper is somewhat kind, what happened is that Mr. Stamps submitted his resignation by e-mail, berating Laconia’s elected and hired leaders. Why? Cuz he didn’t get his way… poor baby! The powers that be in Laconia, liberal as they are, don’t hold a candle to Stamps when it comes to the pro-socialist positions. To the absolute horror of Mr. Stamps and others of his ilk, the city has decided, rather than spend the bucks on hired apparatchiks to hold events nobody would possibly want to attend, that promoting capitalism is instead the way to go. Bwahahaha!
 

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Memo to McCain NH Leadership Team: “The Comeback Continues”

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As we get ever closer (at least we think) to the NH Primary, the one thing that’s apparent to me as I observe the scene is that the Granite State is still up for grabs, with no clear frontrunner sporting some insurmountable lead. The front four, Huckabee, Romney, Giuliani, and McCain all show signs that they are going to make an all out sprint to the finish line (wherever it is). We have reported in many prior postings that the enthusiasm and numbers turning out for the various candidates is quite high. The last Giuliani, McCain, and Romney events the ‘Grok has attended have been standing room only. As a Republican, this is heartening indeed. I love a good campaign, and watching all comers espousing core conservative positions is the added bonus in this cycle.
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As proof to the fluidity of the NH Republican presidential landscape, consider this analysis of the most recent polling data. In a confidential memo to McCain’s NH leadership team from National Political Director Michael Dennehy obtained by GraniteGrok, we find the campaign satisfied with where it stands at the moment in this must-win state:
We also received some very good news from The Boston Globe poll that was released today.  Andy Smith, of the UNH Survey Center, conducted the poll and he was quoted as saying the race is “still really open”.  While the ballot indicates that Romney has 32, Rudy 20 and John 17, it doesn’t discuss the important numbers inside the numbers.
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Of significance, only 16% of those sampled have “definitely decided” who they are voting for in the Primary.  And of those 16%, the race is a dead heat with Romney at 29%, John at 24% and Rudy at 24%.  However, the best news of the entire poll for our campaign in New Hampshire, is that since Andy Smith’s last poll at the end of September, John has increased his “definitely decided” from 10% to 24% – a 240% gain.  Romney has only increased 4 points and Rudy only 3.  This further illustrates the momentum that John has in New Hampshire and is a sign of good news to come.  It also proves what we have known all along – when John McCain meets voters, looks them in the eye, and gives them “straight talk”, they are boarding the bus for good!
As for the big push for the goal that is now underway, you know McCain fields the strongest ground game of all the Republican campaigns– no one does full contact politicking like he does. Writes Dennehy,
Crowds at our Town Hall meetings are growing and getting much more enthusiastic, veterans are showing up at campaign events in droves, and phone calls and emails to our headquarters are keeping our volunteers overtime. 
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You will see John in every corner of the state in the weeks ahead and we’ll need your help more than ever.  As more and more voters tune in to the race, we expect to have the same success converting undecideds into supporters.  We need to grow our local organizations and turn your friends and neighbors into supporters too.  If this conversion rate holds, we’ll be taking the lead for good on, or even earlier than, January 8 – when we EXPECT the Primary to be held.
The battle is on!
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The entire text of the memo follows:

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Business as usual ends in Dover

. I’m sure my friend Bill is happy today— the tax cap proposal has been passed by the voters of Dover. Good for them! The charter amendment passed Tuesday by a margin of 405 votes, with 3,225 votes in favor and 2,820 votes opposed. When you add them to the growing list of cities that … Read more

Voting Day. A couple of recommendations…

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While I fret about the fact that so few people care enough to vote when election day rolls around, I don’t get as worked up about voter turnout, in general, as others tend to do. My bigger concern is that the people that are voting are well-informed, not propagandized. Today is Election Day– the "midterm of the midterm", if you will, as it is mostly city elections that will be occuring.
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If I lived in Manchester, I would definitely be voting for Mayor Giunta’s re-election. Tax stability goes hand in hand with good service and a quality education. Taking action against criminal activities is important too. While it must be akin to herding cats, Giunta has managed all of these areas rather well. Why would Manchester want to change course?
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In Laconia, Mr. Greg Knytych is running for the Ward 1 seat on the City Council. Skip and I had the opportunity to meet and listen to Mr. Knytych a while back at the American Solutions Day event held here in our neck of the woods. He contributed a great deal of input during that day’s activities and was, in fact, encouraged to become involved in local affairs, which he obviously is doing. We had him in studio this past Saturday on MTNP radio. Promising to abide by the tax cap, stressing its success and importance, he offers the Lake City an opportunity to elect a well-informed, "regular-guy". In his closing words as our guest, Mr. Knytych reminded the listeners that, yes, he is a Republican, and not afraid to say so, but beyond that, and more importantly, he wanted the folks to know that he is a conservative. And not afraid to say so. Go here to watch him in studio on the SchlubCam.
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In Dover, the big question is the tax cap. I can’t imagine why the voters wouldn’t want this. We discussed and debated the subject on GraniteGrok here and here. In an op-ed following his recent election as Franklin’s Mayor, Mr. Ken Merrifield wrote, of that city’s tax cap:

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Hang on tight– It’s time to Meet the New Press!

. ….        ..Pat Hynes                                Skip Murphy                          Doug Lambert . Once again, this week’s broadcast version of GraniteGrok and AnkleBitingPundits brings an array of items and guests for your consideration. As always, thanks to the technical wizardry and analytical skills of Skip (the GraniteGrok media empire’s secret weapon), if you are beyond the broadcast area … Read more

Oh that Jeanne Shaheen, there she goes again!

…Al Gore canoeing
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Our friend Pat Hynes  at AnkleBitingPundits writes about Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, former governor and present candidate for US Senate, hopping aboard the Bush derangement bandwagon…
I was wondering when the “Bush Caused the Wildfires” mantra would start. I just didn’t think it would start in my Granite State of New Hampshire and that it would come out of the mouth of former New Hampshire Governor and current Democratic Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen, who is normally very disciplined and not prone to saying silly things.

Nevertheless:

Speaking to an audience of committee members and elected officials, Shaheen and Buckey discussed their qualifications for the Senate and their stance on global warming, the economy, and the health care system.

Buckey said he would focus on decreasing America’s dependence on petroleum and increasing research on renewable energy technologies. He said it’s an issue that’s vital to both national security and the economy.

“If we don’t take action, we are going to lose control of America’s future,” Buckey said. “Ten years from now, do we want to be importing solar-powered systems and other technologies from elsewhere or do we want to be building them here?”

Shaheen agreed with many of Buckey’s points, but criticized the Bush administration on everything from the war in Iraq to health care. Shaheen also blamed Bush for the wildfires in California.

“Those wildfires are the direct result of the failure of this administration to do something about global warming,” she said.

This is a pretty remarkable and irresponsible statement on Shaheen’s part, for as even the MSM has acknowledged by now: “Authorities in Southern California said they believe two of the fires that recently ravaged the area were intentionally started.”

As readers no doubt know, Shaheen is running against Sen. John Sununu, whom you can contribute to through the Rightroots contribution interface HERE.

UPDATE: More than a few readers have e-mailed to say that Gov. Shaheen’s gaffe is the consequence of a major party going loopy–otherwise smart, rational people start saying loopy things just to win their approval. Sigh. I suppose so.

This, of course, follows a similar pattern demonstrated by none other than Bill Clinton. Remember when he blamed "right wing talk radio" (Rush Limbaugh- Clinton’s number one detractor) for the OKC bombing?  Long a New Hampshire version of the "triangulator" Bill Clinton, it is no surprise that Ms. Shaheen would choose this path of thoughtless demagoguery as she seeks to curry favor with the left wing loons of her party.

Those following the career of Jeanne Shaheen know that this wouldn’t be the first time Ms. Shaheen said or did something loopy in the process of seeking approval. Let’s review one incident in particular…

 

 

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