As Skip wrote Wednesday, the ‘Grok is a conservative blog – no doubt about it. The philosophy that drives us includes individual responsibility, limited government, free markets, adherence to the Rule of Law, property rights, and an open, transparent government that is frugal with taxpayer money. Government can not, and should not, try to be all things to all people. It does not include the over reach of the cloying collective of the Nanny State and the spend-with-no-constraints attitude that seemingly has invaded both the national and NH scene.
What we want at the national level is to win the war in Iraq, and the larger war with the Islamofascists. We also want a rational energy policy that, while protecting the environment, fully exploits our own domestic supplies, labor, and innovation. We understand the best way to achieve this, in most cases, is to get government out of the way. On top of this, we expect that our elected politicians sworn to protect and defend the Constitution will interpret that to mean the defense of our borders in the mix.
When we submitted the "GraniteGrok Q & A Series" to the various candidates in the NH’s two congressional districts, we were rather impressed by the responses of many of the candidates and remarked at the time that from among most of the Republicans, any would do just fine over the Democrat down in Washington. That being said, and with an active primary nearing the final stretch, it’s time to make a choice. Here in the 1st District, the question becomes
"Which candidate best matches our core conservative beliefs with the ability to win the seat in November against a well-funded Democrat?"
Jeb Bradley
While the ultimate decision was made recently, it has been evident to us for quite some time that the person best suited to run as the Republican nominee and able to attract enough votes to beat Carol Shea Porter is Jeb Bradley. It has been our contention that Jeb served the District well while down in Congress and was truly the unfortunate recipient of the anti-Republican backlash of 2006– one of the few that honestly didn’t deserve what he got. When one looks at his record and considers the general center-right makeup of the 1st CD, he is as closely matched with constituents as a politician could be. His conservative credentials come attached with a reasonable and respected record on the environment that can be defended against the overheated rhetoric that will be undoubtedly deployed by Shea-Porter and the big money special interest groups backing her (Sierra Club, etc). As Skip noted in this prior post, even the lefties and the Democrats believe the polls indicating Jeb CAN win this seat.
When it came time to pull for the people of New Hampshire, he showed an ability to get the job done. How can one think about all those jobs at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard without recalling the effort of Jeb Bradley as he went to the mat in preventing its closure? Jeb is a guy who can get things done down in Washington– a known quantity.
The good news for us here in New Hampshire is that not only is Jeb Bradley a known quantity performance-wise as our Congressman in DC, he is a known quantity here at home in the District as well. His has long been a familiar face at various functions and events going way back. In addition, he has embraced new media of all types, including the Blogosphere and talk radio (which you KNOW makes us happy! 
). While serving in DC, he was still readily accessible to all. I’m not sure that’s the case with our present congresswoman.
When one considers the issues of the day– national defense– which includes a secure border, a sound energy strategy, and keeping the economy strong so that people won’t need the helping hand of government, Jeb Bradley fits the bill quite nicely. He has experience, and has proven he understands the value of frequent and constant contact with the ordinary people of our District. Both Skip and I want a congressman we can rely on to make sound, conservative votes down in Washington that we’re able to actually contact in person should the need arise. Jeb Bradley is that person. We will both be casting our votes for him on Primary Day, September 9th, followed by another in November. We are urging our fellow citizens to do the same!
Jeb will join us this Saturday on our radio program, Meet the New Press. Visit his website here, and do take the time to review his answers to our Q & A here. You’ll note that when asked to list 5 programs at the federal level he would eliminate, he gave 39. Oh yeah, he’s a strong proponent of the "flat tax" and wants to end taxpayer funded benefits to illegals too.
When a conservative takes a good look at Jeb Bradley, there’s much to like. We believe a majority of voters in District 1 will ultimately feel the same way– especially when they contrast him to Carol Shea Porter- a reliable tool of Nancy Pelosi and her cider-sipping comrades on the far left. But we need to help him win the primary first…