Normally during the day at work, I’ll try to listen to Laura Ingraham, Rush, and Howie Carr during the day. That said, the operative word is TRY. Being a computer guy, I’m talking with clients all day long – out of a 3 hour show I might actually get a total of 15 minutes actual listening time during that span as the MUTE button gets hit and on the phone I go. Thus, I don’t get a chance to hear a lot of what goes on during any of the shows I like. Especially this past Wednesday – thus this posting now.
Ovide Lamontagne is running for the Republican nomination to be the next US Senator from NH and I happen to bump into him this past Friday nite at The Draft Sports Bar in Concord for the NH Young Republicans Christmas Party (yeah, they let grizzled old me in too). While he was catching me up since the last time we had seen each other, he told me that he had been on Laura’s show on Wednesday – drat, due to the phone calls, I totally missed it.
He was kind enough to send the MP3 along (the clip is behind her Laura365 pay wall), so of COURSE I listened. In bringing him onto the show, the intro she used was "the only true conservative in a very important in NH and I’m thrilled he is with us".
Click here to listen
He returned the favor when she asked if he would sign up for her "Ten for ’10" program and he announced that he already had:
- Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights (TABOR). Limit federal spending growth to the percentage in population growth plus the rate of inflation; provide taxpayers the option of filing a post-card sized return using a low, flat tax rate of 15%
- End Tax-funded abortions. Stop federal payments to Planned Parenthood and prohibit any taxpayer-subsidized health insurance plan from covering abortion
- Defend American Borders. Complete America’s border-protection initiatives using remaining funds from the so-called stimulus bill
- King Dollar. Preserve a strong dollar so that Americans’ savings aren’t wiped out by inflation and the U.S. dollar remains the world’s reserve currency
- Empower American Business. Immediately slash corporate tax rates to 15% and scrap the capital-gains tax altogether
- Defend America. Strengthen America to defend our homeland and fully fund an operational, layered missile-defense system
- Statism Exit Plan. De-fund czars; immediately cease bailout payments to failed companies; ban future bailouts
- End Generational Theft. As few believe America’s entitlement programs will be able to pay benefits to future generations, provide younger workers the choice of diverting payroll/Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts
- Restore America’s System of Justice. Introduce penalties for frivolous lawsuits, where those who launch unsuccessful lawsuits are liable for the defendants’ legal bills
- American Energy Independence. All-of-the-Above strategy that embraces alternatives, expands and accelerates exploration and production of oil and natural gas, and jumpstarts dramatic increases in nuclear power
*****
Now, to be fair, there were also quite a number of other candidates at the NHYR fest as well and I had the chance to yak with most of them (even if briefly): Kelly Ayotte, Rich Ashooh, Charlie Bass, Peter Bearse, Bob Bestani, Mike Castaldo, Frank Guinta, Jennifer Horn, Jack Kimball, and I think, Bob Guida and Jim Bender (sometimes the memory does go blank from time to time so somebody feel free to correct me….). The important result was that there were a LOT of candidates to talk, not just me, but to the activists and folks that just wanted to have a fun time talking politics. Being from further north, this was a treat to have to travel a much shorter distance than normal. And to be truthful, I spent probably more time talking to some of my more "bloggy" friends than I did candidates.
Special note: The ‘Grok (specifically me), has been rather hard on Charlie Bass but I would be remiss if I didn’t give him some kudos.
He strolled over to where I was engaged in a conversation and when I was introduced to him, he looked a wee bit puzzled. However, when I added "GraniteGrok", the puzzlement left rather quickly. I do have to say that he was gracious (as I hoped I was) but he did have the fortitude to ask "well, I’m traveling all over the state asking people if I should run office – what would you say"? My polite response was "being from the conservative wing of the party, I would say ‘no’". We shook hands, wished each other Merry Christmas, and separated.
Special thanks to Andy and Laurie Sanborn, owners of The Draft for opening up their place for this gathering. Andy has been getting more and more active, having run for the NH Senate this last go round and more recently, standing up for small businesses around the State of NH against the multitude of new business taxes and regulations that the Dems keep foisting upon "the gooses that lay the golden eggs" – their stranglehold is starting to have very negative effects.
Postscript – I’ve been doing more philosophical type posts and haven’t been doing much on NH politics lately; I think it’s time to ease on back in….
