Right now, the "power" I speak of lives in two forms:
- Democrat, Liberal, and Progressive majorities in New Hampshire, and in Washington DC.
- Abandonment of Conservative, Constitutional principles by too many Republicans.
Both forms of power must be confronted and unplugged. Let’s talk about the New Hampshire component of this power for the moment:
When Republicans retake their majority in the NH House this November, their reward will be choosing the next Speaker of the House. The Speaker wields immense power, setting the agenda and direction of the House over his or her term.
Whom Republicans choose as their speaker in January 2011 is extremely important, and will determine whether the momentum we are all fighting for gets exploited, or falls short of its potential.
We must all push hard to insist that Representative Bill O’Brien (R-Hillsborough 4: Mont Vernon, Lyndeborough, Wilton, Temple, New Boston) becomes the next NH Speaker of the House in January 2011.
Representative Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett), former Speaker from 2001 to 2004, is also vying for this position.
In 2004, while speaker, Chandler was investigated for not reporting $64,000 in gifts in the time during and before his Speakership. He pleaded guilty to the “mistake” of not realizing how he could, and could not, use money that was raised by a "friends of" committee, and not knowing that he had to report this money. He paid a $2000 fine, performed 100 hours of community service, and was censured by the House for violating their ethics rules, but kept his seat; House Republicans decided not to remove him from office.
Representative Chandler, serving his 13th term in the NH House, currently serves on the House Public Works and Highways committee.
Chandler’s recent NH Liberty Alliance scores are as follows:
2010 B+ 2009 B+
2008 B 2007 B+
2006 B 2005 C+
In contrast, O’Brien’s NH Liberty Alliance scores are as follows:
2010 A- 2009 A+
2008 na 2007 na
2006 B 2005 B+
O’Brien, conservative co-chair of the House Republican Alliance, friend of the 912/Tea Party community, sponsored by the GraniteGrok, and sponsored by the NH Republican Liberty Caucus, has a respectable pro-liberty record and has been improving over time.
Bill O’Brien frequently quotes Barry Goldwater, and insists that “we must, and we shall, return to proven ways – not because they are old, but because they are true.”
(see this video of a speech given by O’Brien at the NHRLC meeting in January, 2010)
While Chandler is somewhat right of center, he has a major stain on his record. Mistake or not, this stain is something we cannot afford our next Speaker to have. The opposition will continue to hammer him on this for as long as he remains in politics. In line with the tone of these mid-term elections, many feel that it is time for new, truly Conservative leadership, rather than choosing someone who held the reins before, and who is not completely above reproach.
Chandler’s value exists in holding his seat and supporting Republican values (of course, he could be even more valuable if he shifted further right, improving his Liberty rating). Chandler’s contribution, as Speaker, would be diminished to the point of becoming a liability, as Liberals make him the poster-child of the less-than-scrupulous ways of Republicans-past.
Your role in this fight is to talk to your respective NH House candidates. Ask them, if elected, “would you support Bill O’Brien for speaker, or would you support Gene Chandler?” Let them know, right now, that this is an election issue, and that it matters to you. If they don’t know, tell them that they’d better go find out.
You could also attend this event, which will raise funds for Rep. O’Brien’s campaign for Speaker this fall.
It is time for a change – smart, viable change. It is also a time for unquestionable integrity, beliefs, and actions.
Unfortunately, for Gene Chandler, it means not taking a visible leadership role.