It looks like the race for NH Speaker for the House (pretty much, the most powerful political position in NH, outstripping that of the Governor) has just gotten more interesting. From the NH GOP, this was incoming:
New Hampshire Republican Party Communications Director Ryan Williams released the following statement today on Terie Norelli’s (D-Portsmouth) announcement that she intends to seek another term as New Hampshire House Speaker:
"Under Speaker Norelli’s watch, Democrats have increased spending, raised job-killing taxes and driven New Hampshire to the brink of an unprecedented fiscal disaster. The state now faces a projected deficit of nearly $800 million as a result of the Democrats’ failed leadership and gross mismanagement of the budget.
The entire release is after the jump. So, on the Republican side we have four:
- Bill O’Brien (who has received the GraniteGrok endorsement)
- Gene Chandler (lots of traffic at his area at the NH GOP Convention – but there were LOTS of donuts there too!)
- Susan Emerson (Steve’ observations here)
- John Reagan (who set up next to the GraniteGrok area at the NH GOP Convention – not much traffic there from what I saw)
First thoughts?
- If and Only IF
…the Dems hold the House by a large majority will Norelli get her heart’s desire. OR, if the RINOs that were not slayed by the new force in Republican politics, the Republican Liberty Caucus of NH, decide to jump ship and enable the Democrats continue their Progressive / Incremental Socialism ways.
- Given Steve’s observations, the only way Emerson wins is if the Democrats decide to support her. Then, does that make Susan Emerson beholden to the Democrat agenda? Who would be standing beside (or behind) "the throne" in that scenario? I doubt that it would be anyone from the conservative Republicans…
- John Reagan – I’ve not heard of any widespread support for him to spring him into the Speakership…empirical evidence at the NH GOP Convention
- Which leaves Gene Chandler – of the moderate middle. Would he be steadfast enough to counter all of the damage done by the Democrats the last few years? Remember, moderates are more about "bipartisanship" to get things done. Well now, the Democrats have certainly got things done lately without "bipartisanship" – but not from a Constitutional (either US or NH one) viewpoint. Really, will compromising on the Republican Platform actually roll back that damage on "the folks Freedom"? Or will he bow to the Democrats notion of Government primacy?
There IS a large contingency of Liberty and Freedom type Republican candidates ready to go to work should they win in November – and win they probably will given the current political winds. While the Democrats are all about calling them extremists, yet what is so extreme about balancing the budget without "Federal-money-with-strings-attached" (the Porkulus $$). They see the damage done by raising the taxes, the spending, and enlarging the regulatory bite by the State and the effects it is having on all of us.
I find it rather doubtful that Chandler could find sufficient support from these folks that want to go back to First Principles. In fact, at the merest wafting of a compromise counter to what this group holds dear would not go over well at all. In fact – I think he’d be faced with the political version of pitchforks and tar/feathers…
Speaking about calling these folks extremists: hey, Dimmocrats – if that was good enough for the Framers of the Constitution who actually studied history to see what worked and what failed, how is it that YOU think you can ignore First Principles or call them "extreme"?.
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The entire NH GOP Release:
New Hampshire Republican Party Communications Director Ryan Williams released the following statement today on Terie Norelli’s (D-Portsmouth) announcement that she intends to seek another term as New Hampshire House Speaker:
"Under Speaker Norelli’s watch, Democrats have increased spending, raised job-killing taxes and driven New Hampshire to the brink of an unprecedented fiscal disaster. The state now faces a projected deficit of nearly $800 million as a result of the Democrats’ failed leadership and gross mismanagement of the budget.
“Speaker Norelli has also turned a blind eye to the shockingly unethical behavior of her handpicked House Floor Majority Leader, Representative Dan Eaton. She has allowed Representative Eaton to use fear, coercion and intimidation to bully public officials and push his personal agenda in Concord. Now, Speaker Norelli is deliberately protecting her top lieutenant by refusing to call for an ethics investigation into his disturbing actions.
“Enough is enough. Voters are fed up with the higher taxes, budget deficits and ethics scandals that have resulted from one-party Democrat rule in Concord. It’s time to restore New Hampshire’s fiscal sanity and drain the ethical swamp by electing fiscally responsible Republicans in November.”
