Marty Harty of Barrington resigned his house seat after making remarks that were both insensitive and inappropriate. The resignation was appropriate because to be a lawmaker in Concord, one must represent ones’ constituency with fairness and judiciousness. Comments made by Representative Harty fell short of that.
But it’s not enough that Jim Splaine, writing on Boo-Hoo Hampshire, asserts, “He did cause hurt and harm, and it would be good to hear a sincere apology from him.” Additionally, all of the major news publications had a story on this and so did the Blogosphere. Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Blog Talk Radio, the list goes on.
So might you think by now that everyone has had their catharsis…their pound of flesh? NOPE! In January my colleague Steve MacDonald talked in a blog about the ubiquitous, “Template” the opposition party all too frequently uses, chucked full of talking points, mantras, and condemnations. But clearly, the issue wasn’t labored sufficiently for Representative Phyllis Woods who picked up the mantle and ran with it, writing for the Monitor. Representative Woods explains, “Harty is not a member of our Republican county or state committee. He was not recruited by our party to run. He faced primary opposition, but the voters chose Harty over another Republican candidate by six votes…”
Representative Woods’ treatment of the issue is embarrassing in telling us Harty has an ‘R’ next to his name, but he’s not one of us. What Representative Woods fails to recognize is that the opposition needs only have the ‘R’ next to the name for such broad-brush painting. They are the party of demagogues and panderers and no amount of disavowing Harty will change that.
Marty Harty is 91-years-old. Age does not discriminate. All of us, if we live that long, are going to be “Old Farts” like Marty Harty. Being confused, forgetful, absent-minded or rash are the losses some elderly face, when age progression treats some harsher than others. Marty Harty is now gone. He has resigned. His resignation shows that our politics are self-correcting and acknowledging. If only those in the Republican Party would stop the appeasement and ass-kissing of the demagoguing democrats.
Let us remember the New Hampshire Democratic Party is this same Democratic Party that propped up Peter Leonard. I fail to see how that is not one of the biggest, most epic examples of corruption in the contemporary New Hampshire Politics, as aptly outlined by Fergus Cullen on Red Hampshire.
There will be other house members…perhaps a senator who will likely say something stupid or vile. Why not simply address it in the tone and context it deserves and stop this pandering to the Democrats?
H/T Steve Mac Donald
