“I have met a lot of hardboiled eggs in my time, but you’re twenty minutes.”~Oscar Wilde
You can’t make this stuff up. Representative Tony Soltani….Republican from Epsom writes a letter to the Concord Monitor excoriating House Speaker Bill O’Brien charging that O’Brien has become an autocratic dictator. To be frank, the letter is vividly descriptive with its rank generalizations of how “His majesty” O’Brien bullies and threatens the members into submission. It was definitely a fun read. But as far as fun reads go the letter was little more than pablum.
What is quite surprising is that by trade, Representative Soltani is a lawyer. And one might posit that most lawyers would be adept at, “making a case.” Being, “persuasive.” And its not a stretch to opine that Representative Soltani fancies himself the smartest guy in the room. Soltani’s house biographical information lists him as a member of the American Mensa Society.
If Tony would have only laid out specific examples of how Bill O’Brien has become a dictator, perhaps people might read it with a greater degree of credibility and less as a child with a pen throwing a temper tantrum. But as an aside, many of us have had the fortunate opportunity to get to know Bill O’Brien…personally. What Tony describes in his letter to the monitor is far removed from the Bill O’Brien I know. And I have had many opportunities to visit the house in session and I haven’t seen what Soltani describes.
Then there is the matter of where Soltani chose to take up his beef with the speaker. The Concord Monitor is an interesting choice of venue but I understand it completely. I mean, who else would publish such caterwauling nonsense, but some liberal rag trying to pass itself off as a credible news source. Moreover, if any scintilla of credibility existed within the descriptors, would not “Attorney” Soltani have been more persuasive in about a third of the 994 words slung onto paper? And would not Soltani have provided some harder factual examples other than a couple of drive-by anecdotes?
Well, where the heck do we go with this? The easy source is Representative Soltani’s voting record. Soltani seems to be possessed of some degree of fealty to labor unions. Perhaps, a “Union Guy?” and voted against right to work (HB474)….that emerges as the central thesis of his beef with the speaker. Because the vote would not take place when Tony wanted it to take place, he names that anecdote as cause and license to skewer Speaker O’Brien. Could it be? Well…when one takes into accountmany of the key high profile votes, Soltani is all-too-often listed as “not voting/not excused.” Yet, he proclaims in his monitor letter, “I shall carry out my office and uphold my oath as I have done consistently.” Consistently? That’s very noble, Tony but missing 42% of the votes is not how to consistently serve ones’ constituents….no vote…no voice.
That pattern of “which” votes were missed…Seems to indicate some concern about a low pink sheet score. (77%) Were you, Tony? And, if you are the smartest guy in the room, would not such considerations bear no deliberation? I’ll tell you how it shapes up for you, Tony…It’s RINOesque...
For all the ink thrown to a fishwrapper like the Concord Monitor, Tony could probably have profited more if he slung paint at canvas calling it “art.” And who knows? Perhaps some of Tony’s liberal friends might purchase his works to muse over while enjoying a Toddy and a Croissant. This letter was all drama and emotion…pablum at best…Pure Kabuki Theater and thus, I nominate Tony for a Tony.
