GraniteGrok Endorsement – NH State Senate District 4: Phyllis Woods

Phyllis WoodsSometimes you like the stances that  politician has.  Sometimes, you may not like the stances but like the person.  In this case, I am happy to say that I get to do both!  I’ve known Phyllis Woods (running for NH State Senate in District 4) for a number of years now (since becoming politically active) and have found her to be a nice, thoughtful, caring lady with a spine of steel when it comes to standing tall.  Over the last few years, she has worked on to recruit other Conservative ladies to run for office, encouraging with help on issues, campaigns, and other details necessary to be successful.  She has been a constant face at Conservative events for years, lending her reputation, her presence, and (again) her encouragement to “the grassroots” in the Liberty & Freedom area as well. She is one of the hardest working folks I know – and she has been a mentor to me, at times, as well – always having a willing ear at the ready. She also has been a tireless worker within the Republican Party, having recently served as the RNC Committeewoman from NH (and helping to maintain NH’s stance as the First in the Nation Primary).

I can’t think of much in the way of issues in which the ‘Grok and she part ways (yes, there are always the little things, but in the grand scheme?).  Thus, it is easy for us to say:

We fully endorse Phyllis for NH State Senate and ask for your vote for her.

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Federal Government: Reduced to being an Entitlement Processor?

From the Wall Street Journal:

“In 2010 alone, government at all levels oversaw a transfer of over $2.2 trillion in money, goods and services. The burden of these entitlements came to slightly more than $7,200 for every person in America. Scaled against a notional family of four, the average entitlements burden for that year alone approached $29,000.

A half-century of unfettered expansion of entitlement outlays has completely inverted the priorities, structure and functions of federal administration as these were understood by all previous generations”

“.. approached $29,000“.  That is set against the average income of the American family around $54,000 – and it becomes easy to see why families are paying 50% of their income in taxes (or more) to all levels of government (local, county, state, and Federal).  Is this what the Founders wanted to create – families paying half of what they have labored for to fund Government?  I think not.

Is it really the role of Government to take care of us?  Or is it the role of Government to simply set a floor so that we can take care of ourselves? Or has something happened to our national psyche such that our formerly “con-do,  self-reliant” outlook has been reduced to a “take care of me!” mentality?  In looking at the chart, I fear that the answer is yes.  Have we gone from a general Society that depends on Individuals voluntarily banding together to solve problems in helping others to one where Individuals have outsourced that responsibility to Government?

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Just listen to his own words – nothing new….

One of the most devastating and humiliating things that can happen to a politician is to use their own words against them.  It’s rather easy to do nowadays – the Internet forgets NOTHING and the barrier to play this game is about zilch. “By their words, ye shall know them”

Extremism?

Who knew that believing these things would not only make you an extremist, but seen as TERRORISTS (and if you like the Second Amendment, a returning Iraq or Afghanistan vet, or balanced!  Or, as you can see in the image – Vets of any era. Well, if you threaten the Progressive Regressive utopia vision that … Read more

Data Point – Republican Registrations Up; all time high

This canNOT be good news in Chicago (HQ for Obama Campaign) After falling for two straight months, the number of Americans who consider themselves Republicans jumped nearly three points in August. During August, 37.6% of Americans considered themselves Republicans. That’s up from 34.9% in July  and 35.4% in June. It’s also the largest number of … Read more

GraniteGrok Endorsement – NH State Senate District 5: Cynthia Coolidge Howard

It is now time to start listing the candidates for NH State Senate that will get the nod from GraniteGrok in this election season.   As with all of the previous candidates, we expect them to  be Conservative and supportive of policies that stress and enhance the sense of and pursuit of Individual liberty & Freedom (something that absolutely drives both Establishment Republicans and Democrat Socialists nuts – but for different reasons (mostly)).  We want them to stand tall and standfast – don’t speak words now and then fade like the Red Sox when the action (and criticism) gets hot and heavy.  Face it – a lot of flack was thrown at the just past session and not just from the Progressives Regressives and the media in their pocket; they sorely disappointed a lot of the grassroots, like us, that expected FAR more from them than the Bragdon-Bradley led SUPERMAJORITY Republicans in the Senate.

Cynthia Coolidge Howard for NH State Senate District 5In no particular order, we begin then, with District 5 with Cynthia Coolidge Howard.  Most of our recommendations start with me – this time, it came from some of the other Groksters (and they were adamant about it, too!).    She has a history as a tax fighter and understands why local taxes are so high.  A bona fide member of the TEA Party movement, she understands and supports the three main philosophical points of it:

  • Free Markets
  • Taxed Enough Already – a more frugal, careful Government at all levels
  • Adherence to Constitutional principles

All this adds up to Democrats decrying “EXTREMIST!”.  Well, in that case, we’re with her.  She understands that we are adults, can make adults decisions, and that (unlike Democrats who wish to treat us all as wards of the State that), self-responsibility and self-reliance are the pillars of a successful Society (and that Government has encroached to much into general Society).  From her website:

“I am the founder of Claremont Citizens for Lower Taxes, a Tea Party group. I have fought for several years against high property taxes and wasteful spending locally, statewide, and nationally. I served one term on the Claremont School board where I fought against the Stevens Renovation Project addition (a cost of $22.9 million dollars). I have proposed spending cap initiatives to alleviate the local tax burden.

I have organized tea party events locally and statewide, and have spoken at many events as well as at the annual Coalition of NH Taxpayer’s picnic.”

Works for us!

We fully endorse Cynthia for NH State Senate and ask for your vote for her.

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GraniteGrok Endorsement – NH State Senate District 9: Andy Sanborn

Andy and Laurie Sanborn for NH Senate and NH HouseHappy Warrior time!  We endorsed Andy Sanborn for NH State Senate District 8 last cycle and continuing to support one of our favoritist State Senators, we are doing it again.  As always, we don’t ALWAYS see eye to eye on all of his votes (and yes, he does gets that hang dog look when he sees me walking toward him loaded for bear) but I do have to say, he genially takes what we Groksters dish out.  That said, Andy has been one of the folks that we most agree with most often in the Senate.  His old district, 8, having basically written out from underneath him, he is once again doing the hard work in District 9 (and made me smile in doing it).

Please note that Grokster Steve had personally endorsed Andy a while ago.  All in all, we believe that Andy is a FAR better candidate, and better suited to represent his constituents, than his opponent.

We fully endorse Andy for NH State Senate and ask for your vote for him.

We had done an interview series with Andy back in July – we revisit this after the jump.

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New Hampshire Democrat Convention Attendees…Don’t Forget Your Photo ID

Photo-ID-RequiredAnyone from New Hampshire who plans on attending the Democrat National Convention had best be prepared to show some ID.   That’s right, no elderly, young, poor, or vulnerable persons, you know the ones the Democrats claim will be prevented from voting if we ask them to show an ID at the polls, will be allowed to attend the Democrat National Convention…because according to Democrats at least…they do not have it and it is simply to much of a burden for them to get it.

So Democrats have intentionally excluded them from participating in their Convention.

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Yes, we in the Liberty and Freedom movement must vote for Romney….

 

Karen Kwitakowski, 2012 GOP congressional primary candidate in Virginia

However, what follows—and which prominently features New Hampshire’s John Sununu—is NOT the reason we must vote for Romney. Yet the fact is…we should. We must fight statism everywhere, because it is  everywhere…including inside the highest reaches of the Republican Party. As Ann Coulter has said, “there are plenty of bad Republicans, but there are no good Democrats.” So…we must recognize the stakes, and have a clear-eyed view of our enemies. What follows is an essay by Dr. Karen Kwiatkowski, a 2012 candidate in the GOP primary in 2012 in Virginia’s 6th Congressional district, from LewRockwell.com. She is wrong in her assertion that the Republican Party will be “boarded up and lights out within a decade.” But she is oh so right about so much else that ails the GOP, until the Liberty and Freedom movement forces prevail in assuming leadership of it. Here is Kwiatkowski:

I spent a day of my life at the 2012 Republican Convention. The plan was to stay for full four days, but…

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Priorities…

From the UK Mail Online…because you wont read this in the US media without left wing spin… President Barack Obama was today forced to announce he will fly to storm-hit Louisiana on Monday – hours after Mitt Romney beat him to the punch by deciding to head there this afternoon.  But the Republican presidential candidate … Read more

Notable Quotes – W.H. Hutt

The essence of an effective constitution is that it is built on mistrust, not on faith. – W.H. Hutt (H/T:  Cafe Hayek)

What is it with Professors Believing they are Arrogant Kings of their Classrooms?

concealed carry shorts
Image from Masada Tactical Blog

Professors – what is it that convinces them that just because they are smart in their small “micro-field”, that expertise automatically  transfers to them the right to supercede the Rule of Law?  I’ve already had one run-in with a local professor:

Bad laws are required to be broken by people of conscience and my conscience is the highest authority. If a person with a gun refuses to leave my class, then I will announce that the class is over and I will leave. If the student in question insists on carrying a gun to future classes, then I will have no choice but to turn the class into an on-line class so that I can ensure the safety of my students. People who make these foolish rules are out of touch with reality and any rules they make must be trumped by morality and reason.

My response:

Just as he seemingly scoffs at the rules at Plymouth State. His last Letter stated that if someone continually brought a gun to his class that he’d “have no choice but to turn the class into an on-line class”. Well, I could and he can’t – I called Plymouth State and verified that your grandiose statement aside, you do not have the legal authority to do that.  Leo [Leo Sandy, that is], just because you say something is true doesn’t make it so.

Master of the Universe in his own mind, and the same thing again with this one? I understand that many years have been spent in acquiring that sheepskin that has Ph.D on it – and getting to that next step, that of tenure, can be fraught with anxiety over every little thing: have I written enough, have I published enough, have I taught enough, have I said enough right things and none of the bad (have I said anything that is politically incorrect?) so as to have culled myself from the mono-mindset herd?  And, have I kissed enough butts and sucked up to the right people?

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GraniteGrok Endorsement – NH Executive Council District 5: Dave Wheeler

Dave Wheeler
Image from Nashua Patch.com

Of all of the incumbents already on the NH Executive Council, we think it is fair to say that Dave Wheeler is the most likely always to stand on Conservative NH values – frugality, individual freedom, pro-life, Second Amendment and an absolute stand on Constitutional grounds (both NH and US).  It is VERY easy for us to have said “Endorse Dave?  That’s not even a question to ask – we are good to go!”.  He will protect our pocketbooks and our freedoms when it comes to contracts and appointments.  Controversial issues, in which many would quietly slink away?  That would not be him – like all warriors, he runs to the good fight and stands up for those that cannot stand for themselves.

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How About That “Non-Existent Voter Fraud” Meme…or something

Donna Schlachman writing an opinion piece in Seacoast Online, says she asked New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner (last year) about voter fraud and….

I learned that actual cases of fraud are practically non-existent. Even last year’s staged attempt to prove that people can vote illegally in N.H. was unsuccessful. It turns out that the risk of denying legitimate voters their right to cast a ballot is far greater than the risk of someone voting here who does not live here.

Well guess what?  If the State refused to charge anyone with burglary, actual cases of that would be non-existent as well.

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One Holder DoJ Witch Hunt Comes To A Close

Sheriff Joe Arpaio went after local corruption, and thumbed his nose at the Feds, so they tried to make an example of him.  But if there is a Joe you don’t mess with it’s the Sheriff of Maricopa county Arizona.

The DOJ initiated a number of investigations from abuse of power to charges of the Sheriff’s office misusing credit cards.  The end result?

All charges dropped.  And the local US Attorney…even she appears to be trying to back away from the whole thing.

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Marshall ‘Lee’ Quandt Want’s To Be The Next Republican Speaker of the NH House…

Rumor has it that Marshall ‘Lee’ Quandt want’s to be the next Republican Speaker of the New Hampshire House……which is a huge problem, because Lee Quandt is not exactly a Republican to begin with.

Despite that barrier, and a public opposition to liberty, the scuttlebutt is that RINO Marshall ‘Lee’ Quandt still thinks he’d make a great speaker of the House, and he is already trying to build a coalition, and publicly endorsing other House Republican candidates who have told him they would back his move once the House meets to choose the next Speaker.

This is disturbing for several reasons.

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Progressive Zombie

I’m certain Fergus Culllen and I disagree on a great many things, but I have to admit — I like this editorial in the Union Leader: Liberal Jackie Cilley, Progressive Zombie.   He writes some unknown truths about Democrat Candidate for Governor Jackie Cilley, the accidental State Senator, offering up some insight into things she … Read more

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