Here is the NH GOP response to journalists asking for comment on the Jim Foley information THAT THE MSM SAT ON but GraniteGrok’s Kimberly Morin broke over at the Examiner:
The NH GOP released the following statement: “I understand the concern expressed by so many of our good activists across the state. Party bylaws prohibit officers of the Republican State Committee from intervening in contested primaries. We trust grassroots activists and Republican primary voters will consider this new information as they select our District 19 state senate nominee on Tuesday.”
To describe this, all I could come up with was “mealy-mouthed” when I first read it – a complete dereliction of protecting The Brand – no interest in it at all. Typical insider politics (H/T: Kimberly). Once again, the top NH GOPpers couldn’t muster ANY indignation to say “this is bad, bad, bad” against a sitting Town GOP Chair (Derry) and former NH GOP Finance Chair that lied pretty much his entire political career. Instead of taking a principled stand, they took a uncourageous walk-away. And that is the way it seems it is with the NH GOP; when one is on the out side (anyone remember NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn’s words concerning Stella Trombly??), they are fair game and will do anything to keep the mud from splattering on them. So it wasn’t in the cards, with all of the national hoi-polloi (and the cash that comes with them), for the NH GOP Committee to call out malfeasance of one of the Establishment insiders. Just. Couldn’t. Do. It. Eh? A lack of moral compass and internal fortitude for doing the right thing.
And instead, it had to be the base to stand up and say “no mas”!
For Immediate Release: September 6, 2014
Contact: Lauren Zelt, (603) 225-9341
lauren@nhgop.org
NHGOP STATEMENT ON JIM FOLEY DROPPING OUT OF STATE SENATE DISTRICT 19 RACE
Concord – New Hampshire Republican State Committee Chairman Jennifer Horn released the following statement this evening on Jim Foley’s decision to drop out of the State Senate District 19 race:
“Over the past several days, grassroots activists from across New Hampshire have contacted the Republican State Committee to express their disappointment about recent revelations regarding state senate candidate Jim Foley. We have taken these concerns very seriously given the troubling nature of Mr. Foley’s admissions.
How much you wanna bet much of that “disappointment” was concerning the total lack on the part of the NH GOP top dogs. Again, the best they could do was to reach for cover under the rubric of “contested primary”? And what about the general public and the optics that the NH GOP has now engendered? And “WE” (re: the royal “we”, I guess) still puts the responsibility on the voters – and far away from itself as politically possible without creating a total revolt:
“We are pleased that Mr. Foley took Senate President Chuck Morse’s advice to end his campaign. This was a difficult decision for Mr. Foley, but it was the right decision for the residents of Senate District 19. “It’s up to Republican primary voters to pick the best candidate to represent our party in November. We are confident that the residents of Windham, Derry and Hampstead will choose a strong nominee on Tuesday.”
Right, at the risk of being deemed sexist (and we do know that the NH GOP is only Politically Correctness out by the NH Dems), the NH GOP had to send a man in to do a woman’s job, that the NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn couldn’t (or wouldn’t) get it done? Simply skirting the issue, eh? Well, how would it ever happen? Think of the “fly on the wall”scenario: A known and admitted IRS Federal tax cheat (e.g., lying over her taxes) telling another liar (US Marine career, drug abuse, forgery, theft, cover ups)?? Naw, there’s nothing in having the dishonest telling the even more dishonest to fess up and get out? Why should he – she didn’t (and hasn’t) when most of the base told her to get out of her race.
If one is a Republican, there is ONE person (really, only ONE?) elected Republican official, David Bates, was so incensed by this situation that he resigned – he deserves a well justified “atta boy” for putting Principles before Politics (for if the base hadn’t spoken up, I’d take that bet that the NH GOP Elite would have silently let it pass by):
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, September 6, 2014Contact: David Bates
12 Range Rd Windham, NH 03087
Rep.Bates@Live.com
(603) 894-6987Windham GOP Vice Chairman resigns over Foley’s refusal to drop out of senate race
Windham, NH: Today, David Bates resigned his position as Vice Chairman of the Windham Republican Town Committee – effective immediately.
“Our GOP Town Committee bylaws preclude me from showing partiality in a primary election, but in view of what has come to light about Jim Foley’s past, I can no longer remain neutral in the election for our district’s state senator”, said former Vice Chair David Bates.
Jim Foley acknowledged the veracity of a long list of allegations about his past ranging from chronic lying and a less than honorable discharge from the Marines to felony crimes of: forgery, issuing a bad check, and theft by deception, and identity theft. In spite of these shocking revelations, Foley intends to persist in his effort to become the state senator for Derry, Hampstead, and Windham. He claims his supporters continue to back him.
David Bates continued,
“Those elected to public office have a solemn responsibility to guard the public trust and conduct themselves with the utmost integrity. We bear the title of “honorable” in front of our name, but that word is no longer fitting for Jim Foley after concealing such an egregious past from the electorate and the many respectable people who have had their names tarnished by endorsing him for office.”
Bates is calling upon Jim Foley to immediately withdraw from the senate race and apologize to voters and all those who were persuaded to support his candidacy without disclosure of his past. Bates also expressed concern over the possibility of Derry, Hampstead, and Windham ending up with a nominee so flawed that Republicans actually lose the seat to Democrats.
Honor. Duty. Principle. Standards.
Integrity. David Bates has it. Foley had to be ram-rodded out of the race – what does that say?
