Next on the list of Contested Primaries night at the monthly Belknap County Republicans was that of the NH State Senate. Two races touch Belknap County – District 6 and District 7. The former, centered in Farmington, is being contested by Sam Cataldo (long term NH House Rep) and Dick Green (former State Senator & Mayor of Rochester).
Did I mention that Dick Green, as told to me, was a member of the infamous “Republicans for Lynch” (er, that would be current DEMOCRAT NH Gov. John Lynch)? A kindred spirit with Ray Burton (that ossified dinosaur). Yes, that is a”Conservative” outlook – really?
For the cost of our educational system at the K-12 levels, our results are deplorable. No Child Left Behind was an attempt to “fix” that with uneven results (and unions screaming that they should not be judged or evaluated by their pupils results). Now, Fed. Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan, with his Race To the Top, is trying to institute an even more Top Down Federalization of education by “hijacking” what is known as the Common Core Standards with “awards” (or is that handcuffs?) of Federal money. Is this something that NH should be in, or should local control be preeminent?
Question 5: What is your opinion of the Common Core Standards that the Federal Govt is suggesting as a national curriculum?
Having heard from Kevin Smith and Josh Youseff, it was time to listen to the Conservatives running for the NH House from Belknap 5 – the Towns of Meredith and Gilford (given that Barbara Aichinger, who had opened her home for this event, lives in Gilford). First up is Colette Worsman, running for her second term in the NH House. A past selectman in Meredith, she has been a tireless worker for conservative values and fiscally frugal budgets. A small biz co-owner, she knows full well the heartache of a meddling govt that believes it is making it easier but only makes it harder for these owners to be able to serve their customers.
To recap: five of the questions asked of the Candidates at the Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum were contributed before and during the event by the actual attendees with the lone exception of the last Question by Stella Scamman, the moderator. The Candidates answering were:
“NO SHOWS”: Incumbents Congressmen Frank “Stiffing the SRW at the last moment” Guinta and Charlie “It’s not worth my time” Bass.
Much has been made of the annual debt (now all of the years of Obama’s Presidency have had $1 Trillion deficits) and the debt, but little on how to pay that $16 Trillion debt (which soars to over $130 Trillion if you count unfunded future liabilities) – Question 4: How will you work to reduce the debt limit?
When I say “Medicare Fraud,” I’m not referring to the corrupt practices of people and professionals who are milking taxpayers by running fast circles around the bureaucratic behemoth that is Medicare. I am referring to the left-wing Democrat lie-factory that has nothing in its barren campaign quiver but fear tactics. That is the fraud I am referring to. That and the fraud they will perpetrate on every aspect of the Ryan Budget.
I just hope Harry Reid has nothing to say about the Ryan budget…you know…that might get awkward.
Here’s a short clip from CBS news c/o Hot Air on Romney/Ryan and Medicare…
Going from the top race and proceeding “down ticket” at the event is that of the NH Executive Council and two candidates showed up for that: long time (in the tooth) politician and holder of the seat, Ray Burton) and Jerry Thibodeau who believes that he can overcome this ossified dinosaur and Master of the Patronage handshake (in my opinion) and change the name of the District 1 Executive Council seat back “to the people” (yeah, I’m biased – and have no problem in admitting it – I say what most other won’t DARE to about Burton). Especially with this:
These were not asked as a member of the New Media. Rather, they were submitted because I am a Member of the NH GOP State Committee:
To Ray Burton and Jerry Thibodeau (Executive Council, District 1):
Does it hurt the Republican “brand”, in your opinion, when an elected Republican official publicly endorses a Democrat in a race where there are Republicans running?
As in Ray Burton endorsing a Democrat up North? Like Dick Green (in running for NH State Senate now, who was a member of “Republicans for Lynch)”?
Why does Ray Burton get a pass from other Republicans – and why does Leadership do nothing as the Public looks on (often, with the mantra on their lips “There’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties”) instead of cleaning up and cleaning house? Sheesh….
Continuing on with Conservative Candidates in Belknap County (NH) that were asked to speak at Barbara Aichinger’s home on Lake Winnipesaukee was Jerry Thibodeau. He is running to oust that ossified dinosaur Ray Burton (an elected Republican official who has no problem in endorsing a Democrat where other Republicans were running). Here, he addresses those assembled:
In light of the Aurora / Batman shootings, and more recently, the Sikh Temple shootings, much time in the political class is being spent on gun control vs bearing arms. There are those that would wish that all individuals would posses, train, and carry weapons and there are those, especially of the Left or pacifists groups, would prefer that no one had any firearms except the Government. It is almost always a question at a Republican event.
Question 3: Would you support a change in the Second Amendment – why or why not?
Events the size of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s Defending the American Dream Summit 2012 take a lot of project management – setting up the overall theme, what workshops to offer (what are the activists needs all up and down the experience levels?), what speakers can energize and inform the attendees, what venue is big enough to handle all this not just with meeting rooms and big halls, but with food, beds, power, video provisioning, audio provisioning, ISDN lines, tables, chairs, lights, power cords (yes, sufficient power can be a BIG deal – the Hilton Washington DC had to bring in a massively huge trailer with diesel generators to supply all the additional power!) – you name it, somebody has to realize that it is needed, get it, put it into place or have it ready when needed, set it up, fix it when it fails, and make sure it doesn’t grow legs and walk off (yes, Security).
Here, we talk with Adam Nicholson, State Communications Director for AFP. His gig for for the event was to plan and provision Radio Row while creating the schedule all of the live and recorded broadcasts for all of the radio shows that decided that the cost of doing remotes at Defending the American Dream was a great idea (as well as your lowly blogger!). While we worked with him on getting our slots for Radio Row and getting guests to interview, this Project Management gig for the event is not what he usually does – have a listen!
Interested in joining and helping to defend Free Markets, Economic Freedom, Individual Liberty and Freedom, and Constitutional values? Click here for the NH Chapter of AFP.
Last nite, Liberty and Freedom activist Barbara Aichinger and her husband Ed opened their home to a number of Candidates that are Conservative as well as championing legislation and actions that protect and enhance Individual Liberty and Freedom. They are willing to downsize the size and reach of Government, feeling that Government should be the … Read more
Another speaker at Barbara Aichinger’s Conservative Candidate Night in Gilford last night was Josh Youseff. He is running for the NH GOP nomination for the new NH Senate District 7 and we did an interview series with Josh Youseff a while ago (click here for the last in the series; it links backwards to all of the other questions) and have expectations of doing the promised follow up soon.
This is Josh both giving his stump speech and answer questions from the attendees (including your’s truly):
This past Wednesday nite was the monthly Belknap County Republican Committee (“BCRC”) meeting. I’ve missed the last few but only because there has been so many different meetings in so many places on Wednesday nites lately, I’ve gone to some of those “one time only’s” vs something that is there like a clock. This month, however, was different than most. Instead of the standard monthly mantra of one or two “special” speakers, it was devoted to giving those candidates that are in contested primary races (i.e., a higher number of Republicans running for a lesser number of available seats) here in Belknap County. Each race had all of the Candidates come up and talk, and answer questions from the audience if there were some. Here is Rick Parent, running to be the US Congressman from NH First Congressional District (his competitors were no shows):
Sidenote: Unfortunately, in what I felt was an overblown adherence to the so-called 11th Commandment (which generally is invoked to protect the guilty by those that can’t stand waves), MY questions were crumpled up and thrown away for being ‘too divisive in a public forum” by the BCRC Chair, Alan Glassman; I will be post them on the appropriate videos so that you may judge…oh heck, here they are:
Another question from the audience related to that big bug-a-boo from the Maker / Productive class (as opposed to the Taker / Moocher / Socialist class) – taxes? They see it as unfair that some are forced to pull the entire weight of the cost of government for all, and that it is used for behaviorial modification according to ideological grounds (instead of just evenly distributing the cost of a limited govt across all beneficiaries of that limited govt).
Question 2: Should the Federal tax code be reformed and if so, how?
OK, time to play catch up on video not yet posted – this from last weekend from the Americans for Prosperty Foundation’s Defending the American Dream. I met first met Duane Lester (AllAmericanBlogger.com, LibertyNews.com) in Providence during a joint event held in Providence, RI by the Franklin Center and the Heritage Foundation where, among training sessions and going over to annoy the Lefties over at NetRoots Nation, Duane was awarded the first annual Brietbart award for bloggers. So when I saw Duane strolling around, I figured he’d be willing to sit down for a while and yak for a while (and he did!):
Part One:
Interested in joining and helping to defend Free Markets, Economic Freedom, Individual Liberty and Freedom, and Constitutional values? Click here for the NH Chapter of AFP.
Travel 500 miles and what do you get? NH folks who are willing to talk with you. Earlier, it was Bill O’Brien, Speaker of the NH House that attended a couple of the workshops that the Americans for Prosperity Foundation had at its Defending the American Dream Summit 2012. This time, it was two activists, Diane Bitter and Alan Glassman who were on the hot seat and helping me out was fellow Grokster Don Ewing.
Funny thing; both Don and I are Members of the NH GOP State Committee yet ended up grilling Diane (Rye Republican Chair, an NH GOP area Vice-Chair, and Assistant Secretary, and is a much beloved and respected activist in the TEA Party / 9-12 Project / Liberty & Freedom movement) and Alan (Barnstead-Alton Republican Committee, Belknap County Republican Committee, and also an NH GOP Area Vice-Chair) on a number of topics including one that was prescient for what came up at this week’s Belknap County Republican meeting – NH GOP Leadership unwilling to maintain Party discipline when elected Republicans “stain the brand”.
This past weekend was the Americans for Prosperity’s Defending the American Dream Summit; a gathering of free market and Liberty and Freedom loving activists who came to go to workshops to sharpen their skills and to listen to an impressive list of well known (and loved) Conservative and Liberty speakers. GraniteGrok was invited to come and spent the weekend on Radio Row where, obviously enough, radio talk hosts came in to do their shows remotely and to interview some of the speakers and notables that were at the event (we were the only blogsite allowed and the only ones doing live video of our interviewees!). So besides the first interview series (“What is your American Dream – and Obama’s?“), we had a fair number of folks to yak with. What was curious were the number of NH folks that came down from NH to attend the workshops, listen to the speakers, and of course, stop by Radio Row and yak with us! Imagine that – travel over 500 miles just to be with GraniteGrok!
And one of them was a surprise to see: NH Speaker of the House Bill O’Brien. Part 1 here, Parts 2 and 3 after the jump.
Interested in joining and helping to defend Free Markets, Economic Freedom, Individual Liberty and Freedom, and Constitutional values? Click here for the NH Chapter of AFP.
Just talked about this Yesterday…and I’ve been asking pointed questions for weeks (years?) about the fatal character flaws of Democrats who ignore the hate and violence in their own party that they would never tolerate from anyone else. It is hypocritical. And it is a cultural feature of the politics of the left that shows … Read more
This winds up our interview series with Jane Cormier (running for the NH House in Belknap 8 – Alton, Barnstead, and Gilmanton) against Peter Bolster (one of the worst RINOs in the NH House, IMHO, who boasts of being a Democrat who changed registration to Republican just to vote against the Republican Platform on many, many occasions).
Question 13: Expansion of Medicaid in NH as a result of Obamacare: take the money?
Question 14: What is your outlook on Founders version of the definition of “protect”?
Last night, the ‘Grok had been invited to cover the Congressional Forum sponsored by the Seacoast Republican Women – a well respected non-partisan (with respect to the Republican Party events) organization whose events are usually open and well attended as their execution in having an event is normally flawless. The event, held at the most beautiful Elks Lodge I have ever been in (on an inlet in Portsmouth, NH), had six four Candidate attendees:
NH First Congressional District – Rick Parent, Vern Clough
Incumbent Congressman Charlie Bass – who declared “I am not coming; it would be a waste of my time”
The videos of the Opening Ceremonies and Candidate Opening Remarks after the jump. There were six questions asked of the Candidates – they will be in subsequent posts.
The questions for the four Candidates at the Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum were contributed before and during the event duration by the actual attendees with the lone exception of the last Question by Stella Scamman, the moderator. The Candidates in attendance were: NH First Congressional District – Rick Parent, Vern Clough NH Second Congressional … Read more
