Last week on my monthly bit with Jeff Chidester, I pointed out what I thought was an amusing contrast. The Pappas campaign (or some third-party supporter) was bitching that John Sununu left Congress and built money and influence in the private sector. Team Sununu (or some third-party supporter) has been reminding us how Pappas leveraged political power using taxpayer dollars.
Private sector vs. Public. The Republicans worked the free market while the Democrats worked you.
It’s back.
New Hampshire Democrats are pointing fingers at Anthony DiLorenzo. Something about making all kinds of money without a government job or a family member inside to help him. That’s bad. Stefany Shaheen, as NHGOP Chair Scott Maltzie rightly notes, “wouldn’t be on the ballot if it wasn’t for her last name,” and got paid thanks to a job at a joint that received at least 44 million of your tax dollars while she worked there -thanks to her mom, Senator Shaheen.
“If the NH Democrats want to talk about financial ties, they should start by looking in the mirror. Stefany Shaheen was a top executive at ARMI, an organization that received a $44 million federal award after her mother advocated for the funding. Shaheen was paid by ARMI during her time there while the organization’s work has relied heavily on taxpayer dollars.”
Two things immediately come to mind. ARMI hired the Stefasauras to game the odds of getting fat government checks, or Sen. Shaheen used her influence to get them fat government checks because her daughter worked there. Whether Stefany and Jeanne had chats over Sunday family Dinners about it seems likely, but neither will admit that.
Pappas also voted on bills favorable to the businesses linked to his lobbyist boyfriend, and then husband, and lied about it.
Jeanne Shaheen helped the company her daughter “worked at” receive tens of millions of dollars in federal money.
No matter what you may think of them, Sununu and DiLorenzo made their money out in the free market like the rest of us. Pappas and Shaheen used the system and your money.
So, is the problem with “what is wrong with Washington” that people who put in the hard work can earn a good living outside it, or that people inside can help their friends and family make a good living off of your hard work?
