Articles tagged as

NH Senate Race

A few words with Charlie Bass about Obama and McCain, and how the differences in their policies affect us here in New Hampshire…

Charles Bass

Earlier today, GraniteGrok spoke with NH’s former 2nd District Congressman Charles Bass…

What are the key differences between John McCain and Barack Obama with regards to their solutions to the present economic woes that ordinary New Hampshire citizens– the "Joe the plumbers"– need to know?

There are 3 areas of concern with what Obama has in store:

  1. He proposes to raise taxes. This is EXACTLY the wrong thing to do in the present situation. This is not what he says in his rhetoric, but when you look at the details, many people will be paying more taxes in some form or other.
  2. He is looking to restrict free trade. New Hampshire is NOT Youngstown. Many small businesses are involved with and successful BECAUSE of free trade. You run a great risk of toning down successful NH businesses when you restrict free trade.
  3. He proposes to spend a trillion more dollars in addition to everything else, including the wars and economic bailout monies. He never answers the question of where the money is supposed to come from, other than he says he will end the war in Iraq. Of course, even the best estimates prioject that an "immediate" pullout still realistically leaves a significant number of troops there as late as 2012, so the anticipation of real savings is just a fantasy.

And of course, there’s a difference in how Obama and McCain would spend the relief money itself. Obama offers an impressive list of benefits to almost everybody, with large amounts to go directly to "working people." While trying to help such people isn’t in and of itself bad, you have to ask whether or not it’s what’s best to actually achieve the goal of fixing the broken economy.

John McCain believes that the steps taken should be those that seek to shore up and actually rebuild the economy as a whole– one that strengthens businesses– especially small business, which, here in NH provide the majority of our jobs– for the long term and provides good, stable jobs. This is what is of the greatest benefit for ordinary people.

The only proposal made by Obama that appears helpful to small businesses is his proposal to cut capital gains taxes for some, including startups. That’s fine, but capital gains are not the norm during startup times, when there is generally little to no money made at that point.

Perhaps at some risk, Senator McCain talks about cutting corporate tax rates and other taxes. This truly helps small businesses and allows those dollars to instead be left in the economy.

These are complicated issues that require underlying experience if we are to find solutions. Ask yourself– Do we need someone with a good tongue and a good speechwriter to produce "happy talk", or do we need someone that is honest and has the experience and depth to truly fix the present situation?  Senator McCain will balance the need for transparency and accountability while still maintaining America’s competitiveness. It’s a delicate thing, and the last thing we need is an Obama swinging a blunt bureacratic club on Wall Street, given today’s extremely complex and new economic conditions.

A recovering economy that brings along with it jobs means that business– especially small business– needs to thrive and prosper. In many cases today, American companies are competing in a globalized marketplace through both imports and exports. Tell us about the approach to trade taken by each of the candidates and which would be better for American businesses and their employees– especially right here in the Granite State…

 

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Jeanne Shaheen: Weathervane Principles

New ad from Team Sununu reminding folks that if there’s one thing you can count on from Jeanne Shaheen, it’s that she’ll jump on any bandwagon that’s popular at the moment…    

Jeanne Shaheen: Off to Washington to help some old pals? GULP!

Given Jeanne Shaheen’s sordid past relationship with a financial institution that she granted special favors and pulled strings for while governor, why on Earth would we send her to Washington, DC given the current environment? Would she do for the big banks and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac like she did for Providian— whose subsequent … Read more

“That’s the point. Jeanne Shaheen has been a consistent opponent of nuclear power and oil drilling, where there is oil, for 25 years before her latest poll led to her switch of positions.”

Seabrook.oil platform

         Seabrook Station, no thanks to Jeanne…              Offshore drilling? No way!

Jeanne Shaheen

I’ll git you my little pretties… hehehe!

refinery. Seabrook protest

                      Refineries? Nope!                              Assault on Seabrook. May 1, 1977

Back in the 80’s, former NH House Speaker Marshall Cobleigh spent many a Sunday morning debating future Governor Jeanne Shaheen on a number of issues. At the time, the battle over the Seabrook Station nuclear power raged on, with the sides plainly split along partisan lines. Republicans favored the facility and Democrats opposed it. As reported in this post earlier this week, The NHGOP has released several YouTube videos showing Shaheen and Cobleigh going at it over the issue. At the time of the original airing, according to GOP state party chair Fergus Cullen,

she was organizing the radical anti-nuclear community in support of former Portsmouth Mayor Paul McEachern’s 1988 gubernatorial campaign. Shaheen served as the campaign manager and senior advisor to Paul McEachern, an extreme nuclear opponent, in both his 1986 and 1988 bids for the corner office.

[Mr. Cobleigh appeared on our radio program this past Saturday. Click here to download the podcast.]

Today he held a press conference to discuss the matter in response to what the Shaheen camp has had to say about the 1987 video:

STATEMENT OF FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MARSHALL COBLEIGH
 AND NEW HAMPSHIRE ENERGY CHIEF 1973 – 1978
DELIVERED AT PRESS CONFERENCE
 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22 AT THE LOB, CONCORD NH

I called this press conference because I was appalled at my long-time television adversary Jeanne Shaheen’s blatent attempt to rewrite and completely distort her record regarding the use of nuclear power and to point out Shaheen’s factual record as a long-time opponent of nuclear power, as well as her failed record as a big-taxing, big-spending governor who left office with a huge budget deficit of $300 million.  Just exactly the type of person we don’t need representing NH in the US Senate.

First of all, I want to address her campaign’s claim that the tapes now on U-tube that I lent to the Republican party “were taken out of context, and these clips are over 20 years old.”

The facts are that the tapes are from 1987 …. 21 years ago.

That’s the point.  Jeanne Shaheen has been a consistent opponent of nuclear power and oil drilling, where there is oil, for 25 years before her latest poll led to her switch of positions.

It is also a fact that nothing is taken out of context.  That is exactly what she said on the show and exactly what I said.  I challenge Jeanne Shaheen to demonstrate clearly what she claims is taken out of context.  We were on the weekly show for about 10 years.  The facts are that Jeanne Shaheen constantly harped about her distaste for nuclear power.  I know it.  And she knows it. 

I just don’t have the rest of the tapes to prove it.

I also challenge Jeanne Shaheen to put up or shut up.  I am willing to let any member of the press examine these tapes and verify that nothing is taken out of context.

The Shaheen spokesman also claims “what Jeanne Shaheen has CONSISTENTLY SAID …. that nuclear power is a part of our energy mix…. but we should not subsidize it, and WE SHOULD NOT EXPAND IT  until we have a safe way to deal with the waste.”

That is typical Jeanne Shaheen, trying to have it both ways.  She gives the appearance of changing her life-long position and at the same time appeasing her clamshall friends with the qualifier
about nuclear waste. 

I also challenge Jeanne Shaheen to provide to the press any documentation showing that she has “CONSISTENTLY SAID over the years that nuclear power should be a part of our energy mix.”

Most of you know that in the past 3 or 4 months Jeanne Shaheen has outlined a 6-point energy plan and 3 NH op-ed pieces THAT DO NOT MENTION her sudden feigned support for nuclear power.

The Shaheens are famous for political dirty tricks.  You will remember that Jeanne Shaheen’s husband Bill Shaheen was fired from Hillary Clinton’s campaign for his anything-goes campaign dirty tricks of raising the issue of Barack Obama’s drug use.

The facts are that Secretary of Energy James Schlessinger told the nation’s Energy Chiefs  20 years ago, “There are at least 20 ways to solve the nuclear waste for 20,000 years but the politicians won’t make the choice of which way to use.”  France, which gets 80% of its electricity from nuclear power, chose to recycle and reuse nuclear waste but the Democrat-controlled congress put a ban on that technique just as they also banned off-shore oil drilling beyond the Gulf of Mexico.  Today we store nuclear waste at Seabrook Station because the Democrat-controlled congress lacks the courage to choose which of the 20 safe ways to use.

The most astounding statement Jeanne Shaheen made on the few tapes I have, came after I said,

“…. and if we don’t have nuclear power in this country we are going to become more and more vulnerable to the Arabs in the mid east, and that’s why WE ARE IN DANGER OF WAR, because we are not taking care of our energy dependence.” 

To which Shaheen responded,

“that argument just doesn’t wash.” 

Jeanne Shaheen was dead wrong.

The facts are that my 1987 comments were prescient.  We did end up in a mid-east war caused by Jeanne Shaheen, and her fellow NIMBY (not in my back yard) and NOPE (no
t on planet earth) fellow travelers, along with their Democrat allies in congress.  To have the unmitigated gall to blame the war entirely on President Bush and try to tie all Republican candidates to President Bush’s unpopularity caused by the war is the height of chutzpah.

 I believe that Jeanne Shaheen is making these blatently-false statements to hide from her atrocious record on energy, spending, and taxation.

 I enclose a documentation of Jeanne Shaheen’s sorry record on energy, taxes, and spending, which I shall not read so that we have time for any questions from you folks

These attachments [below] of Jeanne Shaheen’s record clearly show that Shaheen shifts positions more often than a windmill in a hurricane:

 

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They’ll judge you by the company you keep…

Our friends at Granite Staters for Employee Freedom (GSEF) — a group seeking to educate people on the dangers of passing the so-call "card check" legislation, the deceptively-named Employee Free Choice Act  (EFCA) doing away with secret ballot voting on the question whether or not to unionize– have discovered a few interesting facts as they go … Read more

Jeanne Shaheen: Her lack of foresight and vision is nothing less than stunning…

I’ll git you my little pretties! Heheheheeeeee! When one visits Jeanne Shaheen’s website and reads her "solutions" for the US’ energy woes, you can only conclude that she is basically offering nothing but higher taxation, which gets passed onto the consumer, and perhaps lengthy litigation, helping nobody but lawyers. Don’t take my word for it— … Read more

Jeanne Shaheen? Sure she’d fit right in down in DC…

With the big spenders, that is: We really DON’T need her down in DC doing for the country what she did to New Hampshire… I’ll git you my little pretties! Heheheheeeeee! YIKES!      

Top Ten Things Jeanne Shaheen won’t Mention in Her DNC Convention Speech

Jeanne Shaheen

I’ll git you my little pretties! Heheheheeeeee! (pic by ‘Grok reader Steve L.)

From the NHGOP:

CONCORD – As Jeanne Shaheen ditches the Granite State this evening to address the Democratic National Convention, the New Hampshire Republican Party brings you the Top 10 things she won’t mention as she panders to the left-wing activists and tries to impress political insiders gathered in Denver, Colorado:

10.  The Record Drop-Out Rates That Occurred During Her Watch: During the first four years of Shaheen’s administration more than 25% of New Hampshire’s high school students dropped out (New Hampshire Center For Public Policy, June 2002).
9.      Her Shifting Energy Rhetoric: In May 2007 Shaheen declared her opposition to new any new domestic drilling and bluntly stated that “More drilling is the answer the oil companies are looking for, not the answer New Hampshire families are looking for,” (Shaheen Campaign Press Release, 5/13/08). Now with gas prices at record levels, Shaheen has shifted her campaign energy rhetoric and is trying to run from her previous comments about drilling.
8.      Her Position On Second Amendment Rights: Shaheen refuses to talk about her position on the recent landmark Supreme Court ruling on Second Amendment Rights. The Eagle Tribune (The Eagle Tribune, 6/27/08) reports that “Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen did not return calls asking for a comment,” about the ruling and The Keene Sentinel said they “didn’t hear” from her either when they asked her for comment on the same topic (The Keene Sentinel, 6/30/08).
7.      Her Position On Major National Security Legislation: The Nashua Telegraph asked Shaheen how she would have voted on the critical Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). “We’re still waiting for an answer to that question,” reports the Telegraph. (The Nashua Telegraph, 7/13/08)

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Shaheen, Hodes, Shea-Porter, and their comrades among those who obviously “don’t understand how the industry operates”

Last week I actually got a rare opportunity to ask the ever-elusive Jeanne Shaheen an unscripted question when she took phone calls on our friend Judy’s morning radio program in New London. I explained that even with new technology on the horizon, many people, myself included, are stuck with our present automobiles for the foreseeable … Read more

Sununu delivers a well-deserved smackdown to Shaheen on drilling: She’s “out of touch.”

I’m LOVIN’ it!!! Manchester, NH – U.S. Senator John Sununu (R-NH) issued the following statement today on President Bush’s decision to lift the executive ban on offshore exploration: “The President’s decision today to lift the executive ban on offshore exploration is a good first step towards lowering energy prices and reducing our dependence on foreign … Read more

Jeanne Shaheen: DO as I say, not as I do…

Jeanne Shaheen.Al Gore canoe

On her campaign website, Jeanne Shaheen puts forth, in a style quite similar to that of one of her ideological comrades, Chicken Little, dire warnings of the consequences of not addressing global warming immediately. Says Jeanne,

"A new energy policy is an environmental, national security and economic imperative, and there is no time to waste.”

Got that? She says THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE. You can almost feel the panic laid before visitors to the website:

Reversing global warming is an economic, environmental and health imperative for New Hampshire. If we don’t act to reverse global warming, New Hampshire’s snow season is projected to shrink by almost 50 percent by mid-century, severely impacting our skiing and snowmobile industries. Increasing temperatures also will negatively impact fall foliage tourism, the hunting and fishing industries, and maple sugar production. Our small but precious coastline faces substantial increases in the extent and frequency of coastal flooding, erosion, and property damage. Global warming worsens air quality, putting more stress on people with heart conditions and respiratory conditions, like asthma, and New Hampshire already has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country.

Bad stuff, eh? She then spews the usual blather one expects from politicians choosing this route to scare voters into casting their vote for them, rather than the opponent that "obviously" works against the planet:

Jeanne Shaheen believes it’s long past time that Washington take action. Jeanne Shaheen supports the goal of cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050…

So you’d imagine someone so committed to such drastic measures would be leading the way in all regards, right? Come on, it’s JEANNE SHAHEEN we’re talking about, here. You know about politicians of her ilk: "fine for thee, but not for me…" In the same vein as her famous canoe trip with Al Gore– you remember, the one where the river dams were opened during a drought while she was the governor so that she and AlGore could have their picture taken in a canoe— comes the latest, provided by regular ‘Grok reader Peter G:

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Sununu smackdown of Secretary Peake

US Senator John E. Sununu today handed Veterans Affairs chief James Peake a well-deserved smackdown over his dopey comments dissing the ability of American veterans to become "educated consumers" in the area of their own personal healthcare… WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senator John Sununu (R-NH) today (6/26) committed to expanding healthcare access for veterans and called … Read more

Jeanne Shaheen- The artful dodger…

I know that Skip posted on this video last week, but it really can’t be shown enough, as it gives insight into Jeanne Shaheen and what kind of representative we’ll get should she actually get elected to the US Senate. Listen to this guy’s question about whether workers are entitled to the use of a secret ballot … Read more

The GraniteGrok Q & A Series– NH’s Congressional Candidates on the Issues

GraniteGrok is pleased to announce the start of our first "Q & A Series". Seeking to focus on particular issues and specifics from political candidates rather than the broad rhetoric most often associated with campaigns, Skip and I have developed a set of questions based mainly on issues that should be, in our opinion, of importance to voters as they decide who they will send to the next Congress. In some cases, they are pretty basic, requiring nothing more than a short and simple answer. Others need more detail.

What follows below is the cover letter sent to the campaigns, along with the questions. Each got the identical document. We sent them via email to these campaigns:

  • Sununu- US Senate
  • Shaheen- US Senate
  • Bradley- House District 1
  • Stephen- House District 1
  • Shea-Porter- House District 1
  • Bosse- House District 2
  • Clegg- House District 2
  • Horn- House District 2
  • Steiner- House District 2
  • Hodes- House District 2

Dear Candidate,

Below, please find a list of questions covering a variety of topics that we believe will be important matters faced by the next Congress. The answers you provide will help voters gain insight into the type of representation they will get, should you be elected to the US House.

What we are offering to each candidate from both NH Districts is the opportunity to submit answers to the questions as presented. Once we receive the answers from all of the candidates, we will publish them in their entirety as guest posts on GraniteGrok. As many of our readers are very active in a wide variety of ways throughout the Granite State, we believe that this is an excellent opportunity that should not to be missed.

We are asking that your response be submitted no later than May 20th. If you do not wish to participate, we ask that you kindly give us the courtesy of saying so, in order that we not delay publishing the responses once we have them from those who do.

In addition to this, we will be issuing invitations to join us on our radio program, Meet the New Press (1490 WEMJ Laconia, Saturdays 9 till 11), and always welcome submissions for guest posting on the ‘Grok as well.

We look forward to hearing from you ASAP as to your participation, and your completed questionnaires by May 20th, the latest.

Best Regards,

Doug Lambert
Skip Murphy
www.granitegrok.com
www.gilfordgrok.com
Meet the New Press radio  

As of right now, we have received completed answers from some of the campaigns, and promises to deliver soon from most of the others. Those we have not heard from will be offered another chance to participate. We are happy to report that Senator Sununu’s team responded the fastest, and will therefore be the first Q & A we will be posting here on the ‘Grok.

Keep checking back for updates, as you won’t want to miss what promises to be a helpful tool in getting to know your favorite candidate– or the opponent…  Wink

Oh, and one last thing– We just know we probably left something important out, so if there’s a particular question you’d like asked of a candidate, please don’t hesitate to send it along to either one of us, and we will try to get it answered.

Here are the questions:

 

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GraniteGrok Q & A Series: Senator Sununu

Senator Sununu meets with military families early last year. (GG file photo)

Senator John E. Sununu was kind enough to participate in GraniteGok’s Congressional Candidate Q & A Series. We thank him for taking time from his busy schedule to do so, and further appreciate his acknowledgement of us and our readers here in the Blogosphere…

As promised, here are his answers as provided to us. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the "comments" section…

===============================================================
QUESTIONS

1. If you could ask General Petraeus any question, but only one question, what would it be?

Sen Sununu response: Has Congress provided you with the necessary resources to support your troops, enable them to complete their work, and bring them home safely as soon as possible?

2. Do you favor Oil recovery in the newly found fields in Montana & the Dakotas?

• Drilling in ANWR?
• Drilling in the deep waters off Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico?
• Creating a fast track process to license and build new nuclear plants?

Sen Sununu response: Conservation and support for renewable energy is very important, but reducing our dependence on foreign energy requires allowing domestic production of oil and gas and minimizing unnecessary delays in building nuclear power plants.

3. In the area of healthcare, are you in favor of:

• Giving tax credits for policies to individuals / families as well as businesses?
• Allow policies to be purchased across state lines?
• Allow individuals to buy lower cost policies by "unhooking" legal mandates

Sen. Sununu response: I have voted for legislation allowing small businesses to join forces to negotiate better rates and strongly support legislation to give individuals a full tax deduction for all health care costs, and allow insurance policies to be purchased across state lines.

4. British Prime Minister Brown said that the US must give up the idea of absolute sovereignty in order to better cooperate in the global community.  Agree or disagree, and why?

Sen. Sununu response: No. United States sovereignty is not something to be conceded to any other government or international organization.

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Jeanne Shaheen: Aiding and Comforting America’s Enemies (Again!)

Osama bin Laden.Jeanne Shaheen.Mohammed Khatami

Jeanne Shaheen & a couple of friends…

Oh that Jeannie, there she goes again! Despite the fact that at one time she claimed to support the President’s action and responses to the September 11 attacks, and the Iraq war that followed, as we all know, she now wants to end the war and bring the troops home. Being a Democrat in the Clinton mold by changing her "core beliefs" depending on what will curry the most favor at a given moment, this is certainly no surprise. Given the rabid antiwar peaceniks that make up a good chunk of the Democratic Party base here in the Granite State, what other position could she possibly take? By playing it safe on this, she has avoided any serious primary challenge in her quest for the US Senate seat presently held by John E. Sununu. In Democrat circles, this is a smart move.

As reported by our friends at PolitickerNH.com, in an article the Valley News, a spokesman for Mrs. Billy Shaheen stated

"When it comes to the war in Iraq, John Sununu is taking a page from George Bush and John McCain," said communications director Kate Bedingfield.  "Sununu continues to support the Bush-McCain agenda in Iraq while ignoring both the advice of military officials and the facts on the ground.

Like the time she blamed President Bush for the wildfires in California, this is pure hogwash. Which military officials? What facts on the ground? Maybe she should read more of Major Luedeke’s Dragon Soup writings from Iraq to get some real facts from the ground about the progress that’s being made. Maybe she should click here to watch the video interview I did with Senator Sununu nearly a year ago to find out where he stands on the war. While generally supportive, I would not say that his level of enthusiasm comes close to some like Senator McCain. No, Shaheen has no basis for the above characterization other than it’s what the DNC talking points have been over and over again practically since the war’s inception. Ms. Bedingfield went on:

 

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Drat! Jay Buckey drops out of NH Senate race

Dr. Jay Buckey . Democrat Jay Buckey has announced his withdrawal from the Democratic primary race for the nomination to run for the US Senate seat currently held by John E. Sununu. Dr. Jay Buckey appeared on our radio program, Meet the New Press, several weeks back, and we thought him to be rather likeable. We … Read more

MTNP program note

. Dr. Jay Buckey, a former space shuttle astronaut and present candidate for the Democratic nomination in NH’s upcoming US Senate race, will join the gang via phone this Saturday on Meet the New Press radio at 9:30 am. He is, of course, the guy that hopes to beat Jeanne Shaheen ("Billy" Shaheen’s wife) for the chance to … Read more

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