About that interview that I just put up; Peter Martin interviewing Jerry Thibodeau, who is running to unseat long, long, long (er, too long) holder of said seat, Ray Burton–who seems to act like he is entitled to it. While that interview is running in-and-about Northern cable systems (accessing about 19 towns / cities), two folks have decided that THEY have the divine right to not put up the video. Playing politics, it seems? You bet!
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Ray Burton
GrokTV Event: Belknap County Republican Committee “Contested Primaries”- NH Executive Council
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….
Here is the video of Jerry Thibodeau and Ray Burton:
GrokTV Event: Belknap County Republican Committee “Contested Primaries” – US Congress
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:
Update – Ray Burton (NH Exec. Councilor, District 1, Grafton County Comm.) is pulling a Governor Peterson in endorsing….a Democrat??
An update to the post where little birdies told me that Ray Burton, long time district 1 Exec. Councilor had decided to endorse a Democrat over a Republican (and NH GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald publicly took a walk on it) – someone finally sent me a copy of the news item: (“And Burton, a North Country force, made clear that he would back Cryans over Sharp, despite the party labels.“).
And look – Ray Burton is approving of the fact that the guy he’s endorsing voted his own non-profit monies from the county budget?
I think that is cronyism at best and a complete conflict of interest for both Cryans AND Burton. And Burton wonders why Jerry Thibodeau is starting to get noticed in his attempt to unseat him? Is this a case where it is just time for Burton to be retired for the sake of better government?
I still can’t wrap my head around this: little scooter……Big Andy Sanborn. But it seems to be working…
We get Press Releases (“Pressers”) all the time and now it is becoming a torrent – this one announcing this position, another one attacking somebody else, or commenting on some current event That How They Feel Should Matter To Me. Right….er, no. Don’t get me wrong, keep sending them, but I’m going to be more likely to look at something different, and this one was. In fact, I have to admit it, I giggled a bit when this came in:
I just can’t get the visualization right….I keep thinking “He should be a Segway kinda guy”. But still, it seems to be working for him:
…announced today that his campaign has reached over 1,300 households and plans to reach 5,000 before the September 11th primary by going door to door on motorized scooters.
“From Bedford to Richmond, residents tell me that I am the first politician to ever stand at their door step and introduce myself,” Sen. Sanborn said. “They have been incredibly appreciative of my effort and supportive of my candidacy because they know that I am out there every day, working for their vote. To me, it is so important to actually meet someone face to face and have a direct conversation. The scooters are efficient, economical, and a lot of fun, and they are enabling us to meet many more people than we would be able to traveling by foot or car.”
Entire presser after the jump.
So, Ray Burton (NH Executive Councilor, District 1, Grafton County Commissioner) is pulling a Governor Peterson in endorsing….a Democrat??
This came over the transom:
‘Republican’ Ray Burton has endorsed Democrat County Commissioner Michael Cryans for reelection. Burton has also refused to endorse Republican Omer Ahern for re-election as District 2 Grafton County Commissioner against Democrat Martha Richards. Omer has been a great advocate for reigning in Grafton County spending and keeping Grafton County property taxes low. Burton and Cryans have consistently opposed Ahern’s pro-taxpayer initiatives
Apparently, the news was in the Valley News at the end of the week 6/16/2012 – I have tried to verify that by asking if anyone has hardcopy as the Valley News site is so horrible it is all but useless. For full disclosure, Omer is a personal friend and I KNOW that he has been a long term Republican and active in the Party structure. More importantly, he is a great TEA Party / Conservative kind of guy (which is probably why Burton despises him). He supports the Republican Party Platform but more important to me, he realizes that Government serves a purpose – and it is not to be used to spread influence and to buy votes. Government should be limited, frugal, unintrusive and stays within bounds and lie LIGHTLY upon taxpayerst.
That is not Ray Burton’s vision – IMHO, he has used it to enhance himself. To NOT give a nod to Omer over his Dem opponent basically is bring up the specter that Burton (er, weak news flash??) is more a Progressive Republican, happy to grow government and aide those that sojourn in that process (like Dems) than a constitutionally based one. In short, a candidate for one of Rick’s weekly reports. Much is forgiven by him as he doesn’t just bring home the bacon to the North Country – he brings home the whole herd. Everytime I turn around, it seems there’s a whole flock of folks that owe him favors in return for what he has dragged from Concord. Is that the NH way, or has he just toned down a Chicago system way of “doing business”. And of course, don’t forget about this about his wanting to raise taxes and that (“He has become a parody of a good old boy politician.” – and people and other politicians keep kissing his arse).
On NH GOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald’s version of Political Courage…
Or “What ever happened to that pair we saw Wayne MacDonald with when he debated NH Dem Chair Ray Buckley on Close-up“?
Or “Leadership by cowering“?
Or “See no evil, hear no evil, speak pablum”
Problem outlined and question posited here. Well, I got my requested answer (credit for that, anyways) and Tory Mazolla, the Executive Director of the NH GOP sent the response by NH GOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald along to me:
“We’re disappointed anytime a Republican doesn’t support the entire GOP ticket and all of its candidates. That said, I understand that there are always Republicans who fail to close ranks as we would like. We will support the full ticket in November as determined by our Republican voters, but we’re not supporting any candidates in a contested primary. All of our nominees in the general election will be supported, but the normal practice of the Party doesn’t include direct financial support to candidates.” – NHGOP Chairman Wayne MacDonald
I read it once. I read it twice. I started to read it a third and said “screw this” and fingers went to keyboard to fisk it: