Rick Parent – Granite Grok

Armed & Fabulous

One of Smart Girl Politics NH’s favorite fellas is Rick Parent. Rick, a liberty-loving conservative and true patriot, dropped into our monthly meeting last night after having gotten home from his most recent tour of duty aboard the M/V California (Maersk Lines), ‘plying the maritime trade routes of the Persian Gulf.’ If seeing him home … Read more

GraniteGrok Endorsement: Rick Parent for US Congress

We had endorsed Ovide Lamontagne in the Republican Primary for NH Governor early in this election cycle; it is now time to roll out additional endorsements. We reviewed a number of races, talked with a number of candidates, reviewed objective ratings done by groups that mirror the ‘Grok philosophically (e.g., Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, NH House Republican Alliance, and HRA, New Hampshire Liberty Alliance), and then talked / voted amongst ourselves. Now, we are asking for your votes for them.

This cycle, we are endorsing Rick Parent to be the next US Congressman representing New Hampshire in the First Congressional District.

We first met Rick last cycle as he ran then as well – a nice guy but not sure of the process, what he had to do to be successful, how to articulate his positions, and the best ways to get his message out. We liked him as a person but really didn’t feel that it was his time – while his heart and his intent was there, he was not ready.

This time, he is better situated – and we believe that he is much improved! He has always been a Patriot – as Chief Engineer on a cargo ship that supplies our troops in the Middle East, he is a down to earth guy that knows the value of hard work and showing up. A plus for me – I wish MORE Engineers would run instead of just politicians looking for the next rung up the political ladder – he has spent years learning his craft in the private sector. I “get” his campaign tagline: “Engineering the future, one step at a time” – Go back to fundamental principles, consider the problem in the light of those principles, break the problem down to more manageable pieces, make sure those pieces will work individually and as a whole knowing that a SYSTEM is better than a point solution, and then roll it out incrementally instead wholesale changes. While politics is much less deterministic than engineering software, electronics, or hardware, the point of considering the whole and how even the smallest legislative changes can impact Society is a skill that many (if not most) politicians never learn. It is never good to start a runaway train…

Rick knows from personal experience what it is to get his hands dirty and keep things running – his is the responsibility to ensure that both the lives of his shipmates are safe and that our Armed Services get the supplies to keep them safe. He has spent his time in the Gulf better learning the issues and how to explain his stances based on the Constitution as “his system”. Oh yes, big time on the Constitution – and we believe that will not change just because the election is over. He understands that the Constitution is not just legal foundation but now IS our lifeboat.

We did an interview series with Rick Parent – links after the jump. Oh, and for those that remember that we endorsed someone else last time…

GrokTV Event – Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum – Question 6

And now for the last question of the night, formulated by Stella Scamman (moderator for the evening’s Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum). The Candidates for this last question were in attendance were Rick Parent & Vern Clough vying for the Republican nomination in NH 1st Congressional District and Will Dean & Dennis Lamare (“NO SHOWS” were Congressmen Frank “Stiffing the SRW at the last moment” Guinta and Charlie “It’s not worth my time” Bass).

Question 6: Are you aware of the UN Agenda 21 and if you are, what would you do to kill it?

GrokTV Event – Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum – Question 5- Nationalizing Education Standards?

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?

GrokTV Event – Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum – Question 4

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:

NH First Congressional District – Rick Parent, Vern Clough NH Second Congressional District – Will Dean, Dennis Lamare

“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?

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:

GrokTV Event – Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum – Question 3

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?

GrokTV Event – Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum – Question 2

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?

GrokTV Event – Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum – Question 1

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

GrokTV Event – Seacoast Republican Women Congressional Forum – Opening Remarks

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

NH Second Congressional District – Will Dean, Dennis Lamare

There should have been two more:

Incumbent Congressman Frank Guinta (the guy who decided to stiff Diane Bitter at the last moment and be a “no show”)
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.

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent (Candidate, Congress (NHCD-1) – Question 9 – too big, too small, or just right?

The last question for Rick Parent is the same as a lot of folks get from the ‘Grok – a simple question which immediately give us a clue as to how they view the relationship of Government and sovereign citizens – The Bigger the Government, the smaller the citizen. A bigger Government is a more intrusive, more expensive, and a more meddling one while purporting to be a more “caring” one by Progressives. A smaller government means more individual freedom and liberty, but also requires more responsibility from citizens for their own lives and to those around them. So, we ask it:

Question 9:

What are your governing principles with respect to: government too big, too small, or just right?

Previous:

Question 1: Why are you one of the sponsors [of the Smart Girl Politics / NH First Annual Armed and Fabulous gun shoot]? What possessed you to say, in this hot and heavy political race, “I’m going to help sponsor a gun shoot”?
Question 2: Why are you running for Congress in NH-CD1?
Question 3: What are your top three things? What do you bring to the table, besides being a working man and not in politics, that Frank Guinta that Frank Guinta didn’t or has failed to do?
Question 4: You were talking about the debt resolutions, the continuing resolutions, that your opponent in the primary voted for and raised the debt ceiling. If you see a bill that is going to spend more than it did last year (outside of the military because it is one of primary Constitutional duties of the Federal Government), how would you vote?
Question 5: Does Congressman Rick Parent introduce bills to respond to these kinds of issues you’re talking about or defund them?
Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent (Candidate, Congress (NHCD-1) – Question 8 – How fix Social Security / Medicare entitlements due to demographics?

The biggest expenses in the Federal budget that are driving the national debt (and will continue as the “rabbit in the snake” of Baby Boomers retire) are Social Security and Medicare. With crashing demographics and the money “alternatively used” by Federal Agencies, how would you fix this problem that could bankrupt the nation? Question 8: … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview-Rick Parent (Cand, Congress NH-CD1)-Question 7: Budget is $1T out of balance; What gets cut?

It is clear that a major part of Rick Parent‘s concern is that of the gobsmacking debt that our “leaders” (both Democrat and Republican) have run up in our names (and wallets) – $16 Trillion and now over 100% of our GDP (a “red zone” on a gauge of OK, caution, and “Danger, Will Robinson!”). … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent, candidate for US Congress in NH CD-1 – Question 6 – On a political line, where would you see yourself (Nancy Pelosi to Jim Demint)?

A question that I have not asked for a while can go along ways to help voters on the Right decide where someone stands on the issues and that is to figure out if there is a “known entity” out there that is well known with a track record that is established. And is the … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent, candidate for US Congress in NH CD-1 – Question 5 – submit bills or defund?

The obvious follow on to Question 4’s answers from Rick Parent was to ask “OK, what are you planning on doing about it?” It is never enough, never sufficient to point out problems or areas of concern, so we wanted to know what his remedy / remedies would be: Question 5: Does Congressman Rick Parent … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent (candidate, Congress NHCD1) – Question 4: Vote yes on bills that would raise the national debt?

The fiscal maw of the US Federal debt crisis is staring us in the face – $16 Trillion dollars and not one peep of a credible plan to pay it back; All we get is platitudes about winding down the annual deficit of $1 trillion-plus that is plaguing our nation’s future year after year with … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent (candidate, Congress NHCD1) – Question 3: What are your top three things?

Everybody who is running “to accomplish something” (vs running to “be a Someone”) has a list of items of high priority. So, we wanted to know what is the bee in the bonnet for Rick Parent, running for US Congress in New Hampshire’s first Congressional District! Question 3: What are your top three things? What … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent (candidate, Congress NHCD1) – Question 2: Why are you running for Congress in NH-CD1?

It just seems that more and more people have reached out to the ‘Grok to ask to be interviewed and we are happy to do so if they mesh with our political philosophies overall – and Rick was one of the first when he got home from his latest cruise as the Chief Engineer on … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent, candidate for US Congress in NH First Congressional District

Yesterday at the Smart Girl Politics / NH Armed and Fabulous event, we met up with one of the event’s other sponsors: Rick Parent who is running for US Congress from NH’s First Congressional district (you know, THIS guy!). We had first interviewed him at the CNHT Annual Picnic but the audio from that was … Read more

Might be my Favorite Post of the Day: a whole hearted, robust defense of the Second Amendment from a Congressional Candidate

And that would be Rick Parent from Wolfeboro, NH who is running for US Congress in NH’s First Congressional District: This was not a random meeting at some sandpit – this was one of the shooting ranges at the Londonderry Fish and Game Club where the Smart Girl Politics / NH Armed and Fabulous event … Read more