Background on this issue here: the short version is that Rep. Carol Shea-Porter is rather belatedly attempting to ‘correct’ the impression that she’s been thrown out of town halls in the past. Such an impression jars badly with this video of her having one of her constituents thrown out of current town halls – complete with her mockery of the man.
By the way? Support Frank Guinta. Continue reading Shea-Porter emulates ‘Kerry strategy’ re: being thrown out of town hall.
Now! Hampshire (H/T: Instapundit) reports that Shea Porter has gone from 43/34 in April against Frank Guinta to 46.3/43.4 in polling. Better still, Shea-Porter now has an unfavorable rating of 48%. Needless to say, it’s directly related to August:
“Frank Guinta has two things going for him right now,” said Steve DeMaura of Populus Research. “We’re seeing a general swing toward Republican candidates on the generic congressional ballot. And Carol-Shea Porter’s negatives have shot through the roof as a result of a calamitous August recess.”
Shea-Porter spent much of the August recess avoiding direct engagement with her constituents. She refused to hold traditional, New Hampshire-style town hall meetings until pressured into doing so last Saturday by Republicans and state media.
Two things:
Moe Lane
PS: Frank Guinta for Congress.
Crossposted to RedState.
How current House Representative Carol Shea-Porter (D, NH-01) handles somebody who wants to talk about a solution to the health care problem.
(Via Now Hampshire)
Contempt, mockery, and taking the side of a smirking SEIU goon.
How challenger Frank Guinta (R) handles somebody who wants to talk about a solution to the health care problem.
(Via Hot Air)
Respect, politeness, and taking the side of the citizens of New Hampshire’s First District.
I know which method I’d prefer. How about you?
Moe Lane
PS: Frank Guinta for Congress.
Crossposted to RedState.
So… four years ago, she was getting escorted out of town hall meetings; now she’s the one ordering the escorting. Sort of a microcosm of the selling-out story arc, isn’t it?
…Shea-Porter can be seen instructing security to remove a man for standing to ask a question without a ticket. Shea-Porter previously held a lottery to determine who could ask questions. She can also be heard taunting the man on his way out by saying, “I do hope the movie theater can be a little quieter for you.”
NowHampshire.com has learned that the gentlemen Shea-Porter removed, Carl Tomanelli from Londonderry, is a retired New York City patrolman.
(Video also here) Presumably Shea-Porter didn’t know that: then again, I’m assuming that because there’s no report of the Congresswoman making pig noises as they removed the retired cop.
Moe Lane
PS: Frank Guinta.
Crossposted to RedState.
Excuse me: more on Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D, NH). This is some quick little footage of NH Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte (R) having a good laugh at Shea-Porter’s confused gracelessness:
Couple that with this earlier report on the encounter and one is left with the impression that the tasered marmoset Member of Congress is just a little bit lost, these days. Being in Congress is apparently a lot less fun than she thought it’d be (I assume that’s one reason why she ducked meeting with her constituents for so long).
Well, easily fixed.
Crossposted to RedState.
Well… he wasn’t the only one, of course. But Frank Guinta‘s announcement that he’d be throwing a town hall because Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D, NH-01) was too leery to was undoubtedly a primary factor in the way that she buckled yesterday. The strong plurality of New Hampshire voters who don’t approve of her hiding from them probably helped, of course. And the hostile editorials (including this one, from what I assume is a Democratic-leaning paper*). Or maybe… no, that’s an unkind thought.
Anyway, Frank Guinta made a statement:
“While I am very pleased that Congresswoman Shea-Porter has finally given in to the wishes of the people and will conduct a town hall on health care, I find it very unfortunate it took a media and public backlash in order to do it. Carol Shea-Porter, as we’ve been reminded over the past week, made a name for herself by attending and speaking out at town halls conducted by her predecessor. She refused to offer the same opportunity when she got into office—what a difference a few years in DC made. Our representatives in Washington should make decisions based on what is in the public’s best interest, not simply cave under unexpected and intense scrutiny.
“That being said, I look forward to attending the town hall of my Congresswoman on August 29th and invite her to attend mine, on August 31st. Let’s make sure we give all citizens the opportunity to voice their opinions, express their concerns and most importantly let’s hope our elected leaders listen to us.”
Continue reading Guinta forces Shea-Porter to hold town halls.
Not in her name nature.
Now Hampshire reports that Republican candidate for NH-01 Frank Guinta has grown tired of current Rep Carol Shea-Porter’s completely explicable fear of facing her constituents this recess season, and will be holding the town hall that she should have:
In a move that’s as in-your-face as you can get, Manchester, NH Mayor and Republican candidate for Congress Frank Guinta will host a health care town hall in Exeter on August 31st. In the press release announcing the town hall, the Guinta campaign doesn’t even pretend that the move is anything other than a slap at incumbent Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01).
“It is unthinkable, that an elected leader who herself is famous for her attendance and outspoken opposition at her predecessors’ town halls, would simply refuse to allow the same opportunity to her constituents, “said Guinta.
Shea-Porter, who was a vocal anti-war activist before winning her seat in 2006, essentially hounded then-Republican Congressman Jeb Bradley at his town halls in the years leading up to their race.
I do not exactly excuse Shea-Porter for her actions; it is merely that I recognize that she is essentially still a professional antiwar activist in her heart. And expecting moral courage from a professional antiwar activist is like expecting a jackass to sing: there’s nothing stopping you from doing it, but there’s no getting past the fact that the jackass simply lacks the basic ability in the first place.
Moe Lane
Crossposted to RedState.
