new hampshire – Page 7

NH Ways & Means chair Susan Almy thinks you’re dumb.

That’s the only conclusion that I can come to after reading this eyebrow-raiser of a quote. The context: the Democrat-controlled New Hampshire legislature is bringing in a pro-income tax group called ITEP to a summit/seminar (the rhetoric keeps changing), and state W&M chair Rep Almy is upset at all the shadowy conspiracies arrayed against said group. Well, she assumes that there are shadowy conspiracies; since her side has them (Tides Foundation, Soros, ACORN), then so must the other. In the process of mangling even the popular perception of the McCarthy era, Almy tosses off this whopper:

“I have even had people emailing to yell at me for supporting a sales tax, which I have never done – I simply invited a respected state economist in to talk to us about why an income tax was bad for business, and he said we should consider a sales tax instead.”

Let me change some phrases around to highlight the absurdity of that statement:

“I have even had people emailing to yell at me for supporting eating puppies, which I have never done – I simply invited a respected state economist in to talk to us about why eating kittens was bad for business, and he said we should consider eating puppies instead.”

You don’t invite in a puppy-eater to talk to you unless you’re at least receptive to the idea of eating puppies. And if you’ve truly ‘never’ supported sales taxes, it seems just a bit odd to be this upset when people point out that your actions contradict you – particularly when your own comments don’t distinguish between your own opinions, and those of ‘a respected state economist.’ I find it difficult to believe that she didn’t notice the tacit admission in her own statement; I suspect that she did, and simply assumed that none of her opponents would be bright enough to do the same*.

On the bright side: even if she is playing conspiracy theorist, at least she hasn’t dragged in the Jews somehow. That’s something, at least.

Moe Lane

*This is a fortunately common delusion on the Other Side.

Crossposted to RedState.

Cops = Thugs to Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D, NH).

Oh, Carol. Why does she keep making us point out her lies?

Portsmouth PD: Shea-Porter was removed from Bush town hall by two police officers

Two officers of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department removed Carol Shea-Porter and Susan Mayer from a February 2005 town hall event hosted by then-President George W. Bush at the request of the owner of the property, a spokesman for the Police Department tells NowHampshire.com.

The revelation contradicts statements made by Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter as recently as this week that she was not removed from the event.

“[T]here were no disruptions and no rudeness and I wasn’t removed. If it happened, don’t you think there would have been photos or video or news stories from that day? There aren’t because it didn’t happen,” Shea-Porter told the Portsmouth Herald this weekend.

Or because they went quietly enough, and weren’t notable enough then, to justify either. The ‘thugs’ comment mentioned later in the article is more of a problem; it’s just not credible to imagine that Rep. Shea-Porter would not have recognized police officers as being police officers, given that this statement is an official one from the Portsmouth PD. So: either Shea-Porter was lying (being also unaware that the police keep records of this sort of thing), or she thinks that cops are thugs. Given her affiliation with the antiwar movement, I’m going to assume the latter.

Now, it’s not just affecting Rep. Shea-Porter, or her crony Mayer (who, as the article notes, is now taking in about 70 grand a year on the taxpayers’ dime*), or even the people who are stuck with trying to explain away every contradiction and evasion that Shea-Porter makes. It’s affecting the people of New Hampshire’s First District, who honestly don’t deserve this kind of amateurism from their Member of Congress.

So: Frank Guinta for Congress.

Moe Lane

*This antiwar thing worked out great for those two, didn’t it? Personally, that is.

Crossposted to RedState.

Shea-Porter emulates ‘Kerry strategy’ re: being thrown out of town hall.

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.

Guinta now within MoE of Shea-Porter.

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:

There’s something fun about seeing the word ‘calamitous’ used about the Other Side’s political fortunes.
You’d have thought that the last eight years would have taught a self-avowed member of the antiwar movement that cutting and running DOES. NOT. WORK.

Moe Lane

PS: Frank Guinta for Congress.

Crossposted to RedState.

Comparing the Guinta / Shea-Porter methodologies.

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.

Meet New Boss Rep Shea-Porter (D, NH).

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.

More on the tasered marmoset.

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.

Guinta forces Shea-Porter to hold town halls.

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.

Frank Guinta does the job Carol Shea-Porter can’t.

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.