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July 2011 Member Posts (24)

Is it Time to call a “Code Blue” on the NHDP?

An open letter to NHDP Chairman Ray Buckley

Just what is your plan to return the Democratic Party to the majorities it held in House, Senate, Congress and Executive Counsel prior to you being elected to your current leadership position?

In 2006, the voters of New Hampshire, displayed their told displeasure with President Bush’s war and domestic policies that they did something they hadn’t done in almost a century; they entrusted the New Hampshire Democratic Party, with…

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Added by Kris E Roberts on July 31, 2011 at 8:33pm — No Comments

The Week in Review for July 30: Budget fallout

One fallout from the state budget is the effect on hospitals and their Medicaid reimbursement.

Hospitals say they stand to lose about $250 million and a group of them are challenging the state budget provision in U.S. District Court.

Meanwhile, hospitals all over the state are laying off personnel and reducing or eliminating programs, laying the blame on the steps of the state… Continue

Added by LFDA Editor on July 30, 2011 at 9:05am — No Comments

Solar power's future

The future of solar power depends largely on its cost. Critics of renewable energy complain largely that coal and other fossil fuels are less pricey. In fact, some utilities even claim that they cannot, in nice conscience, raise rates for their customers in order to make use of solar energy because they have an obligation to provide the least pricey energy.

Added by Kelvin Peter on July 28, 2011 at 2:53am — No Comments

Palin could test NH primary primacy

If Sarah Palin decides to declare her candidacy for president -- and that’s a big if -- she could very well put the historic relevance of the New Hampshire primary to the test.

The accepted notion in the Granite State is that you need to be here early and often if you expect to have any chance of being a serious candidate for president of the United States.

The belief is that you haven’t been here enough until you’ve shaken everyone’s hand at least three times.

The… Continue

Added by Paul Briand on July 27, 2011 at 7:24am — No Comments

Who is writing our legislation - big business or lawmakers?

A new website is shedding light on the influence corporations have on state laws.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a policy institute based in Washington, DC. The group is reportedly comprised of thousands of state and federal legislators, and hundreds of corporate policy analysts.

What do they do? They write bills. What happens to those bills? Those bills are introduced into our local governments.

You can find the model bills on…

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Added by Chuck McKenney on July 25, 2011 at 10:56pm — No Comments

The Week in Review for July 23: Debt ceiling deadline

The Aug. 2 default of United States bonds and the parallel issue of raising the debt ceiling had the attention of our delegation in Washington, D.C., this week.

The Republican-led House, the Democrat-held Senate and the White House are trying to come to terms on an agreement that would 1) raise the debt ceiling, 2) save the country from default, and 3) address some of the country’s long-term deficit spending. And there’s a fourth element -- save political face among… Continue

Added by LFDA Editor on July 23, 2011 at 8:24am — No Comments

Special elections round out Granite State summer

Voters in New Hampshire's southern tier will be busy with a handful of late-summer special elections for state House of Representatives.

First up is Strafford District 3's special election on Aug. 9, where Democrat Bob Perry of the town of Strafford will face Republican Honey Puterbaugh, a resident of Barrington.

The latter ran uncontested in a June 7 primary, while Perry defeated three challengers in the Democratic contest: Janet Kalar of Middleton, Dennis Malloy of…

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Added by LFDA Editor on July 21, 2011 at 4:51pm — No Comments

Giuliani to LFDA: Obama's the problem

When former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani visited the Live Free or Die Alliance on July 14, he said he still wasn't sure whether he'd run for president in 2012.

But he had no uncertainty when it came to finding fault with the…

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Added by LFDA Editor on July 21, 2011 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

Supporting the Gang of 6

The current National Debt situation is in-excusable and we are all to blame, since it is not the government of the Republicans, Democrats or politicians, but the government of the people.

With the August 2^nd debt ceiling approaching our national economic fate is in the hands of those we have allowed to represent us. Our votes have long since been cast, but our voices should not be silent. Fortunately, a group of six Senators (know as the Gang of Six) three…

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Added by Steven Borne on July 20, 2011 at 10:31pm — 1 Comment

Lamontagne and Binnie eye primary influence

Ovide Lamontagne and Bill Binnie did not go quietly into the night after their defeats in the 2010 mid-term elections.

Each -- without the benefit of office -- is making an impact on the politics and public: Lamontagne as tea party kingmaker in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, Binnie as owner of a New Hampshire television station that he hopes will rival WMUR.

Both Lamontagne and Binnie were Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Judd… Continue

Added by Paul Briand on July 19, 2011 at 2:49pm — No Comments

The Week in Review for July 16: Clock strikes on approvals and vetoes

With a midnight Wednesday deadline approaching, Gov. John Lynch decided on several bills last week that had landed on his desk from the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Among them:

He vetoed legislation to eliminate local regulations on sprinkler systems for homes;
He signed a bill to…

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Added by LFDA Editor on July 16, 2011 at 8:37am — No Comments

LFDA gives Gary Johnson his say

Sure, he was excluded from CNN's New Hampshire primary debate a month ago, but the Live Free or Die Alliance was able to conduct an interview with Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson.

This interview was one of the first to give New Hampshire citizens…

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Added by LFDA Editor on July 15, 2011 at 5:28pm — No Comments

Giuliani not running ... not quite yet, anyway

During a late-morning visit to the Live Free or Die Alliance headquarters on Thursday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giulianisaid he had no plans to launch a second bid for the White House.

Instead, the former associate attorney general under Ronald Reagan said he was waiting to see…

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Added by LFDA Editor on July 14, 2011 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Republicans and same-sex marriage

In an interesting turn of events for the Republican presidential primary field, former Govs. Gary Johnson (New Mexico),…

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Added by John F.J. Sullivan on July 13, 2011 at 5:02pm — 1 Comment

NH primary will offer venue for attack ad free-for-all

Here’s a prediction:

The inter-party fighting among Republican candidates for president will reach a new high -- or low, as the case may be -- as the calendar counts down to the primary election.

And a lot of that infighting fire will be fueled with gas from the so-called “super PACs” that grew out of the Citizens United case in the Supreme Court.

Mitt Romney, the current New Hampshire frontrunner, is already steeling himself against the Molotov cocktails.

A… Continue

Added by Paul Briand on July 13, 2011 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Will he or won’t he? Lynch’s question to answer

Two big questions will start to beg for answers as summer turns to autumn:

1. Will Democrat John Lynch run for a fifth term as governor?

2. When will he make the decision and the announcement?

Inquiring minds want to know, not the least of whom is Maggie Hassan, the Exeter Democrat and former majority leader in the New Hampshire Senate.

She has already indicated an interest in being governor, saying she is thinking about campaigning to do so, but -- and this… Continue

Added by Paul Briand on July 10, 2011 at 7:58am — No Comments

The Week in Review for July 9: The other 2012 election

With so much emphasis on the presidential election in 2012 it’s easy to forget there’s an other state election coming up at the same time.

And already, there’s talk of whether Democrat John Lynch might run for a fifth term as governor.

If he doesn’t, former Senate Majority Leader Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from Exeter, said she will consider a run.

“One of the reasons I'm having discussions now is that I want to make the decision carefully. I need to make sure that…

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Added by LFDA Editor on July 9, 2011 at 8:06am — No Comments

Newcomers to vie for Rock. 14 rep seat

A pair of political newcomers — Republican Kevin Janvrin of Seabrook and Democrat Ryan Mahoney of South Hampton — will face off against Libertarian Brendan Kelly in the Sept. 6 special election to fill a vacant House seat in Rockingham District 14.

On July 5, voters in Hampton Falls, Kensington, Seabrook and South Hampton chose Janvrin and Mahoney in the special primary election to replace former state Rep. Gary Wheaton, R-Seabrook who, beset by legal troubles, …

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Added by LFDA Editor on July 8, 2011 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Bachmann has Obamney type issue of her own

Just as Mitt Romney has the Obamney health care issue to deal with in the run-up to the New Hampshire primary, Michele Bachmann has a Medicaid issue to wrestle to the ground.

She is a tea party, government-hand-outs-be-damned Republican conservative. Yet the family business -- Bachmann and Associates Counseling Clinic operated by her husband -- happily accepts government assistance for its Medicaid clients.

Her response to the incongruity between her politics and her life… Continue

Added by Paul Briand on July 8, 2011 at 7:00am — No Comments

What the new poll numbers tell us about the NH primary

It’s Mitt Romney’s New Hampshire Republican presidential primary to lose.

That’s what the most current WMUR Granite State Poll shows.

But there are other, equally important, numbers to consider in the equation toward nominating an opponent for President Barack Obama.

First, are the undecided numbers. They remain significant for a primary that in this state will allow both registered Republicans and undeclared voters to participate.

Second, are the numbers for… Continue

Added by Paul Briand on July 6, 2011 at 3:39pm — No Comments