News and Views

NH GOP ALIVE AND WELL: Last week’s municipal elections held a lot of good news for Republicans.

Highlights:

Frank Guinta’s re-election as Mayor in Manchester with 54 percent of the vote despite an all-out attack from the Gov. John Lynch and the New Hampshire Democratic Party. Gov. Lynch did mail and paid TV, radio, and newspaper ads against Guinta.
Donnalee Lozeau’s election as Mayor of Nashua means both of NH’s largest cities now have Republican Mayors.
Scott Pope and Ken Merrifield were reelected and elected mayors of Claremont and Franklin, respectively – two cities not exactly known to be Republican strongholds.
Dover voters passed a tax cap, a policy heavily favored by limited government fiscal conservatives.

MESSAGE FROM SENATOR SUNUNU: For a 1 min 30 sec video message from Senator Sununu, check out http://www.nhgop.org/home/2007/11/13/a-message-from-senator-john-sununu.html

SHAHEEN GETS LOST: Jeanne Shaheen missed an event last weekend because she got lost. Hey, it can happen – but in Dover, part of her own former state senate district? “My directions were incorrect, and I drove around for an hour looking for it,” Shaheen told Fosters. Today’s Union Leader reported: State Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen poked fun at Shaheen. Cullen said that Shaheen has been out of office for five years and has spent “most of that time at Harvard,” where she directed the university’s Institute of Politics, “and is just starting to reacquaint herself with New Hampshire. “If the event had taken place in Cambridge, I’m sure she’d have known just where it was,” said Cullen. “Of course, she could have pulled over and asked for help, but maybe there wasn’t enough time to assemble a blue ribbon commission on directions. Besides, a lot has changed over the years she was at Harvard. For example, Google came up with this cool feature called Google Maps which helps people find directions,” Cullen said.

TAXPAYER FUNDED CAMPAIGN MAIL: Many of you have reported receiving a piece of taxpayer funded campaign mail from Pelosi Twins Hodes and Shea-Porter this week. Make no mistake: This is an abuse of tax payer dollars, pure propaganda paid for a taxpayer expense. They said they’d go to Washington to reform…and they have quickly become part of the problem.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: If you think that taxpayer funded campaign mail is an abuse, how about writing a letter to the editor to bring attention it? Our tireless Vice Chairman Wayne MacDonald had a nice LTE in the Concord Monitor the other day: http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/OPINION/711100319/1029/OPINION03

CONGRATS: To Dover’s David Scott, who was named the winner of the Union Leader’s First Amendment Award yesterday for his tireless pursuit of opening up city hall and exposing a series of sweetheart contracts involving hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. David was also re-elected to the Dover city council last week.

SECOND CD NEWS: We currently have one announced candidate for congress in the second district (temporarily held, for now, by Paul Hodes), three people publicly exploring bids, and at least two others privately exploring candidacies. This article is mostly about announced candidate Jim Steiner of Concord: http://cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002626000

MUCH ADO ABOUT DELEGATES: As you may have heard, there is an effort by the RNC to reduce the number of Republican delegates at stake in the primary from 24 to 12. For perspective, we had 16 delegates in 1996 and 17 in 2000. We have chosen not to rattle sabers on this issue at this time, while reserving the right to challenge the decision at a later date. The first-in-the-nation primary has never been about the number of delegates at stake. Candidates come here to prove their ability to earn support in a broadly participatory primary.

HIGHER TAXES, HIGHER TOLLS: Gov. Lynch has raised tolls for the second time of his administration. To see a sign that has been popping up on ramps to the turnpike system, go to http://www.nhgop.org/home/2007/10/23/john-lynch-higher-taxes-higher-tolls.html And to read an op/ed I wrote about Lynch’s higher tolls, go to http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/CITIZEN_05/710150047/-1/CITIZEN

GOOD IDEA: A Cheshire County Republican suggests that when you are making out your Christmas cards this year, consider sending one here:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

ON THE ROAD: I’ll be speaking to the Wakefield GOP this coming Tuesday night. If you have a GOP meeting coming up and are looking for a speaker, I’d like to come.

Invite me at fergus@nhgop.org

Sincerely,
Fergus Cullen
Chairman, NH Republican Party

Dear Friend,

New Hampshire voters want lower taxes, less government intrusion, safe communities, and better schools for our children and yesterday’s Mayoral election results in Manchester proved it.

Despite heavy rains and cold weather, voters went to their polling places and cast votes for the candidate who represents the values our state has long held. In doing so, Manchester re-elected a leader that will continue to expand those efforts for individuals, families and businesses.

Two years ago, Mayor Guinta promised that lowering taxes, fighting crime and focusing on school improvement would be the primary objectives of his administration. During his first term in office, he kept those promises by; implementing the first tax cut in a decade, putting more police officers on the streets, getting tough with establishments that foster underage drinking and violent environments, and re-directing education funds to the classroom. Frank Guinta worked hard. He kept his promises and he strived for a better community–and Manchester thanked him with two more years to keep up the good work.

Voters handily rejected baseless rhetoric and nasty attacks by the Democrats and instead chose results. The $150,000 in negative campaigning spent by John Lynch’s Democratic Party was not enough to alter the outcome, but it was enough to show that they will spend any amount of money and stoop to any level to win an election. Unfortunately for them, they greatly underestimated the will and intelligence of the voter.

Hundreds of volunteers spent the past several weeks dropping literature, making phone calls, holding signs and championing for New Hampshire values in its largest city. Yesterday, it was the citizens that won.

The effort in Manchester is just a snapshot of the work and energy generated around the state for these municipal elections. Yesterday reinforced the fact that the Republican Party is alive and well and working hard in New Hampshire.

I’d like to extend a special thank you to all those who helped in Manchester and across the state by volunteering, donating and the most importantly of all–voting.

Sincerely,
Fergus Cullen
Chairman, NH Republican Party

Foster’s Daily Democrat
November 4, 2007

Internet tax moratorium just one of many ways in which Granite Staters are well represented in Washington.

Sen. John Sununu’s success in extending the ban on an Internet access tax is just another example of wise, bipartisan representation and why he deserves to be re-elected to the Senate in 2008.

Without Sununu’s efforts an existing ban would have expired on Nov. 1, opening the door for taxes on a service that has become essential to businesses — large or small — as well as individuals at all economic levels.

Thanks to Sununu’s effort a bill which extends the moratorium for seven years was sent to the president and signed into law on Wednesday.

By working to renew the ban, Sununu has helped maintain the affordability of Internet access. Keeping the ban in place also opens the door to added investment by a previously reluctant business community, something that stands to benefit anyone who rides the superhighway of information technology.

In addition, Sununu’s efforts also protect e-mails and instant messaging, somethings which have become integrated into the everyday lives of Americans at home, in school and at the office.

But Sununu’s efforts on behalf of his constituents and the nation don’t stop there.

The junior New Hampshire senator has been intimately involved in the advancement of alternative fuels technology. During the recent immigration bill debate he has been on the winning side in fighting for tougher border security.

During the reauthorization of the Patriot Act, Sununu fought successfully to add several provisions to protect civil liberties.

His support of the Wilderness Act permanently protected 35,000 acres of land in White Mountain National Forest.

He has gone to bat for seniors and was honored by the American Foundation for the Blind with a 2006 Helen Keller Achievement Award for his “dedication to helping the visually impaired through the Medicare Low-Vision Rehabilitation Services Demonstration Project.”

Sununu’s resume as a senator also includes many less high-profile — but nonetheless important — efforts.

He has worked to protect New Hampshire jobs from foreign competition in the case of Goss International in its battle against foreign government trade subsidies.

He has lobbied the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on behalf of Seacoast Moms for the Prevention of EEE.

Sen. Sununu has taken up the cause of commercial fishermen hurt by new government regulations.

He has successfully worked with Health and Human Services on behalf of New Hampshire hospitals to improve patient care and record keeping.

And he has helped Korean and Vietnam War veterans receive long overdue medals to honor their valor.

During Sununu’s time in Washington, representing New Hampshire values and interests, he has developed a reputation as a hard worker who understands how to make the system work on behalf of the average citizen.

He is respected on both sides of the aisle, as was clearly exhibited by the overwhelming support his Internet tax moratorium bill received in the Senate, on voice vote, and in the House by 402-0 to concur.

Unfortunately, there are some who have sought to trash Sen. Sununu’s record of accomplishment. With voting more than a year away, they have already torn at the senator’s record like a rabid dog — senselessly and needlessly.

They have thrown reasoned debate out the window, much as a child might throw a temper tantrum.

It is because of these vicious, partisan attacks on Sununu’s record and his character that the record needs to be set straight now rather than later.

New Hampshire voters need to know today they have a senator they can put their trust in tomorrow and for another six years when it comes time to vote in 2008.

Having put that decision behind them, Granite Staters will be able to invest their political time in choosing who will lead the nation and next sit in the Oval Office.

CLICK HERE to sign the petition to keep the internet tax free!