Joseph W. McQuaid: Palin's new pal (Kelly Ayotte)

Authenticity in a Candidate---What is the measure of a candidate’s true political compass? I would guess that the majority of people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 did so on the IMAGE of who candidate Obama was, and chose to ignore the details of his public record. They got what they deserved. Unfortunately, the rest of us who didn’t vote for him got screwed too. For them at least, we can see some buyer’s remorse now. For us, validation for having tried to call it as we saw it then…but too few listened.

The same thing happens when a RINO gets most of the support in a GOP primary race, and a true republican conservative languishes behind because of it. Sometimes it happens when the RINO gets all the “party” and special interest money backers behind them in the primary and the conservative has to try to win just with grass roots support…..usually with far far less money to work with to get the message out and reinforce the IMAGE. The more RINOs we elect, the weaker the fight against the progressives….and the faster we all take one step closer to the left because of it.

Much to that exact point, I will put forward my position that this is exactly where we are right now in the New Hampshire US Senate race. Republicans outside of New Hampshire remain simply gaga over Kelly Ayotte in this race and continue to just eat up all the PPP (Democratic) polling data. PPP is the only pollster that continues to spew this data from 400+ likely voters (whoever they are) in the GOP primary…. that Ayotte has 47% of the primary vote. As a NH republican activist, I can tell you with no uncertainty that this is completely BOGUS. Yes, she still remains the frontrunner in the race, but a far more unbiased UNH-WMUR poll (http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2010_summer_senate072810.pdf ) this week will tell you that 91% of Republicans and 95% of Independents have not yet decided who to vote for....and they are the only ones eligible to vote in the GOP primary. Even 70% of the Democrats polled were undecided, and they have only one candidate running—Paul Hodes!

The last “official” breakdown of registered voters in NH had 29% DEMS, 42% IND, and 29% REP. The 42% voting group of independents is the one that keeps encouraging us to elect RINOs in the general elections……and their votes are the cause of the recent ’06, ’08 victories for Democrats like Hodes, Shea-Porter, and Shaheen in the general elections. We already know from polling and simple boots on the ground activism that the Independent voters are not going to swing democratic in 2010……and we have President Obama to thank for that. The GOP primary winner may win the primary with only about 35% of the votes cast and certainly less than 40%..........so up to 65% of the voters will have voted for the losers!

So now the real choice and challenge for New Hampshire voters in 2010 is to try to figure out who to vote for in the Ayotte-Binnie-Lamontagne-Bender GOP primary. I contend that Ayotte is a moderate RINO, Binnie closer to a liberal RINO, Lamontagne a conservative Republican, and Bender a moderate Republican. However, they ALL claim to be conservatives in their campaign branding. I want an AUTHENTIC conservative to be nominated and elected to the US Senate in 2010 to push back against the progressive movement in this country…that’s why I’m backing Lamontagne over Bender. Whoever wins the GOP primary in September wins the election in November against Hodes…....NH is not going to elect Congressman Paul Pelosi Hodes to the US Senate in November.

I know, why bother with the details of actually looking at a candidate’s record rather than the IMAGE they have been selling us. Can you say “Barack Obama”? I contend that electing former AG turned candidate Ayotte won’t get us any further ahead than electing millionaire candidate Bill Binnie, who I personally can’t stomach. In 2010 we have the opportunity to elect a conservative senator of the caliber of some of our past NH conservatives (Sen. Gordon Humphrey and Sen. John Sununu) in the person of Ovide Lamontagne. Lamontagne will fight for conservative principles, won’t be beholding to party bosses and special interests, and will take it to the progressives in Washington. Forget about the self serving Palin endorsement for a moment and look deeper at Ayotte’s supporters: Sen. McCain, Sen. Rudman, Sen. Gregg, the Washington GOP crowd, the Washington special interest PACS. Do you really think that this first time candidate, who was handpicked to run for the seat just a few months after promising our Democratic governor to serve another 3 years as AG, can stand on her own two feet and say NO to all the forces in Washington? My bet is on Lamontagne….the only authentic conservative.

Below is a brief outline of the history of Ayotte’s RECORD on some of the issues that should distinguish a RINO from a true conservative, you decide and vote:

SUPREME COURT

She supported the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, but now opposes Elena Kagan’s nomination.

http://www.edmosca.com/?tag=kelly-ayotte

IMMIGRATION

In 2005 she forbade state police from enforcing trespassing laws against illegal aliens and using them to take the aliens off the street, but now supports Arizona’s right to defend itself.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/blogentry/ayotte-on-immigration

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/23/AR2005082301273.html

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/republicans-want-ayotte-to-appeal-ruling-on-illegals

CASTLE DOCTRINE

She repeatedly urged Gov. Lynch to veto the expansion of the Castle Doctrine in 2006 (SB318) and 2009 (HB160).

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Panel+urged+to+reject+expanded+deadly+force&articleId=2dbc72a0-547e-4804-8837-f4ab7ab9e213

$110M NH JUA FUND GRAB

She was responsible for supporting Gov. Lynch’s attempt to raid the $110M JUA fund in 2009. This attempted private property taking by our government was stopped by a lower court and confirmed by the NH Supreme court.

http://www.redstate.com/nhsteve/2010/03/20/nh-money-grab-back-in-the-news/

http://granitegrok.com/blog/2010/04/more_reaction_to_frans_amendment_to_raid.html

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/statenewengland/680490-227/question-of-jua-support-dogs-ayotte.html

ENVIRONMENT

She lobbied for stricter environmental regulations. http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/new-hampshire-others-sue-epa?page=0,0

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20071129-NEWS-711290405

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2005/2005-03-31-03.asp

STIMULUS SPENDING

She spearheaded the state’s efforts to apply for Federal stimulus funds and was responsible for their administration, but now candidate Ayotte opposes the stimulus spending.

http://www.nhinsider.com/press-releases/2009/11/18/dscc-kelly-ayotte-on-stimulus-she-was-for-it-before-she-was.html

WASHINGTON ESTABLISHMENT-INDEPENDENCE

She has been heavily financed by the Washington GOP establishment and special interests.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0709/NRSC_fundraising_for_Ayotte.html

http://www.nhinsider.com/press-releases/2010/7/13/nhdp-senator-gregg-helps-kelly-get-cozy-with-wall-street-spe.html

http://www.bu.edu/washjocenter/newswire_pg/fall2009/stories/tseng/AYOTTE.htm

HEALTH CARE REFORM

She was against association buyer’s groups for health insurance, but now she is for it.

http://www.dscc.org/blog?blog_entry_KEY=587

FEDERAL EARMARKS

She was for Federal earmarks before she was against them.

http://www.nhinsider.com/press-releases/2010/7/16/nhdp-calls-on-ayotte-to-disclose-earmark-requests-she-made-a.html

PRO LIFE

I will take her at her word for being pro-life without having to “prove” it, as it not something most people are willing to make up for election day. However, she was doing her job as NH’s AG when she defended NH’s statute to the Supreme Court……and she didn’t WIN the case as Palin would claim....so don’t use that case as proof of her compass.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/about-ayottes-supreme-court-win

http://bluehampshire.com/diary/10430/lets-be-clear-ayotte-lost-supreme-court-case

http://pewforum.org/Abortion/Supreme-Courts-Decision-in--Ayotte-v-Planned-Parenthood-of-Northern-New-England.aspx

Joined FR six days ago I see.

So Hal, let me ask you this one question, did you come out of your mother’s womb with your conservative political positions fully formed and unchanging?

Or were your political positions formed by your life’s experience?

Did they change over time, like everyone else’s, or are you some type of perfect human being whose political positions were always perfect?

Ovide has no shot, troll, and you know it. You are probably a Binnie plant or are working for Hodes.

Why would anyone on this board take your word for anything?

And that makes me what..........better late than never?

Since I don’t know you, I’ll simply answer your question as if you really were trying to get a response. I’m a 60+ year old who has been trying to make a living for myself and others for the past 20+ years in business. When I went into business I was a moderate republican. Today I am a conservative republican after 20+ years of living with “government” on a daily basis. I hate the progressives and believe strongly that for every progressive activist we need at least one polar opposite conservative activist, or we dragged somewhere we don’t want to be. I’m not very fond of people who paint themselves “conservative” to get elected, but under that paint job lies a RINO.

No, it makes you FReeper of convenience who joined to push a specific candidate or agenda. Let’s hope you will be a frequent contributor including donating to FR to keep the site alive.

Shallow man, very shallow. Why is it that whenever someone takes Kelly Ayotte to task on her record, they get labeled a Binnie plant or a Hodes supporter? Obviously, you don’t actually live in New Hampshir, because if you did that would not be your reaction. The MAJORITY of us that actually live here will vote in the GOP primary for someone other than Ayotte. That doesn’t guarantee she won’t win.......nobody can at this stage. Whoever does win, and of course I’m voting for Ovide, will be lucky to pull 35% so it is likely that 65% will NOT be voting for Ayotte even if she does hold on and win the primary.

As far as what people on this board choose to believe......that’s not my problem. Believe what you want to believe.....just don’t think that somehow YOU have the credibility to tell me in New Hampshire what I am suppose to think or say about our senate race here.

As the candidates in my state know, I put my money where my mouth is. It may have taken me a few years to do more than just donate, but once fully motivated as I am, I intend to stay and contribute to the discussion. Having said that, I’m the kind who speaks when they think they have something to say, not just for the sake of saying it. I know I have something to say about this race, so here I am.

I don’t doubt your sincerity, but it is very common for campaigns to post here, for the obvious reasons. So when someone posts extensive research trying to tear down the front-runner in a local primary, it’s not unreasonable to suspect another campaign at work.