Free Republic

CONCORD – A federal judge dismissed Thursday a Nashua man's legal challenge that Republican presidential nominee-to-be Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was ineligible because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone.

CONCORD – Democratic Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen's once imposing lead over U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu has all but vanished in recent months according to a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll released today. Shaheen leads Sununu in this poll of likely voters, 46 percent to 42 percent, but the spread is within its margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent. Pollster Andrew Smith stressed the race remains wide open since only 22 percent said they had definitely decided upon a candidate. During a telephone interview, Smith said voters are starting to focus more on the choices...

Squeezing his thumb and forefinger together in the back of a Manchester bar last night, Libertarian presidential nominee Bob Barr told a crowd of 80 that when it counts, there's that much difference between the Republicans and Democrats. Americans, he argued, are looking for something new. "The definition of throwing your vote away is to go into that voting booth and vote for one of two parties that will not change the direction this country's going in," Barr told a crowd of about 80 at Murphy's Taproom. "And that's the Republicans or Democrats."

ROCHESTER, N.H. -- Far from Amman, Jordan, where the world's news media were fixated on Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. John McCain told a town hall meeting here that U.S. troops "have succeeded, and we will win the war in Iraq." In midday remarks to a lively crowd in the old Rochester Opera House, McCain criticized Obama for sticking to his proposal for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. "Now he wants to reverse the success we have had and set a date for withdrawal," McCain said. He did not address recent statements supporting withdrawal by 2010 from the...

The gay bishop of New Hampshire should resign in order to save the Anglican Communion, a senior African archbishop said today. The call came from the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Deng, the archbishop of Sudan, and followed a strongly worded statement that accused the US Episcopal church of exposing Anglicans to ridicule and damaging their credibility in a multi-religious environment. African bishops who signed the statement rejecting homosexual practice said they could not accept it as part of their church. They reiterated their opposition to developments in the US and Canada, where gay clergy are ordained and where same-sex relationships...

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN speaks at a town hall meeting in Rochester today. There, citizens can question a man who might be the next President of the United States. And if you've ever seen McCain at a town hall meeting, you know that anyone with a hostile question usually gets called on first. That's one of the reasons McCain won the New Hampshire primary -- twice. He isn't afraid to face the voters directly and answer them honestly. We wish we could say the same for his opponent in this important presidential election. But while McCain is answering voters' questions, Sen....

MANCHESTER – "Mac" is back. Sen. John McCain returned to New Hampshire last night, flashing an "OK" sign at an aide as he stepped out onto an airport tarmac in Manchester. The Arizona Republican will be in Rochester today. He is slated to speak at the Rochester Opera House at noon. Campaign staffers said McCain will take questions during the event, which is open to the public. No tickets are required. A spokesman, Jeff Grappone, said other events may be announced today. "John McCain will continue to talk about the issues that matter most to New Hampshire voters," Grappone said,...

MANCHESTER – "Mac" is back. Sen. John McCain returned to New Hampshire last night, flashing an "OK" sign at an aide as he stepped out onto an airport tarmac in Manchester. The Arizona Republican will be in Rochester today. He is slated to speak at the Rochester Opera House at noon. Campaign staffers said McCain will take questions during the event, which is open to the public. No tickets are required. A spokesman, Jeff Grappone, said other events may be announced today. "John McCain will continue to talk about the issues that matter most to New Hampshire voters," Grappone said,...

Only Half Of Voters Have Definitely Decided On Choice DURHAM, N.H. -- A new University of New Hampshire poll shows that presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are neck-and-neck in the state. The poll, with Obama at 46 percent and McCain at 43 percent, also shows that only half of likely voters say they have definitely decided on their choice for president. The rest were leaning or still trying to decide. Each candidate dominated his party's registered voters, but they divided independent voters fairly evenly. McCain also did well among conservatives, older voters and those living near Massachusetts. Obama...

Rotting holes in steel support beams, enormous rust patches, small splits in steel girders and broken bracing are evident all along the underside of the John Greenleaf Whittier Bridge, the heavily traveled Interstate 95 span that crosses the Merrimack River between Amesbury and Newburyport. A just-released state safety report filed in the wake of last year's disastrous collapse of the similarly designed Interstate 35 bridge in Minneapolis gave the 57-year-old Whittier Bridge "poor" ratings due to deterioration. On a 10-step ranking system, the rating is just two steps above the point where engineers consider closing a bridge due to safety...

Almost exactly five years after he was elected as the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson remains the most controversial Christian in the world. His consecration as the first openly gay, partnered Anglican bishop launched a global conversation about sexuality in Christianity and divided the Anglican Communion, the largest Protestant body in the world with 77 million members. Yet what he is doing now may be more radical: Robinson is traveling the country and the world to talk more openly and more publicly than ever about his faith. "The principal identity that I have is as a follower of...

Outlook 1. From the standpoint of morale, enthusiasm, and confidence, the presidential election can be called no contest—Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain. The Republican candidate has not used the long period since he clinched the nomination to establish an effective campaign strategy. The level of depression among Republicans outside the McCain inner circle is worsening as Obama inches his way rightward, toward the middle of the road (at least rhetorically). 2. Actually, it still looks like a close race on a state-by-state basis. Despite the enthusiasm gap, this remains a winnable race for McCain in a terrible Republican...

Thank you for contacting me regarding high fuel prices. As someone who also finds this to be unacceptable, I appreciate hearing from you. I understand your frustration with high fuel prices, which are causing hardship on consumers in New Hampshire and nationwide. Households and businesses are seeing a growing share of their money being eaten up in fuel costs. Hearing about the real life hardships that you and many other hard-working Americans face due to escalating energy costs helps to emphasize the urgency of this problem and illustrate why we must continue to work on finding real solutions. Unfortunately, the...

Here's video of a scene that would play out much differently in most places outside New Hampshire...Ryan Marvin of Manchester shows up to file a complaint against the police while openly wearing his massive .22. http://youtube.com/watch?v=zrhmhxDd1S4

Thousands of shorefront property owners and builders across the state are on a crash course to understand a new permit system that goes into effect tomorrow. Effective July 1, a state shoreland permit is required for excavation, filling and construction within 250 feet of shore if minimum standards for maintaining the lot's natural state are not met. Those standards are outlined in the new Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (RSA 483-B). ...... "It is impossible to figure out unless you are an engineer or a scientist," he said. "My basic thing is that the restrictions are so strict. In my mind...

Obama’s Unity hug-fest with Hillary Clinton was nothing but symbolism. I’m told it looked fabulous on TV. As Ben Smith notes, it got a ton of coverage without providing any real news. But live, it was a dreadful event. Because Unity is such a small town, there was no place for everyone to park. The campaign set up off-site parking in Newport and Claremont, and attendees had to ride buses in. People arrived from as far as Massachusetts, as early as 6 a.m. to get good seats to the 1 p.m. event. When I caught the bus from Claremont at...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has held a joint fund-raising dinner in Washington with his former rival, Hillary Clinton. The event was aimed at shoring up party unity, following the hardest-fought Democratic Party primaries in decades. Mr Obama announced that he would personally donate $2,300 (£1,160), the maximum amount allowed by law, to help cover Mrs Clinton's campaign debts. He said he would call on his top financial backers to do the same. Mr Obama received a standing ovation from a crowd of more than 200 at Washington's Mayflower Hotel when he said he would enlist his supporters to help...

In their first public step towards reconciliation following a brutal primary season, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., traveled together to the small town of Unity, New Hampshire for their first joint campaign rally. The town was symbolically chosen by the Obama campaign for the event because of it's name and because 107 residents voted for Obama and 107 voted for Clinton during the primaries. "Well, Unity is not only a beautiful place as we can see, it's a wonderful feeling isn't it?" Clinton said, standing beside Obama before 4,000 people. "And I know when we...

RUSH: How about this show that's going on between Hillary and Obama in, of all places -- how stupid do they think we are? -- in Unity, New Hampshire. How much energy did it take for both of them to fly to Unity, New Hampshire, for a photo-op? We all know this is a staged thing, anyway. They could have done it in Washington at a hotel room, the Eliot Spitzer hotel room at the Mayflower. They could have done it any number of places because somebody's going to get screwed in this deal. And look at this. You...

From the National Republican Senatorial Committee. http://www.nrsc.org/multimedia/details.aspx?ID=81When there's a problem, Jeanne Shaheen goes back to her old standby -- raising taxes. Failed polices and more taxes are not the answer. They're the problem. More at http://www.TheShaheenRecord.com.

Multiculturalism Gone Berserk by: Deborah Lambert, June 27, 2008 What has happened to New Hampshire, the Granite State, proud supporter of the American revolutionary spirit over two hundred years ago? Why are school children forced to “bow to the altar of multiculturalism” as they did at the Amherst Middle School when kids had to celebrate something called “Open Tent Day” by parading around the school dressed as Saudi Arabians, according to pcblogspot.com.? The local newspaper, the Milford Cabinet, reported that this exercise was designed to “encourage participants to reach out and learn from people around the world, and to promote...

US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) appear on stage with Clinton endorsing Obama in person and campaigning with him for the first time in the town of Unity, New Hampshire, June 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Michelle Obama will travel to New Hampshire tomorrow, an Obama campaign aide confirmed yesterday. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen will campaign with her. Obama and Shaheen are holding a roundtable discussion with working women in Manchester about the challenges they face. On Friday, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will make their first joint appearance of the campaign in Unity The event is free and open to the public. Gates open at 11 a.m. There is no onsite parking. Shuttles begin running at 10 a.m. from Mount Sunapee Resort, Route 103, Newbury, and Twin State Speedway, 282 Thrasher Road,...

It's onto New Hampshire and a week-end of racing at Loudon as we close in on another 4th of July. The season is just getting started! Swing on by for a little fun and chat and help Support our Troops!

GROTON, Conn., June 18, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----General Dynamics Electric Boat will christen New Hampshire (SSN-778), the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced nuclear attack submarine, at a ceremony at its shipyard here on Saturday, June 21, at 11 a.m. Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth, N.H., is the ship's sponsor. Mrs. McGuinness lost her husband, Tom McGuinness, on September 11, 2001, in the World Trade Center attacks. He was the co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, which was flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

I meet up with FReeper T_Skoz and five other FReedom Fighters in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn in Portmouth, NH. The weather was rainy and overcast but the This is New Engalnd. The reason for the FReep was the "Card Check" bill that is up in the House. This bill would allow Unions to by pass an NRLB election on the basis of signed organizing Cards and negotiate with the employer as if an election had happened. Sounds Like Detroit On Election Day.. The real reason is that Che is a 100% Rat Political Hack and we want...

SEACOAST FREEPERS!!! FREEP of Jeanne Shaheen THIS FRIDAY, 5:00 PM at the Holiday Inn, Portsmouth NH. The NH Dems are having an event that will feature Jeanne Shaheen. We are organizing a fake picket line outside to protest her support of the new “card-check” union rules which would use fear and intimidation on employees who don’t want to join a union in their workplace by making their anti-union vote public! Feel free to bring signs targeting Shaheen on other issues, however our main focus will be hitting her on this labor issue. In true union, picket-line fashion, I will be...

I meet up with Snow Eagle and her hubby at the Walmart in North Conway, NH, we intended to do a roadside protest in support of drilling in the good old US of A. They were then going to attend the presentation Che was putting on about how not to freeze to death, in a very cold part of the US, when you can't afford to buy heating oil, and ask some pointed questions. We set up across the street from the Walmart with signs, I will post pics, stating the Congress was not doing its job and to DRILL...

Snow Eagle and I, Little Bill, would like all New Hamshire FReepers to FReep our local, 1st District Commissar, Carol Che-Porter, in North Conway on 6/14/2008, over Gas Prices and the Rat refusal to make us Energy Independant. Bring Signs and you to North Conway, vent your dspleasure.

CONCORD – V. Gene Robinson, New Hampshire's Episcopal bishop, entered into a civil union yesterday with his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, according to WMUR-TV. The ceremony, held at St. Paul Church, coincided with the fifth anniversary of Robinson's election as the nation's first openly gay Episcopal bishop. The state Legislature passed a law last year allowing gay couples to enter civil unions; the law took effect Jan. 1. In an interview last month on NBC's "The Today Show," Robinson said the decision to enter into a civil union came after he received death threats about his decision to...

BOSTON (Reuters) - The openly gay U.S. Episcopal bishop at the center of the Anglican church's global battle over homosexuality, has entered into a civil union with his longtime partner at a private ceremony. About 120 guests gathered at St. Paul's Church in New Hampshire for Saturday's ceremony for Bishop Gene Robinson and his partner of more than 19 years, Mark Andrew. The event was kept private out of respect for next month's worldwide Anglican conference, Robinson's spokesman, Mike Barwell, said on Sunday.

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson was united in a civil union ceremony with longtime partner Mark Andrew yesterday afternoon at St. Paul's Church in Concord. Attorney Ronna Wise, a justice of the peace, performed the private ceremony before about 120 friends and family. The day marked the five-year anniversary of the New Hampshire election that, once ratified, made Robinson the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican church. Robinson had made public his intent to get a civil union but had purposely kept the date and the details quiet. He did so, said spokesman Mike Barwell, out of respect for next...

Gene Robinson, New Hampshire's Episcopal bishop, entered into a civil union yesterday with his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, according to WMUR-TV. The ceremony, held at St. Paul Church, coincided with the fifth anniversary of Robinson's election as the nation's first openly gay Episcopal bishop. The state Legislature passed a law last year allowing gay couples to enter civil unions; the law took effect Jan. 1. In an interview last month on NBC's "The Today Show," Robinson said the decision to enter into a civil union came after he received death threats about his decision to attend the Lambeth...

As Barack Obama edged ever closer yesterday to clinching a mathematical victory in the Democratic presidential nominating contest, national attention began to pivot from the Democrats' marathon primary race to the upcoming general election. Assuming Obama manages to win the nomination, New Hampshire could prove a true battleground state come November, with both candidates able to claim advantages. Although New Hampshire is becoming increasingly blue - after supporting Republican George Bush in 2000, voters here backed Democrat John Kerry in the 2004 general election - Obama would be forced to compete against two-time New Hampshire Republican primary winner John McCain,...

When Lylah Rose Goldwater visits Shayne Pitts in prison, she can't bring herself to shake his hand, the one that held the gun that killed her daughter 17 years ago. "There seems to be a connection between that handshake and my daughter's death," she said. "One of those emotional barriers I have yet to overcome, if ever." But Goldwater has overcome her hatred of Pitts, 35, who is serving a 40-year to life sentence for the killing of 19-year-old Melody Derosia-Waters in Hopkinton. The mother who once sat in her car outside a courthouse and aimed a gun at Pitts...

<p>I sent the following letter to Michelle Malkin today in the hopes that somebody would notice the vile, un-American bill introduced by Mr. Paul Hodes (D,NH) attempting to suppress speech by former military officers.</p> <p>Just thought somebody here might be interested.</p>

<p>Have you ever seen a bridge pull? There are bridge pulls that are parts of furniture, but I mean the old-fashioned kind. The ones involving a team of oxen, a covered wooden bridge, and a stream. There may not have been one of those anywhere in the US in the last century. And there may not be another one, ever, after the one I saw this morning in Highlands, North Carolina.</p>

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of New Hampshire voters shows hardly any change in the state’s U.S. Senate race. Jeanne Shaheen (D) now leads incumbent Senator John Sununu (R) 50% to 43%. A month ago, Shaheen led 51% to 43%. The race is remarkably stable. Prior to the current poll showing a seven-point Shaheen lead, the challenger had enjoyed an eight-point lead in three consecutive monthly polls.

Residents say a wireless company's commercial poking fun at a bad camping experience with mosquitoes is no laughing matter in an area where mosquito-borne illnesses have proven fatal.snip State Sen. Jack Barnes Jr., R-Raymond, also got involved and communicated Louis' sentiments in a letter addressed to Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam at the company's Basking Ridge, N.J., headquarters. "In parts of the country where mosquitoes are not a threat to the health of citizens, your advertisement probably got a lot of belly laughs," Barnes' letter stated. "However, in this part of the state of New Hampshire, it's not funny." Barnes...

Preachers give sermons. They ponder morality and seek to divine the will of God. They see stories not as narratives from which readers may draw their own conclusions, but as parables, useful for illustrating life lessons. In the Eye of the Storm, the new book by Gene Robinson, the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, is not the memoir it appears to be. It is not Robinson telling his story but Robinson expounding his opinions. How does a Christian deal with the Bible's harsh judgments, contradictory messages and archaic views? What does God have to say about sexuality? How has the...

In an interview with Matt Lauer of NBC, practicing Homosexual controversialist Bishop Gene Robinson announced plans to enter into a ‘Civil Union’ with his Male Paramour. He told the interviewer it was “what God is telling me to do” Just as the splintering Anglican Communion was preparing for its International Lambeth Conference. Just as the controversy surrounding the actions of some orthodox Anglicans planning an alternative Conference seemed to be out of the limelight. Right at this time,a controversialist Bishop named Gene Robinson once again enters the limelight to make himself the center of attention.

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A former Dartmouth College teacher and medical school researcher sent e-mails to some of her former students saying she plans to sue them because they "harassed, compromised, abused or discriminated against" her. Priya Venkatesan, 39, who received her bachelor's degree from Dartmouth in 1990, last week e-mailed the former students in her Science, Technology and Society course with the news that she is pursuing a federal civil-rights lawsuit against some of them. Venkatesan, now at Northwestern University, said in an interview with the Valley News that she is still searching for a lawyer to take her...

Curious mainstream reporters drop by to get a look at Free Staters' fourth open-carry litter pickup event in New Hampshire. But how are locals and media reacting to the site of so many holstered weapons? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-vr0ZsWQzI

For the third straight month, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen leads Senator John Sununu by eight percentage points in his bid for re-election. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of New Hampshire voters shows Shaheen attracting 51% of the vote while Sununu earns 43%. A month ago, Shaheen led 49% to 41%.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in New Hampshire shows Hillary Clinton gaining a bit of ground over the past month while Barack Obama is heading in the opposite direction. The survey also found lingering voter concerns about Obama and his former Pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The new Granite State numbers show McCain leading Clinton by three percentage points, 47% to 44%. A month ago, the former First Lady was trailing by six. As for Obama, he now trails McCain by ten percentage points, 51% to 41%. A month ago, he was within three of the presumptive Republican nominee. Two...

In a new book the Anglican clergyman explains why he wanted to formalise his 20 year relationship. “I always wanted to be a June bride.� As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew there'd be trouble. I'd just delivered an hour-long lecture on the relationship between religion and public discourse, and why religious fervour over homosexuality plays such a large and negative role in the securing of full civil rights for gay people. During the question-and-answer period, someone asked me about the forthcoming civil union between me and Mark, my partner of 20 years. The audience...

DURHAM - A University of New Hampshire student who was told by a professor that he could not wear an empty gun holster in her class as part of a protest responded by posting the correspondence on the Internet, which earned the professor several angry e-mail from strangers. Senior Matt Ham, 22, is taking part in a nationwide demonstration this week in which participants wear empty gun holsters as a way to push for college students with permits to carry a concealed weapon to be able to bring guns onto campus. Those in favor of the move say that just...

What: Illegal puppet show When: Wednesday, April 23, 2008. Starting between 12:00 and 12:30 p.m. Where: Outside New Hampshire State House, 107 N. Main, Concord, NH (Near Main but out of pedestrians' way). How: "Outlaw Puppeteer" will perform "The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail," As an act of civil disobedience against the state's prohibition On unlicensed puppeteering for profit. Who: Dave Ridley, 41, of NHfree.com. Ridley is a Manchester videographer. Projected turnout is 20, mostly NHFree.com folks Why: Protest legislature's refusal to repeal unnecessary laws. Latest details: http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=13709.0 Ways you Can help: http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=13727.0 Dear folks at Concord P.D., Concord City...

Blumenthal fined $900, had license revoked for 10 months NASHUA – Sen. Hillary Clinton campaign adviser Sidney Blumenthal slipped into Nashua District Court to plead guilty and be sentenced last month, three weeks earlier than scheduled. Blumenthal, 59, of Washington, D.C., was arrested in Nashua on Jan. 7, the day before the New Hampshire primary, accused of speeding while intoxicated on Concord Street. Blumenthal and his lawyer, Ray Mello, of Nashua, had negotiated a plea bargain with police prosecutors last month. Notice of the deal was filed March 20, and the court scheduled a plea-and-sentencing hearing Friday. The district court...

Kathleen Seidel is a New Hampshire mother of two. She runs a blog, Neurodiversity.com, about autism--a topic of special interest to her as one of her children had an "autistic spectrum diagnosis." There is a theory that thimerosal, a preservative formerly used in vaccines, causes autism. Seidel has written skeptically of that theory, and of the trial lawyers who have sought to cash in on it. Last month one of those lawyers, Clifford Shoemaker, had Seidel served with a subpoena demanding that she report for a deposition and produce a voluminous collection of documents, described in her motion to quash...