Other Convention Tidbits

While Rudy was seducing convention delegates Tom Tancredo, Jim Gilmore, McCain and Romney were hosting other events. At the convention, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore spoke to local media and a group of students supporting Victory New Hampshire. His at the Taste of Europe was almost a packed room. Mitt Romney supporters, including Jim Merrill who is the New Hampshire Director of the Commonwealth PAC, were wearing "Mitt '08" stickers. John McCain's PAC was hosting a luncheon with Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. Tom Tancredo spoke at the Hampton Inn in Bedford, where he embraced Miguel Cruz of New Jersey, the founder of 'You Don't Speak For Me' a Hispanic group advocating for immigration reform. All in all it was a busy day for GOP presidential wannabes.

Rudy: Republican Strong, Not Democrat Lite

Today, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani gave the keynote address at the New Hampshire GOP convention. During the speech, Rudy stressed his accomplishments as Mayor of New York and the events on 9/11. Rudy also said that the GOP needs to be "Republican Strong, Not Democrat Lite." The former Mayor told the crowd that if he runs for president it will be because "I have accomplished the issues that I will run on." One convention delegate told me that "even though I don't agree with him on most issues, I am still supporting Rudy because there is something about him." After his Friday night speech, Rudy did not eat at the hotel, instead he ate at a McDonald's in Lincoln. It appears that Rudy was taking a play out of the Clinton New Hampshire playbook. Joining Rudy this weekend was his wife Judith, who is pictured above.

Biden To Speak in Dover, UNH Durham

Delaware Senator Joe Biden will be holding a town hall meeting in Dover. The meeting will take place at the Dover Public Library on Monday February 5th at 6:30 pm. As a part of this visit, Biden will also be speaking at UNH Durham. For additional information, contact Strafford County Democratic Committee chair Joan Ashwell at (603) 868-3775 or jfashwell@comcast.net This will be Biden's tenth trip to the state.

Fox News Organizing Debate

Fox News and the New Hampshire GOP will be organizing two presidential debates. The first debate will be on 9/6/07 and the second debate will be 1/22/08. No location for the debates have been announced. However, in nine weeks CNN, WMUR and The Union Leader will be hosting the first presidential debates at St. Anselm College.

It's All About Rudy

According to Newsweek, Rudy is not charging the NH GOP for his convention speech. Usually the former charges about $100,000 for his speeches. Also, former Massachuestts Governor Paul Cellucci is endorsing Rudy. Cellucci said, "This is not anti-Mitt. This is pro-Rudy." Cellucci was also impressed with Rudy's leadership on 9/11 and his ability to curb crime in the Big Apple. Paul Cellucci most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada.

Rudy Quietly Organizing

There have recently been rumors that Rudy is not serious about running for president. In fact, Rudy is organizing a New Hampshire campaign. Recently, a "Students for Rudy" group has been formed and Rudy is hiring additional staff. It appears that this weekend will be Rudy's coming out party.

Edwards Hires Field Director

John Edwards has hired a New Hampshire field director. Edwards has tapped former campaign worker Paul Dunn. Mr. Dunn most recently worked in Missouri on the McCaskill campaign.

Hunter Airs Ads

James Pindell is reporting that Rep. Duncan Hunter has begun airing ads in New Hampshire. Hunter is the first announce presidential candidate to air television ads in the state. The aid discusses Hunter's border fence proposal. Above is an image from the ad. Congressman Hunter will be in Newington on Monday.

Here is Hunter's campaign website: http://www.gohunter08.com/Home.aspx

McCain Grabs Former Bush Supporter

John McCain has hired another former Bush supporter. This time, McCain has hired John Lyons to be a New Hampshire advisor and lead an Educators for McCain group. Lyons supported President Bush in the 2000 primary. Lyons said that “Senator McCain possesses the common sense conservatism that this country needs. I’m confident that this conservative voice will resonate with grassroots Republicans in New Hampshire.”

Romney Goes North

Gov. Mitt Romney will pay another visit to the Granite State on Thursday February 1st. Romney will be attending receptions in Lancaster, Grafton and Gorham. The Mittster will also visit Gale Thomson in Orford. Welcome To The North Country!!!

Edwards, Obama On Tap

The Union Leader is reporting that John Edwards will be making a visit to the state next week. The trip will probably include a stop at Darthmouth College. Also being reported is a possible future trip by Barack Obama. Obama's last visit dominated weekend media coverage and attended a rally of 1,500 Democrats.

Rudy's Big Weekend

Amid rumors that Rudy is not serious about a presidential run, Rudy has a big weekend in the state. Besides keynoting the GOP state convention, he will be speaking at a Littleton Chamber of Commerce dinner on Friday night. Rudy has twice visited the state and has hired prominent NH Republicans like David Tille and Chris Wood, to work on his campaign.

Gilmore, Tancredo To Make NH Visits

Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore will make his first visit to the Granite State. Gilmore will be at a lunch at the Taste of Europe. The lunch is on Saturday and is being sponsored by the The New Hampshire Conservative Network. Rep. Tom Tancredo will also be hosting a luncheon at the Chateau Restaurant.

Kucinich's Upcoming Trip

Below is a detailed itinerary of Rep. Dennis Kucinich's upcoming New Hampshire trip. Kucinich will be in the state next weekend.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3
-8AM Begin media interviews.
-12-1PM Meet with Keene City Democrats & Cheshire County Democrats, 2 Eagle Court, Keene (behind Bagleworks) Contact: Eileen Reardon at 603-355-2816, 603-852-2001 or eileenre@worldpath.net
-afternoon Interviews
-7-8PM Meet with Mothers Uniting, Keene UU Church, 69 Washington St., Keene. Contact: Susan Hay at sue@mothersuniting.org

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 4
-8AM Interviews
-12-1PM RiverRun Books, 20 Congress Street, Portsmouth. Contact Bill Pagum at
-1:30-2:30PM Dover Public Library, 73 Locust Street - Meet with Strafford County Democrats. Contact: John Dow at vastlwconspiracy@yahoo.com
-3:30-5:00 Governor’s Inn in Rochester, 78 Wakefield Street, Rochester Contact: Pat Frisella 603-332-9732 or frisella@worldpath.net
-5-6PM Interviews
-6PM Private House Party.

Romney Schedules Another Visit

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has scheduled another trip to New Hampshire. This time, Mitt will be in Hampstead for the Rockingham County GOP's annual Lincoln Day Dinner. The event is taking place on March 1st.

McCain 2008 Lunch

Utah Governor Jon Huntsman will be in New Hampshire this Saturday. Huntsman will be hosting the "John McCain 2008 Exploratory Committee" lunch reception. The lunch will be taking place at the Merrimack Restaurant in Manchvegas. Is Huntsman looking towards 2012 or perhaps he'd like to stick-it to his good old buddy Mitt Romney?

Don't Mess With New Hampshire!!

Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, California, New Jersey... All of these states, and many more, are waiting to see when each state decides to host their primary or caucus. Rep. Jim Splaine suggest that New Hampshire hold the primary "the day after the Iowa caucus or on the Tuesday of the week before the Iowa caucus. The folks in Iowa are not pleased with the DNC either because they fear that if New Hampshire goes before Iowa, then Iowa might not be able to compete with Nevada. To ensure that New Hampshire goes before Nevada Gardner is likely to wait till the latest possible moment, because a primary is easier to put together than a caucus. In other words, " when it comes to presidential politics, nobody messes with New Hampshire."

Did Mitt Support Swett?

According to The Hotline: A "well-connected" "supporter" of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is "circulating" the fact that Romney gave $250 to ex-Rep. Dick Swett's (D-NH) campaign in '92 -- 2 yrs before his failed Senate run. The anonymous "source notes" that Swett is Mormon, and adds: "Some activists are beginning to wonder: does Mitt support Mormons over Republicans?" (Martin, Politico.com, 1/23).

Gibbs Also With Obama

In yesterday's post, I failed to mention another Gephardt staffer who signed on with Obama. Robert Gibbs, Gephardt's former spokesperson is now Obama's spokesman.

Kerry Decides Against Run

2004 Democratic presidential nominee, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, has decided not to make another run for president. Kerry said, "I've concluded this isn't the time for me to mount a presidential campaign." Aides blame Kerry's botched joke on troops in Iraq, as the main reason for his decision. Recent polls showed that Kerry was running behind Clinton, Obama and Edwards. However, Kerry has said that he intends in run for re-election in 2008.

Pataki's A Busy Bee

James Pindell is reporting that Gov. George Pataki has moved out of his PAC office in Manchester. Pindell reported that in "...in recent months he packed up his Manchester office and moved it to his hometown of Peekskill, N.Y., where his PAC is now based. And as for the Manchester office, it is now available for any other presidential candidate." It is not clear whether the listing on Craigslist is for Pataki's office space or for other offices in the building.

This news comes days after The Union Leader reported that former Bass staffer, Neil Levesque is now the director of New Hampshire operations for Pataki's PAC. While, former state rep, David Currier is now a national advisor to Pataki. Finally, Pataki decided to end his contract with Manchester-based Meridian Communications.

Hunter Goes To Newington

California Representative Duncan Hunter will be in New Hampshire, next week. Hunter will be visiting Wilcox Industries on Monday, January 29th. He, “ ...will be speaking to a group of friends and neighbors about a new American sunrise of opportunity, faith and freedom and making a special announcement about my future plans.”

Date: Monday, January 29th
Place: Wilcox Industries, 25 Piscataqua Drive, Newington NH
Time: 10:00am

For more information, contact Kenneth Gorrell at keng@wilcoxind.com

All-Stars To Moderate Debates

As reported by The Union Leader,

"CNN, WMUR and the New Hampshire Union Leader will hold the debates on April 4 and 5. The Republican candidates will debate on April 4, and the Democrats will debate on April 5.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer will moderate the debates with questions coming from WMUR's Scott Spradling and the Union Leader's John DiStaso.

WMUR's Jennifer Vaughn will moderate questions from the audience. The debate will be televised live nationally on CNN and throughout New Hampshire on WMUR."

By the way, this blog was the first to report that the debate would be held at Saint Anselm College. WMUR and The Union Leader did not post their stories until the Monday afternoon, we had it posted on Monday morning.

Guns and Presidents

The Liberty Papers have ranked the gun record of potential presidential candidates. I thought this post might be a fitting tribute for Ed Brown. Which presidential candidate will be the first to visit Mr. Brown? I bet it will be Rep. Ron Paul. Here are the rankings:

Top tier. Nearly perfect pro-Second Amendment records: Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas). Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.). Former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R-Vir.). Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.).

Very good. Not a perfect record, but still a very positive one overall. Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.). Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.). Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-Wisc.). Former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.).

Mixed: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)(mostly positive record, except for lead sponsorship of two terrible bills: McCain-Lieberman, a terribly-written bill which would have given the BATFE the authority to administratively eliminate any or all gun shows, and McCain-Feingold, the campaign speech restriction law which significantly affects right-to-arms groups).

Poor: Former Gov. George Pataki (R-N.Y.). Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.). As noted by, inter alia, the Boston Globe, Romney’s flip-flops on guns are part of a larger record of inconsistency.

Almost perfect anti-Second Amendment record: Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.). Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Former Vice-President Al Gore (in Congress, a nearly perfect pro-gun record until 1989, when he switched sides). Al Sharpton (D-N.Y.).

Record of anti-Second Amendment leadership: Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.)(very effective in pushing gun control during his tenure as Judiciary Committee chairman). Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-Iowa). Former Mayor Rudy Guliani (R-N.Y.)(even worse than his predecessor, Democrat David Dinkins; indeed, based on his record, arguably worse than Sen. Clinton).

http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/01/23/2008-president-candidates-and-the-second-amendment/

*** This blog does not endorse, or encourage, the activities of Mr. Brown and his supporters.***

For more information, read this story http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070118/ap_on_re_us/tax_trial

Obama Hires Gephardt People

Matt Rodriguez will lead Barack Obama's New Hampshire presidential campaign. Rodriguez previously worked for Senator Bill Bradley (2000) and Representative Dick Gephardt (2004). James Demers, a Concord lobbyist, was swamped last week with calls requesting information on Obama. Demers also worked for the 2004 Gephardt campaign. Meanwhile, Robert Gibbs, Gephardt's spokesperson is now Obama's spokesman.

McCain's Mill Office

John McCain has finally opened a campaign office in Manchester. The Concord Monitor reported that:

"McCain's exploratory committee, based out of Arlington, Va.,has opened a New Hampshire branch in Manchester in the Waumbec Mill building on South Commercial Street, overlooking the Merrimack River and the Everett Turnpike.

The office covers 5,600 square feet, said Jim Martin, state campaign manager for the not-yet-official campaign."

Hillary Arrives!!

The Union Leader is reporting that Hillary Clinton will make her first trip to New Hampshire on March 10th. Mrs. Clinton will be appearing at the New Hampshire Democrats "100 Club" fund-raising dinner. The dinner will be taking place in Nashua. Reserve your ticket ASAP!!

St. Anselm To Host Presidential Debates

Saint Anselm College in Manchester will host the two presidential debates in early April. The debates are being sponsored by CNN, The Union Leader and WMUR. St. A's last hosted the Democrats debate, days before the 2004 New Hampshire primary. The college president told the students, in an e-mail, that:

"As a liberal arts college with a mission to engage students and citizens in the civic life of our nation, we are thrilled to showcase once again our great college and our Benedictine hospitality on a national stage.

As you’ve probably noticed in the media, the Presidential Primary season is taking shape faster than ever before. We hope that these debates are a preview of many more campus events designed to help voters navigate the important vetting process that characterizes New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary."

Richardson Joins Diverse Race

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced that he intends to run for president. Richardson is the first major Hispanic presidential candidate, already joining a race featuring the first women and African-American candidates. In his statement, Richardson said:

"I am taking this step because we have to repair the damage that's been done to our country over the last six years. Our reputation in the world is diminished, our economy has languished, and civility and common decency in government has perished."

Richardson is a former UN Ambassador and Energy Secretary under the Clinton Administration. He has visited the state five times, his most recent visit being in mid-December. Rumors around D.C. is that Richardson's "women problems," make President Clinton appear to be a model husband.

Brownback Announces

On the day that Hillary Clinton announced made known her presidential ambitions, Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback did the same. Sen. Brownback said that he was running for president because "We need to embrace our nation's motto 'In God We Trust,' not be ashamed of it. Search the record of history. To walk away from the almighty is to embrace decline for a nation. To embrace him leads to renewal, for individuals and for nations." Brownback is a Catholic convert who is participating in the "March for Life" rally this week in D.C. He has visited the state three times.