President Obama’s State of the Union address was familiar to most Americans, repackaging precisely the rhetoric he used during his successful campaign for the presidency. It was completely foreign, however, to the reality of how he, Carol Shea-Porter, and the Democratic Congress have governed during the past year. There is no evidence that any of them have listened to the clear call of the American people to bring about the change we want, rather than the change they have tried to force upon us.
The American people elect a President not to give great speeches or run well managed campaigns, but to provide effective leadership in solving difficult issues of national importance. The sad truth of the first year of his presidency is that President Obama continues to prove masterful at the former, but has been unwilling to focus on the latter.
The Supreme Court today expanded the right of both corporations and unions to directly engage in political speech. While I applaud this decision as an extension of free political expression and a check on self-serving government interference in the political process, I am cognizant of the risks such freedom poses. It is up to the people, not the government, however, to manage those risks.
Scott Brown was exactly right when he declared, “this is the people’s seat.” The same is true of every single seat in Congress. No candidate for federal legislative office should ever forget that he or she is not going to Washington as a representative of a political party or a group of special interests. Far too often they have, placing personal gain and ambition above helping solve the problems of the constituents they represent.
Nancy Pelosi and her union allies have purportedly reached a “deal” to soften the concerns of union leaders about the tax to be levied on high value health plans as part of the monstrosity of a health care bill being developed in Congress. The principle behind this deal is this: her political allies are entitled to a sweetheart deal and all other Americans are left to pay the bill.
Every week Political Standing tracks who is up or down in New Hampshire politics. See this week’s list at NHPoliticalReport.com.
Political Standing for Jan. 15, 2010
by James Pindell
UP
Bob Bestani: Bestani faces a.) a bad economy b.) a well known primary opponent with establishment support and c.) another highly credible primary challenger looming yet Bestani exceeded expectations for another fund-raising quarter.
NHBR Article
Flotsam and Jetsam
Friday, December 18, 2009
It’s been making the rounds…
• With Rich Ashooh joining the GOP 1st C.D. race, and with Bob Bestani making some inroads, Frank Guinta’s air of inevitability - if it ever existed to begin with - just went poof.