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Ovide Lamontagne Rising in New Hampshire

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  September 6th, 2010 at 05:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

A lot of really good people have come out for Kelly Ayotte in the New Hamphire GOP Senate Primary. I have quietly pulled for Ovide Lamontagne, but supported those who cast their lots with Ayotte.

For a good while it looked like Ovide was getting no traction and were he not in the race, Kelly Ayotte would be my pick. The other guy in the race, whose name is not worth remembering, is on video saying he supported abortion rights because if he ever had a kid with a defect, he’d want the right to kill the kid.

That’s unacceptable.

So with Ovide going no where in the polls, people understandably went with Kelly Ayotte.

Well, in the past couple of weeks things in New Hampshire have shaken up. The Union Leader endorsed Ovide, new documents have come out showing Kelly Ayotte misrepresented her dealings with Planned Parenthood, and Ovide has momentum taking him into second place.

This race is thoroughly winnable by Ovide Lamontagne and he could absolutely win the general election too. I think it is time for conservatives who have not yet committed in New Hampshire to stand with Ovide Lamontagne.

A friend of mine has put it better than I can on the differences between Ovide and Kelly. I’m just going to cut and paste and make this my own.

Here are ten points to consider in New Hampshire:

1. On judges. Ayotte said she would have voted yes on Sotomayor. Ovide called for a no vote on Sotomayor, and wrote a compelling piece in Human Events on judges.

2. On stimulus. Ayotte publicly encouraged people to apply for stimulus money, and publicly touted a cold case unit that stimulus funds created in her office, something the Union Leader attacked as a waste because it created no new jobs. Ovide was – and is – opposed to the stimulus. In the 90s Ovide was Chairman of the State Board of Education and was one of two leaders in the country to refuse federal stimulus money, citing the strings attached. In other words, he has a record of rejecting stimulus, not merely rhetoric.

3. On earmarks. Ayotte said in November that she was in favor of earmarks so long as they were “transparent”. She reversed course four months later and said she changed her mind and opposed all earmarks…only after Ovide campaigned for months for no earmarks. Ovide also issued a statement in favor of DeMint’s effort to institute an earmark moratorium.

4. On life. It was learned this week that Ayotte paid Planned Parenthood of New England $300,000 in NH taxpayer money for PP’s legal fees in a case she claimed to have won. This was done secretly with no public notice. When the Supreme Court remanded the case to NH, Ayotte refused to testify before the legislature to try and save it. Ovide is pro-life period. He is the father of two adopted daughters and supports a Human Life amendment to the Constitution.

5. On private property rights. Ayotte authored New Hamphire’s “JUA” opinion, which gave the Governor the legal green light to attempt a theft of $110 million in private funds to balance the state budget, a Kelo style taking. The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled a few months ago that this attempted theft was unconstitutional. No conservative attorney could have rightly believed this was proper. Ovide is a constitutional conservative who strongly believes in and promotes private property rights.

6. On guns. Kelly actively lobbied Governor Lynch to veto an expansion of the Castle Doctrine, allowing people to protect themselves in their homes. Ovide has been a member of the NRA since 1992 and has earned A ratings from them.

7. On carbon emissions. As Attorney General, Kelly signed a letter with people like Eliot Spitzer and Richard Blumenthal citing her opposition to a clean air bill because it DIDN’T contain caps on carbon emissions, which she believed would help create jobs. Ovide is opposed to carbon capping/cap and trade schemes.

8. On immigration. Kelly stopped local police chiefs from attempting to prosecute illegal aliens for trespassing when ICE wouldn’t detain them. She had an opportunity to make a stand and fight like Arizona has. She did not. Ovide is tough on immigration and supports the Arizona law.

9. Health care. As Attorney General, Ayotte signed a letter saying she was opposed to allowing small businesses to pool for insurance purposes, a staple of conservative reforms. She has since flipped and allegedly changed her mind as a candidate. Ovide has consistently opposed Obamacare and would seek its repeal.

10. Politically. Ayotte was appointed Attorney General – never elected. She was a member of Democrat Governor John Lynch’s Administration for 4 years, who used her as proof of his “bi-partisanship” to knock out GOP incumbents in 2006 and 2008. When asked if she voted for the GOP nominee for Governor in 2006 and 2008, she refused to say. Ovide is a proven conservative leader who has led the charge as a conservative reformer and change agent.

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COMMENTS

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  • NHConservative0227

    Erik for giving Ovide some much needed support here on Redstate! All Conservatives need to band together and support Ovide. Here is his website to make a donation:

    http://ovide2010.com/

    We do not have to settle in this race. Erik has posted a great summary of why Ayotte is not the real conservative. For me, supporting the radical Sotomayor automatically disqualifies her. We cannot afford to have these radical judges appointed for life.

    Ovide is the only real conservative in this race. He has taken a 15 point pledge of promises to deliver on when he?s elected. Among them are to

    1. Vote for only judges who adhere to the Constitution and don?t legislate from the bench.

    2. Enacting term limits.

    3. Repealing Obamacare

    4. Repeal the failed Stimulus

    5. To live in NH and commute to Washington as necessary to vote. This will allow him to stay in close touch with his constituents.

    http://ovide2010.com/?p=1362

    Finally, Ovide has more than doubled his support over the last few months. Many said it was clearly a two-person race between Ayotte and Binnie. They were afraid that voting for Ovide would only in reality amount to voting for Binnie. Clearly they were wrong as Ovide has surged past the ultra-liberal Binnie.

    Now if we can get the support of real conservatives, Ovide can beat Ayotte next Tuesday!!

  • JadedByPolitics

    I have certainly watch the GRASSROOTS enthusiasm for Ovide and to read the very STARK differences between the two primary candidates well, Ovide DESERVES my money :) ,

  • RedBeard

    Time to jump on the Lamontagne bandwagon, in hopes of derailing the rudderless Ayotte.

  • partyof1

  • NHConservative0227

    “Politically. Ayotte was appointed Attorney General – never elected. She was a member of Democrat Governor John Lynch?s Administration for 4 years, who used her as proof of his ?bi-partisanship? to knock out GOP incumbents in 2006 and 2008. When asked if she voted for the GOP nominee for Governor in 2006 and 2008, she refused to say. ”

    Hmmm, I wonder who she voted for in the General??

  • Locked and Loaded

    You know, of course, because of this decision he was hearing howls all around in his sphere of influence – yet right ruled the day.

    He sounds like the kind of exceptional, principled, constitutional republican we need in Washington.

  • NHConservative0227

    Your ten point summary is really an excellent analysis. May I have your permission or your friend’s permission to submit those 10 points as commentary to the Union Leader?

    My goal is to make as many conservatives here in NH as possible aware of the truth.

    I think the 10 points you posted would really make a difference if submitted to the Union Leader and other local NH papers.

    Or perhaps you could submit the piece to the Union Leader and Fosters Daily Democrat yourself?

    Either way, it really would help to be submitted so that no one in NH thinks that Ayotte is something that she is not (a real conservative).

    Thank you

  • swami7774

    …but he’s an established loser in statewide elections. Not sure he could keep the Gregg seat.

  • NHConservative0227

    So there’s no need to compromise our principles!

  • smitch61

    I am concentrating on Dr. Rob Steele fighting for Dingell’s spot, and trying to get him some national attention too….He can beat Dingell

    http://www.youtube.com/user/robsteele2010#p/a/u/2/HLe5ZRCMS_Q

  • rdelbov

    one poll that I have seen with Ovide ahead of Hodes

    There has been several polls showing Ayotte +10 ahead of him while several have shown Ovide behind him.

    Ovide has been very weak in fundraising as opposed to Ayotte

  • NHConservative0227

    All real conservatives need to rise up and support Ovide!

    I know you’re an Ayotte supporter, but how can you defend the 10 points above? Wouldn’t you agree it’s better to have a real conservative, especially when our country is facing one of its most important elections ever?

  • Gandalf

    Erick -

    I’ve been pretty vocal (as much as I am about anything) about the low opinion I have for the way RedState has treated several Republican candidates this cycle (particularly Greyson, Fiorni, Coats, Castle, Moran, and Norton). I agree with 95% of your endorsements, but I’ve viewed the dirty, say-anything-to-win approach that seems to becoming a regular feature at RedState to have been far below the dignity of the Conservative movement – especially someone from the Christian part of that movement.

    In fact, even though I’ve tended to agree with you on every single Senate primary race (except when your unfounded attacks on Coats earned him a donation from me), I’ve sat the majority of them out simply because I got to the point where I didn’t trust RedState’s judgement and alarmism anymore.

    This post, however, is actually filled with documentable facts. I made no secret that I supported Ayotte, but you’ve given some compelling reasons to back LaMontagne AND some compelling problems with Ayotte based on her VERIFIABLE record. Thanks for doing it in a respectable, truthful way. I’m seriously reconsidering my support for her.

    I hope this is a turning point (back) for the way your involvement in future races goes.

  • travelkingnh

    For all the right reasons of positions, experience and character, Ovide is the right choice to rally around for support in the US Senate race in New Hampshire. He is also the safe choice when it comes to keeping this seat Red in the general election against Paul Obama Hodes.

    Unlike Ayotte, the Democratic mudslinging machine in NH can only attack Ovide’s conservative principals and ideas…….nothing we wouldn’t fully expect from a liberal leaning NH Democratic party. They can’t easily attack his record or his character. The Dems in New Hampshire (29% of registered voters) are currently lock stepped with Obama, as is Hodes………easy targets in this year’s elections.

    Ayotte on the other hand, has far more things in her record as AG to attack than what you see above (EX-. http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2009/10/kingcast-exclusive-video-boston-police.html) . Unfortunately, whether you support her or not, Ray Buckley’s democratic smear machine is sure to have everyone of them locked and loaded for the general election………..and a few more they will make up just for good measure. They won’t dare say it publically, but they look forward to running against Ayotte in the general election.

    Ovide has made the case along the campaign trail that he poses the starkest contrast to Paul Hodes on the issues….. and he does without question. The general election battle between Ovide and Hodes will be about ideas (Progressive v. Conservative) and on that battleground, in this election, in 2010, we will win because the 42% registered independents in NH will not break for Hodes, as they have already (rightfully so) abandoned Obama.

    Lamontagne has been a faithful, but independent republican. Despite the opportunities to attack her, he has been careful to only compare and contrast Ayotte on a few of the obvious positions (1 Sotomayor-2 stimulus funds-3 earmarks-4 JUA fund- 5 Castle Doctrine) and has not trashed her politically on these or the other issues in her record. He is running a positive, issue orientated campaign. He has his platform and his passion to be our next US Senator from NH, but at the end of the day, his character and loyalty prevent him from undermining the party’s chances of keeping this seat RED.

    He is a great candidate to represent us in New Hampshire. He is an even better man.

  • rdelbov

    of the ten points.

    1. Toomey supported Sotomayor. Some other conservatives-like myself-believe that a President should be able to nominate and get confirmed a judge who is competent and liberal or conservative. Think Roberts and Alito. Ayotte opposed Kagan. Is it really fair to say lets judge all of Ayotte’s views on Judges without mentioning Alito-Roberts-Kagan?

    2. Every Gov-in some form-has taken some stimulus money. Period end of story. Ditto for numerous state and local officials. My view here that DC puts thousands of unfunded mandates on states and if free money is offered from DC it only partially offsets the regulatory burdens placed states and local people. Ayotte took stimulus money to help fund law enforcement so did 99% of other state people. Solve the problem in DC–

    3. Ayotte is right on earmarks-now–Reagan evolved-its the politicians who don’t get that we need to oppose. So maybe Ovide is “older and wiser” on this point but Kelly gets it now.

    4. Kelly is pro-life period-end of story. Susan B list endorses her as does Palin. This $350K was fees that the state paid for and nothing to do with RTL issues but rather was a settement that the Gov & legislators insisted on. They changed the state law and then settled the matter(in essence) with planned parent hood. The legal settlement was keep secret but that’s normal and was not her doing but the gov/legislators

    5-10 these issues deal broadly with Kelly being an appointed AG. Her job as AG was to enforce the law not to make it. Her client was the Gov/state legisators and her guildlines were NH state law. She was not a Spitzer who could cowboy out do what whatever he wanted to. Kelly could not change state law on immigration or insurance policies or pollution or cap & trade or internet tax or whatever. Her job as AG was not to give her personal opinion on whether the plan to raid the insurance fund was legal or not. The Gov signed the plan and her role was to defend state law. Period-end of story. AG/DA/policeman don’t get to choose what laws they enforce.

    So naturally Kelly is now able to voice-as a candidate-what her views on immigration/cap& trade/insurance pools. She has not flipped flopped but rather she can voice her opinion now.

  • america1st

    There are some allegations here about Ayotte I need to research. Given the source, I expect they will prove out and if so, then I will, with GREAT reluctance (see previous posts for reasons), vote for Lamontagne by process of elimination.

  • RedBeard

    rdelbov said: “Some other conservatives-like myself-believe that a President should be able to nominate and get confirmed a judge who is competent and liberal or conservative.”

    So the Constitution is to be disregarded when it specifically calls for Senate advice and consent?

    And calling Sotomayor competent is a highly debatable point in the first place. Extreme biases and a willingness to disregard the Constitution would seem to indicate a rather incompetent judge.

    Count me out of your group of “conservatives” who think a president should be able to dictate the composition of courts without question. We threw out the whole king thing a long time ago.

  • Bill S

    If you want to talk about another race, write a diary.

  • NHConservative0227

    Just like Obama’s radical past gave us a preview of what we would be getting as president, the same is true of Sotomayor.

    Just look at her first case on the Supreme Court where she voted against the 2nd Amendment in the Chicago vs. McDonald case.

    So is it ok to take away are 2nd Amendment rights just so we can allow the president (no matter how radical) to appoint whatever justice (no matter how radical) he sees fit?

    Also, there is simply no excuse for an unconstitutional grab of $110 million in private money to balance the state budget. No conservative who respect the federal or state constitution would ever do such a thing.

    As for your defense of the other points, you’re just making excuses for her. Just because she was attorney general, doesn’t mean she couldn’t think for herself. For example, there’s no reason for her to advocate NOT expanding the castle doctrine to Lynch. She made these decisions of her own free will. Just like she advocated carbon limits.

    Clearly Ayotte is no conservative and is wrong for NH!

  • fpete13527

    He clearly would have my vote if I lived there

  • rdelbov

    the left used the very same arguement about Alito & Roberts plus Bork-Scalia-Rehnquist

    You cannot use -in my opinion-a different view of the constitution and constitutional law as a basis for opposing surpreme court nominees.

    You guys-like myself-were furious when liberal democrats pillored Bork-Thomas-Scalia-Alito-Roberts -Rehnquist based on their opinion of the law/constitution/constitutional law/judicial views.

    Leahy-Biden-Kennedy were wrong to attack Bork and then use his legal views as a basis for voting against him.

    Ditto for Bryer-Ginsburg-Sotomayor on the other side. I deplore their judicial views but cannot use them as a basis for opposing confirmation. You set yourself up as the Kennedy-Leahy-Biden of the right when you do that. You may want to be like Joe Biden but I don’t. I am honest enough to say that elections matter and Presidents can put Justices -competent ones-that match their own views on the court. Just as I supported Reagan’s right to nominate Bork-I support Obama putting Sotomayor on the court.

    Kagan is another matter-no experience in a courtroom disqualifies her

    Sotomayor is no genius but she has been a competent appealate judge.

  • sunstamp36

    Kelly is nothing but an establishment pick and will be a puppet for them. John McCain came and campaigned for her and if she will be anywhere near his mold I am NOT interested. The two other candidates are millionaires trying to buy this election. Ovide is the only candidate that has put forth a pledge to the people of NH. “Ovide’s Oath” is a compilation of things Ovide wishes to accomplish while in office. In an age where all that is heard from politicians is recycled rhetoric, it is refreshing to find a politician that will lay it all on the line. My vote will be for Ovide on Sept 14th.

  • jmell7

    this is coming down to a battle of conservatives and Binnie seems to be fading. With Tom Coburn, Palin, & Susan B on Ayotte’s side and Erickson and Ingraham on Ovide’s side.

    Wonder if Erick and Laura have been able to meet and talk with Ayotte about her positions like those supporting her have. Don’t know about the others, but if Coburn says she is conservative then I for one am not going to dispute that.

    So may the best of 2 conservatives win!

  • NHConservative0227

    Thomas, Scalia, Alito, and Roberts are conservative judges who actually respect the Constitution and don’t put it through the shredder. Judges are supposed to believe in the Constitution. They are not supposed to believe that it is a living breathing document, that they and misinterpret anyway they see fit and legislate from the bench.

    That’s why real conservative judges always respect and value the Constitution. They understand that it’s their job to understand exactly what it says. They are not to make up laws or let their own personal biases get in the way.

    This is one of the biggest problems we have in this country. Judges like Bader-Ginsburg and Sotomayor have no respect for the Constitution. Once again, they voted against the 2nd Amendment in the Chicago vs. McDonald case. Where was the constitutional basis for that?? There isn’t any because they were ignoring it and legislating from the bench. None of those 4 judges who voted against the 2nd Amendment belongs on the Court.

    Finally, Sotomayor proved that she is a racist who allows her racist views to influence her own judgment. Look at how she ruled against those New Haven firefighters who had busted their ass to pass that test and get promoted. Yet not enough minorities passed the same test, so obviously those firefighters don’t deserve to get rewarded for their hard work.

    To compare these liberal, activist, legislate from the bench judges to actual conservative judges who respect the Constitution is disingenuous and insulting.

  • NHConservative0227

    You would simply take Coburn’s word for it despite Ayotte’s appalling record?

    The poster rdelbov, said the same thing in the “Binnie fades but Ayotte still the clear leader” thread. He said that if Palin supported her and she knows conservatives.

    This is the same Sarah Palin who supported Carly Fiorina and McCain.

    I think it’s much more important to look at someone’s record to see what they’ve actually done instead of listening to someone’s opinion of them.

  • rdelbov

    I am with you 100% but that’s not how DC works. I don’t want to go back to Haynesworth & Carswell but lets go to Bork-Thomas-Rehnquist(chief Justice )Scalia-Alito-Roberts.

    Democrats voted against these judges because of their judicial view-plain and simple -end of story.

    That’s incorrect in my view. You should as a US senator vote against a judge for placement on the US surpreme court based on how they view the law & constitution.

    Bryer -Ginsburg-Sotomayer were liberals-they do not share our view of the constitution but that is not enough of a basis to deny them a seat on the court.

    Just as I deplore the 40 votes against Alito–I deplore the 40 votes against Sotomayor

    elections matter. You fume and fret about how you have the correct and high exalted view of the constitution but that’s exactly what Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy said about Bork.

    That’s not how judicial nominations work to the US surpreme court work.

  • NHConservative0227

    Conservatives like Alito, Scalia, and Thomas have the correct view. They respect the Constitution. They understand it’s their job to fully understand it and apply it in their rulings. They understand that if they want to make policy, they should run for Congress.

    Bryer, Ginsburg, and Sotomayor are activist judges who either don’t fully understand or simply don’t like the limits that the Constitution places on them. They view it as a living, breathing document that they can change as they see fit.

    How else do you explain ruling against the 2nd Amendment?

    It’s sickening that there were only 40 votes against Sotomayor. She is a far left radical and a racist. Everyone who respects the Constitution should be outraged that she now has a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

  • rdelbov

    and Palin’s view of Ayotte’s record. I don’t how you can say Ayotte’s record is appalling.

    1. Ayotte is 100% pro-life. Period of story. Susan B Athony list certified. Look up Ayotte V planned parenthood and you she put her job and career on the line for “life”. What exactly is appalling about that? Where I come from 100% pro life candidates do not dserve to be treated that way.

    2. Ayotte is against Obamacare-Cap & Trade-stimulus plans-earmarks-wants to reduce the size of Federal government. What’s appalling about this? I think you need to save your “Appalls” for Hodes and not conservative republicans.

    As I mentioned in another post Erick and I am sure the Ovide L. campaign are attacking Ayotte for what laws she enforced as AG. She is not responsible for what NH passed as as Insurance or other laws.

    Lets also be clear -she was in the AG office and unable to express her personal views on laws and legislation. No one has addressed that but myself.

    Finally what legislative votes have Ovide M. cast? Like Ayotte he has not been a legislator. You see differences what he said compared to what she has said. I dont see as they are basically saying the exact same thing on bill after bill.

    That’s fine to pick Ovide but don’t tear down to build your guy up.

  • jmell7

    The problem is I have is two fold.

    First even if she were a legislature and you listed 15 votes that you thought were “appalling” I would not play the Democratic game of saying “she voted against feeding children”, when we all know there is a lot of other crap in those bills.

    Secondly, she was AG. So I don’t want her to be like Eric Holder in picking and choosing what laws she enforces. There are many laws that the liberal NH legislature has passed that I would disagree with. But as AG Ayotte was sworn to uphold those laws.

    Again, I am not arguing Ovide is not conservative…but it flies in the face of reason to think that Coburn and others not so vocal have met with her and found her sufficiently conservative. Short of calling her a liar that should suffice.

    Again let the best of 2 conservatives win.

  • rdelbov

    I personally did not try to tear down Ovide’s record. I question his electabiltiy but not his record.

  • rdelbov

    I believe that Alito and Roberts have the correct view but Biden and Leahy disagree with both of us.

    I believe they are wrong to vote against them because they have a different view of the constitution then you and I do. Yet when Bush nominated Alito and Roberts if some democrats did not vote for them they would not have been confirmed. Thankfully some democrats voted for them even as they did not agree with their views on the US constitution. That’s how they got confirmed.

    Think Bork -he was voted down mainly because they disagreeded with his views.

    I deplore voting against a judge for the highes court based on how they view the constitution.

    You can’t just say we should vote any judge who believes differently then I do. We would never got Alito or Roberts confirmed or even Thomas or Kennedy.

    if you want a more conservative court elect more republican presidents

  • jmell7

    redelbov my response was to NH Conservative…but would agree with your last statement. In fact, if we are to examine records, that’s one that has already been shown to be true.

  • rdelbov

    but I do agree with your point

  • RedBeard

    You said: “Leahy-Biden-Kennedy were wrong to attack Bork and then use his legal views as a basis for voting against him.”

    Not really, Legal views can be quite valid in determining a judge’s fitness. Leahy and Biden and Kennedy were wrong because their view of the Constitution was wrong.

    This is not left vs, right. It’s wrong vs. right. Judges (and their supporters/detractors in the Senate) either honor the Constitution or they do not. Sotomayor clearly does not. Bork did. It is wrong to allow a man like Obama to corrupt the Court with nominees who choose to use the Constitution as toilet paper, and it was wrong for Constitutionally-challenged people like Teddy Kennedy to deny a seat to someone who honors the Constitution.

  • RedBeard

    Here’s the problem, expressed in a very few words, when you stated: “I deplore voting against a judge for the highes court based on how they view the constitution.”

    That, to use your own terminology, is a deplorable statement. We’re not worrying about appointing a cook, and whether a candidate for the job is into French grub or Italian. What we’re concerned with here is whether or not a judicial nominee will honor the Constitution or trash it. The latter is absolutely disqualifying, without any question.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjursik rjursik

    A respectful but ultimately conclusive comparison – which confirms the one fact his supporters have known all along: Ovide Lamontagne is the authentic, proven conservative in this race who can challenge Paul Hodes philosophically and rhetorically.

    And WIN.

  • jmell7

    gave Ayotte a grade of B (highest among all candidates). Ovide received an F. On their site they provide documents showing Ovide supported a state wide gun ban.

  • smagar

    I’d really hate to see an apparently-winnable Senate seat in New England slip away to the Dems.

    I’m hav

  • rdelbov

    I wish you were on the Surpreme court instead of Sotamayor or Kagan or Breyer or Ginsburg.

    No need to be a lawyer-not in constituion-don’t sweat expirence as Kagan has done that been there.

    I iwould like to see you argue your points with Joe Biden during confirmation.

    I suspect you would not get out committee and that might prove my point.

    Good Night and as we say down here may God Bless

  • NHConservative0227

    That’s what I’ve been trying to get across all day: that we need judges who honor and support the constitution.

    True conservatives honor the constitution while RINO’s and liberals often trash it.

    Rdelbov has yet to answer why it’s acceptable for Sotomayor or the other 3 judges to vote against the 2nd Amendment in the Chicago vs. McDonald case this past year.

    The answer is because she and the other 3 judges dont respect the Constitution. They are radicals who want to impose their own biases on the American people.

    Conservatives like Alito, Roberts, and Scalia honor the Constitution.

    Fortunately there were enough decent Democrats with enough common sense and respect for our founding documents to nominate them.

    Unfortunately, there were not nearly enough Democrats or Republicans with a spine to stand up for the Constitution and block the nominations of Sotomayor and Kagan.

  • NHConservative0227

    Look it up.

  • NHConservative0227

    Look it up.

  • charliebravoNH

    The last Rasmussen head to head with Hodes released in July had Ovide beating Hodes by three points. I agree with Ovide on the issues 100 %, but his electability is bothersome. Given his 1996 loss for Governor. I hope Rasmussen releases some new numbers for this race heading into election day. As of now I am still undecided in this race.

  • NHConservative0227

    As AG, Ayotte had the ability to present her opinion to Lynch, giving him the ability to either accept or reject it.

    You guys need to read the 10 point list the Erick posted again. Ayotte persuaded Lynch to vote against expanding the Castle Doctrine. No one forced her to do so.

    She wrote the legal briefing for stealing $110 million of private property from the JUA funds. Any real conservative would’ve resigned in protest against such a blatant violation of the state and federal constitution.

    Rdelbov, you claim she put her career on the line for protecting the unborn, then why did she give $300,000 of NH taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood in a case she won? Please do tell and I want my money back!

    On the NH Board of Education, Ovide rejected federal stimulus funds because he knew there were strings attached, unlike Ayotte who encouraged the taking and use of Stimulus funds.

    On top of that Ovide has created a 15 point oath that voters can use to hold him accountable.

  • NHConservative0227

    As AG, Ayotte had the ability to present her opinion to Lynch, giving him the ability to either accept or reject it.

    You guys need to read the 10 point list the Erick posted again. Ayotte persuaded Lynch to vote against expanding the Castle Doctrine. No one forced her to do so.

    She wrote the legal briefing for stealing $110 million of private property from the JUA funds. Any real conservative would’ve resigned in protest against such a blatant violation of the state and federal constitution.

    Rdelbov, you claim she put her career on the line for protecting the unborn, then why did she give $300,000 of NH taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood in a case she won? Please do tell and I want my money back!

    On the NH Board of Education, Ovide rejected federal stimulus funds because he knew there were strings attached, unlike Ayotte who encouraged the taking and use of Stimulus funds.

    On top of that Ovide has created a 15 point oath that voters can use to hold him accountable.

  • NHConservative0227

    but can prove to you that this is a bogus claim.

    This was already investigated by a local NH 912 group and proven to be false.

  • NHConservative0227

    but can prove to you that this is a bogus claim.

    This was already investigated by a local NH 912 group and proven to be false.

  • smagar

    ing an awful vision as I read this post…

    …a vision of Wednesday, 3 November, as a beaming Majority-Leader-Designate Chuck Schumer puts his arm around Senator-elect Paul Hodes, the 50th (and deciding) Democratic seat in the Senate…while Redstaters write many thoughtful posts about Ovide should have won.

  • NHConservative0227

    To compromise our principles out of fear. The alternative is we end up with RINO’s. This is for Judd Gregg’s seat, the same guy who voted yes on Sotomayor and Kagan!

    This is what the Tea Party movement and Redstate is all about, electing real conservatives.

    If Ovide wins the primary, we can all unite behind him. Also, the Senate Conservative Fund by Jim DeMint can be utillized to push Ovide over the top. I’m confident that the NH independents don’t won’t full fledged socialism and would vote for Ovide over Hodes.

  • NHConservative0227

    To compromise our principles out of fear. The alternative is we end up with RINO’s. This is for Judd Gregg’s seat, the same guy who voted yes on Sotomayor and Kagan!

    This is what the Tea Party movement and Redstate is all about, electing real conservatives.

    If Ovide wins the primary, we can all unite behind him. Also, the Senate Conservative Fund by Jim DeMint can be utillized to push Ovide over the top. I’m confident that the NH independents don’t won’t full fledged socialism and would vote for Ovide over Hodes.

  • NHConservative0227

    I’m more worried about Ovide’s chances to win the primary than his chances of winning the General.

    This is a GOP seat being left vacant by Judd Gregg. I think there would be a significant rally of support to ensure Ovide beats Hodes. Blogs like Redstate, Conservative Senate Fund, etc could rally conservatives around Ovide to give him the support he needs.

    Plus I think more than enough NH independents would choose Ovide over a radical socialist in Hodes. People are sick of Obama’s agenda period. This would be purely about ideology: conservatism vs socialism.

    I like our chances in that case.

  • NHConservative0227

    I’m more worried about Ovide’s chances to win the primary than his chances of winning the General.

    This is a GOP seat being left vacant by Judd Gregg. I think there would be a significant rally of support to ensure Ovide beats Hodes. Blogs like Redstate, Conservative Senate Fund, etc could rally conservatives around Ovide to give him the support he needs.

    Plus I think more than enough NH independents would choose Ovide over a radical socialist in Hodes. People are sick of Obama’s agenda period. This would be purely about ideology: conservatism vs socialism.

    I like our chances in that case.

  • ffc99

    that you “think” Ovide can beat Hodes… Forgive me if maybe I’d like to see some polling to back up your “thinking”. Especially in the case of a candidate who has previously run statewide and had his clock cleaned in that race…

  • NHConservative0227

    NH Firearms Coalition, making an outrageous and false attack on Ovide and his record on the 2nd Amendment.

    This is a politically motivated smear that is utterly and demonstrably false. These ridiculous charges were previously made by the same person during Ovide?s successful primary campaign for Governor – and rightfully rejected as false by the voters at that time.

    Their ludicrous charge is that Ovide backed a state wide ban on guns back in 1994. The legislation they refer to was a safe school bill that was passed by a Republican controlled House, passed by a Republican controlled Senate, and signed into law by a Republican Governor.

    As Chairman of the State Board of Educationat that time, Ovide testified in the House encouraging a compromise to make schools safer while protecting our fundamental 2nd Amendment rights. He closed his testimony by saying ?THE LAST THING I WOULD INTEND AND WISH TO ACHIEVE THROUGH THIS LEGISLATION IS TO INFRINGE UPON THE RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO SEEK TO BEAR ARMS. I AM ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMUNITY. I DON’T WANT THIS LEGISLATION TO INTERFERE WITH MY RIGHT TO DO THAT.?

    Ovide has long been a passionate advocate of protecting our individual rights to keep and bear arms as set forth in the 2nd Amendment. He has been a member of the NRA since 1992, received an A Rating from the NRA as the 1996 Republican Gubernatorial nominee and is proud to have the support of so many fellow gun owners who share his strong views.

  • NHConservative0227

    NH Firearms Coalition, making an outrageous and false attack on Ovide and his record on the 2nd Amendment.

    This is a politically motivated smear that is utterly and demonstrably false. These ridiculous charges were previously made by the same person during Ovide?s successful primary campaign for Governor – and rightfully rejected as false by the voters at that time.

    Their ludicrous charge is that Ovide backed a state wide ban on guns back in 1994. The legislation they refer to was a safe school bill that was passed by a Republican controlled House, passed by a Republican controlled Senate, and signed into law by a Republican Governor.

    As Chairman of the State Board of Educationat that time, Ovide testified in the House encouraging a compromise to make schools safer while protecting our fundamental 2nd Amendment rights. He closed his testimony by saying ?THE LAST THING I WOULD INTEND AND WISH TO ACHIEVE THROUGH THIS LEGISLATION IS TO INFRINGE UPON THE RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO SEEK TO BEAR ARMS. I AM ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMUNITY. I DON’T WANT THIS LEGISLATION TO INTERFERE WITH MY RIGHT TO DO THAT.?

    Ovide has long been a passionate advocate of protecting our individual rights to keep and bear arms as set forth in the 2nd Amendment. He has been a member of the NRA since 1992, received an A Rating from the NRA as the 1996 Republican Gubernatorial nominee and is proud to have the support of so many fellow gun owners who share his strong views.

  • NHConservative0227

    If people like you actually start supporting real conservatives instead of settling for RINO’s like Ayotte.

  • NHConservative0227

    If people like you actually start supporting real conservatives instead of settling for RINO’s like Ayotte.

  • ffc99

    convince me that a one time statewide loser (by an overwhelming margin) can actually win this race (but it’s increasingly clear to me that you’re unwilling and unable to provide such evidence). And I’ve also researched this race in some detail and am pretty offended by your repeated suggestion that Ms. Ayotte is not a real “conservative”. Now, she may not be as conservative as Ovide and you may not like her, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a conservative. Oh, and one quick question, are you employed by Ovide’s campaign (I think this is a fair question considering all of your pro-Ovide posts today)?

  • smagar

    The point is—to win…the general…election.

    Are you saying that the NH electorate is likely to elect Ovide if he is the nominee against Hodes? THAT is the key question. IIRC, New Hampshire has been pretty blue the past few elections.

    We need this seat, folks. We need EVERY seat. A mistake here takes six years to rectify.

  • http://www.helpawhiteguy.com livefreenh

    We have the pleasure of selecting between more than one good candidate for Senate this time. While Ovide is not my top pick, he would do. This is VERY different than picking from the “lesser of evils” as we have found ourselves doing in the past. Oh, and I saw a Hodes commercial yesterday, which made me laugh out loud. This candidate, one of the first who openly admitted voting for the thing “without reading it” was shown in an ad claiming that he cares for the voter. Hodes does make all the rest look good by comparison, that’s for sure.

  • politicalqrm

    Ovide has been running for office since the nineties. And running and losing…He is not a viable candidate in the general election. He went against Jeanne Shaheen for gov in the ’90′s and lost big time. And every time after that he has lost in primaries..

    .The only time we ever see him in NH is around election time. It’s like a bad joke. Another election: there’s Ovide Lamontagne!! Even when we were considered a conservative state, he still lost..what does that tell you?

    Kelly Ayotte is not a favorite of mine, either. She had the early support of John McCain (Rino one day, conservative the next) who now seems to have vanished from the picture..hmm??? Makes you wonder if she had a change of heart.

    The shame of it all is that the New Hampshire Republican Party is failing to attract good conservatives. With the influx of liberals from Mass, they are trying to be all things to all people under the banner of appeal. It’s only worked to push conservatives from the party. I know quite a few that changed their party affiliation to Independent.

    Unless the party develops the backbone of true conservatives policies we are going to continue to be a Dem controlled state.

    I don’t think Ovide should be the poster boy for that fight..Sorry.

  • NHConservative0227

    Who cares concerned about the future of this country. The last thing we need is another Judd Gregg RINO or worse.

    Some of the Ayotte supporters like yourself simply amaze me. You honestly find no fault with her actions in the 10 points posted by Erick Erickson?

    It’s ok to support Sotomayor, convince Lynch to not expand the Castle Doctrine, steal $110 million from the JUA, push for carbon limits, give Planned Parenthood $300,000 of taxpayer money.

    Yeah, what a great conservative she is!

  • NHConservative0227

    to simply elect someone with an R. This has been proven time and time again. Just look at the guy whose seat they’re fighting for, Judd Gregg. He voted to confirm both Sotomayor and Kagan!

    We need real conservatives to put this country back on course.

    Hodes has run a terrible campaign. He voted lockstep with almost all of Obama’s policies. Obama has been the kiss of death everywhere. Just look at Va, NJ, and even at Coakley in MA!

    People are fed up with the radical agenda. They will vote for Ovide over Hodes.

  • NHConservative0227

    What policies of Ovide’s do you not like?

    He has stated the conservative positions and has walked the walk perfectly. He’s even taken a 15 point oath for voters to hold him accountable.

    What more do you want from the guy?

    Just b/c he hasn’t won in the past? Sununu lost to Shaheen too.

    You need to rally behind the real conservative in Ovide. If enough people like yourself wake up, he’ll beat Ayotte and Hodes.

    BTW: I think it’ll be more difficult to beat Ayotte than Hodes.

  • smagar

    Do you have any reliable polling that shows Ovide over Hodes in a general election matchup? That RCP average looks pretty good to me—it includes a Rasmussen poll that has Ayotte up by 13.

    With numbers like that, the NRSC can spend money on tighter races elsewhere in the country—NV, WI, WA pop right to mind.

    Where’s your evidence that Ovide can get it done in the polls at November, not just September?

  • smagar

    If he’s a perennial candidate—and a perennial failure in elections (let me hasten to point out: even the best people can fail to connect as candidates)—then is he really such a good choice in this race?

    Let’s keep our eyes on the prize, people—a GOP majority in the Senate in 2011. Every seat is key!

  • smagar

    If enough people like yourself wake up, he?ll beat Ayotte and Hodes.

    Just to be clear, I’d love it if NH would elect another Tom Coburn. But, seriously, what’s the chance of that, if the state’s population is trending blue—as all the recent elections seem to indicate?

    Please, point to some polling, or something, that will help Eeyores like me believe that Ovide could beat Hodes. New Hampshire is not Alaska—the state doesn’t reflexively lean R.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • eburke

    Wow…..just wow!

    That is the ‘only’ criteria for a Senator to base his/her vote on. Why else would the Framers have included the ‘consent’ portion of the ‘advise and consent’ clause.

    This statement is just stunning in its ignorance. But it does help explain why routinely take the side of moderates when they face conservatives who wish to take our country back to it’s Constitutional founding.

  • eburke

    bandwidth on ffc99, you might want to be aware of the fact that he is from the wing of the Republican Party who cares more about the fact that a candidate has an R next to his name than whether that candidate will move the needle on conservative causes (cf. his posting history on the Castle race).

    Ya know, those folks who believe that conservatism won’t sell and therefore we need to always vote for the most ‘electable’ candidate regardless of ideology so that we might become indistinguishable from the Dems. Thus his insistence that you provide him w/absolute crystal ball truth that a conservative can win. His strategy appears to be “moderate/liberal in the primary, Republican in the general”.

    You’ll recognize that as the strategy which took us from 40 seats in the Senate to a filibuster-proof majority.

    Oh…..wait a minute.

  • mbecker908

    Heck, I’ve made a few myself. But this one goes into the Hall of Fame with no waiting period.

  • hannahcb

    Ovide Lamontagne is a man of integrity and conservative values. I didn’t initially support him but have changed my view based on the last few weeks and some of the negative campaigning that has bothered me. I also want to take this opportunity to make a plug for another grassroots conservative who is running for governor in NH – Jack Kimball. Jack is a business man – not a politician. Former military (navy) who supports the constitution and the free-market. Jack is a strong leader who is passionate about restoring the values of this country’s founders. He is a hardworking and successful business owner who understands common sense economics. People love to use the word “empathy” a lot these days. I saw Jack during a debate stop the facilitator who was interviewing another candidate on stage, as Jack could see that the audience was confused about the topic. When he did that, the facilitator clarified the point for those not understanding what the discussion was. This told me a lot about Jack’s character – especially as so many are upset today by the government’s (both federal and local) lack of the ability to listen to the people. And, I will also vote for Ovide Lamontage :-)

  • edintexas

    Possibly NH is different than Texas (in many ways I know it is) on the responsibilities of the AG. In Texas (and in most states – and the Fedgov) the AG is essentially the government’s prosecutor and attorney. The AG’s office not only has a role enforcing the law, but also has a requirement to provide legal advice to the Executive and Legislative branches of government (primarily the former).

    So saying of AG Ayotte “Her job as AG was not to give her personal opinion on whether the plan to raid the insurance fund was legal or not.” is more than disingenuous. Her job as AG was to provide an OFFICIAL legal opinion on the legality of the raid on the insurance fund, and if it was clearly illegal to take action to prevent it from happening. The AG is not a lapdog for the Executive, particularly when the Executive strays from the path of legality.

    Of course if, in NH, the AG’s job IS to be a lapdog for the Executive, then I stand corrected.

  • JSobieski

    without finding O’Donnell to be a credible candidate.

    Everyone has a minimum credibility threshold that they use in evaluating the standard of the “most conservative candidate who can win.” A skeptical eye towards O’Donnell does not mean that the person favors moderates/RINOs.

    I for one don’t care that much about poll numbers, but for some people, if the poll numbers aren’t within a certain range, they dismiss the ability of the candidate to win.

    I disagree with the assessment, but that doesn’t make the person a RINO.

  • travelkingnh

    Ovide was our GOP nominee for Governor in 1996,,,,,,,,,the year of the Dole as in Bob.

    He lost to then “Moderate” democratic candidate Jeanne Shaheen because the national party failed to come in and support his general election bid. Why? —Because he took on and defeated their pick of sitting Congressman Bill Zeliff and they were ticked off.

    I don’t think the national party would be foolish enough to play that game this time, as they have not “offically” endorsed Kelly Ayotte…….and thet need every GOP senator no matter how they get there.

    For the past 14 years Ovide has continued to burnish his conservative credentials in the community and the NH GOP…………waiting for the right time to contribute again as a true “Conservative”. All you have to do is go to Ovide2010.com to fill i the blanks.

    If once losing an election is grounds for disqualification from serving in office……we all all in trouble.

  • travelkingnh

    Hodes and the NH dems will make it a tight election ………especially ifAyotte is the nominee. We know how poor Ayotte’s actual record is on conservative issues………………..and she has a chance to get ripped apart during the general election by Paul Hodes and the NH democratic smear machine. At least with Ovide they will actually have to debate/discuss the issues.

    I think Ayotte represents the biggest threat of a Hodes victory in November. Her record has so many questions in it, they will have a field day with her. Our NH democratic party specializes in smear tactics. Ayotte’s AG record has lots of places for them to make her look bad……..some even have merit.

    The US Chamber already has a $1M buy against Hodes…….and that was assuming a general election against Amedia yotte.

    If Ovide gets the money support from the GOP and like minded conservatives…………..he wins the primary and the general election………………..and we get a anchor conservative in Washington.

    With NH’s first in the nation primary, the NRSC can never afford to overlook NH, no matter what the polls say.

  • angelheart24

    Sadly I am not in NH but you are the kind of person I would love to be able to vote into office. I will be saying prayers that the good people of NH realize what a great chance they have to make things better. Best of luck on your way to the polls.

  • travelkingnh

    I abdicated my recent membership and withdrew from this group after they pulled a high school level stunt against Ovide earlier this year……..they are not respected by either GO NH (Gun Owner’s of NH–the state NRA affiliate) or PRO-GUN NH (a respected off- shoot of GO NH), both of which I am a member. The founder of the NHFC supported someone other than Ovide in the 1996 NH governor’s race and tried the same smear stunt on him then without success. Some people simply don’t like each other.

    As far as their “B” grade for Ayotte, this is what they printed in their newsletter Vol. 2010-Issue N0. 2 which they still send me:

    “in the past, Ayotte has opposed Stand Your Ground Legislation, though she now has committed to supporting it. She once publicly indicated she would have voted for anti-gun Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor. (But now stands publicly opposed to it)”.

    Now as far as I know, Ayotte has not changed her position on either of these two issues, which is bad enough, but if she did now to run for Senate or to earn a “B” rating from these hacks, how sad would that be.

  • NHConservative0227

    First there’s New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachussetts. Seriously, if the Dems, can lose Ted Kennedy’s seat then anything is possible!

    The GOP has a 10% lead in the polls for this November, its largest lead in over 60 years. The majority of Americans and majority in NH want Obamacare repealed and are fed up with the radical socialist agenda.

    After Ovide wins the primary, the RNC can officially support Ovide to give him the resources he needs to win. Plus, all the real conservatives will rally behind Ovide as well.

    It goes back to what Reagan said: “No pale pastels, bold differences!”

    It’s time to support the real conservative in Ovide.

  • NHConservative0227

    First there’s New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachussetts. Seriously, if the Dems, can lose Ted Kennedy’s seat then anything is possible!

    The GOP has a 10% lead in the polls for this November, its largest lead in over 60 years. The majority of Americans and majority in NH want Obamacare repealed and are fed up with the radical socialist agenda.

    After Ovide wins the primary, the RNC can officially support Ovide to give him the resources he needs to win. Plus, all the real conservatives will rally behind Ovide as well.

    It goes back to what Reagan said: “No pale pastels, bold differences!”

    It’s time to support the real conservative in Ovide.

  • searose121

    This is not Greggs’ seat, it is the NH voters seat, remember that!

  • NHConservative0227

    Don’t want Sotomayor and Kagan!

    Vote for Ovide!

  • morstar150

    If this site is ready to kill off our chances of controlling the Senate than so be it. I will not be part of it. You believe what you believe and damn anyone who doesn’t agree. I will stick with Sara Palin and Kelly Ayotte.

    Eric you should check into the truth of those allegations before you sell people on the idea that your gospel changes cool-aid into wine.

    Either way, I’m not drinking it. Ovide is a wackjob multiple time loser. We shouldn’t follow this lemming over the cliff.

  • irishrebel2000

    The United States Senate seat belongs to New Hampshire voters, it is not a seat that belongs to Judd Gregg, the RNC, the Washington powerbrokers or any group of lobbyists who try to buy the seat or coronate Ayotte as their successors.

    Hodes will lose to any of the 4 republicans so the viability issue is a nonissue…

  • jimcyr

    You can’t really mean that, can you? I mean, that’s a pretty basic standard regarding someone being suitable for a judgeship, at any level.
    I deplore narrow, ideological fights against nominees, too. But Sotamayor had numerous instances of showing she was not fit to sit on the highest court in the land.

  • jimcyr

    the polls showed our next governor, Paul LePage, finishing FAR behind most of the other GOP nominees. He clobbered them all.
    Just saying….

  • jimcyr

    I was wondering about that, that’s good backdrop on this group.

  • jimcyr

    Trust me! Coming from the “Land of the Rinos” (I prefer “Rinosaurs”, myself)….that would be Maine……..I can tell you that having even one of them in your state would drive you absolutely crazy.
    That’s what it’s done to us.