Republican US Senate Candidate Jim Bender today announced his selection of Beth Lindstrom as Campaign Manager for his bid to become the next United States Senator from New Hampshire. Beth Lindstrom ran the campaign for Scott Brown in the most recent special election for United States Senate in Massachusetts. Scott Brown was the first Republican to win such an election in Massachusetts in thirty-eight years.
Jim Bender said, "Today I'm pleased to announce that Beth will be assuming leadership of our campaign. We're confident she will lead us to victory this fall, as she did with Scott Brown in Massachusetts."
"There are tremendous similarities between these two gentlemen," Lindstrom quotes. "Jim is a New England Republican, committed to controlling government spending, cutting taxes, and letting the private sector create new jobs. Jim comes into this race as an underdog, but like Scott Brown, he has what it takes to win this election, and New Hampshire will have a Senator who puts the people first." Lindstrom continued, "Jim has a history of fixing broken, complex organizations - which will come in handy in Washington. He also has a tremendous understanding of finance, accounting, and economics, having created many hundreds of jobs for New Hampshire. Finally, he knows Capitol Hill, and won't need an orientation to become effective."
Jim Bender said, "With Beth's help, we will be able to put forth strategies to get our message to the people. No one imagined a Republican winning in Massachusetts. She took the leadership of that campaign, working hard, coming from behind, and overcoming long odds to put Scott Brown in the Senate. We're going to do the same here."
Beth Lindstrom oversaw the day-to-day activities of the Scott Brown campaign, paving the way for his victory in the special election held January 19, 2010. Beth also has served as a cabinet member for Governor Mitt Romney, and was the first woman to be Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery.
Chris Dziedzic has posted a response to my piece defending the newcomer to the Republican party and the NY governors race, Steve Levy, from the attacks of established candidate Rick Lazio. Chris makes some fair points and I would like to take the opportunity to address them. Let me point out before I begin that my intention here is not to endorse Steve Levy. Though I am clearly leaning in that direction, my mind is not yet firmly made up. My purpose is rather to counter what I see as the weak anti-Levy arguments that the Lazio campaign is making in hopes of seeing stronger ones emerge.
Chris makes the following 4 main points, and I'll address them in the order he presents them:
I must admit surprise at the volume of Republicans who are flocking to the recently announced gubernatorial campaign of Steve Levy. I am even more surprised at the shock that some of us oppose such a nomination energetically. One of my Young Republican colleagues recently shared his thoughts, and I wanted to respond.
"...some of [Lazio's] supporters are furious at the NYGOP establishment for allowing and in some cases encouraging primary competition from a recently converted Democrat."
The frustration, and even anger, that you mention needs to be addressed. It is not just that certain GOP leaders are willing to allow a challenge, or even actively encouraging a challenge. What rankles many is the decision to actively recruit a Democratic office holder, and a controversial one at that, when we had credible candidates within our own party. Please remember, Steve Levy is not just a recently converted Democrat, he was still a partisan Democrat while certain GOP leaders were actively recruiting him to consider running for governor. What does that say about these specific leaders that they feel they cannot turn to their own ranks, but have to look to the opposition for candidates? In baseball terms, if a team's executives look not to their farm system, but to their opponent's free agents, it is an indictment of their own farm system. As a Republican, I do not want leadership of our state party that shows so little confidence in what our own organization has to offer. We have a strong candidate for governor in Rick Lazio.
"[Levy] used the f-word a whole bunch of times, and put me down as being suitably outraged. Steve Levy is definitely NOT invited to my kid's next birthday party."
With all due respect, you are missing the important point. It is not simply a question of Steve Levy using foul language. It points to a larger deficiency of character and leadership ability. It was not that long ago that we were all subjected to Eliot Spitzer. One of the pervasive criticisms of Spitzer was his lack of flexibility and almost crusading zeal to address issues on his terms. His remarks to former Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco about being an "f***ing steamroller" were panned not just for being crass and rude, but for revealing Spitzer's poor executive style. He was domineering, proud and vindictive. Not exactly the kind of qualities that will help one get a plan enacted.
These are the same qualities being highlighted by the Steve Levy quotes you point to. It is not just that he chooses to use vile language. Instead, it brings to focus the similar domineering, proud and vindictive traits that Steve Levy holds. How is he going to be able to work with leaders in the Senate and Assembly to enact a plan? I doubt he will be any more success than Spitzer proved to be in his short term of office. The political atmosphere in Albany can be caustic and noxious, and there is no reason to hamstring important reform efforts by championing a messenger of those reform efforts who will only serve to alienate the legislative leaders. Rick Lazio's temperament is better suited for our current situation in Albany. I'm sorry that you fail to see that.
"Lazio also released a handy list of the 'Top Ten Facts about Steve Levy,' a number of which (perhaps even as many as 2) are substantive critiques of Levy's policy positions. Any mention of Levy's failures during his past six years as executive of one of the largest counties in the state is deftly deferred for another time, so as to sharpen the focus on the critical period of 7 or 8 years ago when Levy apparently toed the Democrat line during his term in the Assembly."
Focusing on Steve Levy's record while serving in the assembly is vitally important. While there are bound to be some overlap between county issues and statewide issues, what is most illuminating about a candidate is his track record on New York State issues. It is easy for Steve Levy to write a plan to appeal to the conservative base of the party and the Tea Party activists and the post-Scott Brown momentum. But how credible is a candidate's plan when that same candidate has a proven track record of voting for the vested special interests in Albany and taking their money in the form of campaign contributions? (See Facts #1 and #6) Similarly, President Obama campaigned on talking points of bi-partisanship and post-partisanship, but his proven record in both the Illinois legislature and the United States Senate spoke to something very different. I would ask, which is the more convincing?
In contrast, Rick Lazio's record as a Suffolk County legislator and as a congressman is completely consistent with his plans for taking on special interests while in the governor's mansion.
"If Steve Levy becomes the nominee of the party, it will be a simple matter to turn the narrative from 'traitor to his party' to 'true to his principles, rather than a label'- and the Republican party can benefit by treating his party switch as an opportunity to advertise to other fiscally conservative Democrats that they may have a home in the Republican party."
It is debatable that Steve Levy's nomination will draw larger numbers of conservative Democrats to our ranks than Rick Lazio's nomination or election. And it will not be so easy to change the 'opportunistic' narrative for a larger audiance of voters if Levy cannot even convince Republican activists like myself that he is being true to his principles and not just positioning himself to ride a political tide this autumn.
But while we are talking about outreach, what I think is beyond debate is the effect Steve Levy's nomination will have on the growing Hispanic and Latino electorate in New York State. One of the things our party has identified as important, is to make sure the GOP is inclusive and welcoming to all voters. (See the Report of the New York Republican Strategic Planning Commission, p.49-53. http://www.nysyr.us/wp-content... Given Steve Levy's history of making inflammatory and insensitive comments, he will actually do more harm than good to our electoral prospects. To reform New York State, we need to be able to sell our vision of government retrenchment and fiscal conservative restraint to all sorts of different constituencies this fall. Rick Lazio can do that - his opponent, with his years of baggage, cannot.
As has been rumored, Ed Cox was able to convince Suffolk County (NY) executive Steve Levy to register as a Republican and run for Governor. Levy is a former, as of 9:59 AM, this morning Democrat who is now running for Governor as a Republican. The Rick Lazio campaign wasted no time swinging at Levy. Lazio campaign manager, Kevin Fullington, released the following statement via email to Lazio supporters.
Dear Friends,
Today, at 10AM, liberal Democrat Steve Levy announced that he is changing his registration and is going to seek the Republican nomination for Governor. Steve is not a Republican. He will be registered as a Democrat on election day. He will be unable to vote in the Republican primary. He is a supporter of Barack Obama and has been a close ally of Shelly Silver, and he has voted for the largest tax increase in New York state history. He even said that the Obama stimulus package was "manna from heaven" that would "save lives".
We want to welcome Steve Levy to the race. Enough pleasantries. We want each New York citizen to look at - and Steve Levy to explain - a transcript of a wiretap of Steve Levy talking to people who would eventually be convicted of bribery. Look at the crass language he uses, and particularly pay attention to what he says about the Brookhaven Republican Party.
Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, surging from a 10-point deficit two months ago, now leads former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons 44 - 34 percent in the Republican primary for the Connecticut U.S. Senate contest, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
This reverses a 37 - 27 percent Simmons lead in a January 14 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University. In this latest poll, businessman Peter Schiff has 9 percent, with 12 percent undecided.
Linda McMahon also did the best in the general election match-up against Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D). However, all 3 candidates trail badly.
Yesterday John McCain traveled to the Granite State to campaign for former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in her campaign for the United States Senate. Ayotte's primary opponent, Ovide Lamontagne, took the opportunity to write an open letter to John McCain.
Dear Senator McCain -
Welcome back to New Hampshire. It is our honor to have someone with your long and distinguished service to our country visit our Granite State.
I am disappointed, however, that you have chosen to return to New Hampshire to involve yourself in the contested New Hampshire primary for U.S. Senate by supporting Kelly Ayotte. You know better than most that independent-minded voters of New Hampshire decide for themselves who to support in a primary.
Today on Fox News Sunday, Nancy Pelosi lieutenant Chris Van Hollen(D-MD) said something that strains all credulity. Chris Wallace asked Van Hollen if the votes would be there given the current publicly known vote tally of 211-220 against passage. Van Hollen said the following:
Well the votes will be there because what's happening is our members are going back home to their constituents who are opening up their mail and getting these huge increases in their premiums and they recognize that doing nothing is not an option.
Really Congressman Van Hollen, people are going home and opening their mail and seeing "huge increases in their premiums". Frankly Representative Van Hollen part of the problem is that the consumers of health care don't know what it costs them. Either for the care they receive or for the insurance itself.
Most people with health insurance procure it through their employers. They pay differing percentages of their health insurance premiums, and don't readily realize what they are paying. Further more just like income taxes which are taken out of a paycheck, most employees don't even notice the full effect of their premiums.
So Congressman Van Hollen, it is very unlikely that the majority of people across the nation are opening up a bill from their insurance company with their premiums on it. That bill for the majority of American's with coverage simply doesn't exist.
They came first for the trans fat
and I said nothing because I liked natural fat
Then they came for the soda
and I said nothing because I drank beer
Then they came for the calorie count
and I said nothing because I don't own a restaurant
Then they came for the salt
and nobody was left to speak up for me
In case you've been living under a rock, Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D) has launched the latest attack at your personal freedoms. A ban on salt in restaurants. For those not in the know salt is the basis of all cooking. Wars were fought in ancient times over access to salt. Bread does not bake without salt.
New York City is the restaurant capital of the world. Removing the use of salt from these restaurants will cause them to shut down putting scores of thousands of workers on the street.
This is just another peg in the unending assault on our personal freedoms. It is time to take a stand. It is time to yell at the top of our lungs, "you'll take my salt from my cold dead hands."
Businessman Tim Burns, the grassroots and establishment favorite, won the GOP nomination 85-46 over 2008 nominee, William Russell.
Russell still intends to run in the primary on May 18, the same day as the special election. He gave indications in his speech and an e-mail to his supporters tonight that he does NOT intend on running a clean race. He will go very negative against Burns, possibly costing the GOP this crucial pickup.
To donate to Burns, go here- http://www.timburnsforcongress... To tell WILLIAM RUSSELL to DROP OUT and UNIFY the party, call him @ 814-254-4475 or e-mail him @ info@RussellBrigade.com
The governor of New Jersey Chris Christie has taken to the road to discuss the true state of the New Jersey budget. Here is a series of videos of the Governor discussing the budget.
