And all of us thought that the guv really was running for reelection instead of the US Senate when he made that announcement earlier this year.
Well, maybe he has officially filed his candidacy for a 4th term as guv, but it sure sounds like he’s running against not only Maggie Hassan, but the entire Dem congressional delegation to boot.
In filing said candidacy, the guv — saying the economy is his No. 1 priority — warned of a coming recession. And blamed the NH Dem congressional delegation for the inflation that’s “hitting really hard.”
Said the guv: “Is the federal delegation doing enough? What are they doing? The federal delegation is doing absolutely nothing on inflation. They’ve been doing their best to walk right past it.”
As for himself, “because we’ve been successful (managing the budget) over the past few years, we have a lot of extra funds right now to invest in one-time infrastructure, mental health, and whatever we can do that allows us to keep putting dollars back to offset property taxes.”
OK now, let’s calm down and parse that. First, what two senators and two congressfolks can do about inflation is not only debatable, it’s impossible. In fact, it’s pretty damn hard for a prez to do something, as Joe B. is finding out. But what the heck, that’s how politicians like to frame such complicated and often uncontrollable issues, right?
But let’s get to the second parsing: the guv’s claiming that NH has got all that dough to help limit property tax increases. (Which remains to be seen, BTW.) But just a little factoid to consider: All that “one-time” dough (it’s been hundreds of millions) he’s talking about came through the largesse of the federal government.
And before it came this way, it had to be approved by members of Congress. Including the four he said have done nada about inflation.
That said, there is one view that the feds spent way too much money to stimulate the economy during Covid — starting with the almost blank checks sent to states for two years — and that was a key factor in the inflation we’re seeing.
So in Sununuland, is that fed money a good thing or a bad thing? Guess it depends who he’s talking to.
— Merrimack GOP Rep Melissa Blasek on the guv after his veto of a bill that would have curbed gubernatorial power in a state of emergency. Doesn’t sound like a primary supporter, does it?
— Guv Sununu giving his anti-endorsement to any reelect bid by the 13 GOPers who sponsored an amendment for NH to secede from the US.
It remains to be seen whether Sen. Maggie H’s vocal and visible (i.e., taking selfies on El Paso) support for continuing limits on migration across the selfsame border actually will have an effect on voters in November. But it’s certainly having an effect in June 2022.
For instance, the day the senator showed up at the SOS’s office to file her candidacy for reelect, she was greeted by a bunch of angry protesters lining the halls as she made her entrance who had a message for her.
Signs read, “Shame! Hassan + Trump Hate Immigrants” and shouts from the protesters included claims that MH is “racist” and a “corporate tool.”
It’s all about MH’s support for Title 42, a Covid era Trump administration policy that cites public health concerns in turning away migrants, including those seeking asylum, to be turned away at the border.
Ever since the prez took office, progressives have been pushing for him to dump it. He’s renewed it nonetheless.
And MH is on board with keeping it. As she said in April, “Repealing Title 42 without a plan in place will do nothing to promote a responsible border policy that keeps our country safe and lives up to our humanitarian values.”
That’s not what the protesters and a whole lotta progressives think.
As Grace Kindeke of the American Friends Service Committee told the SOS protesters: “Any efforts to uphold Title 42 and suspend asylum actively supports the racist continuation of family separations, trauma and violence against Black, Brown and immigrant communities.”
A pretty clear set of differences between the senator and her critics on this issue, dontcha think? Especially when every vote is gonna count in what is widely regarded by the national political gasbags as a tight, if not lean, GOP race this year.
While the Hassan peeps seem to understand the bind they’re in, they apparently are doubling down on the Title 42 stance nonetheless.
As Michael Graham of the New Hampshire Journal reported at the SOS meet-up, “Hassan supporters groused that the protesters were helping the cause of Republicans, particularly with Democrats struggling in the polls.”
And that’s an attitude that fits in very well with the history of NH Dems who’ve spent many, many, many years of assuming that the more liberal voters in their ranks are just gonna keep checking their name on the ballots no matter what, because the other guy (or whatever) is worse.
Who knows? Someday that might change.
So now there’s a nationwide tampon shortage, and Sen. Maggie H is taking a lead in asking manufacturers to boost supply. But critics are saying she’s grandstanding by claiming they’re price gouging. Sure sounds like one side understands what might actually be on female voters’ minds, don’t it?
Not sure if you noticed that Ed Commish Edelblut has launched the “603 Moment” initiative “for children and parents to find a moment in their hectic schedules to pause, take a break, and share that time with others,” per the AP. Its motto: “Reset. Let Go. Grow.” Sounds like a budding guv campaign motto down the road, huh?
Speaking of the ed commish, he may have bitten off more than he can chew with his program that aims to “de-escalate” the climates in schools. It sure has Exec Councilors Dave Wheeler and Kenney all worked up, and they’re looking for one more to back ‘em up.