History lesson
Just in case you’re one of the lucky ones who’ve managed to forget the sordid details of the years between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2021, a recent event that took place in NH would likely be the equivalent of being hit in the head with a two-by-four.
It happened during the recent visit to NH of the man who held office as prez of the US during the above-cited period.
Besides the usual first-person-singular droning about perceived slights and insults and getting even, the ex-prez’s visit featured a rather eye-opening reminder of just what we’ve been missing, and what might be in store if things go his way.
During a stop at the Red Arrow Diner in downtown Manch., the WashPost reported, the ex-prez stopped what he was doing after a woman with redwhite-and-blue hair (a wig, let’s hope) and matching hat and clothes yelled out: “President Trump, will you please sign my Trump backpack that I carried up to Jan. 6? I went to jail for 161 days for Jan. 6. I’m an Iraq War veteran.”
Trump replied, “Patriots, I hear the woman.” He then embraced her, took photos with her, and gave her the pen he used to sign her backpack.
He added: “Listen, you just hang in there. You’ve been through too much. You’re going to wind up being happy.”
Trump: All in a day’s denial
Thought bubble No. 1: The woman’s name is Micki Larson-Olson of Abilene, Texas, who described herself to the WashPost as a QAnon (remember them from the good old days?) true believer.
Thought bubble No. 2: The insurrection and mayhem that occurred at the US Capitol on 1/6/21 resulted in violence and at least seven deaths. It also led to the jailing of at least 192 other true believers (and counting) who were convicted or pleaded guilty at trial. The insurrection and mayhem also has resulted in the conviction of four people (and counting) for seditious conspiracy. (Which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in a federal penitentiary, in case anyone’s thinking it’s a mere misdemeanor.)
And to put another light on things, in an interview with the WashPost, MLO said of 1/6/21: “It was the most patriotic day of my life. I refused to walk down from the stairs … because I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and those politicians are domestic enemies to our republic.”
Oy vey.
“People, Washington D.C. needs an accountant.”
— Ex-US Senate wannabe Don Bolduc introducing GOP prez wannabe Nikki Haley at a Laconia event
Between jobs
You may have noticed that Benjamin Bartlett, a GOPer from Nottingham, announced th’other day that he would be stepping down from his job as a state rep, citing “health issues.”
But shortly after, NHPR reported that, while BB may actually have “health issues,” he also has some potentially knotty legal issues. Because, as a nine-year employee of the VA — which you may recall is a federal agency — he is by law (the Hatch Act) prohibited, barred, forbidden, verboten and otherwise not allowed to hold a partisan elected office.
Bartlett: Digging himself a hole?
It’s not clear why a nine-year employee of the federal government wasn’t aware of the law, if in fact he wasn’t aware of it, but BB may have gotten the itch to run for a higher office after serving as a member of the Nottingham selectboard (a nonpartisan job he still holds, BTW).
Then again, he may have just wanted that rep’s license plate, since NHPR also reported that BB more or less has been treating that rep’s gig as a no-show job. According to NHPR, he cast one vote in the House in early January and after that was absent from all other roll call votes.
Power to the powers-that-be
Can anyone explain why the powers-that-be among NH Dems are so smitten with the idea of needing to anoint someone as their candidate in a key race — even before the entire slate of candidates has taken shape?
Case in point is the recent decision by a wave of top Dems to instantly announce their support of soon-to-be ex-Manch. mayor Joyce Craig’s guv bid. Instant it was, considering it came out while JC announced that bid.
Craig: Instant analysis
And almost instantly after the mass endorsement took place, the 2022 Dem guv candidate, Tom Sherman, said he wouldn’t be trying for another shot — literally a day after Kevin Landrigan mentioned in his Sunday UL column that TS was thinking of running again.
The mass endorsement, however, hasn’t seemed to have an effect on the planning of Exec Councilor Cinde Warmington to throw her own hat in the Dem guv ring. At least for now.
MAKING THE ROUNDS
ICYMI: Yes, 51 GOP state reps have already jumped aboard the Trump bandwagon.
And, yes, that bandwagon is looking more and more like a runaway train.
And, yes, Ron DeSantis seems to have no idea that running for prez is nothing like running for guv of Florida, or any other state, for that matter.
How’s GOP prez wannabe Vivek Ramaswamy handling the unceremonious departure of Tucker Carlson from Fox? After all, all that free TV time doesn’t grow on trees.
