Just Three Weeks Until the 2014 Primary

Here is the latest Campaign 2014 news and information from around New Hampshire.

Kentucky Fried Jailbird

Patch was wondering why after the NH GOP stated on Twitter that there would be video of their man in a chicken outfit at the Londonderry Old Home Day Parade, there didn’t appear to be any pictures posted. Well, the guy got arrested. If you missed this from WMUR-TV, take a look. Interestingly, some, including the NH ACLU, is wondering about this arrest.

Oh, according to the NH GOP, arrest or not, it has been 722 days since U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has held a open town hall meeting.

But, she is meeting with people …

If you missed the Portsmouth NH Patch post about Shaheen’s meeting with women about economic issues, it’s here.

The candidate also launched a new television ad highlighting her support to expand childcare credits.

Brown crisscrossing the state

Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown continues his “NH Speaks” town hall meetings stopping off in Franklin and Newport yesterday, as well as other stops on the western side of the state.

Brown’s campaign also challenged Shaheen’s recent accolades about working on veterans issues, noting a recent article that stated that the incumbent actually begrudgingly offer support to veterans.

“She was reluctantly dragged to the right position,” the column noted.

Brown also received a big boost from both U.S. Sens. John McCain and Kelly Ayotte in Derry with Ayotte noting, “When Scott Brown is elected U.S. senator, I look forward to doing town halls with him. I look forward to him doing town halls, because I know he will, to hear directly from you,” according to press reports.

Smith asks, Why won’t Brown sign the pledge?

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith is asking why Brown is refusing to sign to no new tax pledge being collected by Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire. The candidate noted recently that every other major Republican candidate had signed the pledge.

“This says an awful lot of Scott Brown’s priorities,” said Senator Bob Smith. “I have a direct question for you, Scott Brown: what are you afraid of? Why won’t you sign the pledge?”

Smith also called on his former colleague, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, to allow a bill that would defund President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty plan to the Senate floor.

“Such a bill, if passed the Senate, would stifle the President’s ability to abandon the rule of law and reshape our country’s immigration policy without the consent of the American people by way of their representatives in Congress,” he said.

Smith and others also recently held a pro-life candidate rally at the Statehouse in Concord.

Martin: Brown’s inner demons are creepy

Franklin Pierce University will be holding a U.S. Senate debate and is allowing Republican candidate Andy Martin to participate. Martin, in a statement, said he was excited about being allowed in and called it the only “real debate” of the campaign season. He was surprised, however, that Brown would not be attending.

“Another joint appearance declined,” he noted. “Fear drives the man … Brown might have won the primary in a way that could have sent him on to victory. But if he ‘wins’ the primary, and that is still an open question in my mind, he will ‘win’ on September 9th in a way that guarantees his defeat in November. Once again, his inner demons will have defeated him. And I find that just plain, old-fashioned creepy.”

Democrats continue to clobber Havenstein

The latest from the New Hampshire Democratic Party continues to make hay about Republican gubernatorial candidate Walt Havenstein’s previous employment experience including his position on Medicare expansion in New Hampshire even though he profited from it at one of the companies he led.

The party put a section of a recent debate on WGIR up online, claiming that Havenstein continues to “dodge” and “fails” to offer a clear position on the matter.

“There is absolutely no question that failed CEO Walt Havenstein is being disingenuous with the people of New Hampshire by refusing to give a clear position on whether he’d take away health coverage from 50,000 Granite Staters,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Deputy Communications Director Bryan Lesswing. “Havenstein still has a lot of explaining to do and voters will demand answers for how he could sign a Koch Brothers pledge to repeal coverage from hard-working Granite Staters after his company made millions off the ACA while he was CEO.”

RGA poll: Havenstein is close

A new Republican Governors Association poll shows that Havenstein was the nominee, he would be within 5 percent, with a margin of error of 4 percent, of incumbent Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter. According to a post on New Hampshire Journal, Andrew Hemingway, another Republican running, was not included in the poll.

Club for Growth slams Lambert on RGGI

Club for Growth has released an audio clip of 2nd Congressional District candidate Gary Lambert speaking during the debate about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative equating the cost increase on energy to buying coffee. “For all those folks going to Dunkin’ Donuts…don’t buy a coffee for four months and help the environment. That’s what I’m asking you to do.”

Club for Growth recently endorsed one of Lambert’s challengers, state Rep. Marilinda Garcia, R-Salem.

Lambert: Garcia is really for amnesty

Lambert’s recent television attacking Garcia for supporting amnesty shocked a lot of people. But the candidate followed up this week with a screenshot of a website called Americans by Choice which purports to encourage amnesty. Garcia was also a member of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators which has also proposed an amnesty plan, according to press reports.

The New Hampshire Union Leader countered with an editorial that stated that candidate was “making up stuff” about Garcia.

“Gary Lambert is offering Republican voters a big bag of nothing.” Ouch, Drew.

Speaking of town halls

Granite State Progress says it has been 477 days since U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte has held a gun violence town hall, adding that the Republican “refused to sit down and meet” with gun control advocates.

“Constituents have made phone calls, sent letters, signed petitions, and invited the Senator to coffee, but Senator Ayotte has repeatedly denied meeting requests from gun violence prevention advocates ever since she voted against background checks and the 89 percent of her constituents who support them,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, executive director, Granite State Progress. “We renew our call for Senator Ayotte to host a town hall solely focused on gun violence prevention. In the sixteen months since Senator Ayotte voted against common sense background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and the seriously mentally ill, more shootings and more national tragedies have occurred. Senator Ayotte needs to stop hiding behind NRA lobby talking points and meet directly with her constituents. She has a responsibility as a U.S. Senator to participate in open town halls on these important topics instead of cherry-picking the issues she wants to discuss.”

Perry rides into town

Despite being indicted on felony charges, Texas Gov. Rick Perry will be in New Hampshire (call it the FITN 2016 political rehabilitation tour?) for events in Portsmouth, Nashua, Stratham, and Chichester, including meetings with activists and business leaders.

What does the future hold?

Want to have a little Google fun? Slowly type in “Maggie Hassan for” and see what comes up after governor …