GOP Candidates Fit to Lead

To the Editor:

Over the last few weeks readers of The Merrimack Journal's editorial page have been saturated with numerous anti-Romney letters. One even went so far as to call Mr. Romney "unfit to lead" because he commented on the assassinations of Americans in Benghazi. I take issue with that characterization because it feigns outrage for reasonable remarks by a presidential candidate, who should care about such things, while presumably excusing President Obama for his role in their deaths and subsequent efforts to cover up that role. Add this to the series of national security blunders that include leaks of classified information from the White House for political gain (e.g. disclosure of the the Stuxnet virus and release of operational details of the Bin Laden raid) and you get the very definition of “unfit to lead.” I have worked in the intelligence community and I know first-hand how these leaks not only hurt national security, but also place the lives of our sources in grave danger. That is what the Democrat-organized letter-to-the-editor campaign would like us to overlook but I cannot.

Anyone who knows me knows that Mr. Romney is not my first choice for President but he has easily earned my vote over President Obama. His strong leadership skills are exactly what our country needs right now. I am confident that his executive experience will lead him to select good men and women for cabinet posts within the administration which may be more important than the presidency itself. This genuine man of principle has my full support on November 6th.

Beyond a vote for Romney, I find it even more pressing to send principled representatives to Concord. Ovide Lamontagne is a candidate that understands the proper relationship between the State and Federal Government. As Governor, he'll push back on unfunded mandates from Washington and preserve the sovereignty of our State. He'll also use his experience as a former Chairman of the State Board of Education to bring about much needed reforms to our public education system. I believe Ovide is the right man at the right time and he also has my vote!

The governor can't do it alone though, he'll need the help of our State House. The strong Republican majorities this session proved that they keep their election promises. They repaired a $700 billion budget deficit in one biennium without raising taxes or down-shifting costs. The Merrimack delegation was a big part of that achievement and they deserve another term to continue their work. I fully support the "Slate of Eight" GOP House candidates: Dick Barry, Dick Hinch, Jeanine Notter, Tony Pellegrino, Lenette Peterson, Phil Straight, Kathleen Stroud and Joseph Thomas. They have started the State down the path to prosperity. Let's give them the opportunity to take the next step.

Gary G. Krupp
Merrimack