Howard Dean says Kelly Ayotte is 'extreme'

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Howard "The Scream" Dean, the former DNC chairman who "coulda been a contenda," apparently considers the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire to be an "extreme" one. We learn from the WSJ's Washington Wire that Dean is trying to use Gov. to raise funds from contributors to his PAC:

In an email Thursday to supporters of his political action committee, Mr. Dean declared: “I have been in politics for a long time now and I have never seen more extreme candidates than the ones being pushed today by Sarah Palin.”

The Wire says Dean specifically asked for funds in a lame attempt to defeat Palin-backed candidates for the U.S. Senate Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire and Joe Miller in Alaska.

Now, we realize that Joe Miller is a rock-ribbed conservative, and someone as far out on the fringes of the Democrat Party's left wing as is Dr. Dean would project their own extremism onto Miller. But Kelly Ayotte? Sure, she's a conservative, but she's pretty much in the mainstream of conservatism. Only from way out there on Planet Radicleft, where Dean's head makes its home, could she be considered an "extreme" candidate. Does the good doctor also think John McCain and Carly Fiorina are "extreme?"

Don't answer that last one. It's purely a rhetorical query, not an exit question.

- JP

Quote of the Day (September 16, 2010)

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Matt at Election Advantage:

"I have to admit that when Attorney General Kelly Ayotte secured Sarah Palin's endorsement in the Republican Primary, I though it was an unnecessary short-term gamble. But she absolutely needed it, as she barely held off conservative attorney Ovide Lamontagne by a margin of about 1800 votes, or 39%-38%. As the preferred candidate of the NRSC and Sarah Palin, Ayotte seems poised to bridge the gap between the different factions of the Party, and she enters the General Election as a favorite over Rep. Paul Hodes (D)."

- JP

At last: Ayotte declared the winner in New Hampshire

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The slow-as-molasses-in winter ballot count has finally progressed to the point where New Hampshire's secretary of state has certified Kelly Ayotte as the winner of the GOP primary for U.S. Senate, according to the Associated Press:

Ayotte was endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and won a narrow victory over Ovide Lamontagne. His conservative credentials and courting of the tea party pulled him close in the final days of the campaign.

Lamontagne has until 5 p.m. to decide whether he'll seek a recount because the margin of victory fell within 1.5 percent of the total votes cast.

The official margin of victory for Ayotte, who had Sarah Palin's endorsement, was 1,667 votes. The Union Leader reports that Ayotte received 53,044 votes to Lamontagne's 51,377.

Now the former state Attorney general will face U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Update: There will be no recount. Ovide Lamontagne has graciously conceded.

- JP

Morrissey: Decision day in New Hampshire

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An excerpt from Captain Ed's Hot Air op-ed on today's New Hampshire GOP primary:

With all of the heat and light on Delaware today, some may be forgiven for missing the well-contested primary in New Hampshire that concludes today, for the open Senate seat vacated by Judd Gregg’s retirement. Despite the apparent late entry of Democrat Paul “Hot Dog” Hodes, the race actually includes Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, attorney Ovide Lamontagne, and businessman Bill Binnie. Ayotte got an early endorsement from Sarah Palin, but the Tea Party lined up behind Lamontagne, and the race has become tight between the two, close to a virtual tie according to the Union Leader poll yesterday.

[...]

Unlike Delaware, Granite State voters have a choice of two good candidates in this race. Lamontagne toured Blogger Row at CPAC and was impressive. Ayotte, however... has good polling against Hodes; Rasmussen shows Ayotte up 13 in a head-to-head race, although that was from five weeks ago. They didn’t poll Lamontagne in the survey, so it’s impossible to see how he would do against the two-term Congressman. Binnie beat Hodes by six, but as the Union-Leader reports, Binnie has fallen far off the pace in the last few weeks.

In this circumstance, either of the two Republican front runners would probably do well. Ayotte would be the safer pick and has better fundraising success for the general election, but it should be relatively easy for Republicans to unite around the winner in New Hampshire — certainly easier than in Delaware.

A HA reader tells Ed that turnout in NH appears to be heavy today. The full Ed Morrissey opinion piece is here.

- JP

DeMint wades into the political waters of Delaware and New Hampshire

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At The Fix, Chris Cillizza notes that, even more so than Sarah Palin, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) continues to thumb his nose at the GOP establishment. DeMint has echoed Gov. Palin's endorsement of an outsider candidate in Delaware, but in New Hampshire, where Alaska's first woman governor is backing the more mainstream candidate, DeMint is supporting her opponent:

On Friday night, DeMint tweeted his endorsement of Ovide Lamontagne in New Hampshire and Christine O'Donnell in Delaware; the party apparatus prefers former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in the Granite State and Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware.

"He knows they're underdogs but they've surged in the past week and are now within striking distance," said Matt Hoskins, a spokesman for DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund. "He wants to make sure voters know they have a conservative choice if they're unhappy with the establishment candidate."

DeMint met both O'Donnell and Lamontagne roughly a year ago, said Hoskins. The South Carolina Senator told both candidates that they needed to show more viability before he endorsed.

Obviously, Gov. Palin's endorsement of O'Donnell gave that candidate the visibility DeMint considered necessary to warrant his own stamp of approval. But the Senator and the former vice presidential candidate -- two of the unofficial leaders of the tea party movement -- are on opposite sides in New Hampshire, where Gov. Palin has not only endorsed but also recorded a robo-call in support of Ayotte.

The New Hampshire and Delaware Senate primaries are tomorrow. PPP polls show Ayotte holding on in New Hampshire with a 37 to 30 lead over Lamontagne, while in Delaware, O’Donnell has surged to a 3-point advantage over "progressive" Republican Mike Castle, 47-44.

Related: Jim Geraghty has been one of the good guys, which is why we're at a loss to explain why he has been acting like such a shill for Mike Castle. At Red Meat Conservative, Daniel makes the case why Jim is just wrong on this race. There is a litmus test: any candidate who gets an "F" from the NRA either does not know the Constitution or doesn't acknowledge its supremacy for governing this republic.

- JP

McCormack: Pro-Life Groups Defend Kelly Ayotte

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Pro-life groups are going to bat for Kelly Ayotte in defense of her pro-life bonafides in the New Hampshire race for U.S. Senate. John McCormack at The Weekly Standard's Blog reports:

Though Ayotte is pro-life and has been endorsed by Sarah Palin, her record is being assailed by supporters of candidate Ovide LaMontagne, who styles himself as the true conservative in the race. The most recent poll shows Ayotte leading LaMontagne 34% to 21%. Pro-choice multi-millionaire Bill Binnie was close behind at 17%, but other polls have shown him in second place.

The Susan B. Anthony List, whose primary goal is to send pro-life women to Congress, announced yesterday that it's launching a $150,000 campaign to support Ayotte, and the National Right to Life Committee released a memo countering claims that Ayotte wrongfully had the state pay for $300,000 in legal fees to Planned Parenthood. The NRLC writes:

On August 12, 2007, Judge DiClerico issued an opinion finding that Planned Parenthood was entitled to attorney fees and court costs. Judge DiClerico ordered both sides to meet and make their best efforts to resolve the amount, to avoid further court proceedings.

At this point there was no law for Ayotte to defend when the payment of plaintiff’s fees was ordered. The DEMOCRATS cost the state the loss of the case by repealing the law and they cost the state $300,000 by repealing the law and handing Planned Parenthood the win and New Hampshire and its families the loss. The Democrats turned a winnable case and, most importantly, protection for the state’s minor daughters from unscrupulous abortionists into a gift to Planned Parenthood. Based on Judge DiClerico’s decision, it was a given that Planned Parenthood was going to receive attorney fees. Attorney General Ayotte had no alternative but to negotiate the best settlement possible.

The full NRLC memorandum is here.

- JP

Mediaquake: NH press reacts to Gov. Palin's Ayotte endorsement:

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John DiStaso, senior political writer for New Hampshire's largest and most influential newspaper, The Union Leader, updated his "Granite Status" column Monday with the news of Gov. Palin's latest endorsement:

Kelly Ayotte is officially a Sarah Palin "mama grizzly." The former vice presidential nominee endorsed Ayotte for the New Hampshire U.S. Senate seat this afternoon on her Facebook page, calling her a woman who has "broken barriers, fought off and locked up criminals, and battled all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the rights of New Hampshire parents - and won!"

DiStaso has been writing the column since 1982.

Meanwhile at the Nashua Telegraph, Kevin Landrigan also covered the major endorsement:

The Palin endorsement is a critical one for Ayotte precisely because Palin is known not as a froutrunning watcher but a kickass maverick.

She’s also one of a few movement politicians in the GOP ranks with friends among the Tea Party and fiscal/social conservative elite along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

As someone who has her full of insiders and establishment types, Ayotte more than any other candidate needed the shake-em-up pedigree that a Palin endorsement can give.

[...]

Leave it to Palin to take for Ayotte the first shot at GOP rival and multi-millionaire Bill Binnie as well as slap back at Democratic Senate candidate Paul Hodes both of whom have run ads with contrasts or attacks against Ayotte.

Shawn Millerick at the Now Hampshire blog posted a "Hurricane Sarah Watch," but characterized the endorsement as an earthquake:

Today Sarah Palin endorsed former AG Kelly Ayotte’s senate bid, setting off an earthquake that shook the political landscape in New Hampshire. Within minutes of the endorsement, headlines started screaming on blogs and newsites on the state and national scene. Ayotte’s Democratic opponent Paul Hodes and liberal blog Blue Hampshire started hyperventilating almost immediately, while Ayotte’s GOP opponents had conniptions of their own. Ovide Lamontagne denounced the endorsement in a long, rambling statement, while a Bender spokesman tried to downplay it by saying that they may have seen something about it but deleted the email.

Regardless of your opinion on Palin, her ability to shake the political scene and suck up all of the oxygen is beyond doubt. This most certainly is a boost to Ayotte’s campaign and a blow to her GOP opponents.

Not that Gov. Palin needs any excuses to visit New Hampshire, but she will now have plenty of opportunities to do so if she chooses to actively campaign for Ayotte in the Granite State. Also, we wouldn't be a bit surprised if there will be more NH endorsements to come from the first woman to win the GOP's vice presidential nomination.

- JP

NH-Sen: Sarah Palin endorses Kelly Ayotte

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Sarah Palin made what some pundits will no doubt consider her first political move in critical early primary state New Hampshire with an endorsement Monday, giving her support via Facebook to Kelly Ayotte in the GOP primary race for the U.S. Senate:

Kelly Ayotte for New Hampshire

Todd, Willow, and I are headed out to Kodiak and Afognak to meet with logging families on the forested islands. As we work and sightsee on America’s largest island we’ll get to view more majestic bears, so now is a good time to draw attention to the political equivalent of the species.

It’s my honor to endorse a Granite State “mama grizzly” who has broken barriers, fought off and locked up criminals, and battled all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the rights of New Hampshire parents – and won!

New Hampshire is lucky to have Kelly Ayotte as a candidate for the U.S. Senate this year. Kelly is a daughter of the Granite State, a product of its public schools, and its first female Attorney General. In her impressive five years in the AG’s office, Kelly earned a reputation for being tough on crime, supportive of law enforcement, and tireless in the defense of the rights of the people of New Hampshire. When Planned Parenthood challenged New Hampshire’s parental notification law, Kelly fought them all the way to the Supreme Court and won.

She’s the proud mother of two and the wife of a combat veteran who flew missions over Iraq and currently serves in the Air National Guard. Kelly and her husband started a small landscaping/snow removal business; so, she understands first hand the crushing burden Washington imposes on our small businesses. This pro-life, pro-family, anti-tax constitutional commonsense conservative is the Democrats’ biggest fear in November. They’re already running false ads against her weeks before even the primary election. And on top of that Kelly is facing attacks from a self-funded millionaire running with an R next to his name who likes Obamacare and cap-and-tax.

Kelly is the strongest commonsense conservative who can win in the fall. I knew I liked her when I met her earlier this year, and I know this Granite Grizzly will represent New Hampshire with distinction in Washington.

Please join me in supporting Kelly Ayotte by visiting her website at www.ayotteforsenate.com and following her on Facebook and Twitter.

One final note: I spent time campaigning in New Hampshire in 2008, and I know that the good people there are a lot like Alaskans. In both of our states, we like to get to know the people running for office, look them in the eye, and judge their character. New Hampshire voters know not to rely on misleading negative ads. New Hampshire, tune out the ads and send your native daughter to the Senate. She’ll fight for you there just as passionately and fearlessly as she fought for you in the highest court of the land.

- Sarah Palin

- JP

Linda Hirshman: Enter the Sarah Palin Brigade

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Linda Hirshman's article about four female candidates at the Daily Beast is worth the read, even though it has been marinated in leftist attitude. Here are some snippets:

Longtime Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is either going to lose the Republican primary for governor of Texas today or, at best, lose in a runoff with Rick Perry in a couple of months. With Hutchison's retirement from the Senate, the Republicans are down to three female members. Will Congress' Republican caucus now go overwhelmingly male, just as it has already gone all white?

Maybe not: Enter the Sarah Palin Brigade.

[...]

Republicans are popping out Palin variations all over the place. Women are making impressive showings in at least four Republican primaries where the GOP stands a reasonable chance of taking the Senate seat in the general.

And these aren't your mother's Hutchison Republicans: the 60-plus, first-women-in-their-law-school class types who have few or no children, are mildly pro-choice and fiscally conservative—ladies who came into politics, whether they admit it or not, in the wake of the feminist movement. Like their precursor, the mini-Palins—Jane Norton (Colorado), Sue Lowden (Nevada), Kelly Ayotte (New Hampshire), and Cherilyn Eagar (Utah)—are all under (most well under) 60, beautiful, impressively fecund, unreservedly conservative, and stonily pro-life.

Actually, Sue Lowden is viewed as the Republican Party’s establishment candidate because she is currently Chairman of the Nevada GOP. Her primary opponent, Jerry Tarkanian, is the more conservative of the two. But to liberal pundits such as Hirshman, all conservatives look the same in terms of ideology, i.e., "right-wingers."

Update: Little Miss Atilla agrees:

"Linda Hirshman is right up there with Frank Rich in her insightful insightfulness."

h/t: Brian

- JP