Gov. Palin: Bain is ‘fair game’ & Dems would have made it ‘October surprise’

"First Dude went rogue."
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Video of her appearance on Fox Business Tuesday night:


h/t: SarahNET

- JP

Sarah Palin will be on Fox Business tonight

Eric Bolling just tweeted

ALERT! Gov Sarah Palin weighs in on
NH results AS THEY HAPPEN! tonight
FollowTheMoney 10pet-> until the
Fat Lady sings!

Starting at 9:00PM Texas Time.

- JP

Quote of the Day (September 5, 2011)

First thoughts from Manchester Tea Party Express Palin event
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Peter Ingemi, at Datechguy's Blog:

“The fact that she and Todd Palin... remain as normal as they are given people’s reaction to them is incredible. They have to be two of the most well grounded people I’ve ever seen. If the people who have fallen for the media’s caricature saw what I did today, they would abandon that nonsense in a heartbeat.”

- JP

Video: Gov. Palin's remarks at Manchester, NH TEA Party rally

Replying to "Run, Sarah, Run" Chants: "I appreciate your encouragement, I do."
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h/t: Republican Catholics

- JP

Sarah Palin: Hawkeye Granite

As posted at SarahPAC.com:
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Hawkeye Granite

Just wrapping up an awesome four day trip to the Hawkeye and Granite States. Visiting with residents there it's easy to see why they play such an important role in vetting America's leaders. Todd and I were able to interact directly with informed Americans and hear their concerns first hand outside the media spin.

Yesterday morning I joined the "Jump Right in and Run" half marathon in Storm Lake, Iowa and last night in Manchester, New Hampshire we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Puritan Back Room. The local folks we met with were wonderfully nice and true American patriots. Their concerns were common - the massive burden of government on small businesses, the abysmal economy and employment rate and their strong desire to restore America.

These good folks are tired of politics as usual; Tired of being spoon-fed by packaged politicos and tired of the twisted sound bites and 30-second ads. They want solutions and they deserve strong, honest leadership.

Thank you to the citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire for your hospitality, your thoughtful questions and picking up where the media left off in vetting and challenging us all on our vision for America's future.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day. We will see you again soon.

-- Sarah Palin

Related: Puritan Backroom Restaurant, Manchester, NH - 9/4/11

- JP

Gov. Palin in New Hampshire for TEA Party Express Rally

Watch it live
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Sarah Palin is in Manchester, NH today for a Tea Party rally. It should be underway at about 11AM Central Time:

Sarah Palin visits New Hampshire: MyFoxBOSTON.com

CNN should live stream the event here, and TEA Party Express should have video here.

- JP

Quote of the Day (August 30, 2011)

Palin headed to NH after tea-party speech in Iowa this weekend
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Allahpundit, at Hot Air:

“Note that the very last event on the TPE tour is the debate they’re co-sponsoring with CNN in Jacksonville on the 12th. She could announce that morning and then make her debut as a candidate that night. CNN will surely accommodate her by adding her at the last second. It’d be a ratings blow-out.”

- JP

Reports: Gov. Palin to Manchester, NH after her Sept. 3 speech (Updated)

More speculation that she's about to jump into the presidential race
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Citing "high-level Republican" sources, Craig Robinson, Editor in chief of The Iowa Republican, is reporting that Sarah Palin will fly to New Hampshire following her September 3rd keynote address to aTEA Party event in Indianola, Iowa:

Speculation has been swirling about whether or not Palin will use her Iowa appearance in Iowa over Labor Day weekend to join the field of Republican candidates. The news that Palin is New Hampshire bound after her Iowa speech will only add to the speculation that she may be entering the Republican presidential field.

Tea Party Express has three tour events planned in the Granite State in the two days following the Tea Party of America event in Iowa. They are scheduled for Sept. 4 in Concord, and Sept. 5 in Manchester and Nashua. According to CNN's Political Ticker, Gov. Palin will be at the Manchester rally:

The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee will attend a Tea Party Express rally in Manchester on Monday, the same day former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was due to attend the event.

Romney cancelled his scheduled appearance Tuesday, opting instead to join the Tea Party Express national tour Sunday evening before Labor Day. The move made room in his schedule to attend a forum in South Carolina Monday at the invitation of Sen. Jim DeMint – -an invitation he initially declined.

But the tea party group isn’t losing sleep over his schedule shuffle.

“We are always thrilled to have Sarah Palin join one of our rallies,” Tea Party Express chairman Amy Kremer said in a statement released late Tuesday.

h/t: Andrew Malcolm

Update: Robinson adds that he has confirmation:

"SarahPAC is now confirming that Palin will speak at the Tea Party Express event in NH on Labor Day."

- JP

Quote of the Day (July 13, 2011)

Can Sarah Palin Take New Hampshire with Secret Army of Supporters?
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Mark Whittington, at Associated Content:

“Will Palin actually do well in New Hampshire? There are a number of New Hampshire residents who seem willing to work hard to make that happen. That itself bespeaks a strength that is hard to calculate.”

- JP

Boston Herald: Sarah Palin’s N.H. posse rallies

"She's a fighter."
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You might expect New Hampshire to be an unlikely state for an active grassroots movement for Sarah Palin to be emerging, but O4P has been quietly working behind the scenes to build support in the Granite state for the the first woman to be governor of Alaska and a Republican Party vice presidential candidate:

Warren Rasmussen, who chairs the New Hampshire chapter of Organizers 4 Palin, said the Newsweek interview confirmed what he’s long believed.

“We have a crew of volunteers, and we’re anxiously awaiting her announcement,” Rasmussen said. “Everything that she’s doing right now leads me to believe she’s in.”

Palin caused a sensation when she stopped in Seabrook, N.H., last month during a media-swamped bus tour — grabbing headlines the same day former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney officially announced his presidential candidacy. She’s said she is seriously considering running for president but has offered no timeline as to when she’d make a final decision.

She told Newsweek in an article published last weekend, “I do believe I can win.”

Sam Cataldo, a Republican state representative from Farmington, said Palin’s got an electric touch that none of the declared Republican candidates can match.

“She’s a mom, she’s a wife, and she’s a fighter,” said Cataldo, 74. “We need somebody who can bring people back together again, and she can do it.”

[...]

Rasmussen, who’s never met or spoken with Palin, said he’s got roughly 100 people committed to volunteering for her, and he’s ready to roll out a phone-bank fund-raiser in the near future. He expects her upcoming SarahPAC fund-raising report will reflect her political clout.

[More]

- JP

Union Leader: Palin plans Seacoast clambake with NH Republicans

“I appreciate them reaching out to me”
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The Union Leader reports Gov. Palin and her staff will give the Granite State GOP some of the care and attention they have been asking her for by courting a number of New Hampshire Republicans at a seacoast clambake:

Kevin Smith, executive director of the conservative issues group Cornerstone Action, confirmed tonight, “I received a call from one of Sarah Palin’s staffers asking whether I would be available for a clambake tomorrow (Thursday) evening on the Seacoast.”

He said he was given no further details and expected more Thursday morning.

“I appreciate them reaching out to me,” Smith said.

We’ve also learned that among the other Republicans invited were Shannon McGinley, chair of Cornerstone Action, and Jennifer Horn, founder of the conservative non-profit issues advocacy group, “We the People,” which happens to be the phrase on the side of Palin’s “One Nation” tour bus.

[More]

Governor Palin was last in New Hampshire, the state which holds the nation's first primary, in mid-October, 2008, campaigning as a vice presidential candidate.

h/t: M. Joseph Sheppard

- 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

Death wisher Keith Halloran suspends campaign in NH

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From RedHampshire.com comes word that Keith Hallaron has told WMUR that he will not actively campaign for the New Hampshire House:

Halloran at first called the criticism of his comment a “tempest in a tea party tea pot,” but he later issued a statement on Facebook apologizing for the post. Thursday, he said he was withdrawing from the race for District 7.

“After consulting with the secretary of state’s office, I am withdrawing as an active candidate for the New Hampshire House,” Halloran said in a written statement.

Another New Hamshire Dem, State Rep. Timothy Horrigan, had already resigned his seat and said that he would not seek re-election after ill-considered comments that he posted on Facebook as well.

Sarah 2, NH Dems 0.

h/t: S. Smith

- JP

Rush on Death Wish Dems: 'They will tell you who they fear'

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h/t: Ben Hart

- JP

Dem meltdown in NH: Halloran apologizes; Horrigan resigns (Updated)

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According to a Fox News report, a New Hampshire Democratic candidate has apologized for a Facebook post in which he wished Sarah Palin had been on the plane that crashed Tuesday, killing former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens:

Keith Halloran posted an apology Thursday on his Facebook page saying he wishes the best for Palin, Johnston, and their families.

The apology came after leaders in both political parties denounced the posting.

Halloran made the comment in response to a state Republican lawmaker's post expressing disappointment that some news accounts of Stevens' death focused on negative aspects of his career,

"Just wish Sarah and Levy [sic] were on board," Halloran wrote in reference to Palin and Johnston, her daughter's ex-boyfriend.

Mike Brunnelle, director of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, told FoxNews.com that Halloran should have apologized.

"We don't condone this type of rhetoric," he said. "We condemn it. It's wholly inappropriate."

"They have no place in the political dialogue in New Hampshire or anywhere in the country," he added.

Halloran seemed anything but apologetic Wednesday, issuing the following statement to WMUR-TV:

"I have no interest in stirring up this tempest in a tea party tea pot who will do anything to cause more harm to our country. This is nothing out of nothing."

But Thursday morning, Halloran posted an apology to his Facebook page.

"For those of my neighbors who know me and know my true nature, I wish to offer an apology for my post on my Republican friend's DJ Bettencourt's Facebook page, and want to reassure everyone that I wish the best for Sarah, Levi and their family," he wrote.

The New Hampshire television station's story and video report are here.

Updates...

The leftist Dems are dropping like flies in N.H.:

A New Hampshire Democrat who joked about Sarah Palin's death has resigned from the state's House of Representatives and ended his campaign for reelection, he announced today in a public letter to the House Speaker, apologizing for bringing "this House into disrepute."

Rep. Timothy Horrigan had speculated yesterday on Facebook that a slain Palin would become a martyr.

[...]

(Horrigan is not to be confused with the other New Hampshire Democratic activist who was rebuked yesterday for expressing the wish that Palin and Levi Johnston had been on the downed airplane carrying Ted Stevens.)

The Sarah Palin Effect on Haterade®-drinking leftists is something to behold, isn't it? She makes them spontaneously combust from the depths of their poisoned, hate-filled souls.

NHGOP Communications Director Ryan Williams commented on Horrigan's remarks:

“Instead of discussing their failed economic policies, New Hampshire Democrats are now spending their time openly discussing Governor Sarah Palin’s death. Representative Horrigan’s comments are sick, twisted and disgusting, and they must be immediately denounced by Governor John Lynch and Representative Carol Shea-Porter. The widespread fixation among New Hampshire Democrats with Governor Palin’s death proves that there is a full blown epidemic of hatred and deraignment festering in Governor Lynch’s party.”

God bless Sarah The Liberal Slayer.

- JP

Meet Democrat Keith Halloran, Death-Wisher of the Day

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Some Democrat over there on the left has been drinking the Haterade® again:

The New Hampshire Republican State Committee today denounced Democrat NH House candidate Keith Halloran’s public death wish for former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The Party also called on Governor John Lynch and Congressional Candidate Ann McLane Kuster to personally denounce his hateful remarks and call for him to apologize to the Palin family.

In a Facebook post yesterday regarding the tragic plane crash that killed former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, Halloran wrote, “Just wish Sarah and Levy [sic] were on board." Levi Johnston is the father of Governor Palin’s grandson (RedHampshire, 8/11).

“Mr. Halloran’s outrageous comments are a new low, even by the standards of the New Hampshire Democrat Party," said NHGOP Communications Director Ryan Williams. "His publicly stated death wish for Governor Palin and her family is abhorrent, and has no place in our public discourse. Governor Lynch and Ann McLane Kuster need to immediately denounce Mr. Halloran’s hateful remarks and demand that he personally apologize to the Palin family.”

Mr. Halloran served on the Rindge, NH planning board. He is running as a Democrat for State Representative this year in Cheshire County House District 7. He describes himself as “an active local citizen and supporter of NH Governor John Lynch” (Jaffrey, Rindge, Dublin Democrats Committee website). Mr. Halloran is also a prominent supporter of Second Congressional District Candidate Ann McLane Kuster.

CLICK HERE FOR HALLORAN’S OUTRAGEOUS COMMENT

No, it's not an outrageous comment; it's despicable. To say that Halloran owes Gov. Palin a sincere apology would be a gross understatement.

h/t: Ian Lazaran

- JP