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Perry makes Granite State stop in presidential bid

In News, Political News on August 29, 2011 at 12:49 pm

GREENLAND — Texas Gov. Rick Perry made his first New Hampshire campaign stop Saturday night to show his respect for the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary.

The stop came just hours after Perry made his official announcement in South Carolina that he’d be seeking the office of President of the United States in the 2012 election.

“I feel right at home among people whose motto is live free or die,” said Perry during his speech at the home of Deputy House Speaker Pam and John Tucker in Greenland.

Perry went on to say that Americans can’t live free if the federal government takes over one-sixth of the economy, if their children inherit a mountain of debt, or if they don’t have the dignity of having a job.

“We’re being told we’re in a recovery right now,” Perry said. “It sure doesn’t feel like a recovery to those 9 percent that don’t have a job.”

Perry said that the country is facing an economic disaster and that two dollars of every five get stacked on the future generations’ back as debt.

“How can the wealthiest nation on the earth fail miserably to pay its bills?” Perry asked.

He said that as governor of Texas he lead by four guiding principles, which included not spending all the state’s money, having a light tax burden on job creators, having fair regulations in place, and having a legal system that keeps frivolous lawsuits at bay.

He said that since June of 2009, Texas is responsible for 40 percent of all the new jobs created in the country.

“Now you know that the recipe I just talked about worked,” Perry said.

Perry also said that in addition to the “tax and spend and borrow agenda” of President Obama leading to a downgrade of America’s credit rating, Obama has also downgraded American jobs, financial stability and hope for America’s children.

“Our nation cannot and must not endure four more years of rising unemployment, rising taxes, rising debt, and rising energy dependence on nations that will truly do us harm if given the opportunity,” Perry said.

The former United States Air Force Captain said that as President he would work to keep the government out of peoples lives, and to repeal Obama’s “one-size-fits-all” health care plan.

After his speech, Perry was asked by an audience member how America can become more energy independent, which he replied to by saying that he’s an “all of the above energy guy,” with the exception of ethanol, and that he supports nuclear energy.

America’s position as “leading from behind” in Libya was also brought to Perry’s attention by an audience member, which Perry said he didn’t support. He also stated that he would make sure that America stands with its allies.

“Israel is not ever going to have to worry if I’m President,” Perry said.

Later in the night, Perry was asked when America would get to a balanced budget, which he promised, “as soon as we can,” and said that stopping Obamacare would be his first priority. He was also asked how to secure the border, which he said would come about by an increased presence of national guardsmen and law enforcement in the area, as well as unarmed predator drones to monitor the ground from the sky.

As Perry wrapped up his visit, he attacked Social Security, calling it a Ponzi scheme that won’t be there for his 27-year-old son Griffin when he’s older, and re-emphasized the importance of getting America back to work by freeing the country from its massive debt.

After the speech, JoAnn Actis-Grande, assistant vice President of O’Brien Energy Resources, a privately-owned Portsmouth-based company, said she appreciated what Perry had to say about energy.

“I believe him, he seems to be straight-forward,” Actis-Grande said.

She added that she likes that Perry knows how to govern a large state like Texas, but also understands the needs and values of smaller states as well.

Donna Slack of Seacoast Republican Women said that she thought Perry came off as very dynamic and gutsy.

“Maybe he’ll show some backbone that these other guys don’t have,” Slack said.

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

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Huntsman discusses economy with La Festa patrons

In News, Political News on August 29, 2011 at 12:46 pm

DOVER — Seacoast republicans were greeted with handshakes and pizza on Saturday afternoon as presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman paid a visit to La Festa Brick and Brew in downtown Dover.

For many of the nearly a dozen people that attended the 1 p.m. event to meet him, it was their first chance at getting close to the former Utah governor.

“I’m on a fact-finding mission,” said Dover resident Randy Heller while enjoying some of La Festa’s pizza before Huntsman arrived.

Heller, a retired Navy commander who currently teaches middle school children in Dover, belongs to the Dover Republican Party and has already met republican candidates Herman Cain, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann.

He said he was attending the event to learn more about Huntsman.

Dover resident David Thompson said that he was attending the event because he was pleased with Huntsman’s view that politicians from both sides should compromise to work out the country’s debt problems.

“I was impressed with his statement that both Democrats and Republicans should work to get the debt ceiling squared away,” Thompson said.

When Huntsman arrived, he greeted and shook hands with La Festa patrons before sitting down with a table of curious members of the public to outline his platform.

He began by stating his concerns about the “cancer” of debt that the county will be leaving behind for future generations, and spoke of his support for a balanced-budget amendment to make it unconstitutional.

Huntsman also said that neither party should have “sacred cows,” when it comes to cutting things from the budget, and that “entitlements must be on the table.”

“We don’t want to have a lost decade like they did in Japan,” Huntsman said.

He said that he believes the country needs an economic revolution through meaningful, competitive tax reform and that it needs to kick its “heroine-like” addiction to foreign oil.

Huntsman’s final point before taking questions was that the U.S. should avoid nation building. He said that he sees no definable goal in Libya and that the war on terror should be fought with counterterrorism and intelligence rather than troops.

“If our core isn’t rebuilt, we’re of no value to the rest of the world,” Huntsman said.

He then fielded questions from local citizens, at which time Heller asked what Huntsman thought of using the American military, specifically the National Guard, as a world police force.

“I’d rather use the national guard to secure the border,” Huntsman said.

Heller also asked Huntsman if he supported the movement to audit the Federal Reserve.

“I do,” Huntsman said, which pleased Heller.

Thompson later asked the former U.S. Ambassador to China what vehicle he might use to break the impasse between the two major parties in Washington. Huntsman said that combining good ideas on how America can “clean up our act financially” with getting the “stamp of approval” from the people during the 2012 election will motivate congress.

Huntsman also replied to questions about “Obamacare,” which he is in favor of repealing and letting the marketplace among various states decide how to fix health care.

When the event ended, Heller said that he admired Huntsman’s views on national defense and his economic approach. He said that while he still preferred Ron Paul, it wasn’t a definite choice.

“I can easily switch,” Heller said.

After thanking the event’s attendees, Huntsman made a short walk down Central Avenue to Central Paint & Coatings to shake hands and speak with Parker Humphrey, the store’s owner. The two talked about how people aren’t spending as much money anymore, and their hope that things will turn around economically for the country.

“Keep up the good work, I respect what you’re trying to do,” Huntsman said.

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

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Former New Mexico governor visits seacoast

In News, Political News on June 12, 2011 at 5:56 pm

PORTSMOUTH — Two-term former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson visited downtown Portsmouth Saturday afternoon as part of his U.S. presidential campaign.

Johnson, who announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in April at the New Hampshire State House in Concord, stopped in at Runner’s Alley on Congress Street to meet with patrons and talk to store employees.

Johnson said he finds Granite Staters are more inclined to interact with politicians and, in some cases, feel that they have a responsibility to do so.

“The difference here is that people are really engaged,” he said. “They have a general obligation to vet political candidates.”

A 10-time visitor to the state, he said he believes candidates should not be given special treatment when meeting the public, such as cutting in line at a store to shake hands with the owner.

“That’s not my idea of communication,” said Johnson, who served two back-to-back terms as governor of New Mexico beginning in 1995. “My idea is a conversation.”

He said 60 percent of Americans describe themselves as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, and feels he is the candidate who best represents that demographic.

“I’m arguably the most fiscally conservative governor that’s ever served,” said Johnson, adding that he also believes social issues such as gay marriage and abortion should be decided by the people and not the government.

Johnson said he supports abolishing the Federal Department of Education in favor of letting individual states control and compete over education and to free them from having to take federal funding.

“The Federal Department of Education gives each state 11 cents for every school dollar that each state spends, but it comes with 16 cents worth of strings attached,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said he would not raise the debt ceiling and would submit a balanced budget by 2013, which he views as the only way to avoid an economic catastrophe.

He said although both parties are to blame for the country’s current economic situation, he believes the problem only can be solved if Republicans control both the executive and legislative branches.

He also said he thinks Republicans should repeal President Barack Obama’s health care plan because the nation can’t afford it, and that the party could also gain a lot of credibility by repealing Medicare Part D, passed when Republicans were in control of the House, Senate and White House.

Recently it was announced Johnson would excluded from the Republican Party’s first presidential primary debate in New Hampshire, set for June 13 at St. Anselm College.

Johnson said he feels he might be being excluded for being too socially liberal. He added that although CNN maintains he does not the debate’s criteria of polling above 2 percent nationally, he feels simply being on the poll’s list is proof that he is well-known enough to be allowed to debate.

“I’m not a fringe candidate,” he said. “I’m the candidate that everybody’s writing articles about, the one they wish would run.”

Johnson, who has competed in the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii four times and climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest in 2003, took time to discuss running and biking in Portsmouth.

Stephanie Carignan, manager of Runner’s Alley, said she didn’t know about Johnson before his visit, but she feels more inclined to research his campaign after meeting him.

“I’m definitely more inclined to look up information on him because it’s a fresh face,” she said. “I’m not really excited about the candidates that are out there right now.”

In addition to Runner’s Alley, Johnson also visited Federal Cigar and Maine-ly New Hampshire in Portsmouth as well as Cafe on the Corner and Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee Shop in Dover. On Saturday morning Johnson attended the Leadership Institute Grassroots Activist Training Seminar in Bedford.

Originally published by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

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