We've already had one philatelist in the White House.
Posted on 11/22/2008 3:18:37 AM PST by billorites
As New Hampshire Republicans search for a way to rebound from two consecutive devastating defeats in federal and state elections, former three-term Gov. John H. Sununu says he is open to the possibility of leading them.
Two decades after he was the state's chief executive and then-President George H.W. Bush's chief of staff, Sununu is "reluctantly considering" becoming a candidate for chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, he told the New Hampshire Union Leader yesterday.
"People have asked me to consider that," he said in a telephone interview from his Salem office. "It is clearly an insane idea, but I have said, 'Let me think about it.'"
Sununu's disclosure came as party leaders and activists plan at least two private post-election meetings next week.
He said he began receiving telephone calls from Republicans urging him to run just a few days after the Nov. 4 election, in which his son, John E. Sununu, lost his U.S. Senate seat to Democratic former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, and, in a repeat of 2006, Democrats prevailed from the top of the ballot to the bottom.
Sununu, 69, said he would prefer the party "find someone else to do it" because of his busy business schedule. But he said New Hampshire's low-tax and small-government foundation "is deteriorating, and we have to reverse the course, and that's at least made me think a little bit about what a lot of people have been pressuring me to consider."
Current party Chairman Fergus Cullen has said he has not decided whether to seek a second term when the election of party officers is held in January. Sununu said Cullen has done "a good job" but "needs the assistance of someone who has a historic political visibility in the state."
Big concerns
Sununu said regardless of whether he seeks the chairmanship, he intends to "at least speak out more clearly and more often" in the upcoming election cycle "to make sure people do understand that there is a difference between Republicans and Democrats."
"I am scared to death that Democratic control of the State House for 10 of the past 12 years under Governor Shaheen and Governor (John) Lynch is destroying the character of New Hampshire, the reality of efficient government and a 'low-taxes' system that has historically created a great quality of life in the state," Sununu said.
"The only thing that could possibly convince me to do something as crazy for an old, almost 70-year-old former governor as getting involved in the state committee, is my love of the state and what makes the state so unique," Sununu said.
Sununu had kept a low profile in state GOP politics for many years, but that changed after Shaheen -- strongly endorsed by Lynch -- defeated his son.
Speaking at a Republican group's luncheon last week, Sununu revived memories of his blunt, no-holds-barred six-year reign at the State House, calling Lynch "the worst governor the state of New Hampshire has ever had," charging that Lynch has failed to lead on education funding and budget issues.
That prompted some verbal sparring with a long-time nemesis, state Democratic Chairman Raymond Buckley, who said Sununu left the state with a $50 million deficit and was lying about his own record as governor and that of Democratic Govs. Lynch and Shaheen out of "bitterness over his son's Senate loss."
Yesterday, Sununu cited the state Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1990, which he said showed he left the state with a surplus of either $39.8 million or nearly $6 million, depending on which of two accounting measurements are used.
Buckley, he said, "just out and out lied" in an effort to "distract us from the problems of the present."
Sununu said that even if his son had won reelection, "I honestly think I might have done this anyway because I have been scared to death of what's been happening to the state for the past few years."
He said that even if he does not run for party chairman, he intends to maintain the high profile he recently staked out, employing "noisy diplomacy" to contrast the Democratic and Republican parties.
Sununu recalled that after the first Democratic sweep in the 2006 elections, he made a "strong plea" at a post-election, closed-door meeting of Republicans, telling them a constitutional amendment to take the courts out of the education funding debate was "crucial" to maintaining low taxes and local control of local budgets.
"What I think the party has to do -- and I wish somebody else would do it -- is reaffirm the Republican principles of efficient government, low taxes, low spending and local control," Sununu said. "That's what the party has to annunciate clearly, and obviously, we have not been successful in the political process in making those points the last two cycles and even longer."
Problem of overspending
He said the state party's problems were partially created by the national GOP's overspending while it controlled Congress and President George W. Bush's failure to veto big spending bills.
"That national negative perception over the last number of years crept into the political process in New Hampshire, and we failed as Republicans to effectively stand up against that," he said, although he said his son and U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., "were great examples of fighting those bad excesses."
Sununu said the state party "didn't define ourselves aggressively on the old Republican principles of efficient government and low taxes. There's no question there was a variety of failure on the part of Republicans in New Hampshire. I don't think it's the fault of any individual. It's the fault of a party as a whole.
"I don't know what specific role I can afford, in terms of time, to play, but I am willing to contribute my capacity to be given a public voice on issues," he said.
Even in a part-time role, Sununu, with many statewide and national connections, would presumably be able to raise big dollars for the financially-strapped state GOP.
I was very disappointed that his his son was defeated for reelection to the Senate.
Do we want someone who is only “reluctantly” considering the job?? I mean, seriously.
Great the guy that brought us David “take my property; guns” Souter.
OK, so nobody's perfect.
Otherwise he's a great guy. And a philatelist to boot.
New Hampshire PING! Please FReepMail me if you want on or off this list.
Just shoot me. That’s exactly what the republican party needs, another bushbot.
Indeed. He was booted off Bush I's staff for junketing around to stamp conventions at the taxpayer's expense.
Incidentally, whatever happened to the attempt to give Souter a taste of his own “eminent domain” medicine? Conservatives need to act like the Left. Once someone is identified as an enemy, he must be destroyed, no matter how long it takes. Did someone drop the ball on this?
You’re right. My residence was besieged on at least 3 different occasions by Demonrat Obamunist anthropoids. I’ve never even seen a Republican worker. They simply sent out a bunch of fliers in the mail.
There isn't enough cheese in Wisconsin, Vermont and California combined to go with all of the whine coming from the "principled conservatives" on this forum!
You make me sick and ashamed to be a conservative!
The thing I remember most about Sununu is that he sponsored Souter for the Supreme Court.
No wonder he picked Souter.
Don’t forget Warren “I hate social conservatives” Rudman was also part of that Souter “vetting” process. I think it was Rudman who pulled the wool over the White House’s eyes back then.
Yes, Sununu Jr. losing was bad - I have always thought of him as my senator.
Old Man Sununu would be a disaster as NH State GOP chairman. I found him incredibly rude and arrogant the one time I was unfortunate to meet him in person. He would accomplish nothing as chairman except to further alienate people with his boorish personality.
I disagree with you. There is a real need to stir and shake things up here and he could do it. We don’t need any milquetoast in there.
Old Man Sununu would really stir and shake things up as chairmain—by causing a mass exodus from the party. ANYBODY but this relic from the last millenium!!!
Not just no... but **** NO!
LLS
No thanks.
The party is already a disaster. I like Fran Wendelboe and would support her but I don’t see rejecting Sununu out of hand. Something has to be done or it’s going to be a continuation of the slide to total irrelevency that we are already on.
Where is Steve Merrill?
that’s a snarky slimy comment! I mean a “principled conservative” was the one who saved the GOP from 40+ years of electoral defeat-RR. Remember him?
We've already had one philatelist in the White House.
Another RINO scum heard from.
You whine with the most capable of them.
Whatever, Don’t care what you have to say (btw: you’re complaining about US sounds a bit like whining itself..)
Thanks for the link.
And the answer should be.....
NO
NO WAY
NO HOW
NEVER
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