Smith and Sununu stress differences

Manchester Union Leader ^ | August 13, 2002 | Mark Hayward

[rightwing2]

I watched this debate in its entirity on C-SPAN Monday night. This debate presented a classic ideological battle between a candidate that articulated the conservative position (Smith) and a candidate that articulated a different position that could only be described as non-conservative or perhaps even libertarian. The two clashed on three main issues. The first was trade. Sununu supports the Clintonian policy of permanent Most Favored Nation trade status/taxpayer subsidized trade with and WTO membership for Communist China a policy that amounts to rank appeasement of the Butchers of Beijing. US taxpayer subsidized trade with Communist China serves to prolong and empower the Communist regime there with a hundred billion in US trade surplus dollars a year with which to fund their nuclear missile buildup and internal repression apparatus. On the other hand, Senator Smith did an excellent job of championing the conservative anti-Communist position in opposing taxpayer subsidized trade, aid and appeasement of Communist China.

The second major point of debate hovered around Sununu's vote to force the US intelligence community to provide classified information to suspected terrorists and thus compromise collection methods and perhaps even the lives of our intelligence agents. Sununu, who is of both Palestinian and Lebanese descent and who has received money from pro-terrorist Arab organizations in the US in the past, rigorously defended what he described as the constitutional rights of suspected terrorists and his vote to provide them with classified information. Sununu has been a consistant supporter of the formation of an independent Palestinian state presumably dominated by the terrorist PLO.

The final major difference between the candidates outlined at the debate was on the issue of immigration. Sen. Smith chastised Sununu for providing the one-vote margin for passing a bill that would have granted amnesty for up to 2 million illegal aliens. Sununu has consistantly supported measures designed to encourage illegal aliens to break the law and enter and remain in the United States. Illegal aliens are responsible for a lot of the increase in the commission of violent crimes that has occurred in the border states with Mexico.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Go, Sununu, Go.

[The Vast Right Wing]

That's too bad, 'cause Smith has no chance of winning the general election. I want a winner when the difference between the two candidates is so small.

[dead]

Your summation of the debate reflects all the "unbiased" characteristics of a typical NY Times article.

And your link does not point to any article with this title.

[rightwing2]

Senator Robert Smith (R-NH) has been consistently rated as the most conservative member of the US Senate during the past 12 years he has spent as a Senator by the Conservative Index of the New American magazine although he fell to 3rd place in the most recent survey. On the other hand, Rep. John Sununu has been a decided moderate over the course of his career scoring a pathetic 40% in the most recent Conservative Index, far below the House Republican average.

Sen. Smith called the Sununu vote to provide classified information to terrorists indefensible because it would put the lives of our intelligence agents at risk. Smith has also been a consistent opponent of illegal immigration and has supported bills to increase US border security, which is, at present, badly broken.

[Digger]

There is no doubt that Smith should be the supportive one on this site. Remember this is suppose to be a conservative site. Hang in there, Bob.

[Dog Gone]

I found the link in the archives. The headline isn't the thread headline, of course.

I will be glad to see Smith out of the Senate, and while his few supporters will be angry and disillusioned, they'll probably get over it eventually.

[rightwing2]

That's too bad, 'cause Smith has no chance of winning the general election. I want a winner when the difference between the two candidates is so small.

That's what the liberals and CNN said during the 1996 Election cycle. Guess what, conservative hero Senator Robert Smith won the election even though the liberals said he couldn't. This election is no different except that this time Smith is facing an assault from the left in his own party's primary. If Sununu hadn't forced Smith to waste so much time, money and effort on the primary campaign, Smith would cruise to another re-election. In fact, for all those liberals in both parties that claim he is unelectable, the fact remains that Senator Smith has never lost an election.

It's too bad that you are so willing to sacrifice to conservative principles to get a moderate Republican elected. Unfortunately for you, you'll not get your wish for if Sununu wins the primary he will go down to defeat against Jeane Shanahan. Sununu is a mushy moderate par excellence as proven by his disreputable votes and policy stands in the above-mentioned debates. We need a conservative majority in the Senate, not merely a Republican majority. Senator Smith has provided more conservative leadership in the Senate than any other Senator including Jesse Helms. It would be a veritable disaster for the conservative cause if he were to lose his bid for re-election. Also, don't forget that President Bush endorsed Senator Smith for the US Senate not Johnny boy Sununu!

[Johnny Shear]

I would vote against Smith for one simple reason...

He's a DORK!!!!!

[rightwing2]

I will be glad to see Smith out of the Senate, and while his few supporters will be angry and disillusioned, they'll probably get over it eventually.

Yes, indeed. A Smith defeat would be a smashing victory for the Democrap/RINO cause as it will enable them to retain control of the Senate and further stimy the Bush agenda. Unfortunately, Smith supporters would not forgive the Sununu stabbing of the back of one of our Senate incumbents up for re-election during this critical election season. I suspect that many if not most of them will sit out the election in protest if Sununu were to win the primary and thus ensure that Democrap Jeane Shanahan wins the seat and helps keep the Senate Democrap controlled.

[cactusSharp]

a great conservative God fearing dork too
Go Smith Go

[11th Earl of Mar]

Please show us ANY evidence that shows Smith can beat Shaheen.

Smith is already history.

The race is between Sununu and Shaheen.

If the GOP loses this seat, it is Smith's fault.

[Dog Gone]

I wonder why you didn't post this editorial from the same newspaper from two days ago.

Smith’s desperate ploy:
Milking the cash cow


BOB Smith, Washington outsider. Remember him? He was the man who claimed that his intellectual and political independence were good reasons to send him to Washington to represent New Hampshire, a state notable for its intellectual and political independence, in the U.S. House of Representatives, then in the U.S. Senate. My, what a difference two decades can make.

Meet Bob Smith, Washington insider. This Bob Smith is arguing that one of the top reasons, if not the primary reason, voters should elect him to a third term in the U.S. Senate is because he has experience and seniority.

In the face of a tough primary challenge by U.S. Rep. John Sununu, Smith lately has been focusing his campaign on touting his Senate seniority and how much money that seniority can bring back to New Hampshire. Smith has let it be known that he brought “millions and millions” back to the state for University of New Hampshire research and other environmental and transportation projects.

“This doesn’t happen by accident,” Smith said. “Seniority is very, very helpful in getting this done, and the point here is not that I deserve necessarily more credit than somebody else, but the truth . . . seniority does it, and why work outside the seniority system when you can work within it?

Well, one good reason to work outside the seniority system is when the politician with the most seniority shows he is more interested in soaking taxpayers to bring home pork projects to help himself get elected than he is in making government as lean and light on the wallet as possible. Sununu’s response to Smith’s boasting made just this point.

“I’ve had dozens of people come to my office to ask for my support on funding initiatives, and I am willing to help, but I do not measure my success by how much money I spend. I’m more likely to measure success by how much wasteful spending I can eliminate and by cutting taxes and returning that money to the working families of New Hampshire.”

Not that John Sununu refuses to bring back any pork. As Jack Kenny points out in his column to the right, federal spending in Sununu’s district has risen during Sununu’s tenure. All Washington politicians, even fiscal conservatives, bring home some bacon. But there is a difference between bringing the odd project to one’s home district or state, and using as the centerpiece of your campaign the argument that you should be elected because you can bring back more pork than the other guy.

It all boils down to how one views Washington. Is it a cash cow to be milked or a hungry octopus to be wrestled under control? Sen. Smith used to see Washington as an overreaching octopus. Today he is parading around the state showing off his milking gloves, while Sununu is talking about restraining the octopus.

[Coop]

That's too bad, 'cause Smith has no chance of winning the general election.

The polls say otherwise.

[11th Earl of Mar]

A Smith defeat would be a smashing victory for the Democrap/RINO cause

If Smith's defeat would be a victory for the RINO's, why are Christine Todd Whitman and Rudy Guliani campaigning FOR Smith. And why would an ardent pro-lifer ask these two liberals in to make speeches on his behalf?

[Coop]

Please show us ANY evidence that shows Smith can beat Shaheen.

Two June 02 polls showed Smith tied with Shaheen and Smith down 47-45%. All this talk that Smith can't beat her is just hooey.

[winin2000]

On the other hand, Rep. John Sununu has been a decided moderate over the course of his career scoring a pathetic 40% in the most recent Conservative Index, far below the House Republican average.

Where did you get this rating, the John Birch Society?!

Check out National Review online to see that Sununu's lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union is 94, Smith's only 92. Click here

It's astounding how people will make a nickel's worth of difference into a $1 million. All because Smith tends to stoke to the paranoia of the tin-foil hat crowd.

[Willie Green]

I wonder why you didn't post this editorial from the same newspaper from two days ago.

It should be no surprise that a left-wing rag like the Union-Leader would portray Smith as unfavorably as possible.
Heck, they'd publish garbage about what a fine conservative Hillary Klinton is if they thought it would help her get elected.

[Coop]

I was just about to add "Kind of like all the talk about Sununu being a RINO is hooey."
:-) Thanks for saying it better than I could.