The Union Leader reports that Tony Podesta, the man that Newseek called “The Lobbyist,” will be there. Podesta’s firm, the Podesta Group, represents Bank of America which received billions during the federal bailout of Wall Street, oil titan BP America, and Dosal Tobacco Company, the Florida cigarette company that is trying amidst ongoing concern regarding Florida’s budget deficit to avoid paying the same per pack fee assessed on other tobacco companies as part of Florida’s legal settlement with the tobacco industry years ago (at present, the company is being hammered over such avoidance efforts by Florida’s former attorney general, who led the case against tobacco companies, and some Florida editorial boards).

The Union Leader also reports that Heather Podesta of her own Heather Podesta Partners is part of the host committee. Her firm represents similar interests such as Marathon Oil which is heavily involved in oil sands mining and health care insurance companies CIGNA Corporation and HealthSouth.

Scene from a recent Freedom of Speech Coalition fundraiser

According to a published report by John Distaso of the New Hampshire Union Leader, among several lobbyists headlining a Hodes cash call this evening in DC is Robert Raben. In addition to his portfolio of corporate customers, the article reveals, “Raben’s firm also had as a client the adult entertainment industry’s trade association, the Free Speech Coalition, and, according to the firm’s Web site, ‘created engagement strategies and best practices’ for that organization.”

The Free Speech coalition is a California-based group whose mission is to, “Lead, protect and support the growth and well-being of the adult entertainment community.”

Last fall, at its “Bada-Bing Bailout Bash” in California, the Free Speech Coalition honored longtime porno king Larry Flynt with a “Legacy Award.” The Free Speech Coalition described the event as a celebration of “mobsters & molls, cops & robbers, big cheeses & beautiful babes.”

Flynt, along with Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis, sought a $5 billion federal bailout from Congress to help traditional pornographers compete with emerging online skin-flicks.

According to Fox Business, Flynt said at the time, “People are too depressed to be sexually active. This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex.”

Citing the government’s partial ownership in private industry, Francis raised the possibility of allowing the feds to buy “equity stakes in their companies.” That would be similar to the automotive industry bailout, which Hodes supported.

Foster’s Daily Democrat published an editorial Friday reacting to Shea-Porter’s new sense of civility with some skepticism:

But if Shea-Porter wants voters to turn a deaf ear to Washington, who does she want them to listen to?



Is it the Carol Shea-Porter who very carefully scripted her visit back home last summer to avoid openly discussing her party’s health care plan — the one sitting in a pile of ashes right now?



Is it the Carol Shea-Porter who childishly protested during visits to New Hampshire by then President George Bush?



Is it the Carol Shea-Porter who argues with constituents who disagree with her or who doesn’t answer e-mails?

We would add that Shea-Porter has referred to opponents as “teabaggers,” a gross sexual street term, and has refused to apologize. She also called the Portsmouth Herald and convinced a reporter to print a lie: that she had never been removed from a George W. Bush town hall event and those who make such a claim are the liars. A NowHampshire.com FOIA request to the Portsmouth Police Department yielded proof that Shea-Porter had been removed by two police officers in 2005.

Ashooh’s answer is non-responsive:

BEATING ON RICH. Ashooh has been taking hits from conservative blogger Patrick Hynes, who writes that Ashooh, as a member of the BIA’s board of directors last June, voted to support the controversial expansion of the interest and dividends tax to limited liability companies.

But Ashooh said that as a member of the BIA board, “and as a taxpayer,” he opposed the tax. He said the board, while supporting a version of the state budget in which the LLC tax was tucked away, later voted specifically to “support a repeal” of the LLC tax and he argued in favor of repeal.

Ashooh indeed supported the BIA’s endorsement of the Democrats’ state budget, which included the LLC Tax, as DiStaso reports. By reversing his position to now favor repeal of the tax, Ashooh is employing a formulation popularized by Sen. John Kerry: He was for it before he was against it.

And as NowHampshire.com has further reported, Ashooh directed at least two political action committees he controls to donate campaign money to Democrats who support the LLC Tax, including Gov. John Lynch and Sen. Maggie Hassan.

Lamontagne Senior Advisor Jim Merrill said, “Ovide’s numbers today reflect the beginning of a vibrant, grassroots campaign.”

Interestingly, Merrill was tough on Ovide rival Kelly Ayotte for raising more than three times that amount in her first quarter as a candidate. “It was the bare minimum of what she had to do,” Merrill said at the time of Ayotte’s $614,000 haul.

Merrill also announced the support of former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey.

Guinta’s report, filed with the Federal Elections Commission, shows he took in around $61,000 during the final three months of last year but spending around $68,000.

Republicans have expressed concern over Guinta’s less-than-stellar fundraising and there was heightened chatter over the weekend that his numbers would be particularly troubling for GOP who feels it has embattled and beleaguered Democratic incumbent Carol Shea-Porter on the ropes and viewed Guinta as a prize recruit.

Politico has labeled Guinta a “recruiting dud.”

The report is almost certain to accelerate defense industry lobbyist Richard Ashooh’s entrance into the race for the GOP nomination. It may attract others, as well. NowHampshire.com has heard the name of Republican National Committeeman Sean Mahoney mentioned with greater frequency in the context of this race.

Andrew Breitbart apparently took some time off during his speech in Manchester from explaining what liberals think, and used part of his timeslot to blast us liberals for our hypocrisy regarding a recent incident in New Orleans. His stooge James O’Keefe (who made the infamous Acorn videos) kinda confessed to several felonies: he was caught trying to bug Sen. Landrieu’s phone.

This is not true.

As the Breitbart Website BigJournalism.com has pointed out on numerous occasions:

There are no allegations of any bugging plot in the FBI affidavit, and a law enforcement official has conceded that the four men were not attempting to wiretap or intercept calls. Furthermore, legal representation for the accused has gone on record stating there were no intentions to bug phones in the Senator’s office.

BlueHampshire.com needs to run a correction if they intend to be taken seriously as a “news” outlet.

UPDATE: Breitbart, not backing down, this weekend in Manchester, NH:

Dubbed “Americans for Responsible Heath Care,” the newly created 527 responsible for the advertisements will “remind the people of Massachusetts what is at stake with the proposed government takeover of health care and why Massachusetts Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown represents the nation’s best last chance to stop this harmful legislation,” according to a release from the group.

In one of the ads, Binnie personally appeals to Bay State voters saying, “We need Scott Brown’s vote in Washington.  Together, let’s stop the politicians’ take-over of our health care.”

Binnie, who recently became the first 2010 candidate to hit the airwaves here in New Hampshire, is expected to spend about $200,000 on the Massachusetts buy which will run through next Tuesday’s election.  Of course, those ads are also likely to be seen throughout homes in the Southern New Hampshire portion of the Boston media market.

A smart move politically as Bill Binnie continues to raise his name ID throughout New Hampshire and also builds up some good will with a man he expects to serve with in the Senate come January 2011.

Here are the two ads from Americans for Responsible Health Care:

“Responsible Health Care”

“Patient’s Rights”

In a letter to legislative leaders today, the Business and Industry Association – New Hampshire’s statewide chamber of commerce and leading business advocate – called for fast-track repeal of the extension of the 5 percent interest and dividends tax on distributions from LLCs and partnerships.

“The debate over this tax expansion has shifted in recent weeks from a public policy discussion to a political and rhetorical football,” said BIA President Jim Roche. “The absence of input from anyone – let alone small businesses most affected by this provision – when the tax extension was added to the state budget in June has led to too much distrust, confusion, frustration and misunderstanding.”

“Fundamental review and fairness was omitted in the passage of this tax,” Roche continued. “Those who would be affected by the extension of the 5 percent interest and dividends tax on LLC and partnership distributions should have had the opportunity to speak to legislators in an open, public hearing process. They did not and that is not the New Hampshire way.”

The BIA was one of only two groups (the other being the New Hampshire Society of Certified Public Accountants) to raise a red flag over this tax expansion when it was introduced late at night last June. And the BIA was the most vocal and assertive business group to seek clarity from New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration Commissioner Kevin Clougherty about the fairness and efficacy of the tax extension.

“We’re disappointed the DRA has, to date, not incorporated some of our key recommendations for meeting the dual objectives of fairness and efficacy,” said Roche. “A fast-track repeal of this tax is needed to restore trust in the legislative process and calm small business fears surrounding this matter. If the Legislature or DRA want to propose the same or similar tax going forward, it should be done following appropriate legislative procedures, which include full public hearings in the bright light of day.”

Lakes Region residents long have been reporting sightings of the national bird, which relies on fish and other water life as its primary food source.



The state identified 20 bald eagle breeding territories throughout New Hampshire in 2009, the highest number over the past 20 years. According to Chris Martin, senior biologist with New Hampshire Audubon, six nesting eagle pairs have been identified along Lake Winnipesaukee and surrounding lakes.

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