YOUR COMMENTS

Spike it's not to say nyah nyah, it's to say that you can't really be serious if you believe that Obama is not a citizen, and you can't be nearly as intelligent as you appear to be if you believe that Obama is not a citizen. To believe that would require you to believe that every Republican Senator and Representative is complicit and are standing by idly as a foreigner occupies the White House. To believe that would require you to believe that he could somehow be elected Senator without proving he was a citizen. Or that he could accomplish any number of other things that he has done without ever having to have proof of citizenship. It simply doesn't stand the test of logic. Why didn't McCain raise the issue during the campaign? Are you going to tell me that McCain is part of a conspiracy to let a foreigner assume the highest office in the land? The Supreme Court is complicit as well? George Bush and the entire Republican Party apparatus is going to just stand by and let this happen? Dear God, get a grip. You're just being silly.

As far as the direction of your party goes, keep doing what you've been doing, it's worked out so well for you so far.
- Mike Lane, Manchester

Just goes to show that politics and the lack of term limits puts all the slugs that are "supposed to be" representing us in bed together for their own benefit.
- R, Raymond

nicely done, Mike Lane
- mark, barnstead

Brian Peppers easily supports Judd Gregg, so that gives Gregg another vote beyond that of Fergus Cullen. The centrists/moderates you list have "distinguished" themselves mostly by personal permanence while their soulless party acquires permanent minority status in every New England state.

Richard Elliot praises the GOP's tax counter-proposal, which is to cut 5 percentage points off the bottom two brackets, lowering everyone's tax, but with a strict ceiling on the magnitude of the benefit. What the GOP needs to propose is to lower the TOP tax rate--the "marginal" rate the highly educated, the skilled, the extremely productive, the people with multiple jobs, look at to decide between taking new risks and taking the year off. Point is, the modern GOP cannot explain why we should motivate America's most gifted, and is afraid to be seen siding with the coveted "rich."

Mike Lane, I modestly point out that you will not be voting for Judd Gregg anyway. You may tell Republicans whom to nominate, but they ought to insist on reason over your name-calling and ridicule. PS--I assert that Obama's claim to be a "natural-born citizen" has not been tested; you reply that he got sworn in. Is that to say, "Nyah nyah"?
- Spike, Brentwood NH

Mike Lane is dreaming if he thinks NH citizens are going to put this NH Democratic party back in office in 2010 after they were warned over & over again NOT to increase the state budget by 17.5%. This is just the start of our budget troubles, and the NH Democratic party has TOTAL ownership of this mess !
- Jay Collins, Laconia

Komrad Gregg will get his reward in the next election - a permanent vacation from the Senate. He can then devote all his time to worshipping his idol.
- Brian, Farmington

Thanks for proving my point guys. The Democratic Party doesn't need to worry about taking down Judd Gregg, Republicans will do that for them. Spike as far as your comment about Obama's citizenship, I find you to be a thoughtful and fair poster, but in this case I do believe you need to loosen the strap on your tinfoil hat. Obama was duly elected and sworn in. He will be our President for at least the next for yours.

In regards to the strategy that the far right is advocating to address our economic crisis, i.e. do nothing, I think the last 8 years have proven that is a failed strategy. It's amazing to see right wingers saying we need more tax cuts for the wealthy, less regulation, and government is the problem. The same line of bull that got us where we are today. Conservatives believe government is the problem, that should automatically disqualify them from running our government.

Over the last two cycles the GOP has been a poster child for Einstein's definition of insanity. 2010 is right around the corner, as you continue your march towards complete and utter irrelevance try not to forget that. At some point you will need to try something different.
- Mike Lane, Manchester

Geithner's tax evasion is a lot to do about nothing? Let me see now, Here is a wealthy individual like Sen. Judas Gregg says it's OK for the new Secretary of the Treasury who will oversee the IRS to evade taxes and taking some known illegal tax deductions and Big bucks Gregg says OK to violate the law. And Gregg claims to be a law and order person what a collosal hypocrite. Couple that with his Senate Colleague who will vote to confirm an admitted law breaking tax evader and now we have our two Senators selling we the majority of NH Taxpayers down the river, it seems to be OK to evade your taxes if you are one of wealthy few. Senators Gregg and Shaheen are betraying the trust the the voters placed in them when they were elected. Well we have the chance to run the phony Rye millionaire out of office next year so let's do it. Thats a lot to do about nothing? What collosal Jerks we have sent to the Senate.
- Richard L. Fortin, Manchester

“If we don’t hang together, we will surely hang separately”. Benjamin Franklin.
Surely now, the countries problems outweigh the ideology of both parties and we must begin to govern for the country as one. Each side giving some, each taking some. If the president is given a chance to negotiate in good faith with each side we may salvage this country from disaster. I already love the idea of the tax cuts the Republicans are proposing and hope it is considered along with the infrastructure spending the Democrats are proposing. Lets not get hung up on abortion or other ideology. These are arguments for another time. I think that it is great that Senator Gregg and the president are discussing options and they should be commended.

Dick
Claremont
- Richard Elliott, Claremont

The Wall Street Journal displayed a chart recently showing all the Presidents from Truman to Bush with their approval numbers across their terms. It showed most of the Presidents who started out with high numbers their first year in office drop off significantly over the course of their tenure. The Presidents who had poll numbers higher than 80 % plunged to below 40 % at the end of their terms. Right now Obama is polling at 73%.

Judd Gregg if he is smart should show his opposition in the form of skepticism and ratchet it up as Obama's numbers drop. Unless Judd Greg wants to switch parties he has to be part of the opposition, otherwise he gives Republican voters no reason to vote for him and he would be the second choice amongst Democrats in NH in 2010. Democrats have a lot of seats to defend in 2010 and there will be more energy on the GOP side to tap into. 2010 will be different than 2008.
- Chris, Merrimack

To people like Komrade Mike Judd Gregg is a conservative but true conservatives were against the bailouts and the nationalization of the banks.

The communist party in the former Soviet Union worked in a bipartisan manner to save that economy also. It didn't work over there either.

The only hope in saving this Republic now seems to be the collapse of a nationalized banking system and the destruction of the U.S dollar. Maybe then we will return to the restrictions for the government laid out in the constitution
- Brian Fellers, Grafton NH

From Article: Gregg, unlike many Republicans, has even defended treasury secretary nominee Timothy Geithner, calling him "extraordinarily qualified" and labeling Geithner's initial failure to pay his payroll taxes over a four-year period "a lot to do about nothing."

Still like Greg, but seems like we could find someone else without such a shady past.

I heard that he failed to pay his taxes for a 2 year period. IRS caught up to him or was found out some other way? And isn't he going to be running the IRS with this job? Seems like our tax revenues will be going down severely, if people were to follow their new leaders lead!

He also did not pay his taxes for the other 2 years until the Obama people discovered this upon vetting him for the position. Sounds like he was trying to avoid paying his taxes!!

What if all people did this. I thought it was patriotic to pay your taxes? The IMF, wher he worked, also provides all employees with paperwork on their responsibility to pay their taxes.

I say fool me once, shame on you, foool me twice, shame on me. By me I mean the American people!

The guy is a criminal, or at least that's is what most Americans would be labeled if they were not politically connected!

What if all the independent contractors out their did not pay their taxes? Would they get the leniency that this person has been granted?

Both parties are corrupt! Thsi country needs a major shake up, revolution calling?
- gcubed, Hampton, nH

Rabid right checking in, Mike. McCain's basking in the Obama glow, and his harsh words for Republicans who actually stand for something, have vindicated my decision to vote for the 4 Libertarians.

Yesterday I mentioned the proof of Obama's American citizenship, plus Clinton's apology for Monica-gate, as two events talked about so much that we forget they never actually occurred. Today I would add the alleged conservative principles Judd Gregg doesn't intend to sacrifice. Readers, go over the article again and see if you can find any.

In his most recent enumeration he gave the Union-Leader, "environmentalism" figured prominently. Amnesty for foreign invaders, the National ID card, and the SUV tax are right in there. Given that the Democrats will nominate an authentic Marxist, what is the point in voting for an imitation? How does John T. Sununu reconcile his hopes for the state GOP with the renomination of Senator Gregg? Must we replay 2008/2010, or this time could we stand for something?
- Spike, Brentwood NH

Lets see, Gregg has supported:
Patriot Act
Real ID (That we in NH rejected)
Bailouts to Rich Wall Street Firms
Bailouts to failed auto companies
etc...

I seriously hope this guy does NOT run for reelection because I will vote against him even if it means putting another D in the Senate!
- JD, Nashua

In all the years that Judd Gregg has been my senator I have seen nothing to indicate that he has sought out the opinions of the common citizens of his state. If he supports spending my federal tax dollars on a ridiculous non-stimulating package of earmarks or to advance Obama's "we're citizens of the world" agenda before taking action to advance the wellbeing of citizens in his own home state , he certainly won't have my vote next time.
- Jem, Rye

Mike,

Judd Gregg is fiscally conservative?? Ever hear of TARP, the biggest fleecing of the United States Tax Payers in history?

And as far as his relationship with Obama, I'll quote Obi Wan: "Who is the greater fool? The fool or the fool who follows?"
- Paul, Litchfield

Judd Gregg knows that he is skating on thin ice. He's fiscally conservative, but also a pragmatist. He cannot afford to be seen as opposing a president with an 80% approval rating in light of the tough reelection campaign coming up in 2010. Unfortunately for him that is going to get him branded as a traitor to his own party. I doubt the rabid right will give him the wiggle room he needs to get past 2010. If they wouldn't let McCain fly under the radar I see no reason to believe they will give Judd a pass.
- Mike Lane, Manchester