UPDATE II: Well my time is up, thanks for the great conversation. Now if you all want to head over to the after party right here, we'll keep this thing raging all night!
There is probably no Senator in this country more out of touch with his constituency then John Sununu oh New Hampshire. Over the past six years, Sununu has consistently voted not only wihtout the best interests of the Granite State in mind, but to the greater detriment of the entire United States.
However, in 2008 New Hampshire voters will have the opportunity to throw Sununu out on his behind and elect a man who represents real progressive change and hope for our nation: Steve Marchand.
I figured I'd get the ball rolling here by introducing Mr. Marchand, and giving readers a chance to see just how better an alternative he is to Senator Sununu. Also, this is a fundraiser, so if at any time you want to throw Steve a couple of bucks you can always find one of these links to act blue:
Steve Marchand's Act Blue Page.
In a way, Marchand encompasses that classic story that is the American Dream. A first-generation American, Steve grew up in the West Side of the city of Manchester where his father Norman was a Carpenter and his mother Suzanne was a mill worker. Steve worked hard as a student and subsequently became the first member of his family to attend and graduate from college. Steve went to Syracuse University and, if you are looking for a real endorsement consider this: I am a UConn Husky alum and he's earned my endorsement.
Today as the mayor of the shore town of Portsmouth, Marchand has been able to do amazing things. In addition to earning praise regarding tax reform, Marchand has been one of the nations most revolutionary mayors when it comes to the environment. Recently mayors of New Hampshire's biggest cities were invited to the University of New Hampshire in Manchester to attend the first ever "Green Cities Summit." At the summit, Steve Marchand showed the ingenuity and responsibility that Democrats so desperately need their Senators to take the lead on in the fight against global warming.
From the Seacoastonline.com:
"It was very good," Marchand said. "Basically, the message I brought, on behalf of the people of Portsmouth, is economic responsibility and environmental responsibility are one in the same. If you want to be sound about budget spending and long-term planning, making wise environmental decisions can help you reach financial goals."
Under Marchand's leadership the city of Portsmouth has embarked on a number of green projects, including the building of a "green library." This environmentally friendly building was the first public building certified by the U.S. Green Council in the state. Other initiatives Marchand has taken on in his city include allowing business developers to build as tall as they want, as long as they do so in an environmentally-friendly way.
However, Marchand's next goal is to convert many of the cities schools into "Green Schools."
Marchand said one of the themes of the summit that will soon affect Portsmouth is the building of green schools as a way to protect the environment and save money.
"About half of the budget every year is school-related, and it makes sense energy conservation could save substantial money there," he said.
Steve Marchand's Act Blue Page.
But that's not the only issue Marchand has come out strong on. Mayor Marchand has also proven to be a staunch defender of abortion rights. Take this post from Blue Hampshire.com:
A few people have asked for clarifications on my views on choice, so I wanted to let you know where I stand.
It is vital that we work to diminish the number of unintended pregnancies and reduce the need for abortion in America. At the same time, we must be vigilant in defending a woman's right to make her own decisions about her own body. As your Senator, I will:
-Support funding for Medicare coverage of all abortion services;
-Fight to overturn any late term abortion ban that does not make exception for the health or life of the mother;
-Vote against any Supreme Court nominee who would not uphold the precedent set in Roe v. Wade.
[...]
If there is anywhere that government is overstepping personal freedoms, it is by encroaching in personal decisions between an individual and her doctor. While other issues may overshadow this debate in the public consciousness right now, the recent Supreme Court decision shows that this cornerstone freedom is not to be taken for granted. It is vital for our elected to take a strong stance on the issue, without caveat or hedge.
John Sununu is not a defender of a woman's right to choose. I will be.
Indeed, John Sunuu voted in favor of President Bush's Partial-Birth Abortion Bill. And to confirm Justices Roberts and Alito. Steve may be being kind, but I'd say Sununu's record on abortion is shit.
Steve Marchand's Act Blue Page.
On Stem Cell Research, Marchand is leaps and bounds ahead of Sununu as well. Though 62 percent of all New Hampshirites support Stem Cell research, Sununu has refused to be the crucial 67th vote to override President Bush's vetoes.
However, Senator Sununu doesn't even have the courage to defend his votes as he skirted the issue in a conference call with the group Americans United For Change:
"Senator John Sununu wants to play games with the people of New Hampshire," said Michael Brunelle, of Americans United for Change. "At the last minute, Senator Sununu ducked out of a conference call with us to clarify his ambiguous position on expanding federally funded stem cell research. Now here at the 11th hour -- as the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act now heads towards the President's promised veto pen -- Senator Sununu's constituents are still left to wonder where he stands on overriding Bush's veto and unlocking the full potential of stem cell research and its limitless potential for new cures and better treatments."
Help give New Hampshire a Senator that will really represent their wishes.
Steve Marchand's Act Blue Page.
Finally on Iraq Sununu is as pathetic as pathetic gets. On the failing war, rather than hold the President accountable, Sununu has decided to :
blame the troops:
"There are many factors that contributed to the failure to improve the situation [in Iraq], but ultimately our military leadership has to bear some responsibility for its choices. Simply put, we shouldn't reward a lack of success on the field of command with such an important promotion."
If that weren't enough, Sununu has been named by a veterans group, "Empowering Veterans" as one of the country's 10 worst Senators. So much for supporting our troops, eh Johnny Boy?
Steve Marchand has been a staunch critic of the war from the beginning and has continued to try and hold President Bush and Senator Sununu accountable:
The cost of the Bush Administration's failed Iraq policy in American lives and dollars has greatly weakened our nation's military, international standing, and financial stability.
This includes assuring we are putting needed resources in Afghanistan, engaging proactively with nations such as Syria and Iran to ensure our national security interests are protected, improving our intelligence capacity, working to build the economies of nations in the Middle East and southeast Asia, and slashing our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable regimes in South America, Central Asia and the Middle East.
I strongly oppose the Bush/Sununu agenda to escalate our military presence in Iraq. I believe a planned, phased withdrawal and redeployment of our forces is the proper course of action. We must begin to bring our troops home now while properly preparing the Iraqi government to assume genuine national autonomy.
Steve Marchand's Act Blue Page.
Sometimes I think John Sununu really wants to lose this race. Whether he is voting against stem cell research, the war or, most recently, a bill for alternative energy projects, this guy just does not seem to be on the same page as his New Hampshire constituents. Enter Steve Marchand, the progressive Mayor of Portsmouth who is, well, pretty much everything that Sununu is not. This is the most clear-cut, black and white race in the nation. New Hampshire voters have a clear choice here, they either vote for a change or for the status quo of the past 8 years.
One more time:
Steve Marchand's Act Blue Page
Also, we need more volunteers to keep this fundraiser going! Here's the schedule so far:
Time | Diarist |
12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT | Skulnick |
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT | plf515 |
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. EST | |
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. EDT | Dean Barker |
10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. EDT | Elise |
2:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. EDT | |
4:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. EDT | |
7:00 a.m. -- 9:00 a.m. EDT | va dare |
9:00 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m. | PhantomFly |
Also, don't forget, Steve Marchand will be liveblogging here from 4-5 p.m.!
UPDATE: How out of touch is Sununu with New Hampshire? Bush is at 14 Percent! And when matched up with former Governor Shaheen, Sununu gets owned. Link.