See: an attack on a vote tabulating machine by spatula!

See: a dog voting for Obama?

See: carpetbaggers from Tufts holding signs for New Hampshire state candidates they know nothing about!

This is my home district, comprising Epping and Fremont. It is home to two excellent state Reps, Dan Itse and Ron Nowe. Unfortunately we have three state Reps.

The third is a certain Pennington Brown, who has earned the rating of Constitutional Threat from the Liberty Alliance. This is the lowest possible rating from the point of view of individual liberty and fiscal responsibility.

A fine young man named Tim Comerford is running to unseat Penn Brown.

2008-NOV-2: Candidates' night at Epping Town Hall
Candidates attending were: Ron Blevens for U.S. Senate, George Phillies for U.S. President, Bob Kingsbury for U.S. Congress, Amanda Merrill for state Senate, Bev Hollingsworth, and state House incumbents Dan Itse and Penn Brown.

Here are my photos from the event.

At first the moderator wouldn't let me ask questions because I wasn't an Epping resident. Later he relented but I chose not to take advantage because I felt the Epping residents were doing a decent job. There was an Iraq war veteran whose name I didn't catch and a certain Diane Gilbert, both asking very tough questions of all candidates. There was also another group that asked powder puff question of the Democrat candidates and rather weak questions of the others.

Libertarian George Phillies took heavy fire on his foreign policy and on his constitutional interpretations. Penn Brown was raked over the coals for his voting record and responded with his usual vague blandishments. Dan Itse got a question on RGGI and used it as a springboard to talk about the dangers of cap and trade and of water pollution.

Amanda Merrill weaseled on the question of a broad-based tax.

After the event the tough questioners gathered around the Republicans and Libertarians. The weak questioners gathered around the Democrats.

The crowd was smallish but didn't overflow the small number folding chairs that had been put out. The event was televised on Epping public access

2008-JUN-30: Penn Brown really is that awful.
The New Hampshire Liberty Alliance rates state legislators by analyzing their voting records and giving them a letter grade. Those who consistently support the values that have made New Hampshire a great place to live: limited, responsible government and individual liberties get an A-plus. Those who don't even come close get an F.

The current state legislature has inspired a new grade: CT, which stands for Constitutional Threat. To get a CT grade you have to have a voting record worse than F. A voting record so bad it can only be interpreted as absolute contempt for the oath of office, for the state Constitution, and for the voters. Penn Brown has earned this rating.

Does this sound like hyperbole to you? Let's look at the voting record of Penn Brown. Some highlights:

He voted against CACR21, which would have made schools accountable to the voters in their districts.

He voted against HB1185, which would have helped preserve religious freedom.

he voted against CACR24, which would have guaranteed that we would have no state income tax. Many Democrats in the legislature are openly calling for an income tax.

He voted against HB1543, which would have restored and secured the citizen's right to petition for redress of grievances. Thankfully Dan Itse got a lawyer to allow petition for redress on at least a temporary basis. But this fundamental right has many enemies in Concord. Penn Brown is one of them.

He voted against CACR23, which would have guaranteed the rights of parents to look after the education and welfare of their children. This is the session in which Democrats openly mocked the intelligence of the voters on the House floor. If they were in high spirits that day perhaps it was due to the memorial service for Mike Whalley. I don't know whether Penn joined in the general merriment and hijinks but he certainly joined in denying the voters a referendum on this important issue.

He voted against HB1504 which would have withdrawn New Hampshire from the dysfunctional No Child Left Behind act.

He voted against HB186 which would have assured recounts of electronic ballot counting machines. How many of us trust those machines? Even so-called 'progressives' claim to have grave doubts about them.

He voted against HB41 and HB57 which would have allowed citizens more control over their own end of life.

He voted for many bills for needless government regulation of various industries, such as SB131, SB312 and HB237. He doesn't trust the free market and would prefer that the government mandate insurance companies' offerings. This was a terrible idea in Massachusetts. Why should it work here?

He voted for bills to increase taxes and fees, such as HB1309 and HB1509.

He had voted for various petty interferences in citizen's private lives, such as HB1496 (learner's permits) and SB363 (headgear).

He has voted for many bills that increase state spending, such as SB539, which affirmed the worst features of the Claremont and Londonderry decisions.

Most recently he voted in a Special Session of uncertain legality for SSHB1, increasing the state's debt by $80 million, at a time when spending is out of control.

When Penn Brown first ran for office he billed himself as a moderate. He has never rescinded that claim. But he is NOT a moderate. Either he is a lazy legislator who votes as his 'progressive' friends tell him to or else he is an extremist who loves state power and despises the rights and liberties of the people.

This is why it is so very important that voters pay attention to what their elected representatives are doing in our name. Anybody can call himself a moderate if he is willing to tell a baldfaced lie.

Anyone looking for more details on his voting record can query www.gencourt.state.nh.us. A handy digest of the data can be had via dist9.blcss.com.

It's been observed that Penn Brown misses a great many votes. Speaking for myself I wish he'd miss more of them. I urge all voters in the district to vote for Tim Comerford to replace him.