Shaheen: Shinseki now under the bus.
“Better late than never,” was what the New Hampshire Republican Party said in a statement following the call by Democrats in New Hampshire’s congressional delegation for the resignation of embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. The G O P has pounded Senator Jeanne Shaheen, First District Congresswoman Carol Shea Porter and Second District Congresswoman Annie Kuster in press statements for weeks demanding they, who until yesterday had been silent on the scandal, step up and demand changes at the V A. Personally, I’m kinda thinking they decided to make their statements yesterday to deflect questions about the revised economic numbers released yesterday showing negative growth of one percent in the economy, in but I digress.
Meanwhile, Second District Congressional Candidate Gary Lambert, Republican from Nashua, issued a statement on Wednesday commenting on the Inspector General’s report showing widespread corruption in the handling of vets seeking medical care at more than forty facilities across the country. Lambert said the findings made him sick to his stomach and said the conduct of administrators was criminal and demanded the Obama Justice Department, there’s an oxymoron, aggressively pursue criminal charges and called on President Barry to fire Shinseki if he didn’t resign.
Rubens: No redemption for AWOL senators on VA scandal
Senate candidate Jim Rubens, Republican from Etna, who has been in the forefront criticizing this scandal since the story broke in April, also issued a statement on Wednesday following the report’s release saying it was disgusting and horrifying that government employees were profiting while denying vets the care they needed and deserved. Referencing that the report confirmed that the Senate Armed Services Committee, on which Shaheen serves and G O P rival Scott Brown served, knew of the scandal back in two thousand twelve, Rubens said quote “Grandstanding today by Senators who knew about this problem two years ago does not absolve them for their failure to demand and get action.”
Speaking of Rubens, he accepted the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire and its national parent, the Republican Liberty Caucus, yesterday. R L C N H Chairman Aaron Day, who moonlights as a Free Stater looking to invade and colonize the town of Bedford, said the group endorsed Rubens because of his forty year track record of creating jobs and because of he was quote “grounded in principled belief in constitutionally limited government” end quote and that he had quote the intelligence and experience needed to reverse the damage inflicted by Obama and Shaheen.” End quote. In comments given at the press event announcing the endorsement, Rubens said hurray for me! Just kidding. He really said this. David, roll the tape.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Fallin: Will she stand with her state or the NGA over “state led” Common Core standards?
As Manchester awaits the release of the final draft its academic standards, the Common Core national standards are encountering significant new difficulties across the country. Both chambers of the Oklahoma legislature overwhelmingly supported a bill that not only rejects the national standards, but calls for a return to the state’s prior standards while taking the next two years to develop their own. The state is awaiting either the signature or veto of the bill by Governor Mary Fallin, who, in being the President of the National Governors Association, finds herself in the interesting position of either signing the legislation that reflects the will of her own state, or vetoing the legislation because the organization she leads claims the federalization and standardization of educational standards is state led.
Sen Smith: Democrat leads charge against Common Core in CA.
In California, State Senator Sandra Smith, Democrat from Sacramento, has launched Democrats Against Common Core. Push back in our nation’s largest state is well underway as teachers and even Democrat politicians are questioning why their state would actually lower academic standards to be part of the Common Core. We’ve linked a ten minute video of the announcement in which Smith, a mother with four sons in school, makes some very simple and unique points which underscored why she came forward to say “no thank you” to the standards.
Barry: Duped legislature to do feds dirty work
Speaking of Common Core, remember Senate Bill Forty Eight, the legislation the federal Department of Education demanded the New Hampshire General Court pass with amendments it wanted or else it would penalize our schools by not granting a waiver to the No Child Left Behind Act? Well, the changes that bill made to the law are now being cited in a so called Technical Bulletin issued by State Department of Education Commissioner Virginia Barry as the reason why parents may not opt their kids out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment and why school districts can’t get waivers to use another test. Barry says the law, which requires the testing of all students, does not allow the department to grant waivers. But, then again, since her N C L B waiver application guaranteed that no less than ninety percent of our state’s students would take the Smarter Balanced Assessment, it makes sense she would have supported that law, doesn’t it. We’ll have more on this in future shows, but for all of you who thought we wandered off the reservation in opposing that bill, now you know we were dead right on target.
Bruzzese: Award nominations now open
The Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce has announced the beginning of its awards season. The Chamber is now accepting nominations for the Citizen of the Year and Business of the Year awards. Each of these awards is presented at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony, which this year will be held at the Atkinson Resort and Country Club on October 16th. Typically the winners are individuals and businesses who have made significant contributions in their community and have proven longevity and commitment to the betterment of society. To learn the criterion and or nominate a local business, or an individual, visit the chambers Web site at G D L Chamber dot org. We’ve linked to it for your convenience.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ starts right now.
It should be noted that Rep. Shaw was a co-Sponsor on SB 48 http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2013/SB0048.html