Live Free or 'Slip into the Night?'

The New Hampshire Young Republican Federation (NHYR), today, issued a release criticizing Democratic Executive District 4 candidate Chris Pappas for comments he made nearly seven years ago in an "opinion piece" in The Hippo Press (see attached image).

In the release, NHYR chairman David Hurst labels Pappas a "Liberal Extremist" citing, specifically, the following comment in which Pappas argues in favor of changing the state's motto from "Live Free or Die":

"We should let our politically charged mantra slip into the night like the Old Man and pick a new mantra."

“How out of touch and arrogant does a man like Chris have to be, to think that he can move back to New Hampshire from Massachusetts and change our motto," said Hurst. “Chris’s attitude and comments exhibit a disdain for New Hampshire’s traditions and reveal a lack of respect for Revolutionary War hero Gen. John Stark.
 
"Chris Pappas has been heralded as the 'future of the Democrat Party in NH,' and a standard bearer of the Democrat party. If this is true, then the NH Democrat party starting with Chairman Buckley, and all state candidates need to clarify their position on this proposal by their standard bearer," Hurst continued. "The New Hampshire Young Republicans are passionate defenders of New Hampshire’s values and heritage, and we will not stand for such insulting, disrespectful rhetoric from candidates for state office. I call on candidate Pappas to immediately take back his statements and apologize to the people of New Hampshire. This is not about politics, this is about the New Hampshire way of life, something Chris seems to know nothing about.”
 
Huck Montgomery, Pappas' campaign manager, said the comments are being taken out of context and used as a red herring by Republican candidate Bob Burns.

"This was sort of a point/counter-point piece and anyone reading that piece understands is sort of a debate exercise, not a position Chris holds," he said. "It's pretty clear to me that Bob Burns is finding himself without much support and continuously alienated in own party. He's trying to make issues out of non-issues because when he does engage the issues, even members of his own party beginning to realize he's too extreme.

"Chris does support the "Live Free or Die" mantra," Montgomery continued. "This isn't what this race is about. If Bob Burns is going to change the minds of New Hampshire voters, he's going to need to change his positions and the extreme Tea Party agenda he's taken. Chris continues to work toward building a broad-based foundation of support throughout the state and Bob Burns is running a campaign based on divisiveness."

Burns says this is a textbook case of the pot calling the kettle black.

"He's been blowing this kind of dog whistle for the Democratic party since the beginning where you don't actually hear ideas coming from them, just this rally call where they label virtually every Republican running in this state 'Tea Party extremists," said Burns. " "You know, it's funny. (Pappas) has been criticizing me for saying I wouldn't compromise, but I have yet to hear one specific example of where he would compromise."

Burns also noted that in the aforementioned article, Pappas writes, in part:

New Hampshire clings to the regressive property tax because people have been brainwashed to think that an income or sales tax (or even gambling) would take away some of the freedom we enjoy.

"Now he is saying he is completely against an income tax," said Burns, "so I have to wonder, who's brainwashed now?"

Still, the Pappas camp says they stand by their assertion that Burns' agenda is too extreme.

"Bob Burns is trying distract voters from his radical Tea Party agenda," said Montgomery. "He wants to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, which will result in thousands of women losing access to life-saving health services like cancer screenings. He has said he will only approve judicial nominees that meet his strict conservative litmus test. And l' and 'I'm not going to sell out my ideology.'  learly Bob Burns is too extreme for New Hampshire, and voters should understand what he stands for when making their decision on Election Day."

The candidates meet today for a 7 p.m. "Tell it Like it is" debate hosted by Kathy Benuck at the BCTV studios at 10 Meetinghouse Road.