Given their choice, the Republican Party in New Hampshire would have preferred to go without a primary battle in the 1st District and, instead, focus their energy on waging battle against Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter in their effort to reclaim that seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
That was not to be.
John Stephen and former Congressman Jeb Bradley have engaged in a passionate and sometimes bitter battle for the Republican nomination. In many ways, the battle is a microcosm of the national debate over the direction (some would say soul) of the Republican Party.
Stephen is correct when he says that national Republican leaders have strayed from the principles advocated eloquently by Ronald Reagan and outlined in Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America."
But a funny thing happened on the way to reshaping the nation through conservative principals — Republican leaders realized that governing is a team sport and nothing can get accomplished without deal-making and compromise.
Stephen surely represents the fundamental conservative principles of small government, strong defense, family values and lower taxes. He has stated firmly that he will oppose earmarks (formerly referred to as pork-barrel spending) as he advocates for less government spending.
The only problem is that New Hampshire, like every other state, relies on federal assistance, including earmarks, for a variety of projects. These include the I-93 widening and the expanded Park and Ride off Exit 5. Such federal aid requires deal-making and being willing to vote for other projects around the country that some might deem frivolous.
These are challenging times in the Granite State and, unfortunately, unyielding ideological principles are a luxury we can't afford.
The 1st District needs a person who can deliver.
Jeb Bradley shares many of the same conservative values as Stephen. But he is a pragmatist and has a proven track record of delivering for the 1st District. Bradley has shown the willingness to do what it takes to get the job done.
We encourage Republicans to select Jeb Bradley as their nominee for the 1st District congressional seat.
Budget Committee did the right thing
Congratulations to the Londonderry Budget Committee for being men and women of their word.
In the wake of the furor created earlier this summer when the committee chose not to recommend $1,400 be given by the town to the Greater Manchester Chapter of the American Red Cross, members of the committee said the decision was not final and that they would reconsider if a representative from the Red Cross came to a budget meeting and made the request in person.
That meeting took place last week and the budget committee reversed itself and made the recommendation that the town approve the funding request.
When it comes to issues related to town budgets, emotions can run high and debate can be fierce. However, residents must know that they can trust the word of the men and women elected to represent them.
The Londonderry Budget Committee has shown themselves to be worthy of that trust.
