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July 27. 2012 10:57PM
GOP candidates shun calls for Sen. Maggie Hassan to drop out of gubernatorial race
CONCORD — The Republican candidates for governor said Friday they disagree with a conservative activist's call that Democratic candidate and former state Sen. Maggie Hassan should drop out of the race after she replied “that's a good answer” to someone who suggested beating Republicans with a bat.
Andrew Hemingway, chairman of the political action committee “4RG,” which stands for “For a Republican Governor,” on Thursday said Hassan should withdraw, saying her comments were tantamount to inciting violence.
In a video provided by Hemingway, Hassan and members of the audience are seen and heard laughing while a man shouts: “You can beat 'em with a bat! You can beat 'em with your hands! You can beat 'em with your feet!” after another audience member asked how she can beat a Republican candidate.
Hassan replied, “That's a good answer” to the “beat 'em” comments then said she believed Republican candidates Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith would align themselves with Tea Party policies that she said would be harmful to New Hampshire's middle class, women and the elderly.
“This is outrageous,” Hemingway said in a statement. “Her unwillingness to apologize personally shows she is unwilling to take responsibility for her distasteful comment. This is not the kind of divisive leadership the people of New Hampshire are looking for. Everyone knows this wasn't a joke and no one finds it funny.”
Smith, however, said he thought it was a joke.
“I think it was clear that Maggie was kidding, at least I took it that way,” Smith said in a statement provided to the New Hampshire Union Leader. “I fully expect her to remain in the race as she deserves the chance to compete for her party's nomination, and I'm confident that as a Republican I will defeat whichever Democrat I face in the general election based on the quality of my ideas, my message, and hard work.”
Lamontagne's campaign likewise downplayed the incident and also said Lamontagne does not believe Hassan should withdraw.
“No, Ovide does not agree that Senator Hassan should drop out of the race because of a ill-conceived, off-hand comment,” said Tom Cronin, Lamontagne's communications director. “Ovide is campaigning every day on the issues that matter most to voters — jobs, health care, energy prices, and the strength of our economy. If he is chosen as our party's nominee, he looks forward to debating the stark contrast that exists between himself and both Senator Hassan and Senator Cilley on those issues, leaving it to the voters to decide who has the right experience, temperament, and vision to lead this state.”
Asked for a response to Hemingway's call for withdrawal, Hassan spokesman Matt Burgess sent the Union Leader the same comment he gave when the video, which is part of a 4RG Internet advertisement: “Someone attempted to make a humorous comment about the importance of working hard in this election but Maggie continued to talk about her forward looking vision for New Hampshire and the stark contrast between the Republicans' agenda that will take us backwards as a state.”
tbuckland@unionleader.com
Andrew Hemingway, chairman of the political action committee “4RG,” which stands for “For a Republican Governor,” on Thursday said Hassan should withdraw, saying her comments were tantamount to inciting violence.
In a video provided by Hemingway, Hassan and members of the audience are seen and heard laughing while a man shouts: “You can beat 'em with a bat! You can beat 'em with your hands! You can beat 'em with your feet!” after another audience member asked how she can beat a Republican candidate.
Hassan replied, “That's a good answer” to the “beat 'em” comments then said she believed Republican candidates Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith would align themselves with Tea Party policies that she said would be harmful to New Hampshire's middle class, women and the elderly.
“This is outrageous,” Hemingway said in a statement. “Her unwillingness to apologize personally shows she is unwilling to take responsibility for her distasteful comment. This is not the kind of divisive leadership the people of New Hampshire are looking for. Everyone knows this wasn't a joke and no one finds it funny.”
Smith, however, said he thought it was a joke.
“I think it was clear that Maggie was kidding, at least I took it that way,” Smith said in a statement provided to the New Hampshire Union Leader. “I fully expect her to remain in the race as she deserves the chance to compete for her party's nomination, and I'm confident that as a Republican I will defeat whichever Democrat I face in the general election based on the quality of my ideas, my message, and hard work.”
Lamontagne's campaign likewise downplayed the incident and also said Lamontagne does not believe Hassan should withdraw.
“No, Ovide does not agree that Senator Hassan should drop out of the race because of a ill-conceived, off-hand comment,” said Tom Cronin, Lamontagne's communications director. “Ovide is campaigning every day on the issues that matter most to voters — jobs, health care, energy prices, and the strength of our economy. If he is chosen as our party's nominee, he looks forward to debating the stark contrast that exists between himself and both Senator Hassan and Senator Cilley on those issues, leaving it to the voters to decide who has the right experience, temperament, and vision to lead this state.”
Asked for a response to Hemingway's call for withdrawal, Hassan spokesman Matt Burgess sent the Union Leader the same comment he gave when the video, which is part of a 4RG Internet advertisement: “Someone attempted to make a humorous comment about the importance of working hard in this election but Maggie continued to talk about her forward looking vision for New Hampshire and the stark contrast between the Republicans' agenda that will take us backwards as a state.”
tbuckland@unionleader.com