Here’s a brief roundup (everyone seems to be writing about this case) of coverage of today’s Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England case. (Don’t forget, you can catch it on C-SPAN today at 12:15.
John Kass, who writes about the case from his own perspective of having been busted for and convicted of drug and alcohol possession at age 17.
Gallup, which has a new poll showing that 69 percent of Americans favor parental consent before letting a minor get an abortion. New Hampshire’s law requires only notification, not consent. A Newsweek poll shows that 78 percent support parental notification laws.
National Review.
BBC, which, as usual, posts a heavily biased and inaccurate story.
The New York Times
A good timeline of the case from the Union Leader.
Foster’s on New Hampshire public opinion concerning parental notification.
Burlington Free Press on the Vermont angle.
Bring popcorn to work tomorrow. Attorney General Kelly Ayotte’s oral argument before the Supreme Court will be aired on C-SPAN at 12:15 p.m.
Manchester Mayor-Elect Frank Guinta finally will get his efficiency committee approved by the mayor. After Guinta takes office, he’ll approve it himself.
Earlier this year Guinta created his own efficiency committee to find ways to make the city more efficient, but Mayor Bob Baines and Democrats on the Board of Aldermen wouldn’t sanction it. Today Guinta announced that the city will have an official efficiency committee after he is sworn in. It’s chairman will be Robert Singer of Merchants Automotive Group, who will announce the other members.
The Las Vegas Sun thinks so. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is pushing for an early Nevada presidential primary, and members of the DNC commission studying the primary schedule seem to be leaning toward that state, the Sun reports.
This week the Friday Book Corner features the book selections of Michael Chaney, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Political Library. Chaney, as you might expect, reads lots of biographies and nonfiction, but he doesn’t stick solely to politics. Chaney was raised in Maine and worked in Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island before coming to New Hampshire, where he has worked for the past 20 years, so he has interests in all things New England. He’s also quite a book hound. He confessed that he’s always popping into used book stores looking for interesting books on New Hampshire politics and history. Here’s the short list of books he’s either just finished or is currently reading:
The Encyclopedia of New England, by Burt Feintuch and David H. Watters.
Cross-Grained & Wily Waters: A Guide to the Piscataqua Maritime Region, edited by UNH professor Jeffrey Bolster.
The Closest U.S. Senate Race in United States History, Durkin v. Wyman, by Donn Tibbetts, about John Durkin’s election to the U.S. Senate in 1975.
The Lobser Gangs of Maine, by University of Maine anthropologist James M. Acheson, who explores the world of Maine lobstermen.
Boys on the Bus by Timothy Crouse, about how the press covered the 1972 Presidential election.
And, of course, there is the new book published jointly by the New Hampshire Political Library and the Pierce Brigade:
Persistent Patriot: The New Hampshire Life and Letters of Franklin Pierce — The Pre-Presidential Years.
That’s a good bit of reading for Thanksgiving weekend.
President Franklin Pierce was born 201 years ago today.
The New Hampshire Political Library celebrated Pierce’s birthday yesterday with the release of a new book about Pierce, “Persistent Patriot: The New Hampshire Life and Letters of Franklin Pierce—The Pre-Presdiential Years.” It’s the first joint publication between the library and the Pierce Brigade, which maintains the Pierce home in Concord.
Thinking of books and presidential politics, here’s a little trivia. The first person who can name the date and location of Pierce’s death AND his funeral service will win a copy of USA Today political columnist Walter Shapiro’s “One-Car Caravan,” his book about the 2004 Democratic Presidential primary.
Manchester Mayor-Elect Frank Guinta today announced the chairmen of the policy committees he is setting up to advise him during his transition. Looks like a pretty good bunch. They are:
Marguerite L. Wageling, Hillsborough County Attorney — Public Safety Committee
Larry Gammon, President, Easter Seals NH — Health & Human Services Committee
Raymond E. Pinard, Executive Vice President & COO, St. Mary’s Bank — Budget & Finance Committee
Ben Gamache, Proprietor, Gamache Enterprises — Economic Development Committee
Fred Bramante, Founder & CEO, Daddy’s Junky Music — Education Committee
Craig Smith, Riverbank Communications — Technology Committee
Althea Haropulos, Photographer — Arts & Community Life
Susan Duprey, President, Devine Millimet — Federal Relations Committee
Dr. Susan Lynch, New Hampshire’s first lady, and Audra Paquette, Miss New Hampshire, both were at Matthew Thornton Elementary School in Derry the other day to read to different classes. Two first-graders in Dr. Lynch’s class were told to go up front and fetch “a very special guest” who was coming to read to them. Now, if you were a first-grader who had been told to find the “very special guest,” and you saw two women standing together, wouldn’t you pick the one in the tiara? Yep.
The Boston Globe’s Thomas Oliphant writes today that Democrats will leave the New Hampshire primary alone if they want to elect another President.
The Washington Post trails former Va. Gov. Mark Warner on his just finished New Hampshire trip. Read all the way to the end and you get treated to an enigmatic quote from Sen. Lou D’Allesandro. If you can figure out what he means, let me know.
New Hampshire’s bird flu preparations have received national attention. After all this flu worry, it’s probably not a good idea to sneeze in front of John Stephen.
New Hampshire’s bird flu preparations have received national attention. After all this flu worry, it’s probably not a good idea to sneeze in front of John Stephen.
