UNION LEADER: Competing town hall rallies critics of the administration

By DERRICK PERKINS
Union Leader Correspondent 

NASHUA – Across town from where President Barack Obama took health care and economy questions from a friendly crowd, critics of the President's policies gathered for a "town meeting" of their own.

Stephen Moore, FOX news contributor and Wall Street Journal columnist, took aim at government spending, health care reform and the federal deficit at a forum organized by Americans For Prosperity and Cornerstone Policy Research.

"I've been in Washington for 25 years and I've never seen anything like what's going on in the last year and a half," Moore said to cheers and applause in a packed hotel conference room. "I call what's been going on around the country, and these kinds of meetings are going on around the country, this is the second American Revolution. Because it is absolutely true: not only did the politicians hear you, but they fear you."

Moore spoke not only before a crowd of taxpayers eager to share critiques of big government, but a slate of Republican candidates vying for the seat of outgoing Sen. Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire.

Afterward, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Ovide Lamontagne said the town hall meeting balanced the President's Granite State trip and served as call to arms for disaffected voters.

"People have a chance to gather together like this, not only as a counterweight to the President, but to rally around some important things and that is the deficit and size and scope of government," he said. "Those are core issues people can rally around, core fiscal responsibility."

Janice Durgee, 63, and Dwight Sackett, 64, both of Hollis, were pleasantly surprised to see the turnout. Neither are satisfied with the President's health care reforms and they were thrilled to find they weren't alone.

"We're here to support the efforts of all the (candidates) in this room, so they can go to congress and say, 'there are a lot of angry people here,'" Durgee said.

Sackett, who recently racked up a $380 hospital bill for an IV he never needed, believes reforming the nation's health care system is a must, he just doesn't think Washington politicians are doing a good job of it.

"It's the wrong way to do it," Sackett said. "All they're doing is taking care of their buddies. It definitely needs to be reformed, but in the right way."

Concord resident David Tille said the enthusiastic gathering was indicative of an unhappy electorate.

"It spoke volumes on how the people are angry and we want our government to focus on jobs," he said. "We saw that in Massachusetts, just to the south of us, that same anger and frustration."

Though Moore didn't give the Republican Party any gold stars for their tenure under former President George W. Bush, his mention of Massachusetts' newly elected U.S. Sen. Scott Brown drew a roar of cheers and a standing ovation from the crowd.

It's a sentiment Republican 2nd District U.S. House candidate Jennifer Horn intends to parlay judging from her introductory remarks yesterday evening.

"Nobody in Washington has the political courage to stand up and just say no," she said. "We need a little Yankee frugality and a little of mom's common sense. We're here today to put this President and congress on notice, time to polish your resumes because the pink slips are coming."