Grant Bosse for Congress

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Grant Bosse: Trying to help, Congress makes economic situation worse

By Grant Bosse
NH Union Leader

THE STIMULUS package Congress recently passed will send out checks from $300 to $1,200 to American taxpayers. Congress has finally stopped the pretense of pork barrel projects and is now trying to buy our votes directly. While this extra cash will come in handy during this economic downturn, it certainly won't have any significant effect on the economy as a whole.

In fact, the stimulus package was also loaded down with hundreds of earmarks, special pet projects put in to help incumbents back in their districts. Overall, the only economic activities this stimulus package seemed designed to encourage were campaign contributions.

High taxes, unfunded mandates and overregulation are slowing the economy, which is having trouble keeping pace with runaway federal spending. Congress's appetite for our dollars is taking a big bite out of the private sector. If Congress were serious about encouraging investment and growth it would lessen its interference in our economy and stop punishing small businesses that are trying to grow into big businesses.

The top two threats to prosperity today are inflation and a growing credit crisis. Both have little to do with the true strength of the American economy and everything to do with our money supply. In 1963, groundbreaking economist Milton Friedman wrote, "Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." He was correct then, and now.

The Federal Reserve's recent paranoia about deflation led it to overreact, and we're seeing higher prices as a result. Politicians pushing for easier access to credit handed out incentives for lenders to make bad loans and for homeowners to make bad decisions. Politicians trying to protect these folks from the consequences of their bad decisions risk spreading the pain of bad loans to the entire country, through a taxpayer-funded bailout.

Congress has the ability to address both problems, but not by continuing its current policies. Ending our bloated farm subsidies, specifically the ethanol boondoggle, would not only reduce federal spending significantly, but it would remove the perverse incentives in our agricultural sector, which are driving up the price of bread, milk, meat and vegetables other than corn.

Congress also can help bring energy prices down by scrapping the failed policies that have helped drive them up. We should allow responsible exploration of domestic oil reserves. We should remove the regulatory roadblocks that stand in the way of new oil refineries, the bottleneck in our transportation system that makes gas prices so volatile. And we should permit the construction of new nuclear power plants, which have the potential to provide safe and clean electricity.

The greatest benefit Congress can provide is to finally control federal spending. Our mounting national debt threatens our status as the safest place to invest in the world. Congress' unwillingness to acknowledge the massive unfunded obligations of Medicare and Social Security will leave the next generation with a massive tax bill. These fiscal time bombs will not be defused with a $300 check.

The American economy is the strongest engine of economic growth in history. It has propelled our country and much of the world to a quality of life undreamt of a century ago. And it is because of market capitalism.

Capitalism has consequences, sometimes painful. But government efforts to protect us from those costs are almost always far more harmful. So, thanks, Congress, for trying to help. But please stop because we can't afford any more of your kind of generosity.

Grant Bosse is a Republican candidate for Congress from New Hampshire's 2nd District. He lives in Hillsborough, and can be contacted at www.Bosse2008.com.

U.S. Congressional Candidate Grant Bosse Pays Visit to Coos

By Alan Farnsworth

     Republican Congressional candidate Grant Bosse visited Colebrook last Tuesday afternoon, March 4, as part of a two-day introductory campaign swing through the North Country. Starting the previous day, he toured Littleton, Lancaster, Berlin, and Gorham before visiting Colebrook.
     A lifelong Republican, this is the Hillsboro native’s first run for political office, although he comes with plenty of political experience. After graduation from the Hillsboro-Deering school system, he attended Dartmouth College, where he was active in both the campus radio station and newspaper.
     Mr. Bosse then began a successful career in radio, starting at WGIR-AM in Manchester and continuing at WTSL in Lebanon. In 1999, he left radio to become the Senior Legislative Assistant to the New Hampshire House Majority Office, where he could observe and learn the workings of the legislative system. After a year as press secretary and political director for Craig Benson’s gubernatorial campaign, he worked for five years on staff for Senator John Sununu, focusing on environmental and energy policies.
     Mr. Bosse said he finally decided to run for office when the Republican party, and especially New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, seemed to lose its way and adopt some Democratic traits. “Both parties have shown a great disrespect for the taxpayers,” he said.
     He went on to say that there has been a noticeable lack of growth nationally and when the nation slows down that affects the North Country. This is part of Mr. Bosse’s three pronged platform for his candidacy: free the economy, secure the borders, and win the war.
     Mr. Bosse proposes more of a hands-off approach to the economy. The North Country has a rising elderly population combined with the falling school age and worker population, he said, making it harder to retain local students and workers. Efforts have to be made to free up local resources to make more jobs locally, but he dislikes Congress making market-based solutions which benefit only a few. Not enough candidate, he said, are willing to stand up for market capitalism.
     Congress is not really serious about the illegal immigration problem, Mr. Bosse said. He supports the use of a fence as the “first real step toward the immigration solution,” because is has proved to work where it has been tried. A major effort had to made to make it easier to come to the U.S. legally rather than illegally, he said, and right now that is not the case.
     Mr. Bosse supports “winning the war,” but to do that the Congress has to stop making the effort to fund the troops into a political game. He cited Rep. Hodes’ vote for an emergency defense appropriation complete with “pork barrel” provisions. When the Senate stripped it down to a “clean bill” with no extras, he said, Hodes refused to vote for it when reintroduced in the House.
     He cautions that the war is not just the localized fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a global campaign against radical Islam. This is a war for very high stakes, he said, which the U.S. should win.
     Mr. Bosse has already logged 2,000 miles over the past two weeks, including the two-day circuit in Coos County. He hopes to return to the North Country next month.

Bosse Running for 2nd Congressional District
By Kyle Jarvis
Staff Writer

     Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Grant Bosse is seeking elected office for the first time based on what he sees as a need more less interference in people’s private and business lives.
     The 35-year-old from Hillsboro dropped by the Eagle Times office Thursday to talk campaign issues, and the first issue on his mind is government meddling.
     “In the last five years, I’ve seen Republicans in Congress alienate their constituents by making back room deals,” he said. “And the Democrats as well. They’ve created a trick or two in the process.”
     Bosse said he feels “people make the best decisions when the make them for themselves,” and that includes government.
     “If the local government is capable of making a decision, I feel they should do that. If the state government can do it, they should. If a family can make a decision in their own house for themselves and their own family, they should be able to do that. I don’t think we need to federal government to be able to tell us what to do all the time.”
     The economy would be in much better shape, too, said Bosse, if there wasn’t so much overtaxation and overspending (“which are essentially the same thing,” he noted)
     “I don’t think it’s right to punish people because they had a little success with their business,” he said.
     Another sticking point for Bosse is the Second Amendment.
     “People have to realize the founding fathers weren’t talking about hunting when they wrote that amendment,” he said. “They were worried about an unchecked government. I’m glad we’re not even close to that point, and I hope we never are. But the first step for a dictatorship is to disarm the citizens.”
     Bosse said he hopes the Supreme Court upholds the Constitution regarding the current District of Columbia handgun ban case, but that the responsibility falls on the Legislature also.
     When asked which issues might have the most impact on Sullivan County during his potential tenure, Bosse answered without hesitation.
     “The economy is definitely number one,” he said. “The stimulus package is a good idea, but I don’t think it’s enough. It’s nice of the federal government to loan us our own money for a year,” referring to reports that cashing your stimulus check this year could mean paying for it in next year’s taxes. “But in the end, it’s all our money. Good idea, but it won’t revive our economy.”
     So how would we revive the economy?
     “Education is key,” he acknowledged. “We need an educated work force. I was over at Ruger earlier. They’re hiring right now, but they’re having a hard time finding people with the proper math and engineering skill sets those jobs require.”
     Bosse also wants a market-based approach to deal with energy concerns.
     “I think we need to end the ethanol boondoggle,” he said. “If it’s better for the environment, great. Let the market decide. But don’t mandate it. I happen to think it’s worse for the economy, because it drive up the prices of other foods when faremrs don’t have enough room for their other crops.”
     The Dartmouth College graduate and farmer Sen. John Sununu staff member also has lots of thoughts to offer on foreign policy, including the war in the Mideast and the immigration crisis.
     “People are fed up that Congress has continued to ignore the immigration problem in America,” he said. “Congressman Hodes (Bosse’s Democratic and incumbent rival) voted against funding for the fence. I think that sends the wrong message. The fence shows we’re serious.”
     As for the war on terror, Bosse said it’s all about winning.
     “It’s taken too long, and we waited too long to change our strategy,” he admits. “But we have changed it, and it’s working. It would be disastrous to pull our troops out now. Hodes first said we should bring everyone home immediately, but now he’s saying ‘the Iraqis need to step up to the plate’ before we do that.’ I believe we’re making Iraq a better place and making the world a safer place.”

The Fed needs to show reserve on bailouts
By GRANT BOSSE
Concord Monitor
April 07, 2008

Treasury Secretary Hank Paulsen has released a sweeping proposal to reform the nation's banking system, promising that these changes will prevent a repeat of the mortgage meltdown that has wreaked such havoc on our national economy.

Paulsen's proposal to overhaul our antiquated financial bureaucracy is long overdue. But the sweeping increase in power planned for the Federal Reserve is absolutely going in the wrong direction. This 218-page proposal would hand power over our financial lives to the un-elected and unaccountable. It would massively expand federal interference in the private sector, limit consumer choice and nationalize the mortgage industry.

This plan does include some good ideas. Our federal financial bureaucracy creates an overlapping and confusing maze of regulations. This Byzantine system confounds transparency and limits innovation and competition in the financial sector.

Sen. Judd Gregg has praised the plan's focus on streamlining financial regulations and clarifying the jurisdictions of conflicting federal agencies. Sen. John Sununu rightly applauds the plan's inclusion of his efforts to make Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac more open and accountable. But the harm done to competition and privacy by an ever-expanding Federal Reserve more than outweighs these benefits.

Most Democrats reacted by saying these far-reaching changes didn't go far enough. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are outbidding each other on the size of a taxpayer-funded mortgage bailout.

Such a bailout would be disastrous over the long term. Just as the savings and loan bailout taught investors that Uncle Sam would reward them for making bad financial decisions, a similar mortgage bailout would leave lenders and borrowers unaccountable for their own decisions, teaching the next generation of lenders and borrowers to make the same bad choices. Capitalism relies on both success and failure to create prosperity. We shield ourselves from those failures at the cost of our own prosperity in the future.

When it was first created in 1913, the Federal Reserve system served as a lender of last resort to commercial banks, providing stability and security to a financial system prone to panics and runs on the bank. By holding large capital reserves, the Fed could provide instant liquidity to troubled banks, which only hold a fraction of their assets at any one time. Fractional reserves allow banks to lend money and are a key to America's spectacular economic growth over the last century.

While the Fed chairman and board of governors are appointed by the president, the Fed is a private institution. Once confirmed, its members are accountable only to themselves. Giving such an institution more power over our financial lives is ill-conceived. What we need is a more reserved approach.

Over the decades, the Fed has become increasingly ambitious in its intervention in the economy. By setting the prime rate at which it lends money, the Fed has the power to raise and lower interest rates nationally. These periodic decisions are the most anticipated financial news in the nation and influence investment decisions globally. By attempting to continually fine-tune interest rates to modulate inflation and unemployment, the Fed often overcorrects and causes the swings in the business cycle that it is trying to avoid. We need less intervention from the Federal Reserve. Attempts to control the most powerful and dynamic economic engine in history are bound to have unintended consequences, such as our current economic plight.

We need more capitalism and freer markets, not less. We need banks and businesses to face the consequences of their decisions, not be shielded from failure by politicians and bureaucrats. This proposal would stifle innovation and competition in banking, insurance and other financial services and would threaten the financial privacy of all Americans. We don't need socialized banking any more than socialized medicine.

(Grant Bosse of Hillsboro is seeking the Republican nomination in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District.)

Bosse in; four seek Hodes’ seat

2/21/2008 by Jake Barry

Keene Sentinel

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have their eyes on the ball, according to Grant D. Bosse, a Hillsboro native and newly announced candidate for Congress.

Bosse’s just not sure they’re looking at the right field, he said.

“I’ve seen far too much of Roger Clemens on C-Span lately,” said Bosse, 35, a former journalist, Statehouse worker, and staffer for U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, R-N.H.

Bosse declared his intentions Monday to seek the Republican nomination for New Hampshire’s 2nd District seat, currently held by Democrat Paul W. Hodes. The district covers Cheshire and Sullivan counties, among other areas.

“I’ve seen (U.S. Sen.) Arlen Specter talk about the New England Patriots videotaping practices,” he said. “Next week, we might have hearings on pass interference. ... I don’t think we’re concentrating on the important issues.”

The vital issues facing the residents of New Hampshire’s 2nd District as November’s election approaches are similar to those facing most Americans, Bosse said — national defense, border security and expanding government, among others.

But the most important concern facing local Republican voters may be the party itself, he said.

“We’ve seen the Republicans in Washington lose their way,” said Bosse, the fourth Republican candidate to enter the 2nd District race.

N.H. Sen. Robert Clegg of Hudson, former newspaper columnist Jennifer Horn of Nashua, and Concord lawyer R. James Steiner have all declared their intentions to run.

In 2006, “a lot of Republican voters stayed home because they didn’t see a lot of differences in who was running things,” he said. “I think it’s time someone stood up and said ‘we’ve had enough of that.’ ”

Bosse visited The Sentinel between campaign stops Wednesday to answer questions about his experience, his priorities and his congressional ambitions.

Question:

What made you decide to run for Congress?

Answer:

“I’ve always admired people that are involved in politics ... for the right reasons. They think that they can serve their community and share their opinions. I think it’s my turn to offer myself and then let the voters decide.”

Question:

What about your range of experience qualifies you for the job?

Answer:

“I haven’t run for elected office, but I’ve been around (politics) at the local level. I’ve covered school boards and boards of selectmen (as a reporter and news anchor for radio stations in Manchester and Lebanon).

“At the state level, I’ve worked at the Statehouse and saw a lot of remarkable men and women work for $100 a year, giving a lot of time. And at the federal level, I’ve spent the last five years with the staff of Sen. John Sununu. So at all those levels I’ve seen government work and I’ve seen the price we pay when it doesn’t work.”

Question:

What isn’t working now?

Answer:

“I think we need a few less congressmen looking to make a deal and a few more looking to make a stand.

“We have too many people in Congress right now who think they know all the answers, that they can make decisions for people. I’m running so that Congress will make fewer decisions for people and return that power back to individuals and families.

“My general view is that government policies should try to maximize personal freedom and personal responsibility. ... (Hodes’) first instinct is to see what government program can solve a problem. My first instinct is to see what government program is causing a problem.”

Question:

So how do you fix Washington?

Answer:

“From my Statehouse days, my favorite rule in the N.H. House says that every bill, no matter how inconvenient or annoying it might be to those in power, has to come to the floor.

And every representative can demand a debate on that bill, so no idea can be thrown in a drawer until every member of that 400-member House has at least a chance to debate it. That’s certainly not the case in Washington.

“For instance, last week, Congress adjourned, went on vacation, while letting our Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expire. That leaves a gap in our ability to monitor foreign terror suspects. ... It would’ve passed the House, but (House leaders) wouldn’t bring it to a vote. (They) stuck it in a drawer.

“You can’t do that in New Hampshire, but you can do that in Washington. I think that’s an abuse of power.”

Jake Berry can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1435, or jberry@keenesentinel.com.

Bosse ‘94 to run for Congress

2/19/08 By Turia Lahlou, Dartmouth Staff

The Dartmouth

Grant Bosse ‘94 announced that he will enter the Republican primary for the Congressional seat representing New Hampshire’s second district on Monday’s WTSL radio show “Your Turn with Terri Dudley.” The seat is currently held by Rep. Paul Hodes ‘72, D—N.H.
Other Republicans competing in the primary include Nashua radio talk show host Jennifer Horn, Hudson state Senator Bob Clegg and Concord lawyer Jim Steiner.
Bosse said that all of the candidates running make up a strong field.
“We all have unique experiences,” Bosse, who spent five years working for Sen. John Sununu, R—N.H., said in an interview with The Dartmouth. “My experiences are
at the local, state and national level. My experience informs me as a candidate and informs me as a congressman. I am happy to defend free speech, free people and free markets.”
Bosse said his main reasons for running for office are to eliminate budgetary earmarks, allocations of funds for lawmakers’ pet projects, and to “return Congress to its core priorities.”

“The current incumbent ran against earmarks and now he does it,” Bosse said. “Our current congressman has voted to put earmarks on everything. I don’t want reform, I want to abolish them.”

Currently on the campaign trail, Bosse spent the day in the Upper Valley in New London, Lebanon, Littleton and Hanover. During his visit to Dartmouth, Bosse spoke with on student radio station 99 Rock, met with students in the afternoon and spoke to the College Republicans. “New Hampshire takes its politics seriously,” he said. “If you don’t meet them and look them in the eye, you won’t get their vote.”
Bosse said he believes his platform will appeal to students and the College overall because he said the federal government tries to intervene with individuals too often.
“Congress should be making fewer decisions for students at Dartmouth,” he said.

Recently, Congress has investigated the endowments of major colleges and universities. A federal law has been proposed that would force certain institutions to spend a set percentage of their endowment on financial aid. Upon hearing of Dartmouth’s new financial aid initiative, which would most likely conform to Congress’s regulations, Bosse said he is proud of the College, but not
of Congress.

“As a Dartmouth alum I’m thrilled that Dartmouth is using more resources for those who need it,” Bosse said.“As a candidate for Congress, it is not my business.
Dartmouth fought for control and independence before. I am not Daniel Webster, but he served as a good model.”

Bosse majored in government and said he has a longstanding interest in politics. His Dartmouth experience — which included involvement in the campus radio station, The Beacon and taking political classes — influenced his decision to run for office, he said.

“My views on politics evolved as a Dartmouth student,” Bosse said. “It was great being able to interact and debate with students from all parts of the political spectrum.”

Bosse’s political career started as a reporter at WGIR where he covered politics locally. He worked in the New Hampshire state house before working for Sununu. He was first responsible for issues relating to taxes, budget and social security, then shifted to the position of staff director of the National Ocean Policy Study and then worked on energy and environmental policy.

If Bosse receives the Republican nomination and wins the general election, he would be the third consecutive Dartmouth graduate to hold the seat. Voters cast their ballots for the primary on Sept. 9 and the general Congressional election on Nov. 4.

Journalist is 4th GOP hopeful in race
2/18/08 By Kevin Landrigan, Telegraph Staff

Nashua Telegraph

CONCORD – A veteran journalist and state and federal political staffer became the fourth Republican candidate to officially seek his party's nomination to the 2nd Congressional District seat Monday. Grant Bosse, 35, of Hillsborough, formally entered the race for the right to oppose first-term Democratic congressman Paul Hodes during a Lebanon radio talk show on WTSL-AM, where he once worked as a
program director.

"I think we've got an outstanding field; we each have unique experiences. Mine has been at the local level as a reporter, and then at the state and federal level as a staffer," Bosse said during a telephone interview. "I have seen how government works and seen the price we pay when it doesn't work, as well."

Hodes defeated five-term Republican congressman Charles Bass by crusading against earmarked federal spending, Bosse said. He now accuses Hodes of embracing pork barrel spending as a member of the majority party in the U.S. House.

"He campaigned against earmarks, but he has adopted those same habits and is part and parcel of the Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha style of governing," Hodes said, referring to the House speaker and a ranking Democratic leader on federal spending.

"We don't need earmarks to make sure, for example, that New Hampshire roads and bridges get paid for by the Highway Trust Fund."

Bosse joins the GOP race that already includes state Sen. Robert Clegg, of Hudson, former Telegraph columnist and radio talk show host Jennifer Horn and Concord lawyer James Steiner.

This is Bosse's first run for elective office. His father, Leigh, was once majority leader in the House of Representatives and a weekly newspaper publisher.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Bosse worked for WGIR in Manchester for several years before joining the Lebanon radio station as a news anchor.

He later became a policy aide in the state House majority leader's office and was press secretary to then- Gov. Craig Benson during his unsuccessful, re-election
bid in 2004.*

After that race, Bosse worked for nearly five years on the staff of Republican Sen. John E. Sununu specializing on environmental issues.

If elected, Bosse vowed to bring the transparency that marks politics in Concord to Washington.

"In New Hampshire, no idea can be killed in committee or thrown in a drawer to be ignored, not until every member has at least the chance to debate it," Bosse
said.

"It is this spirit of open and accountable government that I want to bring to Congress," he said.

In his formal remarks, Bosse blamed both parties for spendthrift ways that have created historic, federal budget deficits and increased power for special interest groups.
"But I've seen a Republican Congress lose its way in a maze of earmark spending and favor trading," Bosse said."I've seen a Democratic Congress, who came to power
on promises to clean up the system, adopt the corrupt practices of their predecessors, and even invent a few of their own."

On entitlements, Bosse said he supports letting workers younger than 45 create private retirement accounts of their own to sustain Social Security."We need to get started now," Bosse said. "We can't ignore the problem any longer and delay changing the structure for the program."

Bosse supports building a fence along the entire southern border to reduce illegal immigration and mocked the commitment of Hodes to the issue."It's an election year so Paul Hodes has discovered there's an illegal immigration problem," said Bosse of
Hodes, who took a taxpayer-paid, fact-finding trip to San Diego earlier this month.

"His solution is a virtual fence. He thinks cameras and motion detectors can do the job, and he's wrong." Bosse lived in New Hampshire all but the first 12 days of his life. He was born in Omaha, Neb., while his father was stationed in the Air Force.

"I remember Litchfield Republican Loren Jean once put in a bill that said you could consider yourself a native if you lived in New Hampshire all your life, except those
early days when your parents did not through no fault of your own," Bosse said.

"I really liked that bill."

Kevin Landrigan can be reached at 224-8804 or klandrigan@nashua telegraph.com.

*Correction: Grant Bosse served as Press Secretary and Political Director for Benson for Governor in 2002.

Announcement of Grant Bosse
February 18, 2008

Congress is broken. I’d like to help fix it.

I grew up in Hillsboro, New Hampshire, and attended Hillsboro-Deering public schools. I came to Dartmouth for college, and I’ve spent my adult life in and around government at the local, state, and federal levels. I’ve seen government when it works, and I’ve seen the consequences New Hampshire families have to pay when it doesn’t. Today, I’m stepping forward as a Candidate for Congress, and I promise to use what I’ve learned here in New Hampshire to help return Congress to the American people.

As a radio reporter in Manchester and in Lebanon, I saw my neighbors volunteer their time and energy to help their communities. I interviewed Selectmen and School Board members who were debating the future of their towns. I attended Town Meetings and saw true democracy in action. I helped local charities collect money for good causes, Christmas presents for poor children, and blood donations for those in need.

At the State House, I worked with some exceptional men and women who ran for office for all the right reasons. It wasn’t for power, or glory, or the $100 per year salary. They put their names on the ballot in the honest belief that they could represent their communities. My favorite lesson from those years is the rule that every bill introduced must come to the House floor, where a handful of our 400 Representatives can insist on a roll call vote. In New Hampshire, no idea can be killed in Committee or thrown in a drawer to be ignored; not until every member has at least the chance to debate it. It is this spirit of open and accountable government that I hope to bring to Congress.

Over the past five years, I’ve been proud to serve on the Washington staff of Senator John Sununu. During that time, I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would about the budget process, Social Security, energy and environmental policy, and a host of other issues. But I’ve also seen a Republican Congress lose its way in a maze of special earmarks and favor trading. I’ve seen a Democratic Congress who came to power on promises to clean up the system immediately adopt the corrupt abuses of their predecessors, as well as invent a few new abuses all their own. John Sununu has never been reluctant to stand up to those in power, whether they were Democrats or Republicans. But he’s in the minority, and he could use some reinforcements.

I’m running to restore Congress to its true priorities, and to restore our faith in our elected officials.

Congress’s first priority has to the defense of their great nation. Our Congressmen have the easy job here. No one is asking them to kick a door down, or build coalitions between rival sects in a once violent village. All our Congressmen have to do is provide our military men and women with the tools, the training, and the mission they need to defend us. Over the past year, we’ve found a mission that’s working. Paul Hodes said it wouldn’t work; it couldn’t work; that is was doomed from the start. Paul Hodes was wrong.

Paul Hodes had an opportunity to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan last year when a bill to provide them with emergency funding came before Congress. Instead, he sided with Nancy Pelosi and Jack Murtha, who saw such an essential bill as the perfect opportunity to pass more pork barrel spending at the expense of the American taxpayer. Paul Hodes voted for this bloated and irresponsible bill, and he opposed all efforts to remove this waste and corruption from the overall package. Fortunately, Senate Republicans insisted on passing a clean military funding bill, and they prevailed. Paul Hodes voted against it.

We can not maintain national security without securing our nation’s borders. Our immigration system is incapable of providing a proper path for those who want to come to this country legally to build a better life. And Congress is unwilling to support real reforms that would deter illegal immigration. How can be blame foreigners who ignore our immigration laws when our elected officials ignore them everyday? The first step to restoring the public’s faith in our immigration system is to build a fence along our southern border. Congress has authorized such a fence, but has consistently refused to fund it. It’s an election year, so Paul Hodes has suddenly discovered that we have an illegal immigration problem. His solution is a virtual fence. He thinks cameras and motion detectors can do the job, and he’s wrong.

After several years of robust growth, our economy is slowing down. The American economic engine is the most powerful in the world, but even it could not keep pace with the obscene growth in federal spending. Democrats and Republicans have consistently outbid each other for your approval, driving up spending, ignoring the growing instability of Medicare and Social Security, and burdening the next generation with an historic debt. This has led to a system with no respect for your tax dollars. They are trying to buy your votes, and are using your money to do it. In short, they have legalized bribery. There is no way to reform such corrupt practices.

We must abolish them. We must free the economy from the oppressive taxes, regulations, and mandates that stifle growth and prosperity. Congress is looking for ways to stimulate the economy. Here’s a hint. Before you step on the gas, take your foot off the brake. The American economy will recover more quickly as soon as Congress stops trying to help.

I believe in free people, free markets, and free speech, and I relish the chance to defend these ideas. I’m looking forward to this campaign, and I ask you to join me.

Reflections on Reaganism

By Grant Bosse

February 6th would have been Ronald Reagan’s 97th birthday. When I first wrote about Reagan’s legacy over a decade ago, conventional wisdom held that the Gipper was an affable and charming leader; the Great Communicator, who used his skills as an actor to guide America through the upbeat 80’s. I argued at the time that Reagan’s legacy had more to do with his substance than his style; more to do with his ideas and conviction than with his warmth and humor. Now, nearly twenty years removed from Reagan’s time in office, history has taken note of his greatness.

I’m gratified that Ronald Wilson Reagan’s place in history has grown over the years, because I’m a bit biased. I’ve been a Reagan fan since I was seven. I got the afternoon off from school to go see the former Governor of California at a campaign stop in downtown Hillsboro. Growing up around the First in the Nation Primary has its perks. I remember shaking the hand of the man who would be one of America’s greatest Presidents. In fact, the campaign poster he signed for me that day has followed me from job to job over the past fifteen years, slightly faded over the years, but still inspiring.

My admiration for the man grew as I grew to understand the ideas Reagan promoted. He spoke of freedom not as a cliché, but as a basic right of all people and a guiding principle for government. He stood up to an Evil Empire, and challenged it to tear down the wall that trapped millions in tyranny. He renewed America’s faith in itself, and was never ashamed about the economic, political, and military strength that we possess. He always saw America as a shining city on a hill. And he relied on this strength to win the Cold War, as he knew that the Soviet Union could not hope to match our combination of freedom, democracy, and capitalism.

As we mark Reagan’s birthday, remember the anecdotes; asking the doctors removing an assassin’s bullet if they were all Republicans, and later telling Nancy that he forgot to duck; promising Walter Mondale not to use his opponent’s youth and inexperience against him; and reminding Nashua Telegraph Editor Jon Breen that “I paid for this microphone.” Remember Reagan’s charm. Remember Reagan’s humor. But please, remember the core values that Ronald Reagan promoted, and the strength of character he showed by sticking to them.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

Grant Bosse is a Hillsboro resident and potential Congressional candidate. He won the New Hampshire Young Republicans “Gipper” Award in 2002.