Manchester Dems roast Buckley

MANCHESTER- On the morning of the Manchester St. Patrick's Day parade, city Democrats took the opportunity to roast state party chairman Ray Buckley.

Roasters ranged from Gov. John Lynch (D-Hopkinton), Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester), former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D-Madbury), State Sen. Lou D'Allesandro (D-Manchester), House Speaker Terie Norelli (D-Portsmouth) and former party chairwoman Kathy Sullivan.

"A lot of people told me the Democratic Party would go up in smoke if Ray Buckley was elected chair. I didn't know they met it literally," Lynch said. "But at least Raymond you're holding this event in a nice joint."

Shea-Porter used her recent trip to Iraq to poke fun at Buckley.

"I'm in this little helicopter and they tell me 'here put this over your ears to protect you' and I hear a voice saying 'are you raising money,'" Shea-Porter said.

"Only Ray Buckley and his successor, Chris Pappas, would hold a fundraiser breakfast with an ATM blinking sign," Dave Lang said. Lang is the president of the New Hampshire chapter of the International Associated of Firefighters.

State Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-Exeter) said, "I did get lost this morning. I stopped by a convent to ask for directions and I came across three little nuns who were talking about Raymond. I hadn't heard language like that since I watched some of Raymond's old home videos on Youtube."

Highlighting the Democratic presidential contest, Buckley said that he will remain an uncommitted superdelegate.

"I was disappointed to see Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama was not at pot of gold sponsors, so I will remain uncommitted," Buckley said.