NH CRs hear from Congressional candidates

HANOVER- On night when many college students would be out partying, fifty-five New Hampshire College Republicans gathered to hear speeches from four Congressional candidates. 

The College Republicans were attending their fifth statewide convention.

The Republicans heard from State Sen. Bob Clegg (R-Hudson), Grant Bosse (R-Hillsboro), John Stephen (R-Manchester) and former Congressman Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro).  New Hampshire Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen and Matt Bartlett, a field organizer from the ONE campaign, also spoke to the group. 

"If you really want to have an impact. You can do it in New Hampshire this year by getting involved in some of the races here," Cullen said. "In politics it's a meritocracy. The fact that you are young is not held against you; in fact it's an asset." 

Cullen told the group that the state party would be creating a program in which paid interns would be trained to manage campaigns for the State Senate, Executive Council and County levels.

"I'm running for the United States Congress because I belief that Congress has let you folks down. I don't belief that Congress is acting in our best interest. There's been inaction, discourse, disservice, inattentiveness to the needs of the people and really not representing New Hampshire values," Stephen said.

"We can take back Congress again, but first we have to take back the Republican Party. We need candidates who refuse to participate in earmarking," Bosse said. "We need candidates willing to stand up for free speech, free people, and free markets. Good enough is not good enough anymore. We deserve to be inspired by our candidates. You should demand to be inspired!" 

Clegg began his speech by arguing that people "shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater."

"We have two people in Congress, Judd Gregg and John Sununu, who have done the very best they can in representing the values of New Hampshire." 

"I'm going to go out on a limb and talk about earmarks. I'm going to remind you all that the Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth has 5,000 jobs and it's been with earmarks that the state of New Hampshire, as long as with Maine, has been able to maintain that shipyard. How about we shed some more light on earmarks?" Clegg said.

Bradley spent the majority of his speech contrasting his policies with those of Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter's (D-Rochester). 

"We've seen different priorities. Carol Shea-Porter: tax increases, spending increases, no border security, pulling-the-rug from out under our troops, not supporting the Second Amendment and the list goes on-and-on." 

"It's your help that is going to turn this state around. You and thousands of other people across this state working together. We can do it."

The College Republicans ended their convention by re-electing Dartmouth student Greg Boguslavsky as Chairman.