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POLITICAL DIARY
While the presidential primary dominates the headlines, the race for the Republican nomination for governor continues to take shape. Last week, Jeffrey Howard, who was attorney general when Stephen Merrill was governor and remains a close friend, announced he has formed an exploratory committee, headed up by longtime GOP activist Bruce Berke of Bow. State Senator Jim Squires of Hollis, a retired surgeon and an income tax supporter, says he has lined up about 100 people for an exploratory committee but doesn't expect to take any action until February or March.
Seacoast businessman Bill Cahill confirmed he has had some ''preliminary discussions'' with people about the governor's race, but ''that's as far as it's gone.'' Cahill was active last year with the Committee for Sensible School Funding, which lobbied against an income tax and in favor of narrowing the school aid plan to those towns that demonstrated a need for help.
So far, the most aggressive moves among the GOP hopefuls have been made by former US senator Gordon Humphrey, a ''voracious campaigner,'' as one insider said, who has been ''underestimated'' in the past. Supporters wearing Friends of Gordon Humphrey stickers were impossible to miss, along with Humphrey himself, at last week's Republican fund-raising bash in Durham. He is expected to announce his candidacy in April.
Many people expect that Humphrey's opponents, particularly the Democrats, will try to portray him as too far to the political right to win support from New Hampshire voters today. The voting record of Squires in the Senate and his support of the income tax puts him more to the liberal side. Howard seemed to be trying to stake out middle ground, describing himself as a ''traditional Yankee conservative'' in a press release. It also said that Berke and Howard were both ''mainstream conservatives'' and that they agree on ''major issues like low taxes and quality education for our children.''
In an interview he said the way for the GOP to win is to choose a ''mainstream'' candidate with appeal across the party.'' On funding public education, Howard who opposes an income tax, said, ''I do not believe we should go backward. I want to go forward, but I don't want to break the bank.'' The Nashua Telegraph reported that Howard's idea is to target education aid based on the income level of school district residents.
If Squires enters the race, which is widely anticipated, that means both parties will have income tax supporters on the ballot, both of whom are veterans of two years of warfare in the Legislature about how to raise revenue for education. On the Democratic side, state Senator Mark Fernald of Sharon is expected to challenge Governor Jeanne Shaheen, should she decide to seek a third term. Presumably, those primary election results will give some indication of how voters feel about the contentious income tax issue. He said last week that he has scheduled some ''coffees'' with potential supporters, he is working on a Web site and other materials and, of course, is raising money.
Debate in Alton will deal with taxes
Fernald also planned to participate in a debate yesterday in Alton with state Senator Mary Brown, a Republican from Chichester, about the tax issue. A group called The Coalition for a National Referendum organized that event and plans others in Moultonborough, Sunapee, Hampton Falls and Seabrook, according to its spokesman, Myron Goretzky of Concord.
Goretzy, some will recall, ran in the GOP primary for the 2d Congressional District seat in 1994, and, by his own account, only talked about referendums. He said he believes that people who are paying taxes ought to be heard directly about issues. His group is currently holding a referendum on the Internet about the Claremont funding case. the address is www.nationalreferendum.org.
After Bush event, workers are mum
It is routine for reporters to interview voters after they have heard from a presidential candidate in what is loosely described these days on the campaign trail as a ''town meeting.'' But not at Scudder Kemper Investments Inc. in Salem. Company employees who jammed into a conference room recently to hear from Texas Governor George W. Bush and ask him questions were under orders not to talk afterward.
Why? ''It's corporate policy not to respond,'' said site manager Scott David, who said the policy applies whenever any candidate visits the place. He went on to say that Bush's appearance was not a ''political event.'' Oh. ''It's a conservative approach,'' David said. Do the employees ever complain about the rule? No, he said. They are allowed to talk ''off the property,'' he said.
Let it be said that all employees we tried to interview dutifully abided by the company gag rule, shaking their heads mutely or just politely saying ''No comment.''
Bauer's little test provokes response
Representative Charlie Vaughn(D-Portsmouth) wasn't going to sit there and take it when presidential candidate Gary Bauer, speaking to the Legislature, criticized Concord High School kids because they couldn't recite the 35 words from the Declaration of Independence that Bauer wanted to hear - the part about rights ''endowed by their Creator.'' Bauer, who has used this gimmick before at other high schools, offers $20 to anybody who gets it right.
Vaughn, who taught at Dover High School for 14 years, followed Bauer out of the House chamber and, in a bit of a testy exchange, accused him of being ''deceptive'' with the students because the clue he gives them to the words is misleading.
''The kids at least deserve some hint,'' Vaughn said.
''I gave them a hint,'' Bauer retorted.
''I think that's a bit overly crafty,'' Vaughn said later. ''I mean what is he trying to prove?'' said Vaughn, who supports Bill Bradley 's presidential campaign.
Dinner satisfies state GOP chairman
State GOP chairman Steve Duprey was absolutely gushing about the party fund-raiser at the Whittemore Center in Durham last week that featured all the surviving Republican candidates for president. He called it ''the greatest event in the history of the party'' in New Hampshire, reportedly raising more than $200,000.
One couldn't help but think ''Hooray for Hollywood'' when approaching the center, where huge spotlights were twirling beams of light into the sky. The seal of the Republican Party was beamed onto the side of the huge building, the University of New Hampshire sports facility. Inside, guests walked down long stairs onto a cherry red carpet that covered what is usually the ice hockey rink, packed with tables. Red, white and blue strobe lights shown down, giving members of the crowd a warm and fuzzy patriotic hue. GOP elephants, outlined in light, did slow somersaults across the empty stadium seats. Clips from old primaries, and ''Saturday Night Live'' imitations of President Clinton, played on huge screens while the Republicans dined on stuffed chicken. The candidates posed for a class picture and gave their stump speeches.
On the upper deck of the arena, high above the tables, usher Marlene Taylor, a Democrat from Dover, leaned back against a souvenir stand. ''This was good tonight,'' she said. She likes John McCain because ''he tells it like it is.'' She likes Bradley too, but not Vice President Al Gore, because he ''pussyfoots'' around things.
Her big issue? Health care. Her verdict on the GOP gala? ''It was a nice affair,'' she said.
Bush has the lead in Wall St. money
Wall Street security and investment houses gave $5.6 million to the major candidates in the first nine months of 1999, according to a newly released report. The big winner was Bush, the perceived front-runner nationwide, who received $2.6 million. The numbers were part of the fourth of a series of reports on campaign contributions put out by a coalition of citizen's groups called Money Watch 2000.
The report claims Wall Street has its eye on candidates who support some privatization of Social Security - meaning money would be invested in private markets to raise money for the Social Security fund. Money Watch says that could mean huge profits for Wall Street. Bush has said that Social Security reform should include personal retirement accounts, according to his campaign.
But the No. 2 candidate on the Wall Street contribution list, Democrat Bradley, has never supported privatization of Social Security, as Money Watch itself pointed out. He received $1.5 million, according to the report, which may just be a reflection of his longstanding success in raising money from Wall Street donors. Maybe it's just because he played for the New York Knicks. Who knows? Gore, who also opposes privatization, received just under $1 million. Even Money Watch acknowledges maybe Wall Street just wants to cover its bases and be friends with the ultimate winner, like everybody else who is forking over cash.
The candidate who has campaigned extensively for privatization, publisher Steve Forbes, received just $116,750, which may be testimony to Wall Street's view of his chances of winning, or to the fact that Forbes is paying for his own campaign and not beating the bushes for contributions. McCain, who supports allowing workers to invest their Social Security funds, received $357,000, the report said.
The report says Wall Street also gave $2.9 million to the Republican Party and $1.8 million to the Democratic Party during this election cycle.
Young activists jump into action
Attention candidates. If you see some people on the campaign trail wearing jumpsuits and parachute rigs, and doling out little parachute toys, they are part of the New Hampshire Youth Action team and they want to talk to you about saving Social Security. They say using the budget surplus for tax cuts they don't expect they'll ever see, or allowing ''risky'' private retirement accounts, is like throwing the younger generation out an airplane without a parachute. Their slogan: ''We don't want to freefall.''
Got a tip or a comment from the campaign trail, state government or town hall? The Political Diary wants to hear from you at The Boston Globe/New Hampshire Weekly, 1650 Elm St., Manchester, NH 03101, or by e-mail at Kiernan@globe.com. Please include home and work telephone numbers.
This story ran on page 04 of the Boston Globe's New Hampshire Weekly on 1/16/2000.
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