Sununu: Bush Not Welcome in NH
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., has a message for President Bush: Stay away from New Hamsphire next year.
Sununu, considered one of the most vulnerable senators in his re-election bid next year, says in an interview set to air Sunday that he’ll be better off without the president coming to the Granite State on his behalf.
"I think the president’s popularity, unfortunately, is at a fairly low level," Sununu tells Bloomberg TV’s "Political Capital with Al Hunt." "Certainly, it’s not very high in New Hampshire. And in general, campaigns, especially in New Hampshire [are] town-to-town, and it’s person-to-person."
Sununu won a narrow election to his first Senate term in 2002 over Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, and a late visit by the president was credited in some circles with helping him to victory. But since then, New Hampshire has turned solidly against the president: It was the only state Bush won in 2000 that he lost in 2004, and voters there last year turned out both Republican incumbent US House members and replaced them with Democrats.
A University of New Hampshire poll released this week had Sununu losing 54-38 in a hypothetical rematch against Shaheen, who has not yet committed to making another Sunate run.
The comments mark the most direct statement by a GOP senator up for reelection next year suggesting that the president won’t be welcome on the campaign trail. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., who has turned solidly against the war in Iraq, told Politico earlier this week that he was not "pursuing" an event with the president, but did not rule out getting his help.
Sununu is coming under intense pressure to turn against the president on the war, in part because of all the attention New Hampshire gets in the presidential primaries.
"It is important for the people of New Hampshire and all across the country to say to the senators in a respectful way that if you recognize it is time to change course, then you’ve got to vote in order to change course," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said Thursday at a campaign stop, according to the Concord Monitor.
Sununu, whose father was chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush, says in the interview that he’s not concerned that New Hampshire may be turning more Democratic.
"We certainly went through a very difficult election in 2006, but the electorate hasn’t changed dramatically in New Hampshire since 2004," he says. I think people just want us to focus on a fiscal responsibility, and Republicans in Washington moved away from that."
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Sununu thinks like a cavedweller. NH is a beautiful state and deserves better than a knuckle dragger like him.
Posted by: Chas | July 20, 2007, 3:23 pm 3:23 pm
Oh please President Bush help john out.
Posted by: sandra l | July 20, 2007, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
What a jerk. Who is he to tell the president where he shouldn’t go? Get real.
Posted by: someguy | July 20, 2007, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
I will not apologize for saying a bad word about Pres. Bush no matter how stubbornly he persists on pursuing a failed strategy in Iraq, or no matter how much he politicizes our Justice Dept., or no matter how many tax breaks he gives to the richest 1% of America, or no matter how many fat no –bid contracts his administration hands out to defense contractors, or no matter how much he denies global warming. Wake up is all I have to say !
Posted by: Bobby | July 20, 2007, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
For Sununu, it will be too little too late when he pulls the final defection. He will not survive 2008, Sununu’s political career is now down the porcelain tube.
Posted by: Butch Dillon | July 20, 2007, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
It’s too late now for Sununu. You went along with Bush in Iraq & Immigration. Suffer the consequences. Bye, bye.
Posted by: marc | July 20, 2007, 8:28 pm 8:28 pm
I will hold my nose and let Sununu go down the tubes – as garbage is supposed to. As usual with backed up water, a lib will arise. No matter. We already lost the Senate majority, now it’s time for the Rhinos to go back to the Zoo. Hey, McCain, Lindsay and Chuck, wanna peanut?
Talking about zoos, how about a nice way to lose him even sooner – join the Dems John.
In case you missed it, the initials R-N.H. stand for “Rhino, No Heart”
No Amnesty for you Senator!!
Posted by: Richard Corning | July 20, 2007, 11:09 pm 11:09 pm
I am from NH and Sununu has been up Bush’s butt right up until now when it’s time for re-election. Good luck. Not happening here. He’s thinks like Bush. Has agreed 100% with him. Fat chance!
Posted by: Joyce | July 21, 2007, 5:58 am 5:58 am
I hope he goes down, along with Sen. Spector as well. Considering the poll numbers on the Congress, I hope they clean house of all the dead weight. Dems an Repubs. He may want the President not to show up, but he will certainly take his money. Man has no backbone.
Posted by: homjett | July 21, 2007, 9:07 am 9:07 am
Let`s hope Bush goes to New Hampshire and finishes the only good thing he ever started, the destruction of the phoney Rove Republican Party. Then maybe we can get some real Republicans back in charge.
Posted by: A Viet Nam Vet | July 21, 2007, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
Yes, Bush numbers are coming out from under his feet, I always say…”When you blow up the bottom of a building the top will come down with it” he was on top of the world at one time now the middle is falling out, and if we continue going in the direction we are as a country, -He’s going to come down right alone with everyone else-.
If he can’t stop gangbanging in the United States how can he completely stop the fighting oversees.
Home comes first and if he knew anything about the streets he would know that…”The more you push the enemy the more the enemy fights” and people on the streets or those of such manners don’t care about life or death esp. if they don’t have a purpose
“Without knowledge the people perish”.
Yes, we do have to defend our country but as my daughter stated…”We are bringing our men and women home from the war, it’s just that they are all coming home dead.
He says he’s against abortion, but I wonder…how does he think all these parents feel when they have to bury a child they held in their arms as a baby, and looked into their eyes for years.
I believe that’s much harder to take, and no I am not for abortion. Does he rally care.
Sincerely,
Annette Cullors
Posted by: Annette Cullors | July 21, 2007, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
It gets very confusing, they are against him but they still vote with him, and they say Kerry was the “flip-flopper.”
Posted by: unshrub | July 21, 2007, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
Shame on you Sununu,you are either a republican or not, make a decision for God’s sake.
Posted by: Lenny | July 21, 2007, 9:50 pm 9:50 pm
One cannot be “pro war” and “pro life” at the same time.
Posted by: Dennis | July 22, 2007, 1:16 am 1:16 am
If he wins or looses next term will depend on how he voted! With little George or againt him. Don’t matter rep. or dem. it is rather you used your own brain (not the party) and voted for what was right, and most important of all, what Americans wanted!
Posted by: drwfll | July 22, 2007, 9:29 am 9:29 am
someguy:
another brainwashed repub?…I’d be willing to tell Dubya where he could go…and the climate there would be very hot.
Posted by: Ramage100 | July 22, 2007, 11:54 am 11:54 am
Hmmm, I’m surprised I’m the only one that thinks Senator Sununu is doing an ok job (maybe it’s because I live in NH).
He’s one of the few mavericks left in the party and I respect that. He’s got a good dose of Ron Paul’s libertarianism in him and he was willing to stand on principle (and away from the President) on torture, the Patriot Act, and immigration.
If conservatism is going to have a chance going forward, people need to stop blindly following the current crew of big government/big brother conservative posers.
Posted by: Jim | July 22, 2007, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm