Establishment GOP Turns on State Party’s Tea Party-Affiliated Leader
- Posted on August 26, 2011 at 8:52am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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CONCORD, N.H. (The Blaze/AP) — The state‘s embattled GOP chairman says he won’t resign despite pressure to quit from top party leaders.
Jack Kimball, a tea party activist, says he represents a movement that‘s much larger than him and that’s crucial to the party’s future. HuffPo describes him as “a 64-year-old small business owner from Dover who founded a Tea Party group in 2009,“ and who calls himself ”the first Tea Partier to be elected chairman of the Republican Party in the nation.”
Kimball held firm even as U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and a majority of the party’s executive board called for new leadership in a letter dated Wednesday. HuffPo explains the letter:
The letter to Kimball bore 22 names from the 36-member state executive committee in support of a vote on his removal, including the handwritten signatures of the top seven Republican officials in the state: Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Rep. Frank Guinta, Rep. Charlie Bass, state Senate President Peter Bragdon, state House Speaker Bill O’Brien, national committeewoman Phyllis Woods and national committeeman Steve Duprey. Only 19 votes are needed to oust Kimball as state party chairman.
We respect Jack Kimball, and appreciate all the personal time and effort he has made on behalf of the New Hampshire Republican Party. But to ensure that all of the party’s energy and resources are solely focused on electing Republicans, we believe it is time to move beyond this serious distraction,” the elected leaders said in a separate statement.
“Therefore, we call upon Jack to put the best interests of New Hampshire Republicans first and step aside as chairman of the party.”
The board will vote Sept. 1 on whether to remove Kimball.
Some Republicans are unhappy about recent GOP losses in special elections for House seats. Some raised concerns about the lack of cash in the party’s accounts. Two events in recent weeks coalesced support for Kimball’s ouster.
At a special election in Barrington two weeks ago, Kimball signed a petition he thought was in support of giving a Libertarian Party candidate access to a ballot line. It was actually a petition to give Libertarians broader access to ballots in general.
Last week, Kimball fired popular GOP executive director Will Wrobleski.
Former GOP state chairman Fergus Cullen said Kimball’s signing of the Libertarian petition was “a critical tipping point.”
“Firing Wrobleski compounded the problem,” Cullen said. “Both got people saying he’s got to go.”
Rep. Shawn Jasper, a Hudson Republican, said he found it “horrifying that a Republican Party chairman thought it was a good idea to have another candidate, not a Republican, run against a Republican.”
“That was simply it for me,” Jasper said. “It appears quite frankly to me at this point that he’s trying to destroy the Republican Party.”
Kimball says ousting him will create a deep divide in the party. He says the party’s lean coffers are a result of his efforts to retire old debt.
At a press conference Thursday, Kimball stressed his tea party affiliation and blamed the rift on differences between the tea party and what he described as “the establishment.”
“One of the major goals of my chairmanship is to help the party move into the future, but sadly there are some who are still stuck in the past,” Kimball said.
Bill Foley, an executive committee member, confirmed the Tea Party vs. establishment rift in an e-mail to HuffPo. He wrote “the Chairman continues to refuse to reach out except to a very narrow group of what I consider to be radical fringe element of the Party who have overestimated their value and importance in the last election, and currently he continues to blame his predecessors and find coup[s] and conspiracies wherever he looks.” [Emphasis added]
Kimball said the request for his resignation “comes as quite a shock to me.” He remained adamant that he will not step down.
“You’ve got a small core of folks who are not happy I got elected,” Kimball said.
Kimball defended his fundraising capabilities. He said he raised $191,392 in the first half of this year, calling it the second-best performance for the first two quarters in the past eight years.
He confirmed he‘d been visited by O’Brien and Republican activist Jennifer Horn, who sought his resignation and told him the Republican Governors Association was prepared to donate $100,000 to state GOP coffers if he resigned.
“I won’t stand for that kind of deal-making, and neither will the voters,” Kimball said Thursday. “They deserve to know the truth.”






















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Comments (211)
MrHr1207
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:02am@ RED Meat! your name says it all go away propagandist! libertarians are constitutionalists
Report Post »dsm
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:58amSo sick of the establishment GOP. They are no better than the democrats. Most of them are just as responsible for the state this country is in now.
Report Post »Nothing is going to change until we can get rid of the establishment rats.
Bum thrower
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:35amYou are correct. The ‘political class’ Republicans just wanna live the good life; the Dems wanna destroy YOUR life so everyone is miserable. Just look at Detroit, and the other ‘lefitst’ run cities.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:24amYou don’t have to look at just Detroit anymore .. look at ALL of Michigan .. I am vacationing there (I have a cottage) hadn’t been in two years .. can’t believe how WORSE it has gotten throughout the state .. so depressing!
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:56amThey left out the fact that all your money goes to the sweat shops outside of the USA.
Report Post »Brad
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:56amA lot of people would call them RINO’s; but I would call them back-stabbing traitors to their country. They don’t deserve to be cheating the people who voted for them thinking they were country-first citizens and not One Worlders.
Tennessee RINOS that have to go are Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. Alexander is the worst of the two. Let’s get a list going and start a BLAZE campaign to get rid of them!
Would love to hear about your state’s US senators who fit in the “establishment” Republican box. Let’s trash them ALL… By the way…as much as I like/dislike Ron Paul, I’m more than happy to include Libertarians in the list to replace these RINOS… Paul may be wrong about our military, I would vote for him and not hold my nose like I did with McCain. Never again!
There are others who have strayed from the ideals and goals of the Republican Party on occasions, but not enough to have the ‘kiss of death’ label RINO placed before and after their names; but the most prominent and the most often seen names working in agreement with the ‘other party’ are these eleven culprits:
ANYBODY but John McCain, Arizona; Lindsey Graham, South Carolina; Olympia Snowe, Maine; Susan Collins, Maine; Scott Brown, Massachusetts; Chuck Grassley, Iowa; Lisa Murkowski, Alaska; Mark Kirk, Illinois; Richard Lugar, Indiana; Saxby Chamblis, Georgia; Johnny Isakson, Georgia; John Thune, South Dakota…
Report Post »BalancedInteger
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:23amJohn McCain – No Tea Partier, but an honorable man and a reliable conservative vote more often than not; Snowe, Collins, Brown – What sort of Republicans do you think are electable in the Northeast? Take the lesson of Christine O’Donnell to heart. RINOs are better than Democrats by a fair measure. John Thune – Are you for-realz? A rock-solid conservative vote. It’s post like the one above that make me question the reasoning powers of many Blazers. Agree with the rest of your list, though.
Report Post »Stopit
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:21amThe lesson of Christine O’Donnell is that the Republican establishment had better get behind and support and promote the duly elected nominee…even if its a tea party candidate and not your big government RINO selection. The same with all the NORTHEAST RINO’s. If not, there will be a third party called the TEA PARTY…and that in short order. Its about there now after the devastion made from our 2010 election landslide, helping OBAMA to rise with the ridiculous compromises made since then.
HOSS, add to the list:
Report Post »Kentucky – Mitch McConnell
Ohio – John Boehner
Stopit
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:31amPS John McCain makes me want to puke. If that is Conservative, then the Tea Party is not Conservative. It is Constitutional Patriotism from the perspective of our much more knowledgeable and learned founders. Global warming socialist redistribution schemes, policing the world but not our own borders, never seeing a war you don’t like, and to h$ll with costs is NOT what we are about.
Report Post »Brad
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 1:04pmBalancedInteger…I’m not going to try educate you, but I suggest you do just a LITTLE research before you post comments… Thune has not been a stellar Conservative. South Dakota can do better! His greatest accomplishments are doing nothing. Thune went on record dinging Jim DeMint for helping conservatives get elected. Thune also sided with Lisa Murkowski on her keeping her Senate seat. He is doing nothing to help tea party backed Senate candidates. He is not a friend!
The lesson we should take from Christine ODonnell is that the Republican establishment types do not back TEA Party Republicans! You do NOT have to be Harvard/Yale educated to represent us. In fact given their record, there should be a Conservative litmus test that no Republican candidate attend one of the Ivy league schools…
Report Post »mlcblog
Posted on August 27, 2011 at 1:32amA spade is definitely a spade.
Report Post »WarriorPitbull
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:49amNotice this red commie idiot spammer is linking to a site whose goods are SHIPPED DIRECTLY FROM CHINA. Read their ‘About Us’ page: http://www.clothes6.us/about.html
Report Post »miren
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:56amDefinitely from China. That’s how they type in english. It’s never perfect grammar. It‘s like a foreigner that’s not been here long enough using slang to sound cool but doesn’t.
Report Post »SanRemo1959
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:02amWhat’s wrong with importing from China? Many of us have become wealthy from the fruits that free enterprise has to offer. You’re not a China hating isolationist xenophobe are you? I hope not because only those pathetic commie libs are isolationist paciifist xenopobic China haters. Please explain your post unless you wish to be permanently labeled as such.
Report Post »WarriorPitbull
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:23amBuy from whom you want. I believe in the free market as much as anyone, but a Chinese company posing as a US company (.us) is dishonest not to mention the products are more likely than not, knock-offs of brand name products, which hurts those companies that originally produce the items and infringes on copyright laws. PLUS, to help OUR economy, we should focus on buying US products rather than sending more of our money to foreign entities that also hold a majority of our debt. Most people know and understand that.
BTW, I don’t give a **** what you think, you’re simply engaging in that overplayed liberal progressive tactic of projection.
Report Post »darkrage000
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:24amOh, i know these guys!
Report Post »Those are the ones who keep telling me that my World of Warcraft Account has been compromised!
(I dont play WoW either)
SYNJUNSMYTHE
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:49amThese people are one of the reasons America is now a socialist democracy,, here is a link to email these BASTARDS….http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/nhlinks/default.htm
Report Post »miren
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:49amThe Establishment is trying so hard to dismantle the Tea Party one by one. What they are doing is they are going after the less focused members of the Tea party, make them irrelevant and move onto the next to diminish the Tea Party Platform.
Report Post »SanRemo1959
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:04amThe more they call me the radical fringe the more radical and fringier I get. Bring it on if you got the goods!!
Report Post »poster
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:47amIt may take a few election cycles, but we need to rid ourselves of the RINOs. They don’t want the Tea Party messing up their good thing. When you take a step back and take a good hard look, there isn’t much of a difference between the Democrat politicians and the Republican politicians. Every two or four years, they ALL tell us how they will make things better, but things only get worse. Screw ‘em all. Re-elect no one.
Report Post »Ballot_Box_Revolution
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:00amI don’t know if we have a few more election cycles…
Report Post »donh2
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:41amStinks to high heaven…This is an effort to rig the primary in favor of Romney. If $100,000 has been offered for his firing, Tea Party should make a counter offer for him to stay.
Report Post »Ballot_Box_Revolution
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:59amThe Republican Party is now dead to me. After seeing all these tactics against Ron Paul, now this, and I am sure there is a lot more to come..It is obvious that they are no different than the Democrats. They want the same things, just in different ways.
Neither one of these parties actually care about the people, they just use the illusion that they do to get votes, and power. In the end it is all the same…..very sad….
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:01amThe Republican establishment party(power grabbing progressives) is dead or atleast dying. The rigged game in which voters had two choices with the same out come is OVER.
Report Post »The Tea Party is the FUTURE our country has moved so far off course that the new radicals are the constitutionalist.
donh2
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:26amIt seems to me these measures to remove a leader ought to be reserved for criminal ethical violations to get people out of office who steal money or distribute porn…but these impeachment proceedings are being abused by ideological fascists beating down people who simply poach upon the establishment mindset. It is in the New England states where the RINO country club disease is most entrenched. Small business are being eaten alive here by big bully government . The republican party is not interested in fighting hard for us nor are they interested in being replaced. There in lies the rub.
Report Post »FormerLib
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:42amThe Republican establishment cannot get it through their collective minds that it is in striking a stark contrast with libs, not offering a lighter version of them, that wins elections. If the party nominates Romney, who is by any measure a statist (Romneycare proved that beyond a doubt) then get ready for the pitchforks and torches. Republicans have to get over this obsession with electing “moderate’ candidates that libs will accept to keep the chair warm until libs can take it back. That’s what we have had since the Reagan presidency.
Report Post »reasonablysane
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:36amand the Executive board members are sending e-mails to the Huffington Post because …….? BECAUSE THEY ARE FREAKING RINOS…so maybe, just maybe they are the kind of “repulicans” who knew it was Bob Dole’s turn, it was G.H.W. Bush’s turn, it was John McCain’s turn…oh yeah RINOS A FINE TRADITION OF BACKING LOSERS SO THEY CAN REMAIN BUM-BOYS FOR THE BARNEY FRANK CROWD.
Report Post »ex-koolaide
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:46amExactly, Rino’s should just go over to the dark side, and try ruling the progressives.
Report Post »proudpatriot77
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:47amRINOs, your days are numbered. Fight if you want but the only way to survive is to be honest and switch parties. Maybe this is the cure for the Marxist move of the Demoncrats.
Report Post »MrHr1207
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:34amThe Tea Party need to focus on a bill that would outlaw executive orders and have their congressmen push it hard before its too late! They are no where in the constitution and are against checks and balances like you can already tell because they give the pres dictator powers! and also make all previous EO and PDD’s null and void !
Report Post »the58thstate
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:30amim fed up with these guys also. i keep hearing about how the gop isnt raising more money and this is why. i dont give to the republicans anymore i give to the conservative. why cant we just get term limits please.
Report Post »qpwillie
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:23amIt appears you also specialize in spamming internet forums. I wouldn’t do business with a spammer if they were selling new cars for $50 each. You can’t trust them.
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:22amTea party unite this is where you separate the men from the boys. I hope they realize if they blow the tea party vote they are all going to lose their jobs. And that will men a democrat gets back in but the message must be sent.
Report Post »jjoy
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:15amThe RINOs are no different from obama and his dimocrats, and their attitude is that we have no choice but to vote for them as the “lesser of two evils”…
Since JFK’s election, I have voted for the “lesser of two evils” in every election but Reagan’s…
But, no more… It is time for a 3 party system… Are you up to it Tea Party???
Report Post »saranda
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:28amJJOY – are you saying that you voted for the greater of two evils in the Reagan years?
Report Post »jjoy
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:39am@SARANDA
I’m saying that since 1960, Reagan was the only Presidential candidate the RINOs have nominated that wasn’t the “lesser of two evils”…
Report Post »SHASTADIANE1
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:18amTest
Report Post »NWalters78
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:18amOK, before we can take back Washington and the USA, we need to clean house once and for all. RINOs need to go. So-called moderates, gone. Namby pamby types gone. This is war, and its serious, we don’t need to worry about bombs coming from our enemies affront of us and then shots and daggers from our so-called allies behind us. The enemy within is worse than the ones at our gates, folks. Establishment GOP can FOAD if you ask me.
Report Post »Cobra Blue
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:23amAnd let me get this straight about all of you that think the republican party is going to fix this mess. We continue doing what we have always done and things are going to change? Insane…Time for New people…new ideas. new way of doing business. And it ain’t the guys in office today all across this country. .. PERIOD
Report Post »ChipK
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:16amNew Hamphire!!! It is time for you to target the dinasour establishment representatives in your Republican Party. VOTE THEM OUT! How DARE they try to remove the Tea Party folks!
Report Post »TRILO
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:10amIt is time for all of the establishment Republicans to go! If a representative has been in office for 2 or more terms vote every last one of them out of office. I am tired of career politicians. We need to start with Beohner. Even the new ones are eventually pulled into the cesspool of party politics and insider manipulation.
Report Post »Red Meat
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:23amHe’s another Libertarian infiltrator. Libertarians are leftists in disguise.
Report Post »Red Meat
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:27amYou so-called conservative nit wits that post here frequently need to do your homework regarding the ‘Libertarian’s‘ They are commies who’s goal is to sink conservatism. Wake up retards.
Report Post »Equality_7-2521
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:51am@red meat
You confuse me. To call a libertarian a commie is so incredibly anti-intellectual, it distrubs me.
Here is a article from Sam Webb, Communist Party USA’s leader writing an article supporting the 2012 candidacy of Obama.
http://peoplesworld.org/does-it-matter-which-party-wins/
OBAMA is a commie. Webb is a commie – not Paul or Libertarians.
How about this, why don’t you enlighten us with your insight as to what makes a Libertarian a commie. You have the eyes of this community waiting to read your insight.
Ready? Set? Go!
Report Post »2GodBeTheGlory
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:05amLibertarian is NOT communist (at least not by my definition). We believe in ultra small Government with little to do with other Countries – although, I believe we should stand with Israel. It is my belief that the Federal court has allowed the Government too much control and that the founders of this nation fought against a tyrannical Government much like what we have now. Point in fact (in order to head of the trolls) – laws that are created only for certain people and not everyone – laws that are enforced only at the whim of a political power (both parties at fault) – ability to “control” or “regulate” what you can or cannot grow in your own garden.
Report Post »constitutionaldirective
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:10amGOP Establishment = Progressivism = Fascism
The Establishment’s mask is off, we see here an example of the coming resurgence of conservatism and those opposed to it (the Establishment) are running scared, as evidenced by the actions of the NH GOP.. We have the same trouble way down here in Georgia and it’s going to get ugly here too!
Progressivism MUST BE STOPPED, whether from the Ds or Rs.. it IS TOTALITARIANISM!
….READY TO RUMBLE!!!
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:46amYes, the TEA PARTY will purge itself of the RINOs that have infiltrated the movement to accomplish one of two things, or both.
1) Carry out the progressive agenda while posing as a TEA party republican.
2) Sabotage the TEA party’s reputation in the media and/or Divide the TEA party members.
Thank god, Murphy’s law applies the the global elite.
The TEA PARTY (Americans that are Constitutionalists) are seeing who is a real patriot and who is an infiltrator !!!
Michele Bachmann and Allen West are NO TEA PARTY PATRIOTS !!!! They signed an extension of the Patriot Act, Which is a complete contradiction of what the name implies !!!
Report Post »It continues the frisking of 6 year old children and elderly wheelchair bound citizens !!! It carries on the Unconstitutional act of warrant-less searches of property and the monitoring of your posts, e-mails and phone conversations !!! All to protect us from some fringe element of a group. It is a LIE !!!
I want my freedoms and liberty back in place of your “security”. I am a Gun-owner with a CCL.
I can watch my neighborhood for terrorists !!!
Jenny Lind
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:07amDisgusting, old politics as usual, but they want our vote. If he made a mistake, call him on it, but don’t disreguard what has been done by the tea party. They are trying to destroy the movement, well good luck, this kind of crap will make it grow.
Report Post »gfghfgh18
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:06amfgdfdfgfg
Report Post »Brad
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:21amGo AWAY!
Report Post »righthanddrive
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:02amBye bye GOP. The GOP establishment needs to realize that most of the membership is fed up with compromising. Spending cuts should happen today and not in the next generation, spending cuts should mean less outlay tomorrow than today. Tax cuts should mean total tax paid is less tomorrow than today.
Report Post »Libby Tarian
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:02amI quit being a Repuke since they act just like progressive Dems and they suck up to them.
Report Post »Red Meat
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:25amYou are a commie disguised as a conservative.
Report Post »BradWX
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:28amI am a registered Libertarian. Its time to rise up and split the GOP and let the democrats have the rinos. People have said for years that Ron Paul is nuts but i think he was ahead of the curve. People are ready for his message. Get him as strong running mate (Rand or a Rubio) and make a run of it. I rather see a 3rd party candidate than have to chose from progressive or progressive lite. Libertarians need to step up. Get the message out there LESS GOVERNMENT MORE FREEDOM!!
Report Post »Red Meat
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:37amBradWX
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:28am
I am a registered Libertarian. Its time to rise up and split the GOP and let the democrats have the rinos.
Thanks for proving my point.
Report Post »Beware of the Libertarian movement people.
Brad
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:04amLibby… You’re picking a war with the wrong people. We think your pal Paul is a little off…but we don’t hate him. Libertarians and Conservatives have far more in common than Conservatives/Libertarians and Liberals/Progressives…
Chill out… Peace my friend… Stop with your vitriol… Be friendly. Reserve your anger for the Left!
Report Post »jjoy
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:22am@BRAD…
“Reserve your anger for the Left!”
The RINOs ARE the left!
Report Post »Ballot_Box_Revolution
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 10:23amRed,
I am a registered Republican, thinking about changing it to Libertarian…..how does that effect your point? I‘m sure you will just say I’m just posing….
Think what you will….you are the one that will be made a fool in the end….
I think what would really prove your point, is to make the case….That is something you have conveniently left out….here how ’bout this….”YOU ARE A RINO SUPPORTER, POSING AS A CONSERVATIVE!!”
Not going to bother backing that up with proof…..well….because it doesn’t really matter…People really shouldn’t believe things just because someone else says something with out any substance to back it up….
Report Post »Brad
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 1:13pmJJoy…my comment was directed and Libby Tarian…. She’s attacking conservatives not Rinos….
Report Post »ibanrfknm
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:02amThere is a growing war coming between the conservative Tea party faction and the old guard rino establishment within the GOP. Me, I support the tea party; the old guard has almost cost us our liberty.
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 8:53amEstablishment GOP is nothing more, or less, than Democrats in disguise…..Wake up folks……
Report Post »theprofessor1031
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:02amExactly right. These bums need to be voted out next time.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:03amThat was my thought. Are they afraid the American people will see they aren’t conservative like the Republicans are SUPPOSED to be? and be replaced by more conservative REAL Republicans.
Report Post »WhatsYerProblem
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 9:03amI agree. Electing a Republican in 2012 will only bring us to the end of America a little slower. In my opinion, the only thing that will keep America from failing is the next Great Awakening – type revival.
Report Post »IntransigentMind
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 7:16pmThe establishment is in for a rude awakeming on many fronts:
Report Post »http://markamerica.com/2011/08/26/establishment-punditry-misjudges-palins-appeal/
ThoreauHD
Posted on August 26, 2011 at 8:06pmDitto.
Report Post »