The New Hampshire Democratic Party released a statement today warning of an "anti-women's health extremist" who is running for Executive Council. Look up "anti-women's health extremist" in your Orwellian-English-to-standard-English dictionary, and you'll find "citizen activist who sees no reason why Planned Parenthood should get tax dollars." What's not to like?
Introducing Michael Tierney: husband, father, Contoocook resident, Republican, land-use attorney, and candidate for Executive Council district 2. He can do the math on state spending, and he believes that an Executive Councilor should take seriously the responsibility of scrutinizing state contracts and contractors.
The NHDP doesn't give a hoot about Tierney's day job. Their gripe is over his pro bono work as an allied attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund. In that capacity, Tierney has given Planned Parenthood of Northern New England fits. Does he blockade clinic doorways? Does he give fiery speeches threatening hellfire and damnation to all who enter the premises? No, he's worse: he asks for documentation of PPNNE grants and expenditures, and he doesn't take no for an answer.
The Executive Council shocked PPNNE by rejecting its Title X contract proposal last year, and the legislature added to PPNNE's unease by considering a bill to keep state funds away from abortion providers. PP's New Hampshire PR machine had to go into overdrive, and it squeaked mightily as it cranked out the usual tripe: only 3% of our services are abortion, we don't use public money for abortion, we help so many people, you're just antichoice, and so forth.
Tierney was undeterred. He recognized that a contract going to an abortion provider for other-than-abortion work frees up other funds to use for the abortion part of the enterprise. When the federal government sidestepped the Executive Council and awarded PPNNE a grant, Tierney, representing New Hampshire Right to Life, filed a Freedom of Information Act request for all documentation relating to the grant. This began a long and grinding discovery process that is still ongoing, and it has turned up matters that raise other questions about PPNNE operations. This has earned Tierney the title of "extremist" from the NHDP, and I'm sure worse is coming as the Executive Council campaign moves forward.
Tierney understands the need for accountability for the use of taxpayer dollars, he is politely tenacious, and he doesn't fold when someone calls him names. In those respects, he'd be a worthy successor to retiring Councilor Dan St. Hilaire (R-Concord), who unexpectedly started all the fuss last year by being the third and deciding vote to reject PPNNE's Title X proposal. (Ten other Title X contracts went through without a hitch that day - just not the one with northern New England's chief abortion provider.)
This is a redistricting year, and the New Hampshire House and Senate have agreed on new electoral maps, after the customary decennial wrangling. The Executive Council's District 2 is now an amazing piece of work. With the addition of Keene and Durham, the seat now seems to be gift-wrapped for presentation to the Democratic nominee. What's more, the district has been gerrymandered to stretch from Durham in the east to Hinsdale in the far southwestern corner of the state, with towns from six of the state's ten counties. Campaigning will be a challenge for all the candidates, and winning the district will be a tall order for a Republican.
Thanks to Michael Tierney, PPNNE's political protectors cannot take district 2 for granted. There's going to be a real race here.
I'll post more information about his campaign as it becomes available, including how to make donations.
Sorry about the technical glitch that makes today's post look odd. I'm working on it.
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