Why was New Hampshire Rep. Steve Vaillancourt so upset in debate over a proposed voter ID law? UNCLEAR. Except that House Speaker William O’Brien “restricted what he could address.”
O’Brien had restricted what Vaillancourt could say about the full bill, saying that he could not reference the House Election Law Committee’s discussion, only the issues presented in the committee report.
Well who died and made William O’Brien Hitler?
Let us see the newest victim of what James O’Keefe’s hard-hitting voter fraud stings have wrought.
Rep. Steve Vaillancourt (R-Manchester) shouted, “Sieg Heil” and moved his hand in the air after House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) restricted what he could address during a floor debate on an amendment to a state voter ID bill.
O’Brien, who had previously threatened to toss Vaillancourt from the floor, used Vaillancourt’s outburst to have the veteran lawmaker moved off the floor. It is the first time in at least a decade that a House member has been removed from the chamber in New Hampshire. House members then voted 238 to 103 to allow Vaillancourt to apologize to the full chamber in order to be allowed back in, setting off further debate when Vaillancourt did not apologize in the manner that O’Brien had expected.
“Part of the apology is to get the record straight. I did not use the word ‘Hitler,’” Vaillancourt said before O’Brien ordered him away from the podium.
We don’t know why they would bother with voter ID in places like New Hampshire and Vermont, as it’s not like they have any minorities they need to keep from voting. Oh, New Hampshire’s bill precludes using student ID to vote? Got it. NEW LAW: No youngs can vote, except James O’Keefe, and if she plays her cards right, maybe Lila Rose. (Or maybe she should get back to making a sandwich.) [HuffPo]
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Why did he decide to dress like an extra in "The Godfather?"
I think he was pretending to be a priest. It's "open play day" at the local elementary school.
Dunno…maybe because he's Guido douchebag gangster wannabe?
That look says: CLASSY!!!
New Hampshire's all mobbed up these days. Lotsa bucks in the shadier side of quarrying and maple syrup rackets.
Someone told him that black is slenderizing.
I thought Voter ID laws only applied to Brown people.
Do white students with tans count?
Tans? In New Hampshire???? You couldn't find a whiter bunch of people if you tossed them in flour first!
Only if they intend to vote for Barry.
Granite, in New Hampshire the house speaker should have let him say whatever he wanted.
(sorry)
Vaillancourt sort of looks like he could be Robert Deniro's fat, stupid, psychotic brother.
He look s like my fat, stupid, psychotic Arizonian brother-in-law.
Vaillancourt is actually highly intelligent and an excellent speaker, and fits into no pigeonhole. He has been elected as a Democrat, a capital-L Libertarian, and as a Republican. He was the first person in NH to calculate, correctly and months in advance, that Democrats would take the NH House in 2006, and by a wide margin, for the first time since Taft was President.
He is universally understood to be gay, and was outspoken and eloquent in both the passage of equal marriage in 2009 and its defense this year, but has deliberately never either confirmed or denied his orientation, as it's nobody's business. He is as right-wing as anyone on fiscal issues and as liberal/libertarian as anyone on social/freedom issues. He is strong on voter issues and called out Republican leadership on their unconstitutional gerrymandering of House districts and their obeisance to sitting Congressmen's dictates on the drawing of their own congressional districts.
He is vain, self-aware, devoted to his principles, and has a mean streak. He hates the vile teahadi thug House Speaker O'Brien with the (fully justified) heat of a thousand suns, and hates the state Democratic Party chair (his former good friend and roommate (but not that kind of roommate)) just as much. The sentiments are returned in both cases, the Speaker having just recently kicked him off the Finance Committee on which he's served long and competently.
He's pretty much the only state rep whose coming to the podium makes the entire House stop and listen — some in amusement, some in dread, some in anger, some in righteous sympathy, but everybody listens.
And he was spot on — if indecorous — in his comments, as his fellow Republican Rep. Drisko pointed out:
“Vaillancourt was definitely out of line when he walked out and said ‘Sieg Heil,’ but it was a good commentary on the dictatorial style of Bill O’Brien,” said Rep. Dick Drisko, R-Hollis.
Also, the video.
He's Andrew Sullivan?
I think he'd look great in creepy clown makeup.
De Niro's played Italian-American gangster thugs so well and so long that people forget he was born to two successful artists in Greenwich Village. Wiki it up if you don't believe it.
Youse eveh bin to dat part ob da Village, hanh?
Actually, he was raised in Little Italy by his mom and pretty much was a street kid. Except for going to private school for a few years. But even then, I sort of imagine his childhood to be "A Bronx Tale" writ small.
I have, and lived to tell the tale. Wiki reports he’s part preppie and part street kid; you decide:
Amazing actor whatever the provenance.
Having grown up in similar circumstances, for my part, the street kid is a far larger influence on my life than the prep school side, particularly since most of the people I hung out with were street (as seems to be the case with De Niro.)
I've been trying to locate his childhood address, but my guess would be the Village years were spent near Sheridan Square (both PS 41 and the Elizabeth Irwin/Little Red Schoolhouse are in that neighborhood). Likely his Little Italy years were spent in the northern part of that neighborhood, near Houston St, which would still keep him close to EI/LRS
I think Jon Stewart said it best last week when he said "that's not a bald head……it's a solar panel for a dumbass machine". I didn't know those solar panels were so popular with wingers.
I was thinking more Danny Devito's fat, stupid, psychotic brother, myself.
Hitler Youth ID ok?
Nice
My German father in law had one. He said "It was only mandatory if you wanted to eat."
Who can vote:
Brownshirts: Yes.
Browns: No.
Soon to be mandatory.
Godwin abides.
Wait, the guy shouted "sig heil" while supporting the fascistic voter suppression law; so are they finally admitting their fascism now?
"You shall talk and apologize the way I SAY!! Sieg Heil!… oops…"
he could not reference the House Election Law Committee’s discussion, only the issues presented in the committee report.
That is exactly how the Holocaust got started.
First they came for the subcommittee reports?
That photo was taken moments before the twin girls from The Shining ran him over.
"Come play with us, Stevie."
If you do the same thing at the entrance to CPAC they escort you to the front of the line.
He asn't saying "Seig Heil!" He was waving to a friend of his in the gallery and urging a "BEEG SHMILE!" from him!
I did not use the word Hitler, and for that I apologize. And I am sorry you do not appreciate being called out on your obvious attempts to subvert democracy and silences voices. (Literally) I shoulda just stuck with hell no you fucking asshole you can't make it so that no young person gets a vote. Better?
Given his last name, maybe he should have said "Travail, Famille, Patrie" instead.
PETAIN CALUMNIE!!!!!
"Travail, Famille, Patrie"
The Partridge Family?
First they came for the mocking state legislators, and I said nothing…
Vaillancourt did not apologize in the manner that O’Brien had expected.
"Sorry, Dummkopf !" not good enough?
New Hampshire Republicans? Aren't they all Paultards up there?
When der Speaker says we is de master race
We heil heil right in der Speaker's face
Well Spiked, sir!
This is what you get when you vote for "the guy you'd like to have a beer with".
Thing is, who and why would anyone want to drink with these assholes?
The guy you'd most like to have a beer hall putsch with.
More likely this is a guy I'd like to smash over the head with a beer bottle.
Lila Rose would probably not know what kind of sauce to put on a Reuben.
"House members then voted 238 to 103"
There are 341 members in the New Hampshire legislature? Fuck, that must be about half the fucking population.
Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, or maybe that should be: Too many Fuhrers and not enough Volk.
If wingnutters are going to be this way then folks should demand Voter Intelligence laws.
"You have to this smart (IQ above 105 and EQ above the 50% quotient and pass a US America civics test) to vote."
Sample test question: "How many castaways on Gilligan's Island?"
"Ginger or Mary Ann?"
There is only one right answer.
Points off if you can answer that. More points off if you scribble in the margin "Little buddy!"
So under these rules Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas all rolled together got maybe enought votes for one rep, assuming the usual amount oqf voter fraud?
Vaillancourt was last seen placing a brown briefcase underneath Speaker O’Brien's desk.
*snap*
So that's why they call him "Valkyrie Vaillancourt"!
Claus von Stauffenberg Verleumdung!
They don't want those liberal Taxachusetts college kids at UNH voting in their elections.
I've always said they could uproot Cow Hampshire and stick it below the Mason Dixon line and no one would notice.
It's always struck me as ironic that their state motto is "Live Free or Die", and the actual state, as far as I can tell, is a bunch of fascist assholes.
You know who else raised their arm and shouted "Sieg Heil?"
Dr. Strangelove.
No, that was "Mein furher, I can walk"!
The Von Trapp family?
Charlie Chaplin?
Moe of the Three Stooges?
Mel Gibson?
Prince Harry?
Dr. Von Scott.
Brad!
Janet!
Rocky!
Further proof that the New Hampshire legislature is a Tea Party kegger.
New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Wayne McDonald released a statement Tuesday afternoon praising House Speaker William O'Brien's decision to seek an apology from Vaillancourt and placed blame with Democrats.
"Especially in the face of such a reprehensible and inappropriate remark, it's my hope that the House could be united in resolving such an offensive comment," McDonald said. "Democrats often talk about the sharp partisanship in Concord, and today Rep. [Terie] Norelli's decision to divide along party lines Speaker O'Brien's efforts to seek an apology from Rep. Vaillancourt prove once again that it's her Democrat party that is responsible for the partisanship."
A Republican offends the Republican speaker, and the Republican speaker demands and apology. Whose fault is it? The Democrats. Fuckin' morons.
New Hampshire politics are inscrutable.
O’Brien, who had previously threatened to toss Vaillancourt from the floor
World Wrestling Federation, New Hampshire style.
"Rep. Steve Vaillancourt (R-Manchester) shouted, “Sieg Heil” and moved his hand in the air …."
When asked to comment, New Hampshire(?) resident Mitt Romney said "Those aren't the words I would have used".
…" his arm was just the right height though."
Seek Help! (boot click!)
"Part of the apology was to set the record straight."
When teabaggin nutjob state legislators suddenly seem to have something in common with manipulative ex-girlfriends.
Is it me or are there only two flavors of these assholes: Jabba the hutt or ferret faced with something screwy going on around they eyes?
"House members then voted 238 to 103"
There are at least 431 members of the N.H. House–that seems a bit extreme for a state with a population smaller than the Bronx.
Is there more bribe money in NH than the Bronx?
Maths is hard.
Actually, it's 400. About 398 right now.
300 R, 100 D. About 15 or 20 of the Rs are sane, moderate and useful old-fashioned New England Republicans. Another 30 basically conservative Rs are vaguely to highly union-friendly (thus sustaining the governor's veto of right-to-work). The rest are a mix of teahadists (probably 60 of whom think they're libertarian), Romney conservatives (money uber alles, don't care about social issues, but happy to screw people), a few dozen libertarians, half a dozen card-carrying John Birchers. An unusually large number of them are dumb as a bucket of hammers.
My hammers are quite offended.
Who "think they are libertarian". That's the best assessment of a typical libertarian I've heard yet.
He looks like the lost son of Colonel Klink. So he learned that German talk at home.
Vaillancourt is big in Greece.
And in grease.
"I want to be clear, guys! I may have dressed up like a Nazi and gave the Nazi salute and publicly stated I wanted all the Jews dead, but I did NOT say Hitler!"
Today's G.O.P: Keeping their minds on the Nazis, Nazis always on their minds…
Hitler was not the language I would have used.
"Hitler" is a name and its kind of implied when you yell "Sieg Heil"
I hear O'Brien is a dick; there is also no honor among thieves, so I don't feel sorry for Mr. V. Not sure if I read it correctly, but I'm pretty sure he said this in a sardonic, sarcastic way to protest O'Brien's imperiousness. O'Brien should apologize for being such a Lil' Hitler.
"Idiot Politician Shouts Something Stupid". What next, dog bites man?
Who you calling a "duck"?
Nostalgie de la boue, FTW.
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