Trump Soars In New Hampshire Poll

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Defeats GOP Challenger Scott Brown

NEW HAMPSHIRE: GOP Pol Says US House Rep Is Uglier Than A Drag Queen

GOP New Hampshire state Rep. Steve Vaillancourt has written a bizarre attack on the appearance of Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), saying that she is uglier than a drag queen.

Let's be honest. Does anyone not believe that Congressman Annie Kuster is as ugly as sin? And I hope I haven't offended sin. If looks really matter and if this race is at all close, give a decided edge to Marilinda Garcia. How ugly is Annie Kuster? Again avert your eyes if you don't want to hear it, but I actually thought of Annie Kuster last weekend when I was in Montreal. Not far from the Second Cup Coffee Shop I at which I was sipping and writing is a bar called Mados. It's on the section of St. Catherine Street which is blocked off for pedestrians only in the summer; it's near the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Thus, tens of thousands of Montrealers and visitors walk by Mados on their way to the fireworks displays on summer nights. On almost any given night, standing for all to see in front of Mados is a rather attractive drag queen. People stop to pose for pictures with this Mado drag queen; other drag queens gather round because, you see, Mados is a drag queen bar...not that there's anything wrong with that. Long live Victor Victoria; long live La Cage Aux Folles. By now you probably know why I think of Annie Kuster whenever I walk by Mados; sad to say, but the drag queens are more atrractive than Annie Kuster....not that there's anything wrong with that.

Garcia, the GOP nominee to unseat Kuster, has denounced Vaillancourt.

Alcohol Consumption By State

Via Policy Mic:

According to a new report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the hardest-drinking state turns out to be New Hampshire. The study calculated per capita consumption of ethanol from alcoholic beverages and found that the average New Hampshire resident consumed 4.65 gallons in 2012 — nearly twice the national average of 2.33 gallons. Among the New England states, Connecticut was the only one that didn't make the top 20 list for per capita alcohol consumption. Alaska, Louisiana, Florida, Delaware and Washington, D.C. are all big drinking regions, as are the Northern states, with the average resident consuming over 2.5 gallons of ethanol in alcohol per year. The NIAAA report also found that overall, per capita ethanol consumption increased by 2.2% — only seven states experienced a decrease.

(Tipped by JMG reader Win)

Former Sen. Scott Brown's Truck Is Back

Remember former Sen. Scott Brown's truck from those 2010 campaign ads? It's back.

Scott Brown, formerly the Senator of Massachusetts, wants to be the Senator of New Hampshire. He wants to be Senator really badly. On Monday, his campaign will air his first ad in the Granite State — and it looks disconcertingly familiar to anyone from New England. “Scott Brown has nearly 300,000 miles on this truck,” a narrator intones. “Over the last few weeks, it’s taken him all over the state of New Hampshire. Listening. Learning. And what he’s heard is that people want an America that leads the world again. A health plan that works for New Hampshire. More good jobs. Isn’t it time that someone took their side?”

Old truck pitch + snowmobiles = New Hampshire?

Scott Brown Announces Senate Bid

Former Sen. Scott Brown Files For 2014 Senate Bid From New Hampshire

In 2010 former Cosmo model Scott Brown won the special Massachusetts election to succeed the late Ted Kennedy in the Senate. Two years later he failed to hold that seat, losing to Elizabeth Warren. Brown has now filed the paperwork to run for the Senate again, this time from New Hampshire, where he has lived for the last four months. If he succeeds in the GOP primary, Brown will face Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in the general election. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is among those slamming Brown as a carpetbagger: "I’m sure you’ve all heard this before, but Sen. Mikulski said last week in the caucus that the Constitution guarantees every state two senators, but the Constitution does not guarantee every senator two states."

Quote Of The Day: Stella Tremblay

"Just as you said would happen. Top Down, Bottom UP. The Boston Marathon was a Black Ops 'terrorist' attack. One suspect killed, the other one will be too before they even have a chance to speak. Drones and now 'terrorist' attacks by our own Government. Sad day, but a "wake up" to all of us. First there was a 'suspect' then there wasnt. Infowars broke the story and they knew they had been 'found out'." - New Hampshire GOP state Rep. Stella Tremblay, posting on Glenn Beck's Facebook page.

Boston's Bombers Bought Ingredients At New Hampshire Fireworks Store

The ingredients for Boston's bombs came from a New Hampshire fireworks store which gave the killer a two-for-one deal on his purchase.

In a chilling twist, the company that sold Tamerlan the fireworks is the same one that sold Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad the firecrackers he used to build his failed car bomb.  The fireworks Tsarnaev bought contained about 3 pounds of black powder — enough, experts say, to build one of the two pressure-cooker bombs he triggered at the Boston Marathon on April 15.

“We were just shocked,” said Bill Weimer, vice president of Phantom Fireworks in Seabrook, N.H. “After our Times Square experience, we said, ‘It can’t happen twice.'" But it did. Weimer searched his sales records last week and discovered Tsarnaev, 26, came into his company’s store in Seabrook on Feb. 6 and was helped by a female store clerk. “Like 99% of the men who come in, he asked ‘What’s the biggest and loudest thing you have,’ ” Weimer said.

The $199 kit sells under the name Lock & Load. Selling and and possessing fireworks is illegal in Massachusetts.

Child Porn Trial Begins For Christian Alliance Defense Fund Lawyer

As you may know, the Alliance Defense Fund is the anti-gay Christian legal group that provides free lawyers to just about anybody working to thwart civil rights for LGBT Americans. As I reported in November, one of their lawyers has been arrested and charged with multiple felony counts related to child pornography. Her trial began yesterday in Concord, New Hampshire.

Jurors in the child pornography trial of Manchester attorney Lisa Biron in U.S. District Court saw videos that Biron is accused of making in which a 14-year-old girl is shown having sex with two different men. In his opening argument, U.S. Attorney John Kacavas said Biron was a pot pusher, pornography producer and predator who considered the teen "an object, a thing." Biron, 43, is accused of taking the girl to Canada, giving her alcohol and marijuana, and videotaping her as she had sex with a Canadian man she had met online. Biron is also charged with making more videos, on a cellphone, of the girl having sex with another male in New Hampshire. Defense attorney James Moir cautioned jurors that they were going to see graphic videos and said the issue here is not whether Lisa Biron is morally depraved.

Among the first witnesses were two 14 year-old boys who testified that Biron had sex with them and then filmed them also having sex with the underage girl. Praise Jeebus. (Tipped by JMG reader Brian)

RELATED: After news of the arrest broke, I emailed the ADF for a statement. They did not respond and have banned me from their Facebook page.

NH Chick-Fil-A To Sponsor Gay Pride

The only New Hampshire Chick-Fil-A franchisee has signed on as a sponsor of this year's LGBT Pride Fest. Via LGBT Nation:

The announcement by franchise general manager Anthony Picolia came as a surprise to Pride Fest organizers in light of the ongoing public relations debacle over the negative remarks by Chick-Fil-A’s President last month regarding same-sex marriage. Picolia, in an email to LGBTQ Nation on Tuesday, confirmed that his franchise will sponsor the festival, writing:

“In both my personal and professional life, I have had and continue to have positive relationships with family, friends, customers and employees in the LGBT community. It would make me sad if someone felt that they were not openly welcomed into my life or restaurant based on their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,” In a statement issue by Pride organizers, Picolia added that his Chick-fil-A franchise “has gay employees and serves gay customers with honor, dignity and respect.”

The event takes place next Saturday.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Another Christian Group Forms To Repeal Same-Sex Marriage

The Union Leader reports on Families Across NH:

Fueled by the failed effort to repeal the state's same-sex marriage law earlier this year, a group of social conservatives and “politically active Christians of all denominations” have established a new nonprofit issues-advocacy group and state political action committee. They expect to have a “powerful impact” on the 2012 general election and the next session of the Legislature. Families Across New Hampshire (FANH) is the brainchild of veteran Republican political strategist Michael Dennehy, a Concord lobbyist and former senior advisor to John McCain. The financial goal for the PAC, Dennehy says, is to spend $150,000 to advocate for the election of “pro-family” candidates for state office during the 2012 elections and for the nonprofit to air issue-advocacy advertising. Dennehy said FANH will have no affiliation with the National Organization for Marriage, the national group that caused a stir in the state by becoming heavily involved in the same-sex marriage battle.

New Hampshire Republicans For Freedom and Equality respond in a press release headlined GOP PAC Denounces New NOM Front Group:

"They can try to re-invent themselves by claiming a new, friendlier-sounding name, but their mission is still the same - to tear apart loving New Hampshire families," said Owen. "Republicans in the legislature have already rejected this group's anti-gay agenda, with a majority voting against repeal last time. We won't stand for these outside groups trying to hijack our legislative priorities by throwing their out-of-state money around."

NOM Is Looking For REAL Christians To Run For Office In New Hampshire

After suffering the humiliation of a massively lopsided loss in the New Hampshire legislature, NOM is advertising for REAL Christians who'd like to replace those hundreds of heathen Republicans who flipped Maggie and Brian their middle fingers.

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Today's NH Headline

From the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Enjoy....

Even though the time stamp shows this is their latest post, NOM has it pushed down below the fold on their blog.

Marriage SURVIVES In New Hampshire!

Two HUGE defeats for NOM on the same day!

Freedom To Marry exults via press release:

Today, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted down legislation that would have repealed the state’s two-year-old freedom to marry law along with a key vote to defeat the Bates Amendment, which would have forced a non-binding referendum on marriage onto the November ballot and replaced marriage with civil unions. The final bill was defeated by a vote of 211 to 116 and the Bates Amendment by a vote of 162 to 188. Stripping away the freedom to marry in New Hampshire was a top priority of national anti-gay organizations, which had predicted that they would be able to garner the vote of two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to override the promised veto by Governor John Lynch.

Callooh! Callay! We are totally chortling!

UPDATE: Craig Stowell, co-chair for Standing Up For NH Families reacts.

"Today is a banner day for the freedom to marry. Our opponents have been crowing about getting their two-thirds, but in the end, it's clear they couldn't muster the votes. This is a victory for our supporters -- the majority of Granite Staters who oppose any roll back of marriage equality -- because they reached out time and again and told lawmakers to leave this law alone. This was our opponents' best shot and they blew it. This was supposed to be the most favorable legislative climate for repeal and they couldn't even get a majority. Still, we cannot simply pack our bags and go home. Our opponents still want to end marriage equality in New Hampshire and we must keep a watchful eye on the Legislature, and make sure voices of equality are heard in November. But this is a good day for all New Hampshire families who can celebrate tonight and know their marriages are no longer under attack in Concord."

NOTE: Craig Stowell is the straight brother of JMG regular Calvin Stowell, who comments here as Aurosan.

Brian Brownshirt Vs NH Marriage Activist

New Hampshire marriage equality advocate Craig Stowell is the straight brother of longtime JMG participant Calvin Stowell, who tweeted us a heads-up to today's MSNBC appearance. Ever the king of hypocrisy, Brian Brown denounces "out of state influence groups" for interfering with New Hampshire marriage.

LIVE AUDIO: NH Marriage Repeal Vote

The New Hampshire House is about to vote on repealing same-sex marriage. Listen live here.

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch