"Let's be honest, I'm not perfect." – Kelly Ayotte

Coming from any politico besides Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), the above banal confession would be almost refreshing in a cycle driven by unmitigated braggadociousness on the Republican right.

But what is she saying, really?

I've been wondering, ever since I overheard a radio news headline that Ayotte had commented on Trump and models. I thought the Senator was calling out the "presumptive" President for his puerile fixation on beauty queens.

Correction: Ayotte was actually saying, in a debate with Governor Maggie Hassan, when asked about Trump as a role model, that he "can serve as president and so absolutely, I would do that [sic]."

Shortly afterward, Ayotte's campaign issued a U-turn: "Neither Trump or Clinton are people children should look up to."

Typical, of a candidate who is "voting for Trump but doesn't endorse him."

Of a candidate who has voted six times to de-fund Planned Parenthood but spends campaign funds on free condoms to be distributed at the University of New Hampshire at a rally. And who also supported the Supreme Court decision that organizations are not required to pay for insurance coverage of contraception.

Who refers often to her bipartisan approach but along with her Republican colleagues, refuses to consider President Obama's choice for a Supreme Court justice because "the people should decide." (Hint: the Constitution says "the President appoints."}

Ayotte says she "trusts" Trump in appointing Supreme Court judges, but now, should Hillary Clinton be elected, the Senator would be willing to "give full consideration to the nomination of Merrick Garland to the court, if Clinton maintains Obama's pick.

Ayotte "trusts" Trump on policy issues, but has "called him out on many occasions" when she disagrees with him.

Really?

New Hampshire should be sub-titled the "no-nonsense" state ("live free or die" is a flashy slogan, but pretty melodramatic). People up here (where I live) are reasonably straightforward in their talk, even if what is sometimes said is not what you would like to hear.

There is some truth in the stereotype of New England plainspeak. Senator Ayotte seems to have skipped her lessons in that lingo, even by today's debased standard for politicians.

Maggie Hassan, by contrast, is pretty darn direct. Her response in the debate to Ayotte's statement:

"What you just heard is Senator Ayotte trying to distance herself from Donald Trump, which she does from time to time, but at the end of the day she is still saying that she is going to vote to put Donald Trump in the situation room with access to our nuclear codes, that she is going to vote to make him leader of our country and somebody who our children are going to be exposed to as President of the United States."

Now that's straight talking, New Hampshire-speak.

Some other notes: as governor, Hassan restored funding for Planned Parenthood and thinks role models should actually be worthy of filling the role before modeling is discussed.

There's much more: Hassan has a big list of priorities, ideas she is for (as opposed to the "Party of No" to which Ayotte pledges allegiance), complete with detailed plans for programs and solutions. Hassan's platform is up there with Hillary Clinton's comprehensive, thoughtful, and altogether sensible agenda—and that's a high bar to match.

Voting for "yes" in New Hampshire means voting for Maggie Hassan.

Check out Hassan's forward-looking, progressive, and "can-do" platform here: http://maggiehassan.com/priorities/http://maggiehassan.com/priorities/}

###

October 7, 2016

Addendum. Given the latest revelation and confirmation of Donald Trump's violent, lewd attitudes toward women(https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html)), Kelly Ayotte may want to rethink that endorsement yet again. Vote Hassan!

In a comment Friday evening, Maggie Hassan said, "These vile comments from Donald Trump cannot be excused. It is beyond comprehension how Senator Ayotte could continue to support this man for the highest office in the land, let alone call him a role model."

016