Jack Kimball’s Greatest Hits
It looks like September 1, 2011 may be Jack Kimball’s last day as chairman of the state Republican party. The party’s executive committee has scheduled a meeting that day and Kimball’s ouster is sure to be on the agenda. Kimball’s brief tenure has been eventful. Here’s a look back at Kimball’s “greatest hits” as chairman.
January 22, 2011: Kimball, a tea-party-backed grassroots activist, wins election for party chair in close, contested race against a representative of the party establishment. “Jack Kimball’s election as chair completes the radical right-wing takeover of the Republican Party in the Granite State,” responds state Democratic chair Ray Buckley.
February 19, 2011: Kimball uninvites Birther Andy Martin from addressing the Contoocook Valley Republican Committee after — and only after — Martin’s anti-Semitic comments are publicized.
February 21, 2011: Kimball issues a press release attacking Blue Hampshire blogger Susan Bruce saying, “There is no place in a civil society for such vitriol.” Even conservative editor Drew Cline objects. “Asking to have a little ole blogger shut down is not the way to encourage civility,” Cline writes.
April 6, 2011: In the wake of House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt’s “pedophile pimp” controversy, Kimball admonishes House members to get their act together. Speaker O’Brien and Bettencourt are not amused.
May 17, 2011: Democrat Jennifer Daler wins state House seat in a special election in Speaker O’Brien’s district. Kimball accepts the blame and vows, “We’re having meetings today about it to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
June 12, 2011: Kimball claims the reelection of President Obama would mean American military killed in action died “completely in vain.” When veterans groups protest, Kimball calls them “fronts for the left wing.”
July 21, 2011: The party’s financial straits become public. “The state party is running on financial fumes, and Jack has not really made any effort to reach out to the people who didn’t support him,” says former chair Fergus Cullen.
August 2, 2011: Kimball calls for Newmarket GOP chair Joe Barton to resign. Barton had offered a bounty on the state GOP Facebook page for anyone willing to primary GOP state Sen. Carson. Barton refused to resign.
August 9, 2011: Democrats win the second state House special election on Kimball’s watch. Kimball doesn’t accept the blame this time and blasts winning candidate Bob Perry for his “tax-and-spend” votes.
August 9, 2011: Kimball is photographed signing a petition for the State of New Hampshire to recognize the Libertarian party.
August 16, 2011: Kimball asks NHGOP Executive Director Will Wrobleski to resign. Wrobleski refuses and is subsequently fired by Kimball.
August 19, 2011: The Union Leader calls for Kimball to resign. “Jack Kimball was the wrong choice at the wrong time. … The party needs a change, now.”
