Lawmaker lament: ‘Some punk named William Tucker ... said some very bad things about me’
State Rep. Eric Estevez (R-Pelham) doesn’t care much for Miscellany Blue and he took to Facebook this week to make that known. “Word on the street, some punk named William Tucker, who lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire said some very bad things about me on his obnoxious partisan web site,” Estevez wrote.
The Pelham Republican took issue with a piece we published in October that highlighted legislation he had described as “the strongest and most comprehensive anti-drug bill in state history” and “the strongest and most effective jobs bill in state history.”
“I have a policy of not responding to baseless negative attacks for two reasons,” Estevez wrote in his Facebook message. “Firstly, I am a busy man with more important things to do. Secondly, I am a statesman that comprehends that it is imperative that we work together in order to advance the public interest for all people. However, I have no choice but to respond to this negative attack due to the subject matter that involves several sad circumstances.”
“For example,” Estevez explained, “he criticized me for making a good faith effort to solve the deadly drug crisis in the state. He then had the audacity to criticize me for being the only elected official to take the initiative to file an historic jobs bill that would stimulate our economy and put people back to work.”
“In his quest to offer criticism with no solutions,” Estevez continued, “he went on to attack me personally with additional baseless attacks used against me from the past by desperate politicians who viewed me as a threat.”
‘The establishment … view me as a threat’
It’s not the first time Estevez has taken to social media to complain of being persecuted. Earlier this month, he declared, “no elected official has ever had to endure the oppression that I had to deal with during my political career.”
“The establishment, a.k.a., enemies of progress, view me as a threat,” Estevez explained. “The numerous vicious, ridiculous, untrue, and defamatory attacks on my character over the years came from both the left and the right. This proves that establishment republicans and democrats are two sides of the same coin.”
It is true that controversy has dogged Estevez his entire political career. That history, covered by numerous newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, includes reports of exaggerated credentials, a faked campaign photo, a phony endorsement and more than one allegation of vandalism. Last year, he was involved in a fracas with Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau that reportedly resulted in House Speaker Shawn Jasper directing Estevez to apologize in writing.
Estevez concluded his message denouncing Miscellany Blue with a request for his supporters. “I understand that Mr. Tucker thinks that he is a tough guy in the comfort of his home behind his computer,” he wrote. “But, if you see Mr. Tucker, please tell him to clean up his act.”