NHGOP: Shea-Porter Refuses to Apologize to Portsmouth P.D.
October 2, 2009Another day, another negative story about Carol Shea-Porter and the 2005 Bush town hall meeting. That also means another press release from Ryan Williams and the NHGOP:
SHEA-PORTER REFUSES
TO APOLOGIZE TO
PORTSMOUTH P.D.
Embattled Congresswoman Won’t Apologize For Calling A Portsmouth Police Officer A “Thug”
CONCORD – Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter is refusing to publicly apologize to the Portsmouth Police after she defamed one of department’s officers in a recent interview with the Portsmouth Herald (9/26/09). In a story that appeared in Saturday’s Herald, Ms. Shea-Porter called the officer who removed her from a 2005 town hall event a “thug.”
“It’s disappointing that Congresswoman Shea-Porter will not simply admit that she made a mistake and apologize for her disgraceful behavior,” said NHGOP Communications Director Ryan Williams. “Her comments insult the hard-working men and women of the Portsmouth Police Department and embarrass the residents of the First District. She needs to apologize immediately.”
Foster’s Daily Democrat (9/2/09) today, confirmed that the “thug” Ms. Shea-Porter claimed to have removed her from a town hall event hosted by President George Bush in 2005 was a Portsmouth police officer. When asked if she regretted her shameful and derogatory comment, Ms. Shea-Porter’s spokeswoman declined to respond or offer an apology.
“When asked about any possible apology from Shea-Porter for calling the person who removed her a ‘thug,’ [Shea-Porter spokeswoman Jamie] Radice declined to comment,” reports Fosters.
Ms. Shea-Porter has also rejected calls for her to apologize for using vulgar and offensive epithets to refer to First District residents who disagree with her support for a government takeover of health care.
“Congresswoman Shea-Porter continually fails to live up to the high standards that voters expect from their elected officials. New Hampshire deserves better,” said Williams.
TimothyHorrigan
Oct 3, 2009
just to clarify a thing or two: This demand for an apology is coming from the NH GOP committee, not from the Portsmouth Police Department, correct? Has the Portsmouth PD asked for an apology? Is the Portsmouth PD a nonpartisan police force, or does the GOP have some jurisdiction over it? And does the fact that she DID thank the Portsmouth PD for their help in August at her town hall make any difference at all?
Frankly, if you want MY opinion, and I know hardly anyone here does want it, the Congressional candidate who needs to apologize to a police department is Frank Guinta. He needs to apologize to his own city’s police department. But that’s a subject for a different thread, probably on a different blog.