If Doug Lambert ever had delusions of grandeur and invincibility, the Mouth That Roared is quickly finding  out that he is as expendable as a dead rat on a sinking ship.

Over the weekend, the GOP activist called New Hampshire Democratic Chairman Ray Buckley “a faggot.” But that was only a small part of Lambert’s outburst. Here’s how it was reported in the Laconia Citizen:

After Lambert called Buckley a faggot, co-host Skip Murphy suggested they turn off the live Web feed but, instead, Lambert looked into the camera, made some dancelike movements that were intended to mimic the way gay men walk, and said, “Yeah, you faggot. That’s right, I said it and I meant it. You are a reprobate. How the people, the Democrats — I think of some of the gray-haired ladies from the old party — would stand behind you is beyond me. You are a disgrace to yourself, to humanity, to mankind and to your party. Other than that, happy birthday, Ray, and many more — not,” he said before the feed suddenly went dead.

Since then Lambert has been fired as co-chair of Frank Guinta’s congressional campaign, he has been evicted by WEMJ AM, the radio station that aired his weekly radio show, a local newspaper, the Laconia Daily Sun, has promised to stop publishing Lambert’s rants, and the high and mighty of New Hampshire’s Republican party have eviscerated him in the press and denounced his homophobic comments.

The details can be found here.

Lambert will continue to serve on the Gilford, NH, budget committee, only because as an elected official he cannot be removed by the town for being an ass. The “enabler” in Lambert’s world is his media partner, Skip Murphy. Murphy is also on the Gilford budget committee. The two of them are like a wrestling tag-team, basically bullying the rest of the town into doing what they want.

The best Murphy could say about his partner’s homophobic outburst is that it was “a dumb thing.” I can only hope that Gilford’s voters will have something more to say to both of these cretins in the next election –

“Your fired!”

Posted in Gay and lesbian, Gay rights, Hillary Clinton Quarterly, New Hampshire Democratic Party, News, Politics, Republican Party Tagged: anti-gay, Doug Lambert, faggot, Frank Guinta, Gay rights, Gilford NH, homophobia, Laconia Daily Sun, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Republicans, Racism, Ray Buckley, Skip Murphy, WEMJ

Doug Lambert, a Glenn Beck wannabe and notorious local publicity hound, has finally gone into hiding. . . .and for good reason.

Lambert, a co-chair for Republican Frank Guinta’s New Hampshire congressional campaign, was fired this weekend for calling the chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party “a faggot” during Lambert’s weekly radio show, “Meet The New Press.”

According to an article posted today on the Laconia Citizen web site, Lambert called Ray Buckley, the openly gay chair of the state Democratic Party, a “faggot” and then proceeded to further insult Buckley:

After Lambert called Buckley a faggot, co-host Skip Murphy suggested they turn off the live Web feed but, instead, Lambert looked into the camera, made some dancelike movements that were intended to mimic the way gay men walk, and said, “Yeah, you faggot. That’s right, I said it and I meant it. You are a reprobate. How the people, the Democrats — I think of some of the gray-haired ladies from the old party — would stand behind you is beyond me. You are a disgrace to yourself, to humanity, to mankind and to your party. Other than that, happy birthday, Ray, and many more — not,” he said before the feed suddenly went dead.

Lambert is known in the Laconia area for his intrepid efforts to gain personal publicity while shaming conservative Republicans into thinking he is championing their causes. A foe of any federal, state, or local tax that does not personally benefit him, Lambert has nevertheless squandered thousands of citizen tax dollars by filing frivolous law suits against government entities that rub him the wrong way.

Lambert is also famously known for opposing Gilford’s effort to build a much-needed library. In a close vote, the project failed to gain voter approval. When donors stepped up to fund construction themselves, Lambert then took exception to the “hidden costs” of this free gift to the town. I can only assume that if Lambert actually read books he might have supported this venture. But as I said, if a project does not personally benefit him, he has no interest. His sense of community begins and ends at his front door.

While it is unfortunate that Ray Buckley had to suffer a public insult from the homophobic Lambert, the silver lining in all this might be Lambert’s permanent exile from New Hampshire’s exclusive GOP club house. Following his slur, Republican notables fought over each other to be the first to condemn the outcast.

Here’s a sampling of their comments:

GOP Congressional candidate Frank Guinta: “This type of dialogue has no place in politics or in our country.”

GOP spokesman Ryan Williams: “This is inappropriate and offensive. We strongly condemn the use of such vulgar language and personal attacks.”

GOP State Rep. Francine Wendelboe: “I think he’s finally slit his own throat.”

GOP U.S. Senate Candidate Ovide Lamontagne: “There is no place in politics or anywhere else for the type of language or sentiments expressed by Doug Lambert today … and I reject them categorically and unequivocally,”

GOP State Senator Jeb Bradley: Lambert’s remarks were “harmful and unfortunate, completely inappropriate and hurtful.” He called on Lambert to apologize.

For those of us who had forgotten, the Citizen article reminds us that racism and homophobia are like twin-headed monsters among GOP activists like Lambert:

This is not the first time Lambert has made disparaging comments regarding sexual orientation or race on his blog. Following black comedienne Wanda Sykes’ comments at the annual White House Press Corps Dinner in May about former Vice-President Dick Cheney, Lambert wrote, “May she choke on a chicken bone or a watermelon rind. What ever gets the job done.”

The biggest shock of all: Lambert declined the opportunity to talk to the local newspaper about this incident. I guess if you want to “Meet the New Press,” you’ll have to do it on Lambert’s show where he can control the conversation.

Posted in Conservatives, Democratic Party, Gay rights, Hillary Clinton Quarterly, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Democratic Party, News, Politics Tagged: congressional campaign, Doug Lambert, faggot, Francine Wendelboe, Frank Guinta, gay, Gilford library, Glenn Beck, homophobia, Jeb Bradley, Meet the New Press, New Hampshire Republicans, Ovide Lamontagne, Racism, Ray Buckley, Ryan Williams, Skip Murphy, Wanda Sykes

Here’s a reprise of my annual Thanksgiving message —

Thanksgiving has always been one my favorite holidays. Here in New Hampshire we are usually just on the delicate cusp between fall and winter. The leaves are down, the skies are still clear and bright blue, but the ground is frozen and wincing from the cold reality of a fast-approaching winter.

One of my personal traditions this time of year is listening to Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.” When I was still a teenager, my uncle gave me a recording of this classic; George Szell conducted the Cleveland Orchestra. His interpretation of early American folk songs became embedded in my young consciousness and have never left. His music inspired vivid images of the first settlers in this area — a land that was still wild, pristine, romantic in its breathtaking beauty and possibilities.

Every now and then, living close to the woods and hills of northern New England, I feel those images of Dvorak coming to life around me. This is especially true around Thanksgiving, the quintessential holiday of the New World. Thanksgiving makes me think of the wild turkeys that emerge from the woods in late fall. I love watching them waddle down my yard, like boot camp soldiers trying to learn how to march, all left feet and proud nevertheless. Their captain, usually the oldest male, keeps guard against “the enemy.” For turkeys, that means something human. Most times, at least around here, they escape into the woods, fat, happy, and unharmed.

Read about wild turkeys here.

The turkeys we find frozen in our local supermarkets are obviously not so lucky. As a vegetarian I realize that I have a less-than-typical perspective about eating meat and our tradition of gobbling up bird flesh on a day that commemorates our freedom in a new land. On the other hand, most people that I know who eat meat have no idea how their food landed on their plates. We humans have a bizarre “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to discussing our methods of raising and slaughtering animals. Most people would just rather not hear about it.

If PETA is controversial, it is because it knows that sometimes “in-your-face” methods are often needed just to break through our consciousness and make us aware of what we do, needlessly, to feed ourselves. How do you get the attention of people wearing ear muffs over their psyches?

So, in an attempt to break through to the hearty souls who are still reading this, here is some unnerving information about how that Butterball turkey became the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal.

PETA reports:

Butterball workers were documented punching and stomping on live turkeys, slamming them against walls, and worse during an undercover investigation at a Butterball slaughterhouse in Ozark, Arkansas.

One Butterball employee stomped on a bird’s head until her skull exploded, another swung a turkey against a metal handrail so hard that her spine popped out, and another was seen inserting his finger into a turkey’s cloaca (vagina).

Need more evidence? Watch this video from PETA.

Almost 400 years after the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, perhaps we have advanced in our attitudes about the planet we share with other species.

There are alternatives to eating meat.

Be thankful but don’t be cruel.

Go to the PETA web site and learn more.

Posted in New Hampshire, PETA, Turkey, Vegetarian Tagged: Butterball turkey, Dvorak New World, going cold turkey, meatless Thanksgiving, New Hampshire, PETA, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, Turkey, Vegetarian, wild turkeys

No one likes to see animals of any kind — including humans — needlessly die. However, when men — why is it always men? –  go out into the woods with guns, hide in trees, and use other means to create an unfair advantage over trusting animals that are then killed, I am not going to lament the death of such a person.

According to today’s Union Leader, a New Hampshire hunter shot and killed himself while he was acting out his childish hunting fantasy. I am sorry for his family. On the other hand, I rejoice that another deer — supposedly being “managed” with these government-sanctioned slaughters — escaped to see another day.

On the same day, according to the newspaper report, another hunter in a separate incident shot himself in the hand.

Given the number of hunting accidents each year, I wonder if most hunters are both cruel and stupid. Or perhaps the two character flaws always go together?

Posted in Hillary Clinton Quarterly, Hunting, New Hampshire, Vegetarian Tagged: deer hunts, hunters shooting themselves, national rifle association, NRA, wildlife management

Ran into a Gallup Poll video today. They surveyed some 600,000+ Americans to see who was happy and who wasn’t.

Turns out that young people are the happiest group. Is that a surprise? Probably not. What’s there to do but party, have sex, watch TV, text your friends, and get drunk. Not a bad lifestyle!

What did surprise me was how much the “happy meter” dropped when they got to the Baby Boomer age group. Does that mean fewer parties, less sex, no friends to text, and too much sobriety? I don’t think so. I really don’t have a clue, except that I suspect some Boomers are dismayed at how their lives turned out after having started off as the most idealistic generation ever, only to turn out taciturn and cynical in late middle age just like their parents.

As for me, I am as happy now — or as miserable — as I was when I was 25. So I guess I am happy that I am still unhappy. . .or whatever.

– Rake

Posted in Hillary Clinton Quarterly, life Tagged: baby boomers, Gallup poll, happiness survey

(In case you missed it. . .)

Those of us who have known Hillary for a long time are not surprised that she can pull off such a deadpan swipe at Conan and Mayor Booker.

Thank goodness she means this in a nice way. I would hate to be on the receiving end if she were really pissed off.

Know what I mean, Bill?

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton Quarterly Tagged: Conan O'Brien, Newark Mayor Booker