And Rightly So!

Jay over at Wizbang reminds me why NH is special.

Another point brought up is our former governor, the late Meldrim Thomson, Jr. Thomson was a Pennsyvanian who moved to New Hampshire and allied himself with the publisher of our only state-wide newspaper, and rode that friendship into three terms in the governor’s office. “Mel” was a true character.

* When a Massachusetts driver blew past his state-trooper-driven car, Thomson ordered the trooper to chase and pull over the guy, who not only got a ticket and hefty fine, but lost his privilege to drive in New Hampshire.

* When Massachusetts had state troopers sit in the parking lot of New Hampshire state liquor stores and copy down the license plates of Bay Staters cheating Massachusetts’ tax on booze, Thomson ordered New Hampshire state troopers to arrest their Massachusetts colleagues for loitering.

* Thomson, a tireless supporter of states’ rights, pushed repeatedly for the New Hampshire National Guard to be equipped with tactical nuclear weapons.

* Thomson used his authority to order the states’ flags lowered to half-staff at the drop of a hat. We offiicially mourned the official United States recognition of Communist China, the ejection of Taiwan from the Olympics, the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty, and several other times.

* When anti-nuclear protesters assembled at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant (then under construction), Thomson put on his “commander in chief of the National Guard” hat and, while wearing military fatigues, flew in a helicopter to the scene and personally ordered the arrest of all 1,400 protesters.

* Thomson was denied a fourth term in 1978, when Democrat Hugh Gallen finally defeated Governor Mel. But while politics might have been done with Mel Thomson, Thomson wasn’t done with politics. In 1980, disgusted that the leading Republican candidate — Ronald Reagan — was too liberal, he ran a very brief presidential campaign.

In retrospect, Thomson was a seriously loose cannon, and a lot of what he stood for and fought for was just plain wrong. But with the benefit of 30 years of perspective, though, I’d take another Governor Mel today over a good chunk of the politicians Massachusetts keeps choosing over and over and over. After all, we got rid of Mel after three terms and six years. The Bay Staters are about to send Ted Kennedy back to the United States Senate (where he can — and does — cause far more damage than Mel ever dreamed of) for a ninth time, and let’s not forget that they also “blessed” us with almost-presidents Michael Dukakis and John Kerry.

We need more Mels— not just for NH but for America!!