Granite Slate

Moneyball

   File this under Stimulus Getting Schooled.

   John Distaso, senior political reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader, writes part II today of his examination of New Hampshire spending with the hundreds of millions from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He writes:

Much of the money has gone to public elementary, middle and secondary schools, but large grants also are going to the state's universities -- public and private -- and to their students.

   You could also file his coverage under Must Read.

Health Care Reform for Christmas?

   The U.S. Senate is pulling some long hours in over the holidays to shepherd health care reform through Congress. The Times reports today the procedural trench warfare ended around 1 a.m. today.

Both parties hailed the vote as seismic.

Democrats said it showed them poised to reshape the health system after decades of failed attempts.

and

Republicans said that the bill was fatally flawed and that voters would retaliate against Democrats at the polls in November.

   The vote was 60-40. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the rancorous partisanship on display in snowed-in Washington, New Hampshire senators Judd Gregg (R)and Jeanne Shaheen (D) were on either side of this party-line vote.

Did Judd Gregg Take a Powder Day?

    The AP's Andrew Taylor reports that only two of 100 U.S. senators did not report to work as the Capitol was engulfed in a blizzard. One was Joe LIeberman, an independent from Connecticut and Orthodox Jew who was home for Hanukkah. The other? New Hampshire's very own senior senator, Judd Gregg, a Republican from Rye. Taylor's lede: 

Ski bums would have called it a "powder day" and blown off work.

   Taylor writes that Gregg, "who actually is a skier," was in the Granite State for a family commitment. 

   Here's hoping he can sneak in some turns.

Stormy Weather for NH Forecaster

  Al Kaprielian will come to a screeching halt on New Year's Eve.

    It's stormy weather for the veteran NH forecaster, who was just given his walking papers at his distinctive role as weatherman for MyTV, based in Derry, NH. Jessica Heslam at the Boston Herald writes today:

His over-the-top eccentric flare has made New Hampshire weatherman Al Kaprielian an iconic fixture, but the Derry TV station he’s called home for a quarter-century isn’t in his forecast anymore.

Kaprielian - whose offbeat style and screechy voice have given him a cult-like status - was handed a pink slip this holiday season along with seven other “MyTV” employees.

   Kaprielian, 48, says he will stick to the business he knows so well.

NH to Outlaw TWD

   NH will outlaw TWD come New Year's Day.

   Texting while driving will be a moving violation subject to a $100 fine. It's more than just texting (even if you're just checking out the must-see TFLN on your iPhone). See snippet of the new law:

A person operating a moving motor vehicle who writes a text message or uses 2 hands to type on or operate an electronic or telecommunications device, is guilty of a violation. A person does not write a text message when he or she reads, selects, or enters a phone number or name in a wireless communications device for the purpose of making a phone call.

   4F, AMBW.

Ice Storm '08 Recap

We were powerless. We were powerless for three whole days this time last year. Just a spell, I know, compared to the thousands left in the cold dark for a week, two weeks, or more as a result of the ice storm of Dec. 11, 2008. Roughed it out easily enough, though gladly accepted an offer from friends for dinner and an overnight. Otherwise, we ate out, and ate well. We ate twice at the Bratskellar in Portsmouth, which made a record number of pies one night. And so it is, on the anniversary of getting our power back, I am heart-warmed by reports of people holding Ice Storm anniversary parties. When life throws you for a turn, you make hay.

Or pizzas.

NH's Pearl Harbor Bridge

   NH's Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge will be twice as long as the USS Arizona, which the Japanese sunk on Dec. 7, 1941. The bridge, which won't be completed for another couple of years, was dedicated to survivors yesterday. Here's an interesting Navy photo from 1958.

NH's Half Staff Alert

   How has technology changed your life?   

   Enter this one: The state of NH has a popular feature on its home page, NH.gov NH.gov, which alerts people when the flag is called to Half Staff. You can sign up for NH's Half Staff Alert via email blast. The "Daily Flag Status" today, for example, is Full Staff. But on Monday, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, it is Half Staff.

Tiger Woods' Alleged Gal Pal from UNH

   Cannot get away from Tiger Woods and his alleged mistresses. Sorry. But one of them, Rachel Uchitel, is a product of the University of New Hampshire. That local bombshell came in the lede of this Boston Herald story:

Tiger Woods’ purported Big Apple tart, Rachel Uchitel - a 1996 graduate of the University of New Hampshire - backed out of her ballyhooed tell-all yesterday, fueling speculation the billionaire links lothario bought her discretion.

and

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Wednesday that Woods had deposited a seven-figure sum in the personal bank account of Elin Nordegren, 29, his wife of five years and mother of his two kids, 2 years and 9 months. Also, that Nordegren, a former Swedish swimsuit model and au pair, was demanding her husband renegotiate their prenup in order to get a sweeter deal to keep the marriage going at least two more years.

Portsmouth Bans Shirtless Jogger

Portsmouth Bans Shirtless Jogger

Read All About It!

    OK, so the jogger is a man, not a woman. But it's one weird case, as chronicled today by Boston Globe reporter Jenna Russell. What the story doesn't say: Where's the ACLU when this poor guy needs it? Also, I've seen this guy running about. What the story doesn't say is that Craig O'Brien is a really tall guy (6'2" or 6'3") and he even goes shirtless on the coldest of winter days. It's surreal. Here's what the guy, whose awaiting trial on alleged disorderly charges, told the Globe:

“This town has changed, and it’s weird,’’ said O’Brien, who grew up in Portsmouth but has lived across the border in Maine for years. “It’s like you have to behave a certain way, or they want to get rid of you. . . . It looks pretty on the outside, but inside it’s creepy.’’

NH Political Library Gets Lean

   Economic skull and bones at NH Political Library, too. The CMonitor reports today that the NH Political LIbrary has let go its paid staff, though continues to operate. Excerpt:

"We're going through a reconfiguration process like a lot of nonprofits in New Hampshire," said board Chairman Terry Shumaker. "The economy has been quite difficult for us. The political library will continue, and the board is studying exactly the best way to have that happen."

   Shumaker called it a temporary setback.

NH Congressional Hopeful's email hacked

   NH Congressional hopeful Frank Guinta's work email was hacked this week, the Union Leader reports.  Hackers allegedly got into Guinta's Manchester mayoral email account and sent 650,000 messages. It will be interesting to see what these spammers were saying, or selling. 

New Hampshire's President, Whatshisname

   Happy Birthday, Mister President!

   In recognition of President Franklin Pierce's 205th birthday, the Old North Cemetery in Concord will have a flurry of annual visitors for a wreath laying ceremony. Attendees for the event, which begins at 10 this morning, include the Governor's Horse Guard. It's presented by the Political Library and the Pierce Brigade. Refreshments to follow at Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, as well as a celebration of one truly worthy of being called New Hampshire's favorite son. Doesn't ring a bell? Here's a Political Library excerpt on the 14th President:

While President, Pierce reduced the national debt by 60% from $75 million to $35 million, established the office of the United States Attorney General, modernized the Army and Navy, improved relations with Canada, established trade with Japan and expanded our national borders.

Grant Bosse Rides Again

    With great media panache, Grant Bosse announced this week he is switching parties, from Republican to the new Phantom Party, and embarking on another bid for Congress. He's running in a "phantom" district, the ridiculously named 00th District by an unknown data cruncher within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Bosse won fewer than 3,000 votes in the GOP primary for the 2nd District last year (he was a distant fourth, though at least he won his home town). The former Sununu the younger staffer now works as an "independent" journalist with the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy and headlines the New Hampshire Watchdog. The stimulus error, which touted nearly 3,000 jobs in the congressional district that doesn't exist, has proven a wonderful stimulus for Bosse. James Pindell appropriately calls it a stunt. The real irony around this fake campaign, and the real shame for the candidate: Bosse is getting more attention in one week than he did all of last year.

Unlikely Stimulus Destinations

   Hmmm, $95,000 to study pollen from the Viking era of Iceland? Stimulating, yes, but stimulus? 

   The Boston Globe reports today that the Tax State recently filed some interesting uses for its millions and millions in federal economic stimulus. Sticking out of the list from the usual and unusual construction projects, there's $123,000 to outfit a party cruise boat to ward of terror pirates and a plan to fix up a lighthouse. Suddenly, Bob Kraft's use of $9 million in federal stimulus for a foot bridge, thanks to his pals on Beacon Hill, almost doesn't look bad. Almost.

NH Stimulus in the Water

   There's something in the water. You hear it everywhere in New Hampshire as residents jokingly try to put their finger on how the town next door, or their neighbors next door, can be so very different. Nearly a year into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it's clear that New Hampshire is putting its stimulus in the water.  Tom Burack, the chief honcho at NH Department of Environmental Services, is kicking off a new ground water treatment facility in Seabrook on Tuesday. The stimulus and a drinking water loan fund is funneling $5 million of the $7,344,000 construction bill.

Short Voters Turnout

   A loud hum from the fluorescent lights was all I heard walking into the Ward 3 voting precinct in Manchester last week. Talk about ghost town. Entering the ballot room, poll workers looked like frozen wax figures, even the ever-affable and utterly delightful moderator, Tracie Buckley. Once outside, I swear I saw a tumbleweed blow by. In a free-speech pen, the politicians and various supporters holding signs were counting down the remaining hour 'til voting closed. They looked so glum standing there; like men and women queued up for a bread line or something.

   But not all was quiet this Election Day in this particular ward. Earlier reports held that there was rush on ballots ... by the kids. Once again, the civic education program led by the New Hampshire Political Library proved to be a winner. Kids Voting NH, which is supported by several public and private organizations, collected 512 student ballots in the Manchester city elections. The young ones favored Mark Roy over Ted Gatsas by 8 points, when Gatsas handily won the mayoral election.

Billionaire Kraft Taps Stimulus Money

   Massachusetts is helping Robert Kraft snag millions in stimulus for the New England Patriots' stadium and uber-mall. The Boston Globe reports that the $9 million plan would build a walking bridge between parking lots owned by Kraft. Excerpt:

State officials decided to bypass a host of projects across the state - including road rebuilding projects in Canton, Danvers, Braintree, and Bellingham - to build the footbridge.

   Insert sports analogy here.

Pam Smart Alert

   Think Media Circus, and you think OJ Simpson trial, maybe Balloon Boy. 

   But it's hard for the  locals to express just how crazy it was in New Hampshire back in 1991, after Pam Smart seduced teens and arranged for a Seabrook lover to kill her husband. I didn't cover it, but friends who did tell me it was crazy. Media Zoo, not just the circus. Ever since she was convicted, stories of Smart have cropped up and gained considerable media share. It's like a Pam Smart Alert. The latest: Seacoast Media reports Smart just won $23,875 from the state of New York as part of an agreement to settle her lawsuit that a prison guard took racy photos of her in her cell and allegedly sexually assaulted her. 

   After attorney's fees, Smart gets $8,750 in her prison bank account. Smart, who is serving a life sentence, is 42. 

NH LGC Flexes Political Muscle

   New Hampshire Local Government Center, until a few years ago known as New Hampshire Municipal Association, continued flexing its legal and political muscle in allegedly hindering a Concord police investigation into lax security. The Concord Monitor's Annmarie Timmins broke the story Monday by gaining documents through a right-to-know request. She wrote,

The police report also said the Local Government Center hindered the Concord police's recent investigation of a former employee accused of stealing computer tapes from the company's server. George Waldron, Merrimack County's deputy attorney, dropped that investigation in early October, saying the center's "sloppy" and "careless" security would undermine criminal charges.

The center's director, Maura Carroll, objected to Waldron's characterization and urged the Monitor to read the police department's investigative report. Carroll said that report would counter Waldron's conclusions about the center's security practices.

   NH LGC is back in New Hampshire Supreme Court, as justices decide whether or not to agree yet again with the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire that it is a public entity, funded by taxpayer dollars, and therefore subject to the state's right-to-know law. The LGC argument is that some of its information is confidential and would erode a competitive, business advantage.

New Hampshire Stimulus Jobs

   Speaking of jobs, New Hampshire Stimulus Czar Bud Fitch recently reported the federal taxpayer  swoosh into New Hampshire saved or created 3,007 jobs. 

   Full-time equivalent, that is. 

   Through the first week of October, the governor and Executive Council signed off on $407,297,389 worth of contracts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

NH Stimulus Under Scope

   The millions and millions coming into New Hampshire through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka the federal economic stimulus, remain under the microscope for all the effects: the good, the bad and the ugly. One editorial today questions the use of taxpayer dollars to preserve 42 jobs in the arts. Excerpt:

The whole stimulus package is a ruse. Like "cash for clunkers," it merely transfers money from one segment of the economy to another. President Obama and Democrats in Congress call this "stimulus," and they do it with a straight face. Talk about performance art.

   Another chapter in this recessionary saga.

New Hampshire Meatball

   Finally, the ultimate meatball. New Hampshire restaurant sets meatball world record. Now, the pasta.

News Source Protection Near

   The New York Times reports there's a deal pending to provide greater protections against fines or jail time for reporters who refuse to identify confidential sources. Charlie Savage writes,

The protection would apply not only against subpoenas for reporters’ testimony or information but also against investigative efforts to obtain phone and Internet records to find out who had been talking with them.

Under the agreement, the scope of protection for reporters seeking to shield the identities of confidential sources would vary according to the nature of the case: civil, criminal or national security.

New Hampshire's All-Hazard Man

   Dr. Jose T. Montero, like incidences of swine flu in New Hampshire, will be in the newspapers more and more as 2009 tumbles into 2010. Here's a new profile of the state's Public Health director, with H1N1 influenza as the backdrop.

Another wasted week in public education

   I've a new favorite to my list of local columnists. It's J.G. Fabiano, a teacher in York, Maine. He usually writes a piece on A-Z in the Portsmouth Herald on Sundays. Today, Jim Fabiano takes careful aim and fires away at standardized testing. See his column, Another wasted week in public education. A captivating read from someone on the inside. His last graph:

I am happy to say I am now back into the routine of teaching my classes what I know they need in order to prepare themselves for what they want their futures to be. Their enthusiasm and motivation have returned. But, I also realize there are more alphabet tests soon to come that will stop the process of learning in order to equate how well it is being learned. If this last statement sounds foolish; it is. In fact, it is downright insane.

Fairey Tales: Iconic Obama Poster Imposter

   Shepard Fairey, the artist behind the iconic Obama posters and images, has admitted mistaken use of an AP photograph that was the basis for the work. (And he admits trying to cover it up.) See artist admits error. An excerpt from the AP story today:

"In an attempt to conceal my mistake, I submitted false images and deleted other images," said Fairey, who has been involved in countersuits with the AP, which has alleged copyright infringement.

"I sincerely apologize for my lapse in judgment and I take full responsibility for my actions which were mine alone. I am taking every step to correct the information and I regret I did not come forward sooner."

Thou Shalt Not Steal

   Thou Shalt Not Steal. So Kevin Fitzgerald began an argument when he first filed suit against the governor and state insurance commissioner for what he called a raid on $110 million from a medical malpractice insurance underwriting account. John Lynch and the Legislature used the money, seeing it as a surplus, to balance the budget. The New Hampshire Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case this week. Its decision could blow a hole in the soft underbelly of of state finances. But back to Fitzgerald. His initial complaint in superior court was a remarkable piece of writing for its black-and-white, no-holds barred approach. No legalese there. We'll see whether the high court agrees with his biblical spin.

Manchester Man's World Cup Dreams

   The U.S. men's soccer team will compete in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, with Manchester's Charlie Davies inspiring his comrades to hustle out a full 90 minutes last night to secure a come-from-behind tie against Costa Rica. Davies remains hospitalized after an early Tuesday morning fatal accident in Virginia.

   His injuries may prevent him from play next June, but his plight has elevated him to inspirational leadership to the squad. See Kevin Gray story.

  Fans held tribute to Davies last night, holding up placards of his jersey number: No. 9.

Positive Economic News? Read On

   The Dow closed at over 10,000, sending the Street into wild-and-scene celebrations. The other news du jour, The New York Times company today announced it has changed its mind and it will not sell The Boston Globe. 

   Don't send in the clowns just yet.

NH Notches New First in the Nation Status

   A tripling of student financial aid since 2000 has helped New Hampshire notch a new first in the nation status:  Tops in terms of the percentage of college students from low income families. Ed MacKay, chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire, said the institutional aid dove-tailed well with their Affordable College Effort program. 

   "Given that our tuition prices are among the highest in the country due to the relatively low level of state subsidy available, this is a remarkable achievement," MacKay said after the state ranking and related report was issued by Postsecondary Education Opportunity. 

The Bucolic Globe

   Every time there's a violent crime in a small town in New Hampshire, The Boston Globe dispatches its metro reporters to gnaw and gnash with their lilac prose. Their favorite word spice? Bucolic. At least three times since Kimberly Lynn Cates was brutally murdered Sunday, The Bucolic Globe has written about the bucolic town. The latest today, courtesy of the metro desk, was this Q&A:

Q. Both the Zantops and Kim Cates, who was murdered in her home on Sunday, were targeted in bucolic areas. What, if anything, do such crimes tell us about New Hampshire today? 

A. We must be careful about trying to find broad meaning about rural life in New Hampshire based on these two cases. Tulloch and Parker grew up in Chelsea, Vt., a beautiful, family- and community-oriented valley town of about 1,000 people.

   Bucolic? Come on. They make rural sound like a disease.

Another Dam Gone in NH

   The Winnicut River is without a dam for the first time since the 17th century.  A $1 million removal project reached a milestone last week, knocking down the mass of reinforced concrete on the Great Bay tributary river located in Greenland. See story, Flow of Federal Funds Aided Dam Removal. 

    The project seeks to restore the river habitat and species of herring, alewife, rainbow smelt, and American eel. (At right, a state photo of the former dam)

Seabrook Station to Test Nuke Alarm

    The nuclear power plant will test its emergency warning sirens again this fall, with the alarm being sounded at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 18. This year's test is scheduled to occur during school and the workday, for those who live or work in the emergencing planning zone in coastal New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts.

Obama Seeks Weaker Media Shield

   President Obama is letting lawmakers know he opposes a bill to protect reporters from jail if they refuse to rat out their confidential sources. Charlie Savage in The New York Times today writes that the administration wants sweeping changes to a "media shield" bill, even though as a first-term senator from Illinois he supported such legislation. More than three dozen states have such a law. Three graphs from the Savage piece:

Several advocates for reporting groups reacted with dismay. They noted that as a senator, Mr. Obama had co-sponsored an earlier version of the “media shield” bill and that Mr. Holder had testified in favor of such legislation.

“This is the question I would have to ask, ‘Do they really want a bill?’ ” said Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “It doesn’t appear that they do.”

Proponents of a shield law argue that it is in the public interest to allow reporters to protect confidential sources in order to bring important information to light. Opponents note that the unauthorized disclosure of classified information is illegal and argue that members of the news media should not be allowed to decide whether exposing national security secrets is justified.

Barack the Elephant, not the Donkey

   The Greatest Show on Earth is in Manchester, NH, for a four-day circus.

   Earlier today, elephants streamed down Elm Street to the Verizon Wireless Arena. In reviewing Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for their elephant stars, I came across one I hadn't heard of when he made headlines on the eve of President Obama's inauguration: 

   Bararck, the elephant, born as a result of artificial insemination, at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation. 

   Baby Barack weighed in at 250 pounds. Here's a photo from the circus' conservation center.

The Return of the Tahoma

For a few seconds this morning, in the dawny haze, the vessel looked like a new spit of land five miles off the New Hampshire coast, a southern dot to the Isles of Shoals. With the binoculars, it was clearly a Coast Guard cutter, inspecting something or other. I later found out it was the Tahoma, back to Portsmouth Harbor after a two-month patrol in the Caribbean.

Vast, Right-Wing Conspiracy is Pesky

   Bill Clinton says the "vast, right-wing conspiracy" detailed by former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky case is alive and well. See AP story here. An excerpt from the ex-president:

Bill Clinton was asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" whether the conspiracy is still there. He replied: "You bet. Sure it is. It's not as strong as it was because America has changed demographically. But it's as virulent as it was."

Reproducing in NH

   The Blues are Reproducing in New Hampshire. The once disappearing Karner blue butterflies are reappearing in strong numbers, New Hampshire Fish and Game reports. 

   This year, for the fifth straight year, biologists have observed Karner blues surviving on their own in the Pine Barrens of Concord. Fish & Game report. 

   More than 3,700 adult Karner blues were released into the wild this summer from a rearing facility provided on the grounds of the New Hampshire National Guard.

Yoga Politics in NH

   Yoga Politics still make headlines in NH. Go figure. Here's the story.

 Long and short:  Raymond is always an interesting town and selectman John "Jack" Barnes, a veteran and businessman who also serves as a state senator, is about as colorful a character as you'll find in New Hampshire politics. Never a dull moment.

NH Review: All Bets Off?

   The commission studying the pros and cons of expanded gambling in New Hampshire have met twice now, and as Garry Rayno reported yesterday, there are a few competing concerns among its members. One interesting note: More than a few readers posting comments online clearly do not think the panel is impartial on this one.

Right to Know: Menino Says He Doesn't

   Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is fending off challe ngers and their charges his office turned a blind eye to the consistent deletion of emails by an adviser, in violation of the state public records law. The state is now stepping in and seizing the computers in an effort to recover lost emails, The Boston Globe reports today. Says Menino in the story:

   "I'll cooperate with anybody, because this was an honest mistake made by the administration."

   Massachusetts state law requires municipal employees to save emails for at least two years, regardless of their content. (Boston Herald snapped Menino at right flashing a gang sign?)

Foster's Daily Democrat Publisher Dies

   A man I'll remember most for his smile, sense of humor and dedication to community has died tonight. Robert H. Foster was 88.  

   This is from namesake newspaper, Fosters.com:

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Robert H. Foster

Related Articles and Media Article: Share you thoughts on the passing of Robert H. Foster

DOVER - Foster's Daily Democrat publisher Robert H. Foster died peacefully at his home early this evening with his family by his side. He was 88-years-old.

Recognized as a newspaper innovator, Foster is credited with transforming Foster's into one of the most influential and respected publications in New Hampshire and New England.

Complete coverage of Robert Foster's passing will continue on Foster's Online and in Foster's Daily Democrat. 

FED Up: New England Economy In/Out of Labor

   What's in your wallet?

   The New England economy showed signs of improvement, The Boston Globe reported today. The Federal Reserve came out with another survey, this one pointing to some positive indicators in home sales and employment. One excerpt:

"Despite improving conditions, the economy remains weak, particularly in labor markets, according to the Fed. In New England, for example, staffing firms reported increases in temporary hiring, but don’t expect demand for permanent workers to pick up until 2011."

   Improvement, yes. But out of the water? In today's New Hampshire Union Leader, legal notices for foreclosure and mortgagee sales were spread across 14 pages. Fourteen! 

A Kennedy Dynasty Broken?

  The Boston Globe's Frank Phillips reports Joseph P. Kennedy II will not run for the U.S. Senate seat held by his uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. The decision came after "days of anguished deliberation," Phillips writes:

His decision clears the way for a highly competitive three-month campaign for the Democratic nomination that may pit several members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation against the state’s attorney general.

“The race is now wide open,’’ said Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. “It will be heavily populated. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for these senior Democrats.’’

Charlie Bass Reports In

   The former congressman writes another newspaper commentary, published here today in the New Hampshire Union Leader, chiming in on health care reform. Another sign of a Bass Battle in 2010? An excerpt:

"When it comes to health care, protesters are proclaiming their version of the Hippocratic Oath: "First, do no harm." We should focus on fixing what is broken instead of on the wholesale dismantling of a system which, for all its flaws, provides the vast majority of Americans with quality care, freedom of choice and unparalleled technological advances that save lives and improve the quality of life."

A Healthy Debate: Deal-making Fall

   As anticipated, and as chronicled by the national press corps, the White House is moving to the next phase in the health care reform debate: Negotiations. AP reports the new expectations and repositions of President Obama, a battle to lower the rhetoric, or at least change the game or the playing field.

Elvis Lives In New Hampshire

Fat and Skinny Elvises are roaming around Manchester today for the New England Elvis Festival. The Exeter UFO Festival is today. And there's the Lancaster and Hopkinton fairs. The planets in New Hampshire are aligned this Labor Day weekend.

He's Not Dead Yet!

   The Boston Globe got ahead of itself yesterday, bringing to mind Mark Twain once again: The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. The Globe report reminded readers that Edward W. Brooke III was the nation's first black U.S. senator. And then the editors slapped this on the end of the story:

Due to a reporting error in an earlier version of this story, the name of Edward W. Brooke, III, was misspelled, and he was incorrectly reported as having passed away.

"38 Pitches" for Kennedy Seat

   Will future Hall of Famer Curt Schilling be a future candidate for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat? The former Red Sox pitcher said people have encouraged him to consider it. After he speculated on his political prospects yesterday, Schilling wrote on his blog, 38 Pitches, that he would not speculate on it. I covered his appearance during the 2008 New Hampshire Presidential Primary, as he stumped for Sen. John McCain, the eventual Republican nominee. For a guy used to the media and bright lights, Schilling didn't have that much to say. Maybe McCain's people had him on a short leash?

   Maybe Schilling, who carried water for President Bush four years earlier, was just keeping his powder dry?