Sununu Reality Check

When asked in a Seacoast Online interview whether he supports paid family leave, a bipartisan measure that passed the New Hampshire House yesterday, Governor Chris Sununu refused to level with the people of New Hampshire and employed his favorite “doublespeak” routine…again. Instead of outlining a firm position on the issue, he said he “loves the concept” but thinks it’s “unsustainable” and too “expensive.”

This is Governor Sununu’s favorite tactic to try to mislead voters and avoid taking a position on critical issues for New Hampshire.

Yesterday was far from the first time Sununu has tried his “doublespeak” routine on us. Here’s the reality:

• When asked about HB 372, the poll tax bill, Sununu refused to commit to a veto, inching toward support after saying he “hated” it

• Sununu called the U.S. House passage of Trumpcare a “huge win” and in the same breath said he had  “severe reservations” about the same piece of legislation. Later, he waited until a version of the Senate bill was killed before saying he opposed it “as currently written.”

• After doubling down on his decision to make New Hampshire the only state to opt out of FirstNet, a public emergency communications system, Sununu reversed his position citing upcoming deadlines, sloppily putting New Hampshire’s security in limbo in pursuit of a headline.

• Sununu said there is “no doubt there’s election fraud” in New Hampshire, then said 8 months later that “he’s always said” there is no evidence of voter fraud.

• Sununu claimed to have a zero-tolerance policy on sexual assault and said it would “not be tolerated in New Hampshire” in the wake of allegations against State Rep. Eric Schleien, but he refused to call for Rep. Schleien’s resignation and continued to support President Trump after the release of the Access Hollywood tape and despite the 13 women who have accused Trump of sexual assault.

• Sununu was firmly opposed to a plan for a commuter rail line connecting Massachusetts to Nashua and Manchester, calling it a “boondoggle” only to claim to support it in his pitch to Amazon

And when Sununu isn’t taking out both sides of an issue, he’ll simply refuse to tell Granite Staters where he stands:

• After a ban on the abusive practice of conversion therapy failed in the House yesterday, Governor Sununu continued his over two year-long silence on the issue, though he has appointed a conversion therapy supporter, Frank Edelblut, to lead the NH Department of Education

• On casinos, Sununu said “I’m not saying yes and I’m not saying no” on NHPR’s The Exchange.

• On HB 478, the transgender anti-discrimination bill, Sununu said he was “just kind of monitoring it,” before saying he had “no personal opinion.”