James O'Keefe Returns to NH

Will he make it? Or will he have to cancel at the last minute again?

Nobody knows for sure, but "legendary" James O'Keefe is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers' annual picnic on July 7, at noon, at the Hillsborough American Legion post. This year's theme is voter fraud, and who better to speak on that topic than O'Keefe?

The conservative activist was scheduled to attend a Rye Republican Town Committee gala on May 6, but wound up instead for fear that he would be handed a grand jury subpoena if he stepped foot in New Hampshire.

O'Keefe, 27, has drawn both for his .

'Veepstakes' takes center stage in NH

Two possible contenders to be Mitt Romney's running mate are scheduled to speak in New Hampshire in the coming months. And neither of them are named Kelly Ayotte.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is scheduled to attend a New Hampshire Republican State Committee event on Saturday, July 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the home of Bill Ardinger in Concord. The event will not be open to the media.

It's not a cheap ticket, with a host sponsorship going for $500 and a regular ticket for $250. Anyone interested in attending should email tory@nhgop.org or call (603) 225-9341.

A month later, Tim Pawlenty is scheduled to be in state, speaking at a New Hampshire Young Republicans event on Saturday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.

Both men are rumored to be front-runners in the Romney "Veepstakes," with Ayotte's name also frequently mentioned.

Endorsement time

The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire announced its first round of endorsements for state senate and representative candidates last week.

The endorsements were based on surveys taken by the candidates on the liberty group's website.

"Unfortunately, many Republicans genuinely believe themselves to be 'conservative,' but vote against the core principles of liberty when it comes down to the day-to-day job of serving as an elected official," said Carolyn McKinney of Amherst, the group's chairwoman. "That is precisely why the RLCNH takes so seriously its role of recruiting and supporting Republicans who have a deep understanding of these principles and the fortitude to uphold and defend them."

Those endorsed in the first round include state senate candidates Cynthia Coolidge Howard, Phyllis Woods and Joshua Youssef and state representative candidates Omer Beaudoin, Robert Boyle, Kenneth Deshaies, Tracy Emerick, Joe Frazier, Doris Hohensee, Robert Hull, Kevin Leandro, Antonio Luciani, Richard Meaney, Susan Olsen, Brandon Ross, Kyle Scofield, Steven Smith, Christopher Suprock, Greg Surbey, Bill Walker and Kurt Wuelper.

Another endorsement for Cilley

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jackie Cilley picked up another endorsement last week, this time from the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen, Local No. 3. The group has about 300 members in New Hampshire.

"I'm proud that the bricklayers agree with the focus we've put on having a strong middle class driving our economy," Cilley said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with the bricklayers and their brothers and sisters in labor to make that happen."

Taking the pledge

Republican gubernatorial candidates Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith both signed the Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire pledge last week, committing to lower taxes and spending and reducing the size of government.

“We are very pleased with the initial response to our 2012 anti-tax pledge,” said Corey R. Lewandowski, state director of Americans for Prosperity-NH. “The pledge lets voters know where candidates stand on important economic issues. We hope that every candidate seeking office in New Hampshire this year will consider signing it.”

The pledge was authored by Tom Thomson, honorary chairman of Americans for Prosperity-NH, and commits candidates to cutting taxes, spending and the size of government as well as supporting Right to Work laws and upholding the New Hampshire and U.S. constitutions.