Bulldog Live! is hosted by "Bulldog" Brian Tilton weekdays 1-3pm on WTPL 107.7FM "The Pulse" and worldwide at www.wtplfm.com.
Each day on Bulldog Live!, we're engaged in the issues that affect you right here in New Hampshire. We cover what's happening in topics and current events in your back yard, in Concord or in Washington, DC. We'll talk about what's affecting your wallet or pocketbook, and we're looking out for you with consumer safety alerts and fraud warnings.
Bulldog gets right to the heart of the matter through interaction with callers, expert analysis and opinion, tips and more! Whether he's talking with the leader of a local animal shelter or governor of New Hampshire, "Bulldog" Brian Tilton is talking LIVE locally on The Pulse.
If you miss a day, you miss a lot!
Stories, Topics & Links to Recent Guests:
The following is a highlight of some of the many guests, organizations and topics discussed on "Bulldog Live!"-
CONTINUING COVERAGE OF THE LLC TAX
WEEKDAYS 1-3PM ON BULLDOG LIVE!
Dave Barry: Super Bowl was great - and so was the game
You could tell the Saints fans because every few feet they would shout ``Who dat.'' This is a system -- similar to the sonar system used by bats -- that enables Saints fans to identify each other by sound when they are too happy to see.
A Six-Hour Infomercial Can’t Save Obamacare
According to aides, the President envisions a half-day meeting on February 25th held in Blair House (a building across the street from the White House) presumably televised by C-SPAN. President Obama’s conciliatory rhetoric aside, everyone knows this publicity stunt has nothing to do with actually considering conservative health care reform ideas and everything to do with the appearance of transparency and bipartisanship.
Editorial: The Mirage of Bipartisan Health Care Meetings
If this government was truly created “by the people, for the people,” then why was it that the Obama Administration and Congress refused to drop their push for socialized medicine even though the American people were vehemently opposed to it? (Final Health care poll showed 58% opposed the current bill according to Rasmussen Reports)
Why Are Liberals So Condescending?
This sense of liberal intellectual superiority dropped off during the economic woes of the 1970s and the Reagan boom of the 1980s. (Jimmy Carter's presidency, buffeted by economic and national security challenges, generated perhaps the clearest episode of liberal self-doubt.) But these days, liberal confidence and its companion disdain for conservative thinking are back with a vengeance, finding energetic expression in politicians' speeches, top-selling books, historical works and the blogosphere. This attitude comes in the form of four major narratives about who conservatives are and how they think and function.
February 6, 2010 Alito objected to Obama's history claim
In the end, the court left untouched a 1907 law that bans contributions by corporations to candidates. But in overruling those two decisions, the court did strike down limits on corporations in a law that had been in place since 1947.
Michael Reagan on Ronald Reagan: 'His Legacy is Freedom'
With Ronald Reagan it was always about freedom. He never believed that others should not be free as we are free in the United States, and he brought that message to the rest of the world.
February 2, 2010 Bill targets state capital gains interpretation
The bill to be heard Tuesday relates to the business profits tax that LLCs have been paying for years. What is new – and what this bill is trying to prevent – has been the Department of Revenue Administration’s decision to retroactively tax capital gains that have been exempt under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Service code.
Amendment to HB 1635
As discussed on Second Amendment Tuesdays with Attorney Penny Dean.
NH revenues continue to lag behind estimates
So far this year, revenues are nearly $41 million below estimates. Administrative Services Commissioner Linda Hodgdon believes the state will close some but not all of that gap by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
Tax court allows deduction for woman's sex change
"I think what the court is saying is that surgery and hormone therapy for transgender people to alleviate the stress associated with gender identity disorder is legitimate medical care," said Jennifer Levi, a GLAD attorney.
Obama's Chief of Staff Sorry for 'Retarded' Remark
Emanuel's call wasn't the first time Shriver got an Obama administration apology. The president himself telephoned in March after telling Jay Leno on the "Tonight Show" how awful his bowling scores were. "It was like the Special Olympics or something," Obama said.
Fate of Obama’s aunt to be fought behind closed doors
Neither Reid nor Rogers claimed any knowledge of Obama meddling on behalf of his late father’s African half-sister, and Rogers said Onyango isn’t trying “to capitalize” on family favortism.
NH soldier killed in Afghanistan
Decoteau was stationed in Afghanistan as part of a Psychological Operations unit based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., according to Maj. Greg Heilshorn of the New Hampshire National Guard, which assists the families of military casualties of all branches of the service.
Property protected: The JUA's significance
The court majority (including the only two justices appointed by Gov. John Lynch, who proposed the JUA raid) has issued a substantial defense of private property against the aggression of the state. The people of New Hampshire ought to be deeply thankful.
Watchdog: Bank Bailouts Created More Risk in System
The problems that led to the last financial crisis have not yet been addressed, and in some cases have grown worse, says Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the trouble asset relief program, or TARP. The quarterly report to Congress was released Sunday.
January 30, 2010 A new Sununu seeking office
Republican Chris Sununu filed election papers Wednesday to challenge two-term Democratic incumbent Beverly Hollingworth of Hampton.
Benefits manager ordered to unveil payroll
A state Supreme Court ruling yesterday forced the Local Government Center to disclose salary information revealing 18 of its top employees make more than $80,000 a year.
List of Local Government Center salaries
The center’s entities include the New Hampshire Municipal Association, LGC HealthTrust, LGC Real Estate, LGC Property-Liability Trust and LGC Workers Compensation Trust.
January 29, 2010
Atheist Group Blasts Postal Service for Mother Teresa Stamp
"Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Teresa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary U.S. citizen, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years," the Postal Service said in a press release. "Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations."
State of the Union: More Lies, Fewer Facts
In fact, Obama did everything but the one thing citizens wish he would do: take the will of the people into account somewhere in the midst of his decision-making process.
Supreme Court rejects state's claim to JUA fund
Officials at LRGHealthcare, the parent of Lakes Region General and Franklin Regional hospitals, say they are pleased with a decision by the New Hampshire Supreme Court that upholds a lower court ruling preventing the state from using a $110 million surplus in the Joint Underwriting Association's medical malpractice fund.
January 27, 2010 Democrat Congressman on No-Show Cabinet Official: ‘Where the Hell is Secretary Napolitano?’
Top Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee publicly reprimanded Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today for failing to show up at a hearing where the committee examined the attempted Christmas Day suicide bombing of Northwest Flight 253. One Democrat on the committee said he wanted to know “where the hell” Napolitano was.
PETA proposes robotic groundhog for Pa. festival
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it's unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. PETA is suggesting the use of an animatronic model.
January 26, 2010 California School District Bans Dictionary
The Golden State's Menifee Union School District has yanked all copies of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary from its shelves and is investigating the classic American text for containing "age-inappropriate" words.
IRS requires corporations to report aggressive use of tax breaks
The Internal Revenue Service plans to start requiring large corporations to disclose on their tax returns whether they are taking tax breaks that might be unacceptable to the IRS. Large corporate tax filings are often complex, with some firms taking tax breaks that fall into a gray area of tax law. IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman said Tuesday that requiring firms to flag those "uncertain tax positions" for IRS examiners would improve enforcement.
231-mph NH wind gust is no longer world's fastest
First the Old Man, now the Big Wind. New Hampshire's Mount Washington has lost its distinction as the site of the fastest wind gust ever recorded on Earth, officials at the Mount Washington Observatory said Tuesday.
Ga. Gov. Perdue wants to tap lottery funds
While it would help balance the state’s recession-ravaged budget, lawmakers from both parties said the shift might be unconstitutional. The 1992 constitutional amendment that created the Georgia Lottery prohibits lawmakers from using revenue from the games to replace state funding for existing programs.
January 22, 2010 Tax cheats could be barred from holding elected office in Ga.
“Why should you be in a position of establishing laws for the residents of this state when you don’t abide by one of the basics?” asked Senate Ethics Chairman Dan Moody (R-Johns Creek).
January 21, 2010
AUDIO: ObamaMoney.org
Interview with NH business owners Keith Mochida and Kate Shaw.
Lynch Incorrectly Claims Balanced Budget
But Lynch’s former Budget Director says that the Granite State currently faces an operating deficit of nearly $80 million.
Lawmakers seeking to make 'Big Lake' speed limit permanent
The purpose of the sunset clause was to give the N.H. Department of Safety two years to evaluate data gathered by the marine patrol and determine if the law had any appreciable effect.
Bill would free guns
Under Itse’s bill, federal officials trying to impose federal taxes or rules on such guns could face a prison term of up to seven years. Local or state public officials, including judges acting on behalf of the federal government, could face to a year in prison.
Betsy McCaughey: Obamacare = Total Disdain for Public
Patient advocate and health policy expert, Betsy McCaughey explains why some major parts of the Democrats healthcare reform are unconstitutional and how the overhaul puts many patients in peril.
January 19, 2010 Campground Owners Sound Off On Tax
Campground owners and legislators said New Hampshire now has the highest tax on campgrounds in the country and makes the state less attractive -- allowing neighboring states to pick up disgruntled campers.
GOP Congressman Blasts Pentagon Report on Fort Hood Shooting
The independent Pentagon review of the Fort Hood massacre purposely avoids any mention of radical extremism, a congressman who represents the area where the base is located has charged.
FBI illegally collected phone records
The bureau said in 2007 that it had improperly obtained some phone records, and the Justice Department inspector general is expected to release a report later this month detailing the extent of the problem.
Resident: Flawed law means condo owners don't see abutter notices
To that end, Rousseau contacted state representative Paul McEachern who is sponsoring a bill that would require all land use boards in the state to notify abutters who live in condominiums. The bill would change the definition of abutter to include “condominium or collective unit owners, rather than the officers of the collective or condominium association.”
January 12, 2010 Bankruptcy could be good for America
The British still shudder at the memory of the UK government having to go “cap in hand” to the IMF in 1976. It was humiliating – but it served a useful purpose. Britain’s brush with bankruptcy helped to convince the voters that things really needed to change, and prepared the ground for Thatcherism. France had a similar experience in the early 1980s – when capital flight from the country and collapsing tax revenues forced the government of François Mitterrand to abandon its hard-left policies.
Labor Revolts Over Obama Tax on 'Cadillac' Healthcare Plans
The 40 percent tax would fall on employer health plans worth more than $8,500 for an individual or $23,000 for a family. Although Obama terms them "Cadillac" plans, union leaders say numerous working-class Americans who've negotiated good benefits in exchange for lesser pay would be hurt.
IRS Commissioner: ‘I Find the Tax Code Complex, So I Use a Preparer’
The commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Douglas Shulman, told C-SPAN on Sunday that he uses a tax preparer to do his federal income tax return because he finds the tax code too complex to handle the job himself.
MLK Niece Likens Reid’s Comment to Calling Obama ‘White House Negro’
“I don’t care who said it,” she told CNSNews.com. “It doesn’t matter to me. It’s still wrong. It’s outrageous to say that we are going to let a man have a position because he is light-skinned and he uses a Negro dialect when it is convenient. “I think that’s terrible,” she said. “What he’s really saying is, ‘Now we have a White House Negro.’”
Donations Pour In For 74-Year-Old Woman Jailed Over Sewer Bill
"My Social Security comes the third Wednesday of the month. I was late several times. I don't deny that. But I have never missed a payment," Pennline said after the hearing. Pennline's attorney said his client always paid the bill, but said her Social Security check didn't come until after the sewer bill was due.
January 11, 2010 Health Care Bill Raises Dental Care Concerns
Now that the House and Senate have passed legislation to reform the healthcare system, national dental organizations aren't smiling about the lack of dental benefits being provided to Americans.
Many protest NH Statehouse gun ban
Some people wore orange stickers with the words "Potential Victim" put out by the Hannah Dustin Defense League, a women's self-defense group. Protesters also stood at the hearing with signs saying "Tyranny - More Dangerous Than Any Gun."
Georgia Gun Bill Advances To House Subcommittee
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica), told committee members Thursday the existing law is "extremely confusing" to gun owners and law enforcement. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports an overflow crowd appeared at the hearing, including gun rights supporters wearing orange badges that read: "Guns Save Lives."
January 9, 2010 Reid Repents for 'Negro' Remarks
"He was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination.’”
Health Care Pundit on Gov't Payroll
Gruber has been a go-to voice for reporters seeking a respected academic view on health care reform costs -- and as far as I can tell, few if any knew that in March he was awarded a $95,000 contract with HHS and in June a $297,600 contract with HHS for providing "Technical Assistance in Evaluating Options for National Healthcare Reform."
Walmart greeter punched by customer on video says he was fired
The 69-year-old Bauman was working at the Palm Bay store on Dec. 26 when 23-year-old Skyler Lowery set off the alarm. Bauman asked to see Lowery's receipt. Lowery showed the receipt quickly and kept walking, and Bauman followed Lowery. Police say Lowery grabbed Bauman's clipboard and punched him in the head.
January 6, 2010 Jenn Coffey: Turning the State House into a no-self-defense zone
Think of all the horrific acts that have been perpetrated on the law-abiding citizens of our great nation -- Columbine, Virginia Tech, Luby's Cafe, and the list goes on. These places have one thing in common: They were all "gun-free zones."
Second look at State House gun ban?
House Majority Leader Mary Jane Wallner, D-Concord, in a letter delivered today, asked Senate President Sylvia Larsen to have the Legislative Facilities Committee reconsider the ban on firearms and other deadly weapons.
House blocks home invasion bill
The House voted 201-161 to deny O'Brien's request to introduce the bill after House deadlines.
NH House votes to bar implanting tracking devices
The bill also would ban using the chips to track consumers' movements. The state's anti-skimming laws would be updated to prohibit cloning RFID debit and credit cards.
NH House approves mandating hearing aid coverage
The House voted 209-157 Wednesday to mandate the coverage over the objections of opponents that the benefit is too generous and would hurt small businesses.
Obama’s Other Broken Health Care Promises
When Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) emerged from a closed-door meeting with top House Democratic leaders yesterday, the press asked her about C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb’s request that she permit cameras to televise the final health care negotiations between the House and Senate. After Pelosi first demurred, a reporter reminded Pelosi about President Barack Obama’s frequent promises to the American people throughout 2008 that he would ensure C-SPAN was allowed to televise exactly such negotiations, to which Speaker Pelosi quipped: “There are a number of things he was for on the campaign trail.”
ObamaCare vs. the Constitution
Next year, Congress could impose similar caps on profit margins of bodegas, pizzerias and grocers, by arguing that food -- also a necessity -- is too expensive. Your business could be next.
Obama backs high-end health plan tax
In a meeting at the White House, Obama expressed his preference for the insurance tax contained in the Senate's health overhaul bill, but largely opposed by House Democrats and organized labor, Democratic aides said. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private.
Court dismisses city's discriminatory lending lawsuit against Wells Fargo
"The alleged connection is even more implausible when considered against the background of other factors leading to the deterioration of the inner city," U.S. District Court Judge J. Frederick Motz explained in an six-page memorandum opinion accompanying the dismissal order. He pointed specifically to Baltimore's "extensive unemployment, lack of educational opportunity and choice, irresponsible parenting, disrespect for the law, widespread drug use, and violence."
'Negro' Race Choice On Census Form Sparks Outrage
Question #9 on the this year's census asks about your race. One of the boxes you can choose is "black," "African American," or "negro," all placed next to the same box. Ingram said it's not a word he uses to identify neither himself nor anybody else.
Court: Having gun not enough
“A firearm, however, is not a deadly weapon per se,” Justice Linda Dalianis wrote, citing the Kousounadis case. “A firearm is a deadly weapon only if, in the manner it is used, intended to be used, or threatened to be used, it is known to be capable of producing death or serious bodily injury.”
‘Top Line’: Steele Off-Message (Again)
ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Touting his new book last night on Fox News, RNC Chairman Michael Steele got the kind of question party chairmen get all the time: Will the Republican Party win control of Congress this year?
State Department Using 'Diversity Visas' to Encourage Immigration to U.S. from Terror-Ridden Yemen
Yemen has long been a focus of U.S. security concerns because of terrorist activities there, including not only the 2000 bombing of the U.S.S. Cole but also a 2008 bombing attack on the U.S. embassy. Recently, the concerns about terrorism eminating from Yemen has intensified because Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab, the Nigerian terrorist who attempted to detonate explosive underwear on a Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day, reportedly joined an al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen and was groomed there for his would-be suicide attack.
White House, Democratic Leaders Meet on Health Overhaul Compromise
As a candidate, Obama pledged during a presidential debate in January 2008 that he would be "bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are." That has not occurred, and even C-SPAN is taking note. The network released a letter Tuesday from chief executive Brian Lamb to congressional leaders asking for the talks to be opened to cameras.
A Sham Of A Process For A Sham Of A Bill
Of course, Obama already broke this promise to the American people months ago. According to PoliFact, the backroom deals Obama cut with drug companies and hospitals last July already violated this pledge. But those were just preliminary negotiations. Surely when it came time for the final health care bill passage in Congress, Obama and his allies would welcome some transparency into the process? No such luck.
December 31, 2009 Internet writer to challenge TSA subpoena in court
The administrative subpoena - a demand for information issued without a judge's approval - will be challenged next week in federal court in Orlando, Fla., said Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Dalglish said she is acting as Elliott's spokesman on the issue.
Customers back ammonia-treated beef after report
McDonald's, Burger King and Cargill Inc. use the meat in their hamburgers. All say they test meat from suppliers, that their products are safe and they'll keep using the product.
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