Lamontagne talks about NLRB overreach from New Hampshire

Boeing HQ, Chicago

Monikered with what he calls "the toughest name in politics," Ovide Lamontagne hosted a conference call yesterday where he discuss the National Labor Relations Board overreach involved with the Boeing case. Lamontagne, a Tea Party favorite, was narrowly defeated in the New Hampshire Republican US Senate primary last fall by Kelly Ayotte, who went on to win in the general election. The Granite Seat, which was the East Berlin of the 2000 presidential race--a speck of red surrounded by blue--had been trending Democratic since, but the Senate win and both of New Hampshire's House seats flipping to the GOP could portend better times for embattled New England Republicans.

Despite his defeat, Lamontagne is viewed as a New Hampshire kingmaker. The state with those fabulous "Live Free or Die" license plates hosts the nations' first presidential primary next year. Each of the major GOP candidates are expected to visit Lamontagne's home, his most recent guest was Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who enjoyed the honor last night.

But Lamontagne isn't provincial, which is why a large portion of the call was devoted to the NLRB-Boeing case. The aerospace giant is based in Chicago, has major operations in Washington state, Kansas, and it just opened a plant in South Carolina. But the NLRB doesn't want Boeing to build the new 787 Dreamliner there--because the Palmetto State is a right-to-work state.

In regards to that case, Lamontagne said it was "emblematic of the direction of this administration and how wrong it is for the private sector." He added, "It's a job-killing strategy, this administration has."

Lamontagne doesn't want government deciding where Boeing builds its plants, rather "where the market forces and market factors dictate where is the best place to locate." As for the unions, Lamontagne says the NLRB, which is supposed to be a non-partisan entity, is trying to "curry favor and payback the union bosses." He called it a "rogue agency."

Boeing is trying to create jobs, the NLRB is preventing it.

The New Hampshire Journal has a fine round-up of the call too, adding some Granite State color.

Technorati tags: politics Democrats gop Republican unions news organized labor jobs economy law legal business Boeing aviation nlrb south carolina Republican new hampshire politics new hampshire lamontagnetea party ron paul