Title: Sununu Looking Forward To Private Life
Tags: John Sununu,New Hampshire,RNC Chair
Blog Entry: By JOHN DISTASO Senior Political Reporter 9 hours, 25 minutes ago '); document.write(' '); } if (browName!='Netscape') { document.write(' '); document.write(' '); } // --> As U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu prepares to leave Capitol Hill after 12 years in Congress, he says he has no interest in becoming the next chairman of the Republican National Committee and hasn't even thought about running for public office again. Sununu said that while "national trends" worked against him and other Republicans in New Hampshire this fall and the state's demographics continue to change as people move into the state, "It hasn't fundamentally changed the fact that New Hampshire is a center-right state" and the reality that "New Hampshire has always been a competitive, two-party state." Sununu is satisfied with the race he ran against Democratic former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, attributing his loss primarily to the economic downturn and political muscle of Barack Obama in the state and nationally. But in a telephone interview yesterday, he said that as a party, "Many Republicans feel there are probably areas where we could have made a stronger contrast on economic issues and tax issues and budget issues. There are a few areas where we can do a better job of communicating how important it is to control spending, how important it is to give individuals a greater amount of power and control over the money they earn." He said the GOP must "identify good strong candidates, and I think that's part of what will be happening in the next few months." Sununu was pleased that state Republicans picked up 17 seats in the House and said there is "an outstanding chance" they will win back majorities in the Legislature in 2010. Despite efforts to draft him to run for Republican national chairman, Sununu said, "I don't think that's something I would pursue because it just wouldn't be fair to my family." Another intense campaign, he said, "would be tough on the heels of an 18-month campaign for the Senate." He said there has been no concerted effort in the past three weeks to encourage him to run for governor in 2010. "I've had people encouraging me to run for governor since 2000," he said, "but there has been no more (recently) than at any time during the past eight years." And, he added, "Over the past several weeks, I haven't given any consideration to running for any particular office in the future." Sununu, 44, said that after three two-year terms as a U.S. House member and one six-year term as senator, he will most miss "the opportunity to travel across New Hampshire and interact with so many different people and organizations that are doing great work every day. It's exciting and rewarding to see the impact they make in our economy, in other people's lives. That interaction has give me an even deeper appreciation of the way in which New Hampshire is unique." Sununu cited as his chief Senate accomplishments his work to: -- "Stand up against" President George W. Bush and many Republicans to offer what he views as major civil right improvements in the USA Patriot Act, -- Extend a moratorium on Internet taxes for states that do not already have them. -- Pass wilderness legislation for the White Mountain National Forest, and -- "Reach across the aisle" and pass bipartisan legislation. Reflecting on the campaign, he said, "We ran a great race, a strong campaign. We had a wonderful organization." With 700,000 voters in the state, he said, "People have to make their own assessments about why they vote as they do. You can't generalize about one factor or one reason. "But the strength of Obama nationally and the economic climate were among the biggest factors in this race and other races around the country." Sununu said he did not regret supporting the $700 billion financial "recovery package" in October even though it may have been politically unpopular. Shaheen opposed it. He said that "doing nothing would have been the wrong choice," and said it illustrated that his voting record has been "a testament to the fact that partisan politics is never a factor in casting my vote." As for where his family will reside, Sununu said he and his wife, Kitty, will not take their three children out of their Virginia schools in mid-year. "Our home is in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire," he said, "But I also can't tell you who I may be working for." He said any decision about whether to seek public office in the future will not be based on opportunism, but on, "Can I make a contribution? Can I make a difference? Can I bring a voice, a perspective to Congress that will benefit New Hampshire? "I imagine there may be opportunities in the future," Sununu said, "but if you spend all your time worrying about putting yourself in a position to run for office, when the opportunity presents itself, you really don't have a good set of skills or experience to bring to the effort." Sheridan Folger,
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