Fact Check: Sen. Shaheen’s Comments on Speaker O’Brien Incorrect, Hypocritical

Posted by in Fact Checks on Nov 15th, 2011

Claim, as reported by Patch.com:

Speaking before a crowd of more than 200 Democrats, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., took an aggressive stance against N.H. Speaker of the House William O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, telling the crowd that it’s “time to put an end” to his career in politics.

The lively crowd at Castleton was vocal in supporting Shaheen during her speech, including one supporter who joked back and forth with her while she quipped with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick about taking O’Brien back with him.

Video can be viewed here

“Gov. Patrick… Bill O’Brien is one of yours. He’s from Massachusetts,” said Shaheen.

Fact Check:

  • Speaker O’Brien was in fact not born in Massachusetts but at Fort Dix, NJ while his father was fighting to defend America’s freedom in the Korean War
  • Sen. Shaheen was born in St. Charles, Missouri, educated in Pennsylvania and began her professional career in Mississippi before relocating to New Hampshire Sen. Shaheen, like Speaker O’Brien, was employed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, most recently as director of  Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government
  • 57% of New Hampshire residents were born out of state, and like Speaker O’Brien and Sen. Shaheen, have chosen to make their home here, many of whom serve their communities including as members of the legislature including:
      • Former Speaker, Current House Democratic Leader, Rep Terie Norelli (Orange, NJ)
      • Deputy House Democratic Leader Mary Jane Wallner (St. Louis, MO)
      • Assistant Democratic Leaders Bernard Benn (Plainfield, NJ), Gary Richardson (Windsor, VT) & Lucy Weber (New York, NY)
      • Assistant Democratic Floor Leaders David Pierce (Port Arthur, TX), Cindy Rosenwald (White Plains, NY) & Donna Schlachman (New York, NY)
      • Senior Democratic Advisor Sharon Nordgren (Chicago, IL)
  • Nearly 300 members of the New Hampshire House were born in a state other than New Hampshire, including:
      • 41 from New York
      • 12 from Maine
      • 11 from Illinois
      • 91 from Massachusetts
      • 12 from Connecticut
      • 3 from Florida
      • 2 from Oregon
      • 14 from New Jersey
      • 3 from Maryland
      • 13 from Vermont
      • 8 from Rhode Island
      • 6 from Michigan
      • 6 from Indiana
      • 4 from Washington, D.C.
      • 2 from West Virginia
      • 2 from Hawaii
      • 13 from Pennsylvania
      • 2 from Minnesota
      • 3 from Colorado
      • 5 from Ohio
      • 8 from California
      • 3 form Texas
      • 2 from Arizona
      • 1 from Virginia
      • 1 from Oklahoma
      • 1 from Wyoming
      • 1 from South Carolina
      • 1 Wisconsin
      • 1 Kansas
      • 1 from Missouri
      • And members from Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Haiti & Dominican Republic