CONCORD, N.H.

Romney: Obama’s economic policies lack grasp of reality

Rumored to be laying the groundwork for a possible presidential campaign, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney criticized President Obama on Saturday for not focusing enough on the economy during his first 20 months in office.

Romney told delegates at the New Hampshire Republican Party’s biannual state convention that Obama’s failure to turn around the economy shows why Republicans campaigned so hard two years ago against electing an inexperienced leader.

“We’re all unhappy with what’s happening with this president,” Romney said in a rallying speech ahead of the November election.

Romney said Obama would have gotten better advice from his golf caddie than from his economic advisers because the caddie is closer to what’s happening in the real world.

At a town hall forum in Washington earlier in the week, Obama defended his economic policies from those who say Democrats haven’t done enough to help the middle class and from those who say he is anti-business.

BOSTON

Patrick, running mate hold first major campaign rally

Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick and running mate Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray held their campaign’s first major rally this weekend.

Patrick and Murray greeted supporters in Boston’s South End on Saturday. Before the rally, they said they planned to speak about the values that have guided them in office, such as support for education, health care, green jobs and programs to end homelessness.

Patrick has a slight lead over Republican Charles Baker in recent polls. Independent Timothy Cahill and Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein are also running against Patrick and Baker.

TUNBRIDGE, Vt.

Separate roadway shootings result in three cows’ deaths

Three cows are dead after being shot from two roadways in Vermont.

Vermont State Police said a Guernsey cow in Tunbridge was shot four times in its side around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. The cow was discovered alive later in the morning but has since been euthanized.

About 10 miles away, police said, two heifers were shot in the head in a pasture in Randolph Center around 3 a.m.

One of the animals had died by the time its owner found it, and the other was later euthanized. A neighbor reported seeing three speeding vehicles in the area, but nobody reported hearing gunfire.

Shell casings from the Randolph Center incident and bullets extracted from the other cow will be sent to the Vermont Forensic Laboratory for analysis.

WATERBURY, Vt.

Wildlife agency plans shift in state duck stamp program

It has raised more than $3.5 million and helped conserve almost 8,500 acres of wildlife habit, but the state of Vermont is making a change to its duck stamp program.

This will be the last year that hunters, conservationists and stamp collectors will be able to get a duck stamp with an image of waterfowl on it.

Instead, beginning in 2011, the stamp will be in the form of a validation sticker like the ones used for hunting and fishing licenses.

State wildlife biologist Bill Crenshaw said the change is being made as part of a move toward electronic licensing, and to cut costs so that more money goes to wetland conservation projects.

 

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