State Representative David Cote has finally made an appearance at the New Hampshire State House, just in time for the budget vote on Thursday, April 6th. The missing person alert that had been issued for Cote has now been cancelled, as he apparently resurfaced after three years of unexplained absence.
Many were surprised to see Cote walk into the State House, looking like he had just returned from an extended vacation. Reporters tried to ask him where he had been all this time, but he simply replied with a grin, “Oh, just taking care of some important business. You know how it is.”
“Who’s that?” asked several freshman Representatives from both parties, completely unaware that Cote was the Democrat minority leader just last year following the death of Rep. Renny Cushing (D-Hampton).
It’s unclear how Cote’s sudden appearance will affect the budget vote, as he has missed out on three years of legislative activity and may not be up to speed with current issues. However, some of his colleagues were just happy to see him again. “I thought we had lost him forever,” said one representative, who wished to remain anonymous. “But now that he’s back, we can finally get some work done.”
Others, however, were not so forgiving. “Three years of absence is unacceptable,” said another representative. “We’ve had to make do without him all this time, and now he waltzes in here like nothing happened. It’s disrespectful to the constituents who elected him.”
Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that David Cote is back in action, and his vote could make all the difference in the upcoming budget decision. As one observer put it, “If Cote can show up after three years and make a difference, then who knows what else is possible in this crazy world.”