Maine Politics

Told You I'd Be Back

2008-07-16T12:34:00.003-04:00

It just took a few years.

Visit the new Maine Politics blog at www.mainepolitics.net.

Happy Holidays

2005-12-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

As you've probably noticed, I haven't written anything for the last month either here or at Believe in Maine. As I mentioned previously, I figured this would be a good chance to take a break and concentrate on schoolwork.

I want you to know, however, that this hiatus isn't permanent. I'll be back with a new online experiment sometime very soon.

Thank you to the 100+ people who the sitelog shows still access this site every day, hoping in vain for new content. Thanks especially to everyone who has emailed me and encouraged me to keep writing. It means a lot. I hope you all have a merry Christmas and a great new year.

Cianchette Out of the Governor's Race

2005-10-03T16:07:00.000-04:00

He sent an email to supporters today.

I wanted you to be among the first to know that I’m announcing today that I will no longer seek the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2006. This has been a very difficult but thoroughly considered decision, and I want to share my reasons for this development with you directly.

After several months on the campaign trail, I have determined that the commitment required for a year-long campaign and then to govern the state is greater than I can give at this time in my life. I believe strongly in the importance and value of public service, and I also believe that that must come in the right season of one’s life. After honestly reflecting on these past several months I have concluded that this is not the right time for me.

While I may have the chance to seek public office again someday, I know that I only have one opportunity to be there with my children during some of the most important years of their young lives. I don’t want to miss that.

Pat LaMarche

2005-09-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

According to the latest Maine Green Independent Party minutes sent out by email, Pat LaMarche will be announcing her gubernatorial candidacy the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Lamarche recieved 7% of the vote for governor in 1998 (allowing the Greens to regain ballot status) and was the vice-presidential candidate for the national Green Party in 2004.

New Maine Blog

2005-09-14T09:04:00.000-04:00

The Maine Women's Lobby has a weblog. It's pink.

Changes

2005-09-07T12:13:00.000-04:00

School is starting and I won't have much time for blogging. I will still be posting at Believe in Maine, but things will be slowing down here.

Collins Begins Investigation

2005-09-03T00:38:00.000-04:00

I've heard complaints before (some of them from her own staffers) that Collins hasn't used her spot at Government Affairs the way she should be. It looks like that may change.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two key U.S. senators said on Friday they will open a bipartisan investigation into what they described as an "immense failure" of the government response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who heads the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the panel's top Democrat, said they plan to begin an oversight investigation next week when the full Senate returns from a summer recess. [...]

The Bush administration's handling of the disaster that wreaked havoc in the Gulf Coast and spilled a devastating flood into New Orleans has come under sharp criticism.

If you aren't incredibly angry about the man-made disaster that has unfolded over the past few days, then you haven't been paying attention. I hope some good comes from this investigation.

In related news, despite Katrina, Republicans are planning to hold a vote on repealing the estate tax on Tuesday. Right now, we need emergency assistance to those left homeless and starving. We need to fix the terrible problems with our national infrastructure that this clusterfuck has laid bare. We don't need another tax cut for the ultra-wealthy.

I'm headed back to Halifax tomorrow. This may be the last post for a bit.

Mendros Struggles to Get Signatures

2005-09-02T12:57:00.000-04:00

From the PPH:

The organizer is an anti-tax activist who doesn't even have the support of his own political party. No special-interest groups have lent a hand, and funds are in short supply.

Yet former state Rep. Stavros Mendros, a Republican from Lewiston, says at least 40,000 people have signed his petition to repeal part of the state budget.

What's resonating with many supporters - though it's only part of the proposal - is the chance to jettison Maine's new cigarette tax of $1 per pack. Signatures are being gathered at hundreds of convenience stores that sell tobacco products. [...]

The shoestring campaign still faces an uphill battle.

Organizers must submit 50,519 valid signatures by Sept. 16, just as the tax increase is due to take effect. But Mendros expects that many of the signatures will not be valid, so he hopes to gather at least 70,000.

Anyone want to take bets?

Believe in Maine

2005-08-31T19:16:00.000-04:00

This is something I've been hinting about for a while and it's finally ready for primetime.

Believe in Maine

This new weblog will focus on the anti-discrimination referendum and features some stellar contributors from all over the state.

It's based on the CivicSpace software architecture created by the Howard Dean campaign, and has a community rating system for comments that should keep out the crazy internet people.

This campaign, like most referendums, can be won through education and mobilization. I hope this site will help on both fronts.

For more info, visit www.believeinmaine.com.

Maine is Awesome

2005-08-31T15:59:00.000-04:00

The response to Katrina here has been great to see. Baldacci is sending direct help to the affected areas. Snowe and Collins are pressuring Bush to open up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to make sure the hurricane doesn't lead to a spike in oil prices.

The most heartwarming thing I've heard, however, is that Stephen King's WKIT (100.3 FM) in Bangor is playing song requests in exchange for contributions to the Red Cross. Every dollar pledged is being matched by Stephen and Tabitha. Long live local radio.

You can contribute to the Red Cross online here.

Misleading

2005-08-30T10:50:00.000-04:00

Nowhere in this Kennebec Journal article, headlined "Closure could make Baldacci vulnerable" does it actually says that the base closure could hurt Baldacci. The closest it comes is this bit:

So Baldacci didn't seem to mind being asked Friday if the state's 2-and-1 standing in the latest closure round will help his quest for a second four-year term.

"The sun is shining a little brighter today," he said with a smile.

In fact, the exact same article in the Morning Sentinel is headlined "Bounce for Baldacci?"

The article discusses who should get credit for the good BRAC results and includes speculation on whether the good news will help Baldacci come election time, but nowhere does it discuss a downside for the Governor. This headline actually says exactly the opposite of what's written in the body of the piece.

Bigoted Bedfellows

2005-08-29T02:19:00.000-04:00

It almost makes me rethink my opposition to casinos.

Happy Birthday Social Security!

2005-08-25T23:22:00.000-04:00

August 14th was Social Security's 70th Birthday. To celebrate, I helped deliver some cupcakes to the Bangor offices of Senators Snowe and Collins.

Collins has refused to reject Social Security privatization, but chocolate can melt even the most Republican of hearts. Here's one of her staffers holding up a "say no to privatization" birthday card.

The Bangor Social Security office is in the same buidling as Collin's Senate office, so we stopped in and said thanks to the staff for 70 years of guaranteed benefits.

Next was Senator Snowe's office, just up the street. Snowe has been pretty good on the Social Security issue, unfortunately much of her staff took a strong anti-cupcake stance. We left them some anyway.

Finally we headed to the old folks' home where we partied late into the early afternoon and got a chance to talk with the residents. These ladies had some heartfelt stories about how important Social Security has been for them and their families.

Social Security is an anti-poverty program, it's an insurance program, and it's a safety net. It's a vital part of every community in this country. Here's wishing it another great 70 years.

Bases

2005-08-24T16:16:00.000-04:00

PNS will stay open. BNAS will close.

Update: Defense Finance Accounting Service Center gains jobs.

BRAC Coming to a Head

2005-08-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

The BRAC commission will begin voting tomorrow on the Pentagon's recommendations for closing and realigning military bases including PNS and BNAS. The BDN suggests preparing for the worst.

It's too late to argue for these bases now, but it's not too early to prepare for life after their closure. Gov. Baldacci, whose work on this issue has been crucial since the base-closure list was released in May, will be needed even more after this week should bad news arrive here. The next couple of weeks, in the face of economic uncertainty, will demand strong leadership and lots of cooperation as Maine prepares for the worst and hopes for the best.

It is unknown what any closures will mean for Maine politicians, but the process has already had its toll on those from other states. For instance, here Robert Novak (Douche Bag of Liberty) laments the end of John Thune's reign as a Republican poster boy.

Business in Maine

2005-08-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

A recent BDN editorial examines the results of a Milken Institute study on the costs of doing business in different states.

A surprising finding in the report is that Maine's tax burden (state and local taxes as a percentage of personal income) ranks only 11th highest in the nation, with the numbers, according to the institute, coming from the U.S. Census Bureau. The four other measures used to conclude that Maine ranks 19th overall on the cost of business were as follows: wages (ranked 40th highest); electricity costs (11th); industrial rent (30th); and office rent (36th). [...]

For those keeping score, the new state with the 16th highest cost for doing business is neighboring New Hampshire. (If only it were more like Maine and kept its taxes lower.) [...]

Whether Maine ranks 19th, 16th or 12th, a result of the Milken report should be to get Maine to stop blaming high taxes solely for its lack of business activity. Portland, with the same state taxes as everywhere else in Maine and relatively high local taxes but a vibrant business climate suggests the limits of focusing so heavily on tax burden.

On a very related note, Rep. Benjamin Dudley (D - Portland) has the numbers behind BETR.

[I deleted the overly-long quote that was here - go read the whole article, it's worth it]

The Lobby

2005-08-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

The PPH examines the role of lobbyists in state government.

The newspaper's survey of state records found that more than two dozen lobbyists each earned $40,000 or more over the last eight months. Eight lobbyists reported earnings that exceeded $100,000, and two of them pulled in more than $200,000 apiece. [...]

[A]s political scientist Marvin Druker of Lewiston-Auburn College noted, the best lobbyists have the time, the experience and the expertise to assure that their clients are heard in the halls of power and that their arguments are presented effectively.

"It does tilt the playing field, to some extent," against those who have less money and are less well-organized, Druker said. He noted, though, that lobbyists are only one group in a system of checks and balances, not the least of which is the importance of public opinion as elections draw near. [...]

In Maine, [Umaine political scientist Amy] Fried said, "state government is extremely accessible" to everyone. Even so, "the lobby" has one undeniable advantage that John and Jane Doe will never have. "Most of us," Fried said, "don't have the time to go hanging around the State House."

Joining the 21st Century

2005-08-20T13:10:00.000-04:00

I spoke with some folks from the Maine Won't Discriminate campaign yesterday. They've agreed to start up a weblog sometime next week. It looks like there won't be comments, but it's a step in the right direction.

If you live in the Bangor area, I've set up a quick and dirty voter ID canvass for the anti-discrimination referendum in Orono for tomorrow (Sunday, August 21). Email me here if you'd like to participate. We could use a few hands.

Lunch With Michaud

2005-08-19T22:11:00.000-04:00

I had lunch with the MPA Bangor field canvass and Congressman Michaud today. We talked about Social Security, CAFTA and I asked him about his yea vote on the bankruptcy bill as well.

Michaud had some interesting insight into the tenacity that Republican leaders displayed in pushing CAFTA in the House and the tactics they used to secure their two-vote victory.

On Social Security, he predicts a hard fight as Bush pushes for privatization as a way to anchor his now lame-duck presidency.

Summer Poll

2005-08-18T23:54:00.000-04:00

The Strategic Marketing Services Summer 2005 Omnibus Poll has been released. Here are some highlights:

61% would vote to uphold the anti-discrimination law, with 28% opposed

21.5% right direction - 60% wrong direction on the economy

53% / 41% Favorable / Unfavorable for Governor Baldacci and a 50% job approval rating

57% support and 37.5% oppose a Washington County Racino

69% approval of Dirigo, 19% dissatisfaction

37% support and 52% oppose expanding term limits

48% say the Red Sox will win the 2005 World Series.

Marsupial in '06

2005-08-18T11:27:00.000-04:00

If you've been waiting for a rambling, drunken critique of the 2006 Gubernatorial candidates; the wait is over.

I Love Crotchety Old Mainers

2005-08-18T11:19:00.000-04:00

From the MS:

An elderly man who stopped his car in the middle of the bridge was asked if he had an opinion of the vigil.

"I sure as hell ain't for Bush," he sputtered and drove off without giving his name.

Special Session for Tax Reform Looks Likely

2005-08-17T13:24:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what "key elements" of the proposal legislative leaders must find consensus on, but it looks like LD 1595 will be back this fall.

Ernie Marriner, chairman of the Tax Reform Committee at the Maine Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons, said the proposal would bring tax relief to many Maine families.

"LD 1595 lowers income and property taxes for Maine residents - substantially for those who need it most - and pays for it by closing special-interest sales-tax loopholes," Marriner said in a prepared statement. "Our members believe this to be an essential step in assuring a stable revenue stream and protecting vital services."

As proposed, the bill would lower the state sales tax from 5 percent to 4 percent, but would raise taxes in numerous other areas including liquor and restaurant meals. The taxpayers group said the bill would further expand the circuit-breaker property tax relief program and fully fund the Homestead Exemption, which is now only half-funded by the state.

State Rep. Deborah Hutton, D-Bowdoinham and a member of the Legislature's Taxation Committee, supports the tax overhaul claiming Maine's sales tax base is "one of the narrowest in the nation" and is largely responsible for the state's "boom and bust budget cycles." She said the bill would attempt to bring stability to the state's tax structure, which now draws about 30 percent of its revenue from the income tax, 21 percent from the sales tax and 44 percent from the property tax. Leading economists long have recommended revisions that would equalize the burden to one-third for each revenue component.

I've talked to at least one legislator who was reticent to support the bill in June but says the time is right now. This kind of broad-based tax reform has been promised for decades and may finally be close.

Stem Cells in Maine

2005-08-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

The politics of stem cells were examined on Monday, when leaders in the field of stem cell research came together in Salisbury Cove on MDI.

It's not the small minority of Americans who oppose stem cell research on religious grounds that concerns leading research scientists, secure in their belief that stem cells could be the key to curing such diseases as cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's.

It's the thousands of voters who simply don't understand the issue that keep scientists up at night, said Dr. Gary Gilliland, a professor at Harvard Medical School and a leukemia researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who spoke Saturday night at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory Stem Cell Symposium.

The possible results from this kind of research are incredible.

If the ethical issues around embryonic stem cell research are resolved, sickle cell anemia and diabetes could be the first diseases "cured" in this way. Already, researchers know how to transplant the cells that can produce insulin or normal-shaped blood cells - if rare donor cells become available. With the procedure known as "nuclear transfer," doctors can simply make the cells they need.

Cancer could be next, according to research that Gilliland has published recently.

More on Tobin

2005-08-13T17:25:00.000-04:00

At least one local Republican thinks that spending more than $700,000 to defend the alleged mastermind of a Republican voter suppression effort may have been a bad move for the national party.

A New Hampshire member of the Republican National Committee said she has misgivings about the committee's role in defending a GOP operative accused of conspiring to suppress Democratic votes in the 2002 election.

Another interesting bit from this article is the attempt to keep this support out of the public eye.

The RNC tried to keep a lid on its support for Tobin.

Last month, RNC spokesman Aaron McLear refused to say whether the RNC was paying Tobin's legal bills when the New Hampshire Union Leader presented evidence that it was, the paper reported Friday.

McLear, after checking with RNC lawyers, refused to answer any questions about Tobin, the paper said.

Michael Heath Is Lonely

2005-08-12T10:19:00.000-04:00

From his blog:

I don't understand why Christian pastors are attacking me. Yet, they are.

I have never in my twenty years of ministry leadership received such bitter and personal communication as I have in the past year. I sort of expect it from liberal pro "gay" clergy, but not from conservatives. I am taking criticism from conservative pastors now. This surprises me. It doesn't change my views one bit on all things "gay." It does make me wonder, however, whether Maine has what it takes to stop the homosexual agenda.

Update: Nemitz beat me to it.

November 8th Ballot Questions

2005-08-12T10:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the order, from the BDN:

Question 1 will ask voters whether they want to reject the new law that protects people from discrimination in employment, housing education, public accommodations and credit based on sexual orientation.

Question 2 will ask voters whether they favor a $33.1 million bond for improvements to highways, bridges, airports, public transit systems, state-owned ferry vessels and port facilities, bicycle trails and pedestrian improvements. The bond money would attract an additional $158 million in matching federal funds.

Question 3 will ask voters whether they favor an $8.9 million bond issue to draw down $31 million in federal funds to improve sustainable water sources and develop new irrigation systems. The bond would also make improvements to a veterinary technician facility at the University of Maine.

Question 4 will ask voters whether they favor a $20 million bond to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the state. The bond would draw an additional $44 million in federal and private funds for medical research and development and provide funds for the expansion of several facilities in the state university system - including a graduate school for biomedical science on the campus of University College in Bangor.

Question 5 will ask voters to approve a $12 million bond issue to purchase land and conservation easements to protect wildlife and fish habitat as well as provide access for outdoor recreation and hunting and fishing activities. The bond is expected to attract at least $7 million in public and private contributions and will also assist efforts to preserve farmlands and working waterfronts.

Question 6 will ask the voters to approve a $9 million bond issue for building renovations at several of the campuses of the University of Maine System.

Question 7 will ask the voters to amend the Maine Constitution to provide a different tax assessment level for waterfront land used for commercial fishing purposes. The waterfront property would be taxed much like farmland and forestland currently are.

Republican Party Bankrolling Tobin

2005-08-11T10:59:00.000-04:00

From the AP:

Despite a zero-tolerance policy on tampering with voters, the Republican Party has quietly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide private defense lawyers for a former Bush campaign official charged with conspiring to keep Democrats from voting in New Hampshire.

[Bangor resident] James Tobin, the president´s 2004 campaign chairman for New England, is charged in New Hampshire federal court with four felonies accusing him of conspiring with a state GOP official and a GOP consultant in Virginia to jam Democratic and labor union get-out-the-vote phone banks in November 2002. [...]

Federal prosecutors have secured testimony from the two convicted conspirators in the scheme directly implicating Tobin. [...]

Since charges were first filed in December, the RNC has spent more than $722,000 to provide Tobin, who has pleaded innocent, a team of lawyers from the high-powered Washington law firm of Williams & Connolly. The firm´s other clients include Bill and Hillary Clinton and former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros.

Here is some background on the case. TPM, as always, has more.

Steve Rowe

2005-08-10T22:39:00.000-04:00

I had a great talk today with Maine's Attorney General Steven Rowe. He spoke at a Democratic event and emphasized the importance of building the "bottom of the pyramid" and energizing progressive activism. His words and attitude really impressed me.

Afterwards, I told him flat out that he should run for Senate. I agreed with him that he probably didn't stand much of a chance against Snowe and her machine, but a campaign doesn't have to just be about winning.

Maine could use a statewide campaign with a focus on laying the groundwork for that pyramid. The current strength of the Democratic Party here may hide some future weaknesses. For instance, the exit polls from 2004 show George Bush winning the under-40 vote in Maine.

I was the youngest person at the event today, and the Attorney General agreed with me that that's a problem.

Susan Collins

2005-08-09T13:17:00.000-04:00

The profile on Susan Collins in Down East this month paints her as a rising star and a vital moderate in Washington. But even this love poem hints at some of the real problems with her tenure.

she has agreed with the [Republican] party on issues ranging from the new bankruptcy bill to drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, for example

I was afraid that her vote (I believe Republicans call that a flip-flop) for drilling in ANWR might have passed under the radar. I'm glad to see it hasn't.

In other news, Scott Fish is still mad that he lost his job.

More importantly from Fish's point of view, Collins isn't helping the Republican Party. "Look at the number of [registered] Maine Republicans since moderates like Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe have been in control," he argues. "We're third, after Independents and Democrats. If the moderates are the wave of the future, why hasn't the party thrived?

"What Susan and Olympia have done is cast votes that attract support from across the political spectrum," Fish says, which he admits makes sense in a state that favors political moderation in its U.S. senators, no matter what letter comes after their names. He predicts that strategy could backfire, though, because "I think the future of the Republican base is increasingly conservative, both nationally and in Maine."

Municipal Map

2005-08-08T09:26:00.000-04:00

This map from the cover of the MMA's Townsman shows which towns they project will provide property tax reductions or increases this year following the passage of LD1 and the budget.

Municipalities in blue are projected to have lower property taxes, red marks increases and white areas will likely stay the same.

Summer Downtime

2005-07-31T23:46:00.000-04:00

Posting may be spotty this week. I'm up in The County again.

Maine Values

2005-07-30T10:05:00.000-04:00

I wasn't able to post on the passage of CAFTA this past week, but I'd like to take the time now to thank every member of Maine's congressional delegation for voting against the bill. Good on Michaud in particular.

Mills To Contest Primary

2005-07-30T01:10:00.000-04:00

A day after former 1st CD Representative David Emery announced his defferal to Cianchette, State Sen. Peter Mills of Cornville has announced that he will announce on Tuesday.

Former Senate President Richard Bennett may jump in as well.

[Bennett] said he expects to make an announcement in a month or so.

Unlike former U.S. Rep. David Emery, who said Thursday he was scrapping consideration of a gubernatorial campaign because 2002 Republican nominee Peter Cianchette had decided to make another try for the Blaine House, Bennett said he felt that the "more candidates, the better."

Added Bennett: "What´s motivating me to think about this is the real feeling that Maine needs a dialogue about our collective future. A gubernatorial election is a unique opportunity to do that."

Bonds Passed

2005-07-30T01:04:00.000-04:00

128-14 in the House, 34-1 in the Senate.

From the AP:

"I wish we could do more," said Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, the second Democratic senator on the Appropriations Committee.

For most debaters, the question was not whether to borrow, but how much.

"These are infrastructure needs we can´t walk away from," said Republican Sen. Richard Nass of Acton, a member of the Appropriations Committee that negotiated final details of the proposed borrowing plan.

Without disputing Nass, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Schneider of Orono went further, arguing that "this is too small a bond package."

A bloc of 10 or more Senate Democrats lined up in support of a number of amendments aimed at boosting overall borrowing for various projects, but was unable to overcome an opposition anchored by the three members of Democratic leadership, led by Senate President Beth Edmonds of Freeport.

Anti-Discrimination Law On The Ballot

2005-07-29T12:09:00.000-04:00

Not that there was any doubt, but now it's official.

On Thursday, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap announced that gay-rights opponents had gathered enough signatures to force a vote on the civil rights law passed this year by the Legislature and signed by Gov. John Baldacci.

Opponents had to gather at least 50,519 signatures, or the equivalent of 10 percent of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, to force a "people's veto" referendum on Election Day. On Thursday, Dunlap declared that 56,650 signatures collected this spring were valid, paving the way for a vote on Nov. 8.

Cianchette Running

2005-07-28T13:04:00.000-04:00

Peter Cianchette is set to announce today that he will seek the Republican Gubernatorial nomination.

Cianchette was the party's nominee in 2002 and has been considered likely to make another run for the job in 2006. In 2002, Cianchette gathered 41 percent of the votes compared to 48 percent for Democratic Gov. John Baldacci. [...]

He supports a constitutional amendment to cap spending by state, county and local governments. He also wants a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to create or increase taxes or fees.

The Phoenix has more background.

On a related note, Rep. Ken Lindell dropped me an email to say his "Dump Baldacci PAC" is back up under new management. The website still looks like someone threw up all over FrontPage.

Environmental Battles

2005-07-27T13:20:00.000-04:00

Two bits of news today on the environmental front. First, The Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Natural Resources Defense Council are suing IP over the allegedly illegal pollution the Androscoggin River.

There are two ways IP is violating the Clean Water Act, Carson said. "They do not have a permit now to pollute. They have not had one since 2001. It is illegal under the federal Clean Water Act to discharge into the river, or any water body, without a valid operating permit." The state permitting process "has been an endless string of broken promises to people who live along the river. Our patience has been worn out," he said.

Second, a coalition of smaller environmental groups are organizing a campaign to oppose the development plans put forward by Plum Creek for the Moosehead Lake region.

"We must protect and defend Moosehead now and for future generations," Jonathan Carter, a former Green Party candidate for governor and director of the Forest Ecology Network, said at a news conference in Portland. "This type of development doesn't belong in Maine."

John Edwards in Maine

2005-07-26T11:23:00.000-04:00

Sen. John Edwards, the new head of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will be visiting Maine today.

The only stop that I've seen reported is the Parkside Neighborhood Center in Portland.

Update: The Sun Journal has a wrap-up of the trip.

Bondage

2005-07-26T11:14:00.000-04:00

Legislators and lobbyists are meeting feverishly to hammer out the details of a bond package to be voted on this Friday. Back-room negotiations have had some strange results, including the elimination of the bipartisan working-waterfront bond and an attempt to repeal the new paint fees that are meant to fund education on lead poisoning.

The bonds as negotiated currently stand at $83 million with $20 million going to economic development, $34 million for transportation projects, $9 million for education, $10 million for land conservation and $10 million for environmental and health projects. These bonds should draw down about $230 million in additional matching funds from the federal government.

MCLF has more.

Jack Wyman on Discrimination

2005-07-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

The Christian Civic League's former director weighs in on the anti-discrimination law.

The time has come to call it a day and let this law stand. The time has come for the league to move on. [...] Very few would seriously insist that any person should lose his job simply because of his sexual orientation. No Christian should make such a case, vindictive as it is. [...]

The civic league fights not only a losing cause, but a vacuous one. This is a proverbial tempest in a teapot, calculated more to raise money and energize volunteers than to significantly clarify public policy.

Governor Baldacci

2005-07-17T15:24:00.000-04:00

Maine lawyer and historian Paul H. Mills examines Baldacci's gubernatorial term to date in a LSJ column. (registration required)

At the outset of his administration, Baldacci was both seemingly successful and popular, putting through a $5.6 billion bipartisan state budget, winning the support of over two-thirds of the Legislature in the process. His policy initiatives such as Dirigo Health and Pine Tree economic zones, also won wide initial acclaim. He vanquished a billion-dollar budget gap without a major tax increase. So far, so good.

But something else happened, even before the unpopular plan - from which he later wisely retreated - to sell off 16 years of future lottery proceeds in order to temporarily balance the budget. [...] Early in 2004, an intense public focus on the perceived need for an Augusta initiated alternative to the citizen-based tax revolt put the governor on the spot. There developed a perception that the Blaine House was not able to captivate public and legislative support for meaningful tax reform alternatives.

Going Indy

2005-07-16T00:42:00.000-04:00

Rep. Tom Saviello of Wilton has dropped his Democratic affiliation and has become an independent, narrowing the Democratic majority in the House to two votes with one Green and now two independents represented as well.

Saviello already has an independent voting record and has been outspoken recently in opposition to lower water pollution levels for the Androscoggin. He works as an environmental manager for International Paper.

In Their Own Words

2005-07-09T11:39:00.000-04:00

Al Diamon does an excellent job this week of chronicling some of the lies and hatred that are the daily fare of the Christian Civic League. He even gives me some credit for catching one of their most blatant fabrications. He also gives us a window into the thinking of the extremists at the CCL by quoting some of their own, incredibly bigoted, words.

Heath may become even more extreme as the vote approaches, but it’s difficult to believe he could get much further from reality than he did in his newsletter last September, in which he claimed, "evil forces in our state are using [the term ‘sexual orientation’] to train your kids and grandkids that all sex — with anything, anybody, anywhere — is good, right and noble. A friend of mine accurately describes this as a ‘pansexual jihad.’ "

You can find similar statements in almost any issue of their newsletter or transcript of their public remarks. I haven't bothered to collect an authoritative list, but I did write down one quote from a newsletter back in November that I found particularly illuminating.

"It will be true for some of us that death is preferable to a reconciled life, if that life includes the acceptance of moral evils like sodomy."

"Give me hatred or give me death", that's the definition of extremism.

In case anyone's wondering, it's been 20 days since the made-up manifesto was published by the CCL and still no retraction or correction.

Dismantling Social Security

2005-07-08T16:46:00.000-04:00

Clyde MacDonald, mentioned here previously, has an op-ed in the BDN today. One point he stresses is the well-known fact that many Republicans wish to eliminate Social Security entirely and see private accounts as the first step in phasing out the program.

Since 1983, anti-SS Republicans have relied on the rightist Cato Institute for their ideas. Most recently, Cato published Karl Borden's "Dismantling the Pyramid: The Why and How of Dismantling Social Security." Cato advocates private accounts (PA's) as the first step toward ending SS. They stress to the young that SS will not be there for them when they retire. President Bush's words almost exactly match Cato's. Cato has convinced many Republicans that private accounts should appeal to younger workers; if so, they would offset the votes of seniors who have been punishing SS's enemies at the polls.

President Bush began his anti-SS campaign by proclaiming the trust fund was collapsing and that he had a plan to "save it," by allowing workers to divert one third of their SS tax into private accounts. But it is logically impossible to increase the trust fund by cutting its income by 15 to 30 percent, depending upon how many young workers choose that option. The president's chief of staff, Andrew Card, last month in Bangor twice denied that they would be cutting the fund's income, but finally admitted the Bush plan was not to shore up the trust fund but to "save retirement."

Michaud also has a column on Social Security today and examines the effects of privatization on Maine as well as Bush's idea for so-called "progressive price indexing".

The negative effects on future Social Security recipients are substantial. Maine workers currently between the ages of 35 and 55 would suffer an average benefit cut of $1,225 per year, while workers younger than 35 would lose an average of $2,770 annually. Of the 171,000 workers in the Second District who would see benefit cuts, 85,000 would lose more than 10% of their benefit and an additional 24,000 people would lose more than 20%.

In total, Maine workers can expect to lose $10.3 billion in retirement benefits under the Administration's privatization plan.

Pingree on Pharma

2005-07-06T11:30:00.000-04:00

Read her blog entry at the Huffington Post.

[...] After making their purchases in a cross-border drug store that looked just like one back in Maine, they sat down over coffee to compare their receipts to the ones they had brought from home. Their collective savings were $18,000. I once sat next to a woman taking Tomaxifin, a wonderful drug that has made a life-saving difference for many women with breast cancer. She paid $110 for her 30 day supply at her local pharmacy in Maine, yet in Saint Stevens, New Brunswick, the same amount only cost $12.35. As far as I am concerned, that is criminal and there is just no excuse for it, period. For many people these are life-saving drugs and people really do make choices between buying food and medication every day.

Government by Veto Referendum

2005-07-06T11:27:00.000-04:00

From the AP:

[Former Republican legislator Stavros] Mendros said the $1-per-pack tax increase is only one of several provisions he challenges.

He also seeks to undo provisions he said delay state subsidies to public schools, and reimbursements for "tree growth" tax breaks and for Business Equipment Tax Reimbursements. Also at issue are corporate tax increases and cuts in revenue sharing, he said.

Bigotry and Spin

2005-07-03T23:40:00.000-04:00

I'm glad I was away from newspapers and television for a week.

Gay rights opponents submitted more than 57,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's Office on Tuesday afternoon to force a November referendum on the new state law protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination.

They had made a lot of noise about how they might not make it, but that was obviously just a ploy for some free publicity. They pulled the exact same stunts in 1998, such as referring to the signature results as a "miracle".

Speaker John Richardson, quoted in an AP story, had an excellent response.

"Three months ago men and women from all parts of Maine and all political parties stood together to pass landmark legislation to protect people of all sexual identities from discrimination in the workplace, in housing, lending and education. That was a proud day for Maine," Richardson said.

"I am not surprised by todays announcement that Michael Heath and the Christian Civic League have submitted signatures to the Secretary of State for verification that would force a referendum on that issue. I am also not disappointed by todays announcement.

"I welcome the chance to go before the people of Maine and defend this policy. I think that this is an opportunity for Maine to join the rest of New England in saying that it is wrong to let the majority of society dictate to the minority the rights they should have.

"I hope that in the coming months we can have an open and honest debate about why the people of Maine should stand behind eliminating discrimination and support this policy," Richardson said.

Andrew Card in Maine (Continued)

2005-07-03T22:42:00.000-04:00

One of the major tenets of the Bush privatization push has been the assertion that the Social Security trust fund is worthless. (It's not, it's full of U.S. Treasury bonds, which are the most secure monetary instruments in the world and are backed by the full faith and credit of this country) If you accept this premise, then all kinds of threats can be made about the immediate solvency of the program and the horrors of fewer workers paying into the system in years to come. The exact kinds of threats that Card was making in his speech.

When I asked why Bush was calling the trust fund worthless, Card assured me that the President had never said such a thing. I reminded him of the photo-op the President had conducted back in April at the Bureau of Public Debt in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Here's what a quick LEXIS/NEXIS search turns up from that trip:

"The President says the government has already spent the money you paid to fund your Social Security"
-KOAM-TV Pittsburgh

"The President visited the Bureau of Public Debt in Parkersburg. He saw the filing cabinet filled with debt slips. President Bush says those slips are all that's left and that Social Security will run out of money."
-WVPX-TV Cleveland

Using a government filing cabinet as a prop, President Bush on Tuesday played to fears that the Social Security Trust Fund is little more than a stack of worthless IOUs. [...]

"There is no trust fund, just IOUs that I saw firsthand, that future generations will pay," Bush said after inspecting the site.
-Knight Ridder Newspapers

"There is no trust fund," [Bush] said later in a speech at West Virginia University [...]

No one but an ignoramus expects there to be actual currency stored someplace for future Social Security payments. The government has used surplus payroll tax revenues for other purposes, replacing them with those Treasury securities.

When the time comes that the Social Security Administration needs to dip into the fund Bush says does not exist, it will redeem those bonds, the same as other investors in Treasuries -- like Japanese pension funds and the Chinese government -- will.

[...] the president of the United States implying that Treasury bonds represent empty promises is more than dishonest. It is an attempt to spread groundless fear.
- Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho) Editorial

The photo above is from the White House website. That's president Bush examining a three ring binder holding documents representing $1.7 trillion in U.S. Treasury bonds. I guess he was expecting giant piles of cash.

Card denied that any of the above ever happened. Then there was a bit of back and forth between us and Card eventually admitted that the fund was not worthless. So I asked him "Are you saying that President Bush was wrong to call the trust fund worthless?"
"I don't believe he said that."
"He did, but alright, how about this: if he did call the trust fund worthless IOUs, would he be wrong?"
"That's a hypothetical question and I'm not going to answer that."
(laughter from the room)

He's incredibly slimy, but I did get him to admit that the trust fund is fine and backed by the full weight of this government. Next time someone pro-privatization tells you about those "Social Security IOUs" feel free to tell them "That's not what Andrew Card says."

I've been informed by email that Clyde MacDonald, the man who demanded a dialogue at the Card event, once worked for Senator Mitchell. A quick look at the Mitchell Papers reveals that he once ran the Senator's Bangor office.

Here's a photo of MacDonald demanding some answers of Card. The kid in the orange tie behind him is an intern from Senator Collins' office. I talked to him for a bit but he couldn't give me any insight into the fence-sitting Senator's thoughts on Social Security.

There's one last thing I want to say about Card before I finish what has already become an incredibly long post. During his speech, the President's man said several times that we need to stop looking at Social Security solely as the "system" of Social Security and take a look at the wider idea of "social security" as a concept. I'm sure this is just another line which is meant to distract from the goal of strengthening the program and push privatization, but taken out of Card's context, it's an excellent idea. We should have a focus on things like making college affordable and health care accessible, the kind of things that help people to have a good life and a good retirement. No one should be trying to tear apart a safety-net that has worked well for the past 70 years.

Andrew Card in Maine

2005-06-27T07:58:00.000-04:00

The President's Chief of Staff came to Maine on Friday to push for privatizing Social Security. The administration has been playing the same tune all over the country, but Maine is unique. Here we have an older population, 20% of state residents (the second highest rate in the nation) on Social Security and two Republican senators who have expressed reservations (and in Snowe's case, outright hostility) towards the President's plan. Opinion polls have shown opposition to privatization in Maine at about 75%. The visit by Card was an attempt to gain some traction.

The plan was for Card to make two quick speeches, one in Portland and one in Bangor with a couple meetings with newspaper editorial boards along the way. The speech apparently went off without a hitch in Portland. Card said his piece and rushed out of the room before any questions could be asked. In Bangor, however, things turned out a bit differently.

The event was held at Husson College, all the TV networks showed up and the crowd was interested to hear what Card would say. I had made a call to the Maine Heritage Policy Center the day before to get on the list, and my friends and I grabbed seats in the second row, right behind Sen. Plowman (R - Hampden).

Card gave his speech, invoking 9/11 several times to justify remaking Social Security (once mistakenly referring to it as September 20th) and using the same tired rhetoric that he has all accross the country to push for private accounts. The exciting part in Bangor didn't come during the speech, but after it. Card had said his piece, the small audience had applauded politely and he was headed for the exit, when an old Mainer stood up in the middle of the room and said his piece. "Where are you going? I thought this was supposed to be a dialogue." Card turned and paused, the cameras flashed, and he began to move back towards the podium.

The man, a retired history professor (whom the BDN identifies as "Clyde MacDonald, 75, of Hampden") asked an excellent question about the wisdom of drawing down the trust fund in order to fund a new program when the real issue in Social Security is solvency. Card mocked him a bit and turned for another question. I think he picked me because I was clean-cut and wearing a young-republicanesque polo shirt.

I began my question by stating that President Bush often denigrates the Social Security trust fund, claiming it doesn't exist and that it is full of worthless IOUs. I didn't get any farther. Card looked right at me and said that the President does no such thing.

For the exciting conclusion, tune in next week. I'll be camping in Fort Kent until Friday and I'm already late for my ride.

Happenings

2005-06-25T17:04:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted much in the last couple weeks. The great thing about being back in Maine is that I can participate in politics here instead of just writing about them, and that's what I've been doing. Last week I was at the statehouse with a group pushing for passage of both Part 3 of the Democratic budget (eliminating borrowing by upping the cigarette tax) and LD 1595, the comprehensive tax reform proposal which, in broad strokes, would lower property and income taxes by closing loopholes in the state sales tax. The budget passed but the tax reform bill was sent back to committee.

I enjoyed talking to all the legislators, and Sen. Snowe Mello may or may not have asked me out on a date, but one of the high points of the day was definitely meeting Daily Show star Representative Brian Duprey of Hampden (who Al Diamon describes as "the least effective member of the least competent Legislature in recent history").

The photo above shows a couple of Duprey's constituents from Hampden lobbying him. He first tried to tell us that cigarette prices are currently much lower in Canada (something my Canadian friends who pay $10 a pack would be surprised to hear) and then insisted he had to get to the chamber to hear some important debate on the issue. 5 minutes later we found him eating cheese-its in a stairwell. He quickly stashed the crackers in a pocket when I asked to take his picture. And yes, that is a Republican elephant tie he's wearing.

Baldacci signed the budget provision into law yesterday and the tax reform package will be back on the agenda in a few weeks when the legislature reconvenes. Be sure to watch the MCLF Blog for updates on the bill.

Hate and Lies

2005-06-20T12:37:00.000-04:00

The Christian Civic League of Maine is willing to say just about anything to further the cause of discrimination. They have attempted to link homosexuality to pedophilia, gay people to Nazis, and most recently they have insisted that the legislation intended to stop discrimination in housing, credit and employment will mean the legalization of same-sex marriage.

So it was with little surprise that I read their daily email newsletter today and found a "homosexual manifesto" that they claim was published in the The Advocate, a GLBT magazine. The manifesto claims that gays have control of "the liberal establishment and the press" and want to "abolish marriage altogether" while subjecting "Orthodox Jews and Christians to the most sustained hatred and vilification in recent memory". This kind of hate-filled screed seems to verify everything the CCL has claimed about the "homosexual agenda". The only problem is, none of it is true.

As far as I can tell, this "manifesto" was written by conservative congressman William Dannemeyer for his 1989 book, "Shadow in the Land" and is completely fictional (which he admits in the book). It was then plagiarized (without attribution or disclaimer) by the Miami-Dade Christian Coalition when they were protesting a local equal-rights ordinance (their pamphlet can be found here). It was exposed as fraudulent as early as March 10, 1999 by columnist Liz Balmaseda of the Miami Herald.

The people of Maine are by and large tolerant and good human beings. The Christian Civic League knows that the only way they can win is with these kinds of lies.

A Last Push to Prevent Equal Rights

2005-06-15T10:29:00.000-04:00

Michael Heath and the Christian Civic League are winding up their attempt to repeal the anti-discrimination law. Some have expressed hope that since they have only announced the collection of 20,000 signatures so far, they will fail to meet their 50,000+ end-of-the-month quota. Knowing the history of their efforts, I'm nowhere near ready to celebrate.

There is historical precedent for a late flurry of signatures from Heath's supporters.

In 1997, the last time Heath organized efforts to repeal a law that banned discrimination against gays and lesbians, only 33,000 signatures were collected before the campaign's last five days, he said at the time.

But in a decisive final push, supporters produced another 25,000 signatures.

While their effort may eventually be successful, it certainly isn't as grass-roots as they claim. Check out the "courageous donors" page on the Coalition for ~~Discrimination~~ Marriage site. They only list 9 donors, all of them are involved in the CCL, and none of them gave less than $1000.

Veto Redux

2005-06-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

The Senate yesterday failed to pass a racino referendum bill with a 2/3rds majority. Baldacci says he's ready to veto. From the PPH:

Baldacci vetoed a similar bill last week that would have allowed the racino to open without a statewide vote. Baldacci at the time said he opposes more gambling in Maine, but would not stand in the way of a referendum on the issue as long as both chambers passed the bill by a two-thirds majority.

The House did that, but the Senate fell two votes short. Umphrey said the governor will now carry through with his promise.

Universal Health Care

2005-06-13T09:47:00.000-04:00

It's inevitable. From a BDN editorial today:

Per capita U.S. health spending in the year 2000 was $4,631 - 44 percent higher than Switzerland, the second highest, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Canada's figure was only $2,333. America's health costs are an insupportable and fast mounting burden on employers and employees alike, as well as state governments.

Worse, we are not getting our money's worth. The United States does not make the top 20 in any of the World Health Organization's lists of countries with the highest life expectancies, the lowest infant mortality rates, and the lowest childhood mortality rates

Taxes

2005-06-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

Jon has a few well-reasoned words on taxation that every Mainer should read. (the permalink doesn't seem to work. scroll to the second entry down)

Workers Win Victory in Maine

2005-06-12T22:37:00.000-04:00

From the BDN: (Backstory here)

Claiming victory in their dispute with DHL contractor Rydbom Express, union officials said Friday that federal labor regulators will order Rydbom to hire back 11 former drivers who lost their jobs in March [...]

"The board will issue a complaint," said James Carson, president of Teamsters Local 340 in South Portland. "It's been a long time since labor had a big victory like this. It's a big, big, big story coming out of a small state."

Social Security Works

2005-06-11T01:35:00.000-04:00

MPA's Social Security Works Coalition (which I happen to work for) held a press conference on Wednesday in Augusta which was covered by most Maine TV stations. The Governor and Democratic legislative leaders took the opportunity to urge Maine's congressional delegation to reject President Bush's plans for privatization. (video and article here.)

The Portland Press Herald today took exception to this public display of concern.

Maine has enough on its plate right now, though, to make such actions seem a little out of place, a bit of a distraction. When Maine has no more problems of its own, that will be time to solve everyone else's.

Maine's state legislators certainly have a lot on their plates at the moment, but their statements this week weren't a distraction, they were necessary and well-timed. These legislators realize that Maine has a rapidly aging population, and that any change in Social Security will greatly affect the entire state, they realize that Snowe and Collins have a unique opportunity as moderates to reject the president's plan, and they realize that now is the time that the views and values of the people of Maine must be made well known in order to affect this legislation. There are indeed many issues that are being discussed in Augusta right now, but this is definitely one that deserves 20 minutes behind a podium.

If you saw some of the coverage of this press conference, you may have heard that Susan Collins has refused to hold town-hall meetings on Social Security. Because of her lack of interest, MPA will be holding the meetings for her and has invited the Senator to attend. If you're in the Bangor area, please join a panel of Social Security experts and a ton of concerned citizens for a discussion at 7pm this Thursday, June 16th at the Bangor Public Library.

Vetoed!

2005-06-11T00:35:00.000-04:00

Baldacci has stamped dead the Washington County racino bill.

"My actions today might not be popular with some people, but I must follow my conscience," Baldacci said during an afternoon news conference in his office. "I just don't believe that casino gambling will improve the aspirations or opportunities of Maine people."

The House has failed to override. There will likely be a bill allowing a referendum on the subject instead. Baldacci has expressed a willingness to allow such a measure. One interesting aspect of this legislation is the lack of a party line.

The vote to counter the governor´s action was 73-70, well short of the required super majority. There was no debate. [...]

The votes to enact the Indian gaming measure last week were 19-15 in the Senate and 87-46 in the House.

The final Senate tally had 9 Democrats and 10 Republicans voting yes, with 10 Democrats and 5 Republicans voting no.

In the House, according to a compilation by the clerk´s office, voting yes were 48 Democrats, 38 Republicans and the chamber´s lone Green party member, John Eder of Portland. Opposing the measure in the House were 19 Democrats, 26 Republicans and independent Rep. Richard Woodbury of Yarmouth.

The Smackdown

2005-06-09T12:16:00.000-04:00

Lawrence E. Merrill, a Bangor attorney, recently wrote an op-ed arguing that gay folks don't deserve the basic right to not be discriminated against in employment, credit and housing.

Today, one of his professional colleagues responded. Arthur J. Greif, a fellow lawyer from Bangor, had this to say:

I was interested to read Larry Merrill's op-ed piece June 1 in which he touted his friendship with gays, yet warned of the risks of protecting gays from discrimination. He raised the specter of heterosexuals hiring gays just to avoid a lawsuit. Given Larry's stated profession as a lawyer, the opinion piece had a veneer of authority to it.

It was, of course, only a veneer.

Larry would be the first to tell you that if he had a potential client call him up asking to discuss whether he or she had been the victim of employment discrimination, he would immediately refer the client to me, as he has a handful of clients every year who need someone to potentially litigate a case not within his area of practice [...]

I have tried seven employment discrimination claims to a jury in the past four years and I am fairly certain that few, if any, plaintiff's lawyers in Maine have tried more.

There will never be the rash of litigation that Larry Merrill predicts if we protect the rights of homosexuals and heterosexuals to be judged by their ability to do the job, not their choice of mate.

Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Shot Down

2005-06-09T01:27:00.000-04:00

Not only did Brian Duprey's (R - His own little world) bill fail to achieve the 2/3rds majority it needed in the house, it failed to even approach a majority decision, losing 88-56.

Sean Faircloth had a great quote in the BDN this morning:

"Who are we to constitutionally freeze the legal definition of marriage so it can no longer evolve?" asked Rep. Sean Faircloth, D-Bangor. "Why make our state constitution a weapon and not a shield?"

Punctuality

2005-06-09T01:20:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed if you've been reading this blog for any length of time that I usually post one or two items a day without fail. That consistency is something I'm proud of. Obviously I haven't managed to do that during the last few days (for various reasons) but I'll be returning to that schedule as of right now.

On a warm summer’s evening, on a train bound for nowhere

2005-06-09T01:14:00.000-04:00

It appears Baldacci will veto the Washington County racino legislation unless it is sent to voters as a referendum or some other compromise is reached. There don't seem to be enough pro-slots votes in the Senate to override a veto.

I can't understand how anyone could argue that a slot machine parlor is legitimate development anywhere in the state. I've visited a Casino a few times (I think I'm up $40 overall) and there's a feeling about them that can't be described in words. If you go at night, alcohol has left its mark and the place is full of happy, inebriated weekend gamblers and tourists entranced by the pretty lights and spinning wheels. If you go in the day, however, the sound effects seem gratingly loud and the corridors of slot machines are haunted by sadder, more focused folk. These aren't tourists, these are local gambling addicts, the source of the vast majority of Casino revenue.

We've already heard the statistics during the Casino referendum vote; slots won't bring money and jobs to Washington County, they will suck the region dry. Lottery sales there are already the highest in the state due to the county's poverty rate and a racino will find a base of gamblers ready to go bankrupt to improve the bottom line of an out-of-state corporation. The costs of treating addiction and dealing with increased crime and bankruptcy will be trumped only by the human costs of child abuse, domestic violence and suicide.

The only reason I can see for supporting such legislation is a belief that tribal sovereignty should trump all other concerns. I, obviously, don't agree.

Huge Show of Support for PNS

2005-06-03T00:22:00.000-04:00

Rallies alone won't save Portsmouth, but they can't hurt. From the LSJ:

Thousands of flag-waving Portsmouth Naval Shipyard supporters shouted "Take us off the list!" Wednesday to members of a visiting panel that will review the Pentagon's recommendation to close the nation's oldest federal shipyard.

After touring the facility, the chairman of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission reminded people that no decision has been made yet about the future of the nuclear submarine yard.

"Please understand that we are not a rubber stamp," Anthony Principi said at an afternoon news conference. "We are independent, and we take our work and our responsibilities very seriously."

Money for Nothing

2005-06-03T00:15:00.000-04:00

I noticed the BDN published the full list today of the past and present legislators who chose to take the extra pay deemed owed to them from last year's special session. These payments are on top of normal legislative pay. From the AP:

About 70 percent of the lawmakers in the last Legislature have accepted more than half a million dollars in back pay for serving in a special session last year.

The Legislature´s administrative office said 127 of 177 current and former lawmakers who are eligible will receive a total of $514,430, or an average of $3,755 each, later this month [...]

Lawmakers who declined the money said they should not be paid extra because the state is so strapped for cash that it would be wrong to put more money into their own pockets.

"I feel that´s money that belongs to the people of the state of Maine," said Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston. "I don´t feel that this is money that I´ve earned." [...]

Some, including Republican Sens. Karl Turner of Cumberland and Peter Mills of Cornville, said they will donate most or all of the money to a referendum campaign that is trying to undo a borrowing plan that is part of the $5.7 billion budget that takes effect July 1.

I note that my former senator and representative at the time, both of whom are Democrats and are no longer in office, have chosen to take the money.

November 1st

2005-06-01T00:41:00.000-04:00

I had a conversation the other day that opened up some old wounds. The marketing director of Cafe Press, a website which sells user-designed t-shirts, stickers and other products gave me a call and asked if I'd be willing to speak to a reporter from the New York Sun about a couple of products I had designed during the election.

Of course, I agreed, and a day later I got a call from Pia Catton who was doing a piece on political bumper stickers. (You can read her article here). The main subjects of our conversation were some stickers that I had almost managed to forget about, emblazoned with the phrases "Clinton/Obama 2012" and "Edwards/Obama 2012". Their humorous message, of course, was that surely Kerry would win election in 2004 and then reelection in 2008 and then in 2012 we'd be looking for a new, progressive president.

In a time when we face the destruction of Social Security, the radicalization of the Supreme Court, the rollback of decades of environmental protections, a never-ending conflict in Iraq and a dozen other threats from the far-right, it now seems like a cruel joke to think about what might have been.

You can see one of my stickers reproduced at the end of the article.

32 softly-focused, brightly-colored eyes

2005-05-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Jay Thomas Aubin - Skowhegan

Beau R. Beaulieu - Lisbon

Christopher Cash - Old Orchard

Christopher D. Coffin - Kennebunk

Daniel Francis J. Cunningham - Lewiston

Thomas J. Dostie - Sommerville

Christopher D. Gelineau - Portland

Erik A. Halvorsen - Richmond

Jeremiah J. Holmes - North Berwick

Michael D. Jones - Unity

Brian Matthew Kennedy - Port Clyde

Heath A. McMillin - Biddeford

Lynn Robert Poulin Sr. - Freedom

Lawrence A. Roukey - Westbrook

Sharon Swartworth - Litchfield

Long Knives

2005-05-29T01:12:00.000-04:00

Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe inspire a lot of distrust and opposition from Democrats and moderates in Maine, especially with their recent votes on issues such as war, tax cuts, Gonzales, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the bankruptcy bill, to name a few (and we'll most likely be adding a vote for Bolton to that list in the near future). But when discussing the Senators with those on the left, you're more likely to hear disappointment than anger.

The same isn't true for those on the conservative right (thankfully a small minority in this state). Any discussion of Snowe and Collins seems to begin and end with seething hatred. The nicest name they usually get called is "traitor".

While discussing the nuclear option compromise, MB recently linked to a discussion on the right-wing bulletin board "As Maine Goes" that perfectly illustrates this point.

This hatred isn't a recent development. In fact, those on the far-right (and those on AMG in particular, whom Al Diamon describes as a "dozen or so right-wing nuts"), have long been airing their strong feelings about the Senators, a fact that has caused some trouble even within the Republican party apparatus itself.

Which brings us to Scott Fish, the top PR flack for Maine Republicans in Augusta for most of the 1990s. GOP House Leader Tom Murphy fired Fish last week for exercising "questionable judgment" in his after-hours editorship of "As Maine Goes," the conservative Web site. Fish's crime was not moving fast enough to remove vulgar e-mail postings by several readers who characterized Sen. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins as women of loose virtue because they voted against removing Clinton from office.
- Bangor Daily News, January 12, 2000

Most recently, this hatred has led to an effort among national right-wing bloggers to halt donations to the NRSC for fear that some money might go to moderate Senators. Snowe and Collins are often mentioned by name.

It has also led to the possible candidacy here in Maine of ultra-conservative Brian Duprey of Hampden who wants to challenge Snowe in next year's Republican Senate primary. A recent Roll Call article (which I haven't read) apparently reports that Duprey is still exploring a run.

In Maine, this heat from the right is electoral gold for Snowe and Collins. It gives them the political cover they need among independents and moderates to continue supporting the Republican agenda on a wide range of issues and allows them to help maintain GOP control of the Senate. Their incumbency and name recognition are enough to squash most challengers and the angry clamor from the right makes it hard for even a dynamic, progressive Democratic candidate (see Pingree, Chellie) to differentiate themselves enough in the public eye.

Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Heads to Full Legislature

2005-05-29T00:46:00.000-04:00

The Judiciary Committee split along party lines on friday with 7 votes against the constitutional amendment and 5 in support. The proposal, originally sponsored by Rep. Brian Duprey (R-Homophobia), has been changed to eliminate a ban on civil unions and now conatins only a single sentence: "Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions."

The amendment will now go to the House and Senate where a 2/3rds majority in each body would be required in order to send it to a statewide referendum. The measure will likely be defeated with a mostly party-line vote, just as a similar amendment submitted by Duprey was last year.

Baldacci's Numbers Down

2005-05-28T02:20:00.000-04:00

A new Critical Insights poll finds Baldacci's favorability slipping to 29%. That's down from even the surprising 37% seen in the Survey USA poll earlier this month.

Baldacci told reporters that he´s not concerned about the falling numbers, and said they´re not surprising given the tough challenges the state is facing.

"Polls go up and down. They come and go," he said.

For the survey, Critical Insights called 600 Mainers by telephone from May 12-19 asking their opinions of Bush, Baldacci, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, and U.S. Reps. Tom Allen and Mike Michaud. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points/

According to the poll, Bush's ratings among Mainers are 31% favorable, 53% unfavorable, and 16% with no opinion. Here's how the local pols stacked up:

Baldacci 29/37/34
Snowe 65/13/22
Collins 58/16/26
Allen 43/17/40
Michaud 29/11/60

People seem to like Snowe and are just getting to know Michaud. Interestingly, the internals show both Snowe and Collins get higher ratings from Independents and Democrats than Republicans.

The real news in this poll, however, is definitely the drop for Baldacci. Even his job approval rating is down, with 43% approving, 45% showing disapproval and 12% undecided. Surprisingly, his numbers are actually worse among his former congressional constituents in the 2nd CD.

The BRAC closure list came out on the second day of polling, and that may have had some effect on these numbers, also Baldacci has a high undecided rate and his favorables will likely rise as the squabbling over the budget recedes. These results, however, definitely open the door a crack for Baldacci's Republican challengers in '06, disorganized as they may be. A strong Green Party challenge (most likely from Pat Lamarche) may also help the GOP.

On the TeeVee

2005-05-27T11:07:00.000-04:00

You might have seen me on WABI yesterday at the Social Security Works press conference. I wanted my soundbite to speak to the importance of Social Security for people my age. Here's what I said:

Social Security is not an investment program, it's a safety net and it needs to be strong. Any cut in benefits, any compromise that weakens the system undermines this program and breaks the promise that has been made to my generation.

Heath vs. Strimling

2005-05-27T10:13:00.000-04:00

According to the Christian Civic League, there wil be a televised debate between Michael Heath and Senator Ethan Strimling on gay rights in Maine. It will be broadcast on Monday at 7:30 on Portland public access.

In my opinion, any time Heath's bigotry is exposed in a public forum it helps the cause of equal rights.

Bonus!

2005-05-27T10:01:00.000-04:00

Free lunches and extra pay. It's good to be a legislator.

Off Base

2005-05-27T00:28:00.000-04:00

Al Diamon gives 9 reasons why the reccomended BRAC closings in Maine could be a good thing. My favorite:

9. The announcement that the state had been body-slammed by the Department of Defense finally accomplished something the war in Iraq, the privatization of Social Security, the Florida right-to-die debacle, and the federal deficit couldn’t manage. For one night, the Bush apologists in my local bar shut up.

That’s got to be worth something.

Weekend Round-Up

2005-05-25T12:59:00.000-04:00

There was a lot of good news this weekend. In the Senate, Snowe and Collins inked a deal to diffuse the nuclear option. (For some great Maine-based discussion of the filibuster compromise, check out Wampum and Alna) In the House, Allen and Michaud overcame the Republican majority and helped to lift the ban on stem cell research. Also, a painting of Maine Senator George Mitchell was unveiled in the old Senate chamber.

Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, praised Mitchell's legislative legacy, citing the Americans with Disabilities Act, the "Brady bill" on gun control and amendments to the Clean Air Act. "He's one of the greatest figures in Maine political history," Allen said.

In the statehouse, Duprey's nuisance bill was finally killed by a unanimous vote of the judiciary committee. Baldacci is also leaning towards vetoing a huge new racino proposed for Washington county.

The one bit of bad news seems to be the announcement from Moody's that it has downgraded the state's general obligation bonds from Aa2 to Aa3. The report cites both the bonds in the budget and the referendum effort to overturn them as reasons for the reassessment. This news comes despite the effort by Democrats on Tuesday to identify possible budget cuts by asking state agencies to plan out what a 5% cut would mean for their operational budget.

In Canada for the Weekend

2005-05-21T07:37:00.000-04:00

Blogging resumes on Tuesday.

Green Inroads in Portland

2005-05-20T01:49:00.000-04:00

With Eder as the highest-ranked Green in the country and with Portland having the second-highest Green presence on a school board anywhere in the U.S., it's obvious that the Green Independent party has some support in Maine's largest city.

Sive Neilan, head of the Portland Democratic City Committee, said the Greens are making inroads in city politics because they run effective campaigns. "They really have that piece of the politic down."

She said voters who are frustrated with the lack of new ideas in the national Democratic Party tend to mistakenly view Democrats here in the same light.

Yet, she said, Portland Democrats have long led progressive causes. "They have fought the right causes for a very long time, but people new to politics equate us with the people in Washington, and that is simply not the case."

One example, she said, was a Democratic candidate whose environmental record was stronger than the Green candidate's.

She said the election of five Greens to office in Portland - Portland Water District trustee Erek Gaines is the fifth - has been a wake-up call to Portland Democrats who had grown complacent. She said the Greens are galvanizing voters and are showing Democrats that they are losing their political hold.

"The Democrats, in a sense, do not own the city any more," she said.

In addition to recent local success, the Greens have played a role in several major races in Maine. The congressional candidacy of Jonathan Carter was potentially responsible for a Democratic loss in the 1992 2nd CD election when Olympia Snowe narrowly beat Pat McGowan (imagine if Snowe could have been stopped then) and the Greens were also seen as spoilers during the 1994 Gubernatorial race when Carter received 6.4% and Independent Angus King defeated Democrat Joe Brennan 35.4% to 33.8% (Republican Susan Collins got 23%). The Greens of course claim that they take votes from both parties and independents and do not act as spoilers for Democratic candidates.

In the most recent house elections there were two races in which Green voters may have tipped the balance in favor of the Republicans. In district 46 (Camden and Rockport) Democrat Susan Dorr lost to Republican Stephen Bowen by 254 votes while Green Independent Marc Bedner garnered 405. In district 78 (Oakland and Sydney) Republican Robert Nutting beat Democrat Dennis McLellen by a margin of 152 votes and Green Independent Theresa Savage received 604.

Stupidest Bill: Yet Another Nominee

2005-05-20T00:52:00.000-04:00

Despite the fact that current sex education programs are reducing the teenage pregnancy rate in Maine, abortions are down and safe-sex is up, Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello wants to scrap the current curriculum in favor of "abstinence-only" education.

Shallow Bench

2005-05-20T00:47:00.000-04:00

Al Diamon today examines the GOP prospects for a 2006 gubernatorial candidate and doesn't find much. Those that might do well, such as Susan Collins and Peter "redo" Cianchette don't want to run and those who do want to run, like the oft-defeated former congressman David Emery and second-term state Rep. Darlene Curley don't have a chance.

Then there's Senate Minority Leader Paul Davis who both doesn't want and can't win the Blaine house according to Diamon.

Davis has admitted to friends he’s unlikely to beat Baldacci and is only considering a run to make sure the party has some kind of candidate.

Baldacci Leads Charge to Save Bases

2005-05-19T01:02:00.000-04:00

The effort is getting underway to save some of the estimated 12,000 jobs these closings would cost the state. Via the AP:

Preparing for "a major battle," Gov. John Baldacci said he will meet Thursday with members of Maine and New Hampshire congressional delegations to sketch out a coordinated plan to fight the base closure proposals facing three communities [...]

Baldacci said he wants a coordinated campaign with the affected communities unified under the state's umbrella, working closely with the state's four-member congressional delegation to turn around the curtailment plan.

"You don't want divisions, you don't want factions," the governor said, adding that Maine's delegation of U.S. senators and congressmen will lead the effort.

"What I'm trying to do is get Maine organized. This is a major battle," Baldacci said.

From the KJ/MS:

Baldacci continued to insist Tuesday that "we owe it to our country" to fight for the Maine bases in the interest of national security. But he said the economic impact "is also going to be argued almost on the same level" of importance because the job losses that Maine faces are second only to those proposed in Alaska, on a per-capita basis.

The governor said he will travel to Washington, D.C., Thursday to meet with the Maine and New Hampshire congressional delegations to "finalize the plan" for saving the Maine bases.

He said he will use that trip to make courtesy calls on some members of the base-closing commission, which is chaired by Anthony Principi.

Baldacci said Principi has promised to tour the Maine bases with some members of the nine-member closure commission, but details of that visit have not yet been set [...]

"My total focus right now is to make sure that those bases stay open," Baldacci said, noting that roughly 15 percent of the Pentagon's recommendations in previous rounds of closures have been overturned. "We want to make sure we get our fair share of that 15 percent," he said.

More Hot Filibuster Action

2005-05-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

The issue is now being debated on C-SPAN 2 and will most likely continue for the rest of the week. Leahy just made an impassioned and eloquent speech in defense of the Senate and the filibuster.

Also today, students at Bates are wrapping up their own 24-hour filibuster to protest the nuclear option. They are emulating the work of Princeton students who filibustered for 384 hours last week, first in front of the Frist building on their campus and then in front of the capitol building in Washington.

The Princeton filibuster website has announced that students at Umaine at Orono will begin a mock filibuster on Monday.

Mushroom Clouds

2005-05-18T01:14:00.000-04:00

It appears likely that Frist will begin debate on one of the filibustered judicial nominees tomorrow, paving the way for the nuclear option to be deployed soon after.

Olympia Snowe will most likely stand against it and the KJ/MS urges Collins to do the same. The BDN worries that they might both cave on this or other issues as Bush uses the closure of Maine military bases to enact political blackmail. It should be an interesting week.

For all your nuclear updates, keep an eye on DailyKos. (Here's a good post to start with).

Tobin Claims Jury Biased

2005-05-18T01:04:00.000-04:00

James Tobin, a Bangor native and leading Republican operative who is being charged with masterminding a campaign to block democratic phone lines during the 2002 New Hampshire Senate election is challenging the indictments against him on the basis that some members of the grand jury were Democrats. His attorneys are arguing that only a panel made up of all Republicans can legally indict him since his alleged crime made all Democrats in NH his "victims".

It looks like the trial itself will also be highly politicized. From the AP:

James Tobin also wants to know whether they´re Democrats, Republicans or independents and whether they watch TV shows such as "West Wing," CNN´s "Crossfire," MSNBC´s "Hardball," or "The McLaughlin Group," which mostly runs on public television stations.

Those questions are part of a proposed jury pool questionnaire for Tobin´s trial on charges he conspired to jam Democrats´ get-out-the-vote phones on Election Day 2002, as well as a ride-to-the-polls line run by the Manchester firefighters union.

"You don´t have to do research to know that someone who likes "West Wing" isn´t going to like these defendants," said Patricia McEvoy, a Chicago jury consultant[...]

The proposed questionnaire asks prospective jurors about union membership, whether they´ve ever had a bumper sticker on their car and what it said, what Web logs they read, and whether the take part in online chat groups.

Tobin´s lawyers also want jurors to describe themselves by checking off all that apply: "aggressive, articulate, emotional, entrepreneurial, intelligent, laid back, loyal, naive, perceptive, stubborn, (or) other."

That's right, Tobin is trying to pack a jury with Republicans and hope they let him off purely on ideological grounds. I guess it wasn't enough just to pervert our electoral system, it looks like he's going after the judicial system now as well.

Christian Civic League Wants Stephen King Out of Maine's Schools

2005-05-17T11:55:00.000-04:00

In the CCL newsletter today, Michael Heath claims that Maine's most famous writer is encouraging "moral anarchy" and working to destroy our society.

[H]ow can schools blame students for learning what schools have tried so hard to teach – that man’s darker urges are to be gratified vicariously through “literature” which promotes violence and moral anarchy? After all, wasn’t King invited to speak at the University of Maine graduation? King’s work is a part of the public schools, in the same sense that wholesome literature was part of the public schools in the not-too-distant past. People have forgotten that as late as the fifties, an evangelist would visit the public schools of Aroostook County each week to present a one-hour Bible lesson.

Mitchell on the Nuclear Option

2005-05-16T12:40:00.000-04:00

BDN Op-Ed:

During my six years as majority leader of the Senate, Republicans, then in the minority, often used filibusters to achieve their goals.

I didn’t like the results, but I accepted them because Republicans were acting within the rules; and we were able to work together on many other issues. There were 55 Democratic senators then. We had the power to take the drastic action now being proposed, but we refrained from exercising that power because it was as wrong then as it is now.

Most Americans may not be aware of the complexities of the Senate’s rules, but they do know and understand two fundamental principles: playing by the rules and dealing fairly with others.

The nuclear option violates both. If it’s exercised, I hope that enough modern-day Sen. Smiths, guided by what is best for the nation and the Senate, will vote to stop it.

GOP Flying in Reinforcements

2005-05-15T23:32:00.000-04:00

The Republican party announced Friday that they are flying in a team of professional signature gatherers from California to help out their budget veto campaign. In California, the huge number of referendum issues has made signature gathering big business and there are many companies that specialize in the practice. This will definitely be a boost to the effort to get enough signatures by July but it places the veto campaign squarely in the realm of a politicians' maneuver rather than a movement of the people.

Still no specific plan on what the GOP wants to do with the budget hole if their referendum passes. One idea they have floated recently is a 5% across-the-board reduction in state government

So will we have a partisan fight over part 2 of the budget and then over bonds and then the uncertainty of a referendum campaign, a lowered bond rating and state finances in disarray with partisan bickering increasing as the 2006 gubernatorial race draws closer, or will the parties and politicians come together much like this recent editorial suggests? The next few days and weeks should be decisive.

Political Bases

2005-05-14T19:41:00.000-04:00

Military bases in Maine have long been a political issue. For decades, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and other installations have been targeted for closure and it has often been the strength of the state's congressional delegation that has saved them. Muskie, Mitchell, and Cohen have all played crucial roles in this regard.

Cohen, interestingly enough, later changed his position on BRAC and ran the base closing initiative for the Clinton administration. The former Secretary of State has most recently worked as a consultant in Florida helping to keep their bases open (Florida is slated to gain military jobs from the recommendations released Friday).

In 1994, Olympia Snowe won her Senate seat in large part because she was seen as more likely to preserve Maine's military bases than fellow House member Tom Andrews who had voted for a BRAC list that included Loring Air Force Base.

Now PNS is being targeted for total closure, BNAS is scheduled to lose all its aircraft and half its personnel, and the Defense accounting center in Limestone is also slated to be eliminated for a total combined loss of almost 7,000 jobs. This is the second highest number of jobs lost by any state in the country under this list (Connecticut is losing slightly more) and will hit Maine incredibly hard.

There is a tendency to assign political motives to the choice of bases to be closed. Many have commented on the fact that "blue" states are slated to lose jobs while "red" states gain from this list, others believe that the Maine closings are a not-so-subtle prod from the Bush administration to get Maine's Republican Senators in line with White House objectives. The high level of political maneuvering that has historically accompanied base closures gives some weight to these ideas.

In any case, the political fallout from these closures may be high. Senator Snowe has perhaps the most to lose. She has often portrayed herself as a Washington insider who could use her connections to preserve Maine's bases and these closures could make her seem politically impotent.

The list isn't yet final. It will be reviewed by an independent 9-member commission which can make some changes before it goes to the President for an up-or-down decision and then Congress for an up-or-down vote. Workers, community leaders, state politicians and Maine's entire congressional delegation have pledged to fight to preserve these bases.

Check out this PPH article for reactions from Allen, Michaud, Collins and Snowe and this one for reactions from Baldacci and state legislators.

Update MPBN, as is usually the case, has excellent coverage.

Bases and Doctors and Californians, Oh My.

2005-05-13T23:50:00.000-04:00

All that coming soon, for now check out this interesting article on the role of Senate Republican moderates from the NY Times.

I enjoyed this bit:

But here in the Capitol, [moderates'] numbers are so few, said Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, that they quit having their weekly lunches about a year ago.

"Susan and I were there alone for so much of the time," Mr. Specter he said, referring to Senator Susan Collins of Maine, "we worked through all of our conversation and decided to disband."

Mañana

2005-05-13T00:06:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow should be an interesting day. The base closures will be announced at 9:15 and state Republicans say they'll be publicly addressing the concerns about their veto attempt sometime around then as well (things look hopeful for some kind of resolution). My plan for tomorrow is to head down to Augusta and sit in on the Judiciary committee hearings on the medical malpractice bill, then head back to Bangor to canvass on Social Security in the evening.

One Last Blog

2005-05-12T11:21:00.000-04:00

I don't know how I forgot to include Pudentilla's Perspective in my last roundup of Maine blogs. Go check that shit out.

Poll Finds Baldacci Down

2005-05-12T11:10:00.000-04:00

A new Survey USA poll pegs Baldacci's approval rating at 37%. I'm sure that the budget debate and other issues have made a dent in his popularity, but I find it hard to believe that his numbers have dropped 30 points since the last poll in February.

Apparantly, I'm not alone. From the BDN:

Some pollsters in Maine also were skeptical of the SurveyUSA results. Patrick Murphy at Strategic Marketing Services in Portland released a poll in February that placed Baldacci’s job approval rating at 67.5 percent. Murphy questioned the methodology used in computerized telephone polling, saying, “I cannot fathom that kind of a drop” in Baldacci’s approval ratings.

Kevin Fay, at Critical Insights in Portland, shared similar concerns about the reliability of computer-based polling techniques and also found it hard to believe the governor’s approval rating could have taken such a dive.
“That’s the kind of thing you might expect if the state’s bond rating dropped to junk and there was complete gridlock over property tax reform and that basically nothing was working right,” Fay said.

Amy Fried, a political science professor at the University of Maine, said it was important to cross-reference the poll’s findings with any other existing surveys given the wide disparity in results over the four-month period. She added the Mother’s Day weekend also could have skewed the results.

“There’s some polling firms that won’t do polling over a big holiday because they can’t find a lot of folks,” she said.

Protecting Social Security

2005-05-12T01:04:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day at my summer job as field manager for the Maine People's Alliance Bangor canvass. We're currently working on preventing Social Security privatization. If you've been reading this site for any length of time then you know this is an issue I feel very strongly about.

The fight over Social Security isn't just about guaranteeing people's benefits or making sure the program is there for younger workers, although these elements are vitally important. In a larger sense, it's about the contract we make with our fellow citizens to protect those who need it most. The fight over Social Security is about determining the future course of American public policy. The right-wing of this country is attacking the heart of the New Deal and attempting to break the promise we make as a nation to each succeeding generation.

The main thing one notices going door-to-door and discussing this issue with people is the near-uniform strident opposition to privatization. This isn't an issue that you need to explain in any great detail to people, and it isn't one that you need to work to get them riled up about. Mainers know the facts and they know where they stand. All you have to do is give them Snowe and Collins' numbers.

This summer I'll be writing updates from the field about this and other issues as we walk the streets of northern and central Maine.

If you haven't already made your voice heard on Social Security, check out the MPA website for the info (I know, the site could really use a re-design).

MCLF Blog

2005-05-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

You may have read some Jon Bartholomew's comments here on Maine Politics. As the communications director for the Maine Citizen Leadership Fund, an organization that works with other advocacy groups to create progressive change in Maine, he has a unique perspective on many Maine issues. Now you can read Jon's words on the MCLF's own in-house blog. Let's hope it fares better than the Maine Democratic Party's weblog (may it rest in peace).

Edwards to Work With Maine Democrats

2005-05-11T01:19:00.000-04:00

From the AP:

Former vice presidential nominee John Edwards agreed Tuesday to help strengthen the Democratic presence in state legislatures, including Maine´s, by recruiting candidates and raising money.

"Far too often, people think that the solutions to the problems we face as a country must come from Washington, but much of the important work on the issues Americans face every day is done in the states," Edwards said in a prepared release. "State legislators can do a great deal to fight poverty, expand educational opportunities, and make health care more affordable."

Another Reason Why Maine Is Better Than the Rest of the Country

2005-05-11T01:06:00.000-04:00

There will be a work session on Wednesday for LD 1026, An Act to Provide Uniform Voter Verification and Recount requirements for Voting Machines.

From the BDN:

The Legislature enacted a similar bill last year, but it contained a loophole. Advocates for the handicapped feared that insistence on a voter-verifiable paper trail, to permit recounts in cases of challenge, would interfere with demands that the new machines permit unassisted access by the sight-impaired and other handicapped persons. So last year's bill included an exemption from the paper-trail requirement for the machines specially designed for use by the handicapped.

The situation now is changed. Machines have been developed that provide both features, a verifiable paper trail and handicapped access. One example called AutoMARK is marketed by one of the major voting machine companies, Election Systems and Software. Others are in the works. So the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee should feel confident in going forward with a bill that would require both features in all machines.

More Maine Blogs

2005-05-10T22:01:00.000-04:00

The Alna Erratic provides "rants on politics, media, faith, and language" from Alna, Maine.

Cynical Groovitude examines politics, technology and hockey.

Maine Democrats (not affiliated with the Democratic Party) provides a "wicked handy" archive of Maine politics and legislation.

If you have a favorite Maine political weblog that isn't listed on the right, please let me know about it.

League of Women Voters Convention

2005-05-09T23:41:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the time it took me to get this up on the site, I had to change my scribbled notes into a more web-ready format.

This Saturday I had the pleasure of speaking at the Maine League of Women Voters' annual convention as the representative "blogger" on a media panel along with Liz Talbot, anchor and news director for WVII (ABC 7). Judy Meyer of the Lewiston Sun Journal was also scheduled to speak, but she had a family emergency.

I really enjoyed Ms. Talbot's remarks, especially during the question period as she explained the difficulties of running a modern local news department with a small staff, a tight schedule, and a small budget. In particular, she mentioned the difficulty of going beyond the he-said, she-said nature of political reporting and doing more objective analysis without a research department and other resources. Her biggest fear: being replaced by Wheel-of-Fortune.

The League members were incredibly hospitable and very interested in the subjects we were discussing. I met a lot of great people, a few of whom surprised me by relating that they were already readers of this blog. Thank you, Al Gore, for the internet.

Click here to read the rest of this post and my own thoughts on changing media trends and their relationship to political coverage.

(I began by describing Maine Politics and the basic idea of a blog. If you're reading this, you probably already know enough about that, so I'll jump right in to my thoughts on weblogs as a news medium. The following text was imported from word, so it might be missing a few apostrophes or have other typos.)

Today I want to talk about online political journalism on a more general level.

I don't think blogs will ever replace the mainstream press or any of that nonsense, but they are an incredible tool that can be used by anyone and reach everyone.

They are quick and dirty publishing platforms that allow you to communicate with a large audience in seconds. This results in a lot of interesting reading, but it results in a lot of misinformation and heated rhetoric as well.

There are two things that political weblogs are very good at. The first is discussing things that might not get coverage from larger media sources. The second is providing a means for collaborative activism.

To understand the importance of blogs as a media source, lets take a look at the recent history of political coverage.

50 years ago, in the Maine gubernatorial election of 1954, Edmund S. Muskie beat the Republican incumbent governor by using an attentive press to run an insurgent campaign and became the first Democrat to win state-wide office since the great depression. He did this despite an almost 3 to 1 Republican advantage in voter registration.

In his latest book on Maine elections, Chris Potholm, the Bowdoin College professor and political consultant discussed the press coverage of that election.

He writes:

Today it would be almost impossible to run the type of campaign that Muskie put together. The newspaper reporters of today - as well as their editors - simply would not cover the race they did earlier. For most Newspapers in Maine, political campaigns are not worth covering in their ebb and flow, only in the generic sense of press conferences and polls. [...]

While an AP or print reporter might take a one-day swing with a candidate to get the flavor of his or her campaign, no news organization would follow the candidate around as did the reporters in 1954. [...]

Regrettably, this print coverage is long gone in Maine politics and has been replaced by made-for-TV public appearances and the 30-second commercial. Newspaper editorials decry the high cost of campaigns and the overemphasis on television, but newspapers themselves are the major reason for these developments. They simply do not pay enough attention to campaigns to give their readers anything but the most epigonic of coverage.

Now I don't agree with Potholm that the blame for this lies solely with newspapers - there are many contributing factors, but this is an example of the kind of void that online journalism can fill.

By following campaigns closely, and by providing more detailed analysis, blogs are beginning to give interested readers the kind of coverage that short TV reports and limited column inches newspapers no longer provide.

You might have heard about the right-wing bloggers who hounded CBS and Dan Rather over the National Guard Memos, and eventually contributed to his resignation. But that's just one example of many.

For instance, recently, Microsoft announced that they were dropping their support for a gay rights law in Washington State. This came after evangelical Christians threatened a boycott of their products. This was reported in local media but got very little national attention.

A liberal blogger named John Aravosis, who runs a site called AmericaBlog and who gets about half a million visitors a week took up the cause and, along with others, doggedly pursued the story. He was able to get information from sources inside the company and posted daily reports on the situation detailing Microsoft's links to right-wing groups like the Christian coalition and their cynical political maneuvering on the issue. Some of his reporting made it into the mainstream press and Microsoft soon faced a backlash from the gay community.

Yesterday, they gave in and changed their position on the bill.

These kinds of stories highlight not just online journalism, but online activism as well, which is the second thing that blogs are exceptionally good at.

The reason for this is that the majority of people who choose to communicate about politics online do so because they feel very passionately one way or another. The journalism that occurs on blogs is nothing like the journalism in newspapers and on television for this reason. Its partisan and opinionated and passionate.

(I myself am a partisan Democrat, by the way, if you haven't figured that out yet.)

These passionate people can use blogs and other similar internet tools to create online communities and accomplish political objectives.

The best example of online passion turning into activism is the Presidential run of Howard Dean. His campaign reached out to the new netroots and found a motivated base of supporters who were able to organize themselves using the tools of the internet into a potent political force. They weren't able to win him the nomination, but they beat every other campaign in terms of contributions and volunteers.

A Maine example occurred in November when WGME in Portland, along with other TV stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting, prepared to run a documentary biased against Senator Kerry just a few days before the election. You might remember how a dozen Maine businesses publicly dropped their advertising from WGME. The reason why was that several popular left-leaning internet communities including dailykos.com, the largest Democratic blog, organized a national phone and email campaign targeting Sinclair's advertisers. Sinclair eventually relented and replaced the program with a more balanced piece.

Weblogs aren't always a tool of the people, however. In South Dakota last year, during the hard-fought Senate race between Tom Daschle and John Thune, two Republican bloggers got national attention by making it their goal to change one aspect of the political dynamic of the state. They focused in on South Dakota's main newspaper, the Argus Leader, and began to attempt to influence their reporting.

They attacked most of the papers articles as biased and targeted the main political writer and his editors personally, claiming that they had ties to the incumbent Senator. They succeeded in creating controversy and making some very public attacks against Daschle.

After the election was over and Daschle was defeated, it was revealed that the two bloggers were actually paid operatives of the Thune campaign, a fact they had never disclosed. One of them had received $27,000 for his services.

In January it was reported that Thune had a meeting with other Republican Senators and urged them to explore using blogs in their own political campaigns. David Winston, a GOP pollster who was present, said that, "given that success story, the senators were very interested.... A lot of conversation went back and forth. I think we were scheduled for about an hour, and it went an hour and a half." Even senators who missed out on the session have been asking for details of Thune's story. "Other senators have asked him in private how he worked with the bloggers," says Thune spokesman Alex Conant.

Some have already taken his words to heart. The anonymous authors of a blog supporting the reelection of embattled Senator Conrad Burns of Montana were recently revealed to be a couple of Republican writers for the American Spectator who actually live no where near big sky country and are being paid to say nice things about Burns.

(I concluded my talk with the guarantee that blogs would play an increasing role in political journalism and activism and I outlined a new project I'm currently working on in this vein - stay tuned to the site for more information.)

Countdown

2005-05-09T17:06:00.000-04:00

The Maine Democratic Party website now has a handy counter ticking off the seconds until end of business on May 13th, when Republicans will either submit an alternative plan for the budget or prove that their veto campaign has just been a cynical attempt to gain political advantage.

The counter on that site is in flash and is a bit unwieldy (and is squished in firefox), but it's easy enough to make your own. See the top of the page for an example of one that uses javascript.

To put a countdown on your own website, just copy this code:

Calling out the GOP

2005-05-09T12:15:00.000-04:00

Jim Brunelle today suggests that Republicans put up or shut up.

Sometime this week, we should learn whether legislative Republicans really do have a better way of assembling a state budget.

Or, are they simply content to sit on the sidelines, complain about the impotence of their minority status and take potshots at the budget document already pushed through by majority Democrats?

Republicans probably won't submit a specific plan, and this article in the PPH explains why.

For many Republicans, the debate over Baldacci's borrowing package - approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in late March - has become a golden political opportunity to tarnish Baldacci's name and galvanize supporters heading into the 2006 governor's race.

Michaud on CAFTA

2005-05-08T01:18:00.000-04:00

Go read his excellent piece on the effects this legislation could have on Maine and the nation.

Free trade is fine, but the people of Maine deserve fair trade. We deserve trade that does not cost us our jobs and our way of life.

That is why I have been opposing CAFTA; and I am not alone. Congress typically has voted within 55 days after President Bush has signed a trade agreement. But May 28th will mark the one-year anniversary of the President signing CAFTA. Why the long hold-up? Because Members of Congress from both parties are asking a lot of tough questions about this deal, and wondering if it will do anything good for America.

It doesn't take a trade expert to see the massive economic mismatch between the United States and the nations that make up the Central American Free Trade Agreement: Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The U.S. economy, with a $10 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002, is 170 times larger than the economies of the CAFTA nations, at about $62 billion combined. To put this into perspective, the purchasing power of these nations is almost identical to the purchasing power of New Haven, Connecticut.

MyDD has more on the subject.