Maine
updated
11:03 a.m.
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As you know, Collins Watch has made a cottage industry of sorts out of finding letters to the editor written ostensibly by Collins' supports, but who, on closer examination, turn out to be GOP party apparatchiks. Now I have no problem with their party connections, but what is galling is that these connections are often not disclosed, either by the writer or the newspaper involved. The example...
Turn Maine Blue - 6:38 a.m. - 3 clicks 
PolitckerME is sounding out the blogsphere in the Pine Tree State to see if there is any interest from Mainers in creating 'video questions' that could be sent to candidates for the Senate and Congressional districts. Jessica Alaimo probably puts it better: I have an idea for an upcoming project. First, however, I need to see if there is interest. I'd like our readers to submit YouTube video q...
Turn Maine Blue - 3:32 a.m. - 2 clicks
I always hated the "he was for it before he was against it" bullshit attacks against John Kerry; they always seemed so petty to me. But at that time I figured that they would come back to haunt the GOP, just desserts. And so here we find Sen. Susan Collins putting out her first TeeVee ad (there are two variants, differing by small things). The message of these ads is rich: COLLINS: I fee...
Turn Maine Blue - Wed 7:07 p.m. - 3 clicks
Note: I am a blogger at Obama for America Greetings, Mainers! As some of you may have seen on Monday, the Portland Press-Herald published an op-ed by Rep. Mike Michaud (ME-2) on the high stakes of this election and how important it is for Maine that we elect a president "who believes in rebuilding the middle class and solving our energy crisis." But you don't have to be a member of Cong...
Turn Maine Blue - Wed 8:33 a.m. - 4 clicks
(pic) Joe Scarborough of MSNBC is masturbating this morning live on tv because of this LAST surge in Iraq. He thinks all is well over there now. He thinks Obama should admit that George Bush is the most historic Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the history of our nation, because this LAST surge is working. [...]...
White Noise Insanity - Wed 4:30 a.m. - 6 clicks
I have no idea if our Navy needs either of these ships, but certainly building one or the other provides good paying jobs here in Maine for skilled workers. Today it has been announced that the Navy has decided to scrap the DDG-1000 (Zumwalt) destoryer program, but may in fact order more of the DDG-51 (Arleigh Burke) ships that Bath Iron Works has been building for the last decade. The DDG-100 (...
Turn Maine Blue - Tue 9:07 p.m. - 11 clicks
* * * BREAKING * * * SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE - Somewhat calling into question the conventional wisdom of the 2008 campaign, it was discovered Monday that Arizona Senator John Sidney McCain III, 71, is also running for president. ...
DailyKos (Maine) - Tue 5:07 p.m. - 13 clicks
Collins Watch flags another ambush by anti-union "volunteers," this time of Maine House Majority Whip Sean Faircloth. Watch how Faircloth turns the tables on these guys - perhaps next time they need to learn a bit more about what it is they're doing: Well done Rep. Faircloth! ...
Turn Maine Blue - Tue 1:32 p.m. - 10 clicks
From the Great State of OREGON (home of the Other Portland): Is this Bill in Portland Maine that I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee... But wait! NO! It’s not Bill in Portland! It’s Naismith's Very Special 50-State Diary, #25 in a series between now and the election, celebrating the halfway point and drawing attention to itself by looking at the ...
DailyKos (Maine) - Tue 7:30 a.m. - 7 clicks
Rep. Tom Allen will be holding a press conference this morning, at which he will propose a series of town hall meetings across Maine, to include Sen. Susan Collins. From the press release: "As I continue to travel to towns all across Maine, people ask how we can solve the big problems challenging them each day - the high costs of food and fuel, our health care crisis, Maine's economic struggles ...
Turn Maine Blue - Tue 5:34 a.m. - 11 clicks
I caught this news snippet tonight on MPBN , and calls to Tom Allen's office have not been returned, but Rep. Allen is withdrawing as a co-sponsor to the House resolution ( H. Con. Res. 362 ) that would allow for Bush/Cheney to attack Iran. It begins : Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the threat posed to international peace, stability in the Middle East, and the vital national se...
Turn Maine Blue - Mon 5:38 p.m. - 15 clicks
Well, okay. I should be honest here. John McCain did in fact come to Maine today, but he wasn’t really here to meet REAL MAINAHS. Nope, he came with his big fat pasty white hand out and if you were lucky enough to have an extra $5,000/$2300/$1000/$500 to spend, you could meet McCain today! In [...]...
White Noise Insanity - Mon 3:04 p.m. - 10 clicks
This morning's Portland Press Herald has this opinion piece by Rep. Mike Michaud (ME-2), that begins: As Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain dines at the Bush compound in Kennebunkport today, I'd like to send this message from the hardworking people of Maine: The last thing Maine needs is a third Bush term. The Bush-Cheney energy and economic policies have so dramatically dam...
Turn Maine Blue - Mon 7:06 a.m. - 12 clicks
Hello folks. The Death Cult Zombie Senator is scheduled to visit the new Maine Military Museum in South Portland, Maine on Monday and I may attend as the public's been invited! In the event we're allowed to ask questions I thought someone might have some great substantive suggestions for what to ask him. ...
DailyKos (Maine) - Fri 5:37 p.m. - 24 clicks
Weeks ago, anti-union groups began a push poll against card check and the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), obstensibly in support of GOP Sen. Susan Collins. It seems that their efforts are also targeting Chellie Pingree, who is running for our 1st District seat, as Collins Watch has flagged this video of Pingree being ambushed by card check obfuscators, and her deft reply: Inde...
DailyKos (Maine) - Thu 2:02 p.m. - 18 clicks
It just took a few years. Visit the new Maine Politics blog at www.mainepolitics.net . ...
Maine Politics - Jul 16 - 10 clicks
According to the Web site of the Maine Military Museum, John McCain will be at a public event at the the museum (located in Mill Creek in South Portland) on Monday, July 21 in the afternoon. Here is the blurb from the PolitikerME.com: Republican Presidential candidate John McCain will be in Maine on Monday for a private reception in Kennebunkport and a public presentation at the Maine Military ...
Turn Maine Blue - Jul 16 - 16 clicks
The Sovereign States Drug Consortium – started in 2005 by Maine, Iowa, and Vermont – has allowed states to cut Medicaid costs by pooling their efforts and collectively negotiating with drug manufacturers for their Medicaid drug purchases. State officials from Iowa and Maine have already reported a savings of more [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 10 clicks
Maine Gov. John Baldacci has signed LD 1869, sponsored by Speaker Glenn Cummings, which aims to protect homeowners from predatory lending. The bill requires lenders to ensure borrowers can repay loans, taking into account income, costs associated with home ownership, and the highest interest rate that will be charged on the loan. It also prohibits [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 12 clicks
The Maine legislature approved LD 1987, sponsored by Rep. Elaine Makas, which requires pharmacies to provide information about the “usual and customary” prices of individual prescription durgs. The bill also directs pharmacies to post a notice about the availability of price information and directs the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance and the Office of Elder Services [......
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 11 clicks
Maine Gov. John Baldacci has signed LD 1851, sponsored by Rep. Theodore Koffman, committing Maine to a ten percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2019 through a cap-and-trade system. Under the new law, the state’s six largest power plants will begin buying permits to emit CO2 in 2009 with revenues going to energy efficiency programs [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 14 clicks
Gov. John Baldacci has signed a measure intended to encourage students in the University of Maine and Maine Community College systems to continue living and working in the state after graduating. LD 1856 will provide a tax credit to reimburse educational loan payments. Businesses can also pay an employee’s student loans and take the tax [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 15 clicks
The Maine legislature passed LD 1381, sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Mitchell, which will raise the minimum pay for public school teachers to $27,000 in the upcoming school year and $30,000 the year after that. The measure is supported by Gov. John Baldacci, who will sign it shortly. For more information about teacher pay, read CPA’s Teachers [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 12 clicks
Gov. John Baldacci has signed LD 216, sponsored by Rep. Marilyn Canavan, which will help expand financial education programs in the state. The law creates the Council on Financial Literacy to support projects that provide financial literacy education and to provide up to $50,000 a year in matching grants to these projects. The bill’s supporters [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 11 clicks
Maine Governor John Baldacci signed LD 1381, sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Mitchell, to increase teachers’ minimum salaries to $30,000 a year in two phases. The current minimum salary in Maine for starting teachers is just $15,500. ...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 14 clicks
LD 2017, sponsored by Rep. Anne Perry, which requires state agencies that suspect even the possibility of identity theft to notify the affected individuals, will become effective on January 31, 2007. The law includes civil fines of up to $2,500 for each day that an agency fails to report a breach. [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 15 clicks
The Maine legislature approved LD 235, by Rep. John Tuttle, to increase the minimum wage from $6.50 to $6.75 on October 1, 2006 and to $7.00 on October 1, 2007. Gov. John Baldacci is expected to sign the bill. The minimum wage is on a roll in 2006 — so far it has been increased in [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 9 clicks
The Maine Senate passed LD 235, by Rep. John Tuttle, to increase the minimum wage from $6.50 to $6.75 on October 1, 2006 and to $7.00 on October 1, 2007. The House passed a similar version of the bill about six weeks ago. For more information, read CPA’s Minimum Wage policy brief and model legislation. ...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 12 clicks
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is an effort is an effort by many northeastern states to reduce CO2 emissions across the region. The plan, begun by New York Governor George Pataki in 2003, currently involves seven states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont). In April 2006, Maryland legislators passed [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 12 clicks
Maine’s Legislature has approved three bills aimed at regulating prescription drug marketing. LD 4, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Marraché, would allow doctors and other prescribers to ensure personally identifying information about their prescribing habits is not released for marketing purposes. LD 839, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Treat, would establish a prescription drug academic detailing program [...]...
State Action: Maine - Jul 10 - 11 clicks
I managed to keep away from blogging these past six months. But now Deep Blade Journal has a successor site, Maine Owl. The new blog will differ from Deep Blade Journal in that I intend to keep the content driven more from a local & personal viewpoint. Maine Owl will cover many of the same [...]...
Deep Blade Journal - Jul 10 - 12 clicks
Click picture once to play; twice for source site. read more: Borrowed Suits ...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 11 clicks
Courtesy Jeff Kirlin and The Thing of the Moment . read more: Borrowed Suits ...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 10 clicks
I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before. --Huck Finn Borrowed Suits will be observing at least 10 days of radio silence as your corresp. heads out to the great northwest. I will be leaving from Boston's Logan airport tomorrow morning early heade...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 13 clicks
Lazy blogging means more clips. But I'm guessing that more clips means more happy "readers." So here's a clip, reader: The Simpsons Voices read more: Borrowed Suits ...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 11 clicks
I fully expect the requisite French/Soccer/Footie jokes. Just watch the video before you pretend you're too cool to think this is really fun. FOOT 2008 (REMI GAILLARD) Uploaded by nqtv My favorite is at 2:32, a very sweet outside instep shot. read more: Borrowed Suits ...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 11 clicks
This is partly by way of passing on the humor, partly to experiment with embedding a video in a post. Enjoy the snarkalicious goodness. read more: Borrowed Suits ...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 10 clicks
Introductory rambling: So much to write about these days, what with the rules committee hearing going on in DC (moot in any case), the war, the Democratic Convention in Augusta, the Celtics, international disasters--it's all been on my mind to comment, disparage or celebrate. Instead, I'm going to write about Memorial Day. I've been thinking about this since I went to Portland's parade on Mon...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 13 clicks
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many more words is a moving picture that talks worth? Priceless: Brought to you by www.jedreport.com. read more: Borrowed Suits ...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 8 clicks
Photos of fireworks over Portland, Maine by Josh and Melanie Rosenthal. Spent the 4th between my folks in New Hampshire and my buddy's house on Long Lake in Naples, Maine. I feel differently about the Fourth from how I feel about Memorial Day . The Fourth, to my mind, is straight celebration. We were fortunate to have a group of earnest, intelligent and learned men together and thinking al...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 15 clicks
America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way around. Human rights invented America. Jimmy Carter read more: Borrowed Suits ...
Borrowed Suits - Jul 10 - 10 clicks
Well, the results are in -- and I didn't win. I am pleased that I came as close as I did (closer than the Bangor Daily News and Portland papers originally published -- more like what Village Soup and the Courier had). Ms. Savage is a long time incumbent and this will be her last term because of term limits. Additionally, I want to note that while I wish my results were favorable, this was a goo...
Scott Barrows for State Senate - Jul 10 - 8 clicks
I lucked out that this beautiful day is the day scheduled to do some campaigning on Vinalhaven. I'll be catching the 11:15 ferry, knocking on doors, and going to an event with Tom Allen. I hope to bring some of the energy I have generated on the mainland over to the islands. I also hope to hear the specific concerns that year round island dwellers have. I continue to meet more of my future c...
Scott Barrows for State Senate - Jul 10 - 10 clicks
The endorsements keep rolling in. In the past few days IÂve received the endorsements of the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine, Maine NOW and Equality Maine. I am honored to receive all of my endorsements and glad I took the time to fill out the many candidate questionnaires. I attended the Maine Lobsterman's AssociationÂs (MLA) meeting on Wednesday night. I was a little disappointed in the ...
Scott Barrows for State Senate - Jul 10 - 9 clicks
I took the day off today, so instead of pounding nails, I will be pounding on more doors. I have been knocking on a lot of doors lately. I did over 75 on Sunday alone. Last night, instead of canvassing, I went to see Tom Allen . I really admire our US Rep. Tom spoke of the growing disparity between the rich and the poor. As I am going through Knox County, I see that for myself. Most peop...
Scott Barrows for State Senate - Jul 10 - 11 clicks
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....
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 5 clicks
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. ...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 4 clicks
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...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 6 clicks
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...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 6 clicks
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....
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 7 clicks
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...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 5 clicks
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...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 8 clicks
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...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 6 clicks
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 ...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 4 clicks
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 c...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 5 clicks
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 ...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 4 clicks
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 - su...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 6 clicks
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...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 2 clicks
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 i...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 6 clicks
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 o...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 5 clicks
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 th...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 4 clicks
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....
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 4 clicks
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 ...
Maine Politics - Jul 10 - 4 clicks
