Maine News for Thursday, September 6, 2007

PRESS HERALD:

Anthem will no longer run DirigoChoice health plan The state, which refused to guarantee a profit for the insurer, is working out how to continue coverage.

Cote endorsed by national veterans group
AUGUSTA - One of the lesser known entrants in the crowded field seeking the Democratic nomination in Maine's 1st Congressional District is touting an endorsement from a veterans group that has been active nationwide.

OP/ED: Time for 'The People' to take control again Our government has abandoned any pretense of representing the common good.

LTE: We must confront enemies to avoid further atrocities

BANGOR DAILY:

Anthem severs Dirigo contractAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield won’t be administering the state’s controversial DirigoChoice health insurance program beginning Jan. 1, 2008, because the company and state could not agree on contract terms.

Oil dealers criticize discount ratesThe Maine Oil Dealers Association and the Maine State Housing Authority are battling over an increase in the discounted rates the state requires oil dealers to provide when they participate in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

EDITORIAL: Health care as Maine agesBehind the good news that Maine continues to have among the lowest percentage of uninsured residents of any state, the costs of keeping up this standard means that health-coverage reform is still desperately needed.

Editorial: Reassessing IraqThe latest assessment on progress in Iraq closely follows a National Intelligence Estimate in July: some military gains of uncertain durability and little or no political gains to build the peace.

Daniel Callahan: The idea of 'socialized medicine' keeps coming backLike the plague of locusts that periodically descended on American farms some decades ago, the phrase "socialized medicine" comes out of the sky every time the country gets serious about universal health care.

Thursday's Letters to the Editor … Poor protest coverage … The people’s wishes

KENNEBEC JOURNAL:

EDITORIAL: Deane Jones' irrepressible spirit Deane Jones didn't just walk into a room. He blew into it, charged his way through the door and placed himself smack in front of you, an undeniable, white-haired force of a man. Now, sadly, he's gone.

JIM BRUNELLE : Dunlap's got a point, despite his conclusions For someone in charge of overseeing the efficient, effective operation of Maine elections, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap has been making some rather odd utterances lately.

MAINE EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENTTest resultsdon't tell allMiddle-schoolers' growing pains a factor It's not easy being an eighth-grader. It doesn't take a standardized test to figure that out.

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATIONGendron tellsof next steps AUGUSTA-- Education Commissioner Susan Gendron answered tough and pointed questions about consolidation and communities' next steps during a public forum Wednesday night.

LTE: Time to do something about all those lies There have been many reports of serious wrongs committed by this administration for several years.

MORNING SENTINEL:

Peace demonstrators not Communist inspired Shades of Karl Rove and his shabby strategy of disinformation-mongering. Jane Aitken of Bedford, N.H. (letter, Aug. 31) suggests that the peace demonstrators at Kennebunkport were communist-inspired.

SUN JOURNAL:

LTE: Fleas on the dogThe exodus from the Bush administration may be likened to rats jumping off a sinking ship. Karl Rove, one of the most vicious political strategists in United States history, along with incompetent Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, are two Bush cronies to decamp Washington.

YORK COUNTY COAST STAR:

Goodman home from turn as congressional page
Ben Goodman, a senior at Kennebunk High School, has always been interested in politics. Up until Goodman was 3 years old, George H. W. Bush used to visit the town as President. Then, while watching the 1999 primary debates with his father, he became...

ELLSWORTH AMERICAN:

Fundamental Change Needed
Current events in our nation and around the world indicate this is a very serious moment in history. We need a fundamental change in Washington to turn this violent society around, in both the foreign and domestic realms.

Now Is the Time for Change
I remember typing over and over again when I was in typing class learning to use the typewriter: “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party.” Somehow that thought of “NOW IS THE TIME” seems far from any kind of reality.

Disdain for Republicans
Arrogance is confidence without competence. Hypocrisy is piety without honor. George W. Bush is a perfect storm of ineptitude and greed. In Susan Collins, we have a stealth candidate who is trying her best to remain an enigma when we should clearly understand exactly where she stands on such issues as the war in Iraq, the outsourcing of American jobs, national security and our lackluster, one-sided economy. Occasionally, she will oppose the Bush agenda when it’s safe for her to do so.

One Interesting Summer
Summertime, and the living is … well, whatever else it is, it’s certainly speech-writing time. President Bush, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, urges perpetual war (perpetual profits for arms manufacturers, too) against the terrorists who, he claims, are poised to invade.

Politicians Are Fair Game in Public
I have to disagree with most of your editorial, “A Deplorable Practice” (Ellsworth American, Aug. 23), about the tactic of tracking politicians with cameras by the opposing political party. Recently, Sen. Susan Collins has been the target of this and she voiced her opposition to this practice to the media (so this would be publicized to her advantage) and to the Maine Democrats.

NATIONAL JOURNAL:

BELTWAY BLOGROLL Bloggers Cry Media Foul In Maine Senate RaceSusan Collins. Editor & Publisher reports that Bangor Daily News Executive Editor Mark Woodward is married to Bridget Woodward.
WASHINGTON POST:

Lost in the Shuffle, a Milestone
...already are on premier panels and won't give up those spots to become junior members on Appropriations. Attention will focus on Susan Collins (Maine) and Mike Enzi (Wyo.).Even if Craig does return, GOP leaders have already stripped him of his posts as the top Republican...

GAO Criticizes Homeland Security's Efforts to Fulfill Its Mission
...half years ago," said Lieberman, who will chair a hearing on the matter this afternoon.The panel's ranking Republican, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), who faces a reelection race next year, also called on the DHS to "pick up the pace. . . . With so much at stake...

THE HILL:

The old Ben Nelson is back — with a plan
Readers will be relieved to hear that Sen. Ben Nelson’s (D-Neb.) hair has returned to the salt-and-pepper (mostly salt) color that was so startlingly changed to brown in July. Nelson, who maintains that he didn’t understand what his untested barber was up to when he turned Nelson’s hair color to a deep chestnut, explained that the experience has led him on a new crusade. “I am challenging all women to let their natural hair color grow back — it’s only fair,” Nelson joked. Nearby, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a brunette whose coiffure we had never thought to question, thought not. “No way,” Collins said, pointing to her own hair with both hands.

FREE INTERNET PRESS:

GAO Criticizes Homeland Security's Efforts To Fulfill Its MissionSusan Collins (Maine), who faces a reelection race next year, also called on the DHS to "pick up the pace. ... With so much at stake and so many areas where ...

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE:

Senate GOPers' Dark '08 OutlookTom Allen will go against Collins, and either Al Franken or Mike Ciresi will challenge Coleman. The big question is whether Jeanne Shaheen gets in for a ...

BLOGS:

From the media room at the Fox News GOP debate

The debate begins / Live blog post

First reaction to the debate

Republicans: Everything’s Just Ducky - Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee are challenging the Government Accountability Office’s assessment of the 18 benchmarks of progress in Iraq. The report that essentially said things were lousy.

Maine Congressional Delegation:The Topic is Iraq - The August recess is over and Maine’s Congressional delegation is back at work with one thing on their minds: ending the Iraq conflict and making sure that wounded soldiers are getting the care they need. Okay, two things on their minds.

09/05/2007 - Oversight In DC?, Fred & SIGN THE PETITION!Senator Norm Coleman and Senator Susan Collins both agreed to give back $2500 they received from Craig. Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker received $5000 each from the Alliance for the West but have not commented on the ...

Support our troops? - I want to start off by saying I stand behing every American Soldier that has chosen to enlist and their families that are left behind to worry ... be a mistake. Sen. Susan Collins said that going to war in Iraq was a problem of faulty intelligence

2008 Senate Race Rankings - OK, time for my soon-to-be-famous rankings of the US Senate races likely to change hands in next year's elections. I've broken them down into 5 broad categories. In Serious Jeopardy 1. New Hampshire - Sununu Plain & simple, New Hampshire is a Democratic state now

Maine Political News for Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Bangor Daily News

DHHS cuts worries senator AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. John Baldacci is seeking more areas to cut in the state budget in order to lower taxes, but some lawmakers on the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee said Tuesday they are worried Maine's poorest and neediest will pay the bill.

Effort opposing consolidation moves forwardWednesday, September 05, 2007STONINGTON, Maine - With backing from 28 communities and more expected to join, a grass-roots effort to overturn the state’s school consolidation law will get under way this weekend.

Jail plan a bust with countiesBANGOR, Maine - County officials around the state are girding to battle Gov. John Baldacci over his plan to take over the county jails.

EMMC nurses rally over staffing ratiosWednesday, September 05, 2007BANGOR, Maine - About 30 unionized registered nurses employed by Eastern Maine Medical Center demonstrated outside the Bangor hospital Tuesday morning to draw attention to what they say is chronic understaffing on most patient units.

Today's Editorial:
Making the cutGov. John Baldacci last week presented legislators with $11 million in budget cuts, a relatively tiny percentage of the state budget but an important exercise in budget trimming.

Pat LaMarche: Counties held prisoner to an unfair proposal

Kennebec Journal
Jones is mournedafter sudden death AUGUSTA -- Rep. Deane Jones, described by the governor as "a public servant in the great Maine tradition," died Monday following intensive treatments for lung cancer. He had been in office less than three months.

County commissioners to probe state's jail takeover plan AUGUSTA -- The people who oversee the county budget with its $4.67 million for jail operations will gather Thursday to see how a proposed state takeover of corrections will affect their work.

2 attemptsuicideat the jail AUGUSTA -- Two inmates attempted suicide over a 24-hour period at the Kennebec County jail, one on Monday night and the second around noon on Tuesday.

ummer tourism seasonexperiences strong finish BANGOR (AP) -- With Labor Day marking the unofficial end of summer, Maine's summer tourism season appears to have been a decent one.

GEORGE SMITH : Private solutions to public problemsOne man's answer to state's economic challenges If Peter Vigue has his way, you'll be able to get there from here, and Canadians will be able to get here from there.

Portland Press Herald

Licensing law could help state put collar on puppy mills Tightening the leash on unethical and often-abusive breeders may be more effective soon.

Maine's challenge will include competing for older workers As New England grays, six states will be looking for the same labor force.

Maine Public Radio

Commisioner's Objectivity Questioned In Windpower Talks
Opponents of the Black Nubble windpower project proposed for western Maine near Sugarloaf are raising new questions about fairness and objectivity used by staff and possibly some members of the Land Use Regulation Commission. As Susan Sharon reports, conversations disclosed last month between Department of Conservation Commissioner Pat McGowan and LURC members about how to reverse a wind vote, along with new information have opponents worried that the process is biased against them.
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/070904windpower.asx

Economic Report Offers Mixed Findings
A new report released today finds that Maine and the rest of New England are experiencing slow growth compared to the nation as a whole. The "State of Working Maine" report finds that during the fifth year of the nation's economic recovery, Maine has seen a slight improvement in per capita income, but the state has been plagued by unemployment and an unskilled workforce. Keith McKeen reports..
http://www.mpbn.net/asx/070904report.asx

Canada-Maine News
The Daily Gleaner

N.B., Maine talk power
New Brunswick and Maine say they are making progress on a deal to export electricity from this province to the energy-starved New England states.

Maine News for Tuesday, September 4, 2007

PRESS HERALD:

Puppy mills booming thanks to ads on Web A case in Buxton and an upcoming Maine law focus attention on the problem.

LTE: Bush had lots of company in believing WMD claims

BANGOR DAILY:

Ramona du Houx: When one door closes, others openBaileyville has been all over the news lately. It is a small town in Washington County that is in transition because one of its major employers, Domtar, announced it had to let 150 workers go. The inevitable happened.

KENNEBEC JOURNAL:
Collins, Snowe should support farm bill reform I applaud your Aug. 27th editorial, "You are forgiven for thinking that the federal Farm Bill is all about farms." And agree that we need to reform the 2007 Farm Bill to strengthen nutrition programs that support thousands of Mainers. However, our current agriculture policy not only falls short of meeting the needs of families on food stamps; it also fails our family farmers and rural communities.
THE HILL:

After 12,000 miles, talking points intact

Flying into Baghdad in a military Black Hawk helicopter last month, Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) reached for his camera to snap photos of signs that American policy was working in Iraq.

USA TODAY:

Lawmakers' Iraq visits reinforce opinions
WASHINGTON — As Sen. Mel Martinez and four other members of Congress were flying out of Baghdad last week, their C-130 plane came under fire from three rocket-propelled grenades.

WCSH:

Allen Speaks At Labor Council BreakfastThe keynote speaker was Congressman Tom Allen, who said Labor Day is a time to honor the men and women who work hard and play by the rules, ...

MAIL TRIBUNE:

Older WorkersSusan Collins, R-Maine, introduced a bill that would enable federal agencies to re hire retired workers on a part-time basis without the usual penalty — a ...

ASBURY PARK PRESS:

Hearings on BRAC process called forSusan Collins, R-Maine, last month requested that the Senate's Armed Services Committee take up BRAC hearings, citing the increased costs. ...

NEWS-LEADER:

McCaskill carves role as watchdogSusan Collins, R-Maine, who serves with McCaskill on the Armed Services and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees.

BLOGS:

Duson Drops Out

Republicans Bolt: Iraq Getting Worse, Not Better

Mark Turek: A Man of Principle, A Man of His Word

Kennebec County's Labor Day Picnic a smashing success!
To those who were there... you know how much fun it was! Over 80 people showed up to attend the gathering with Tom Allen as our main speaker, including five of the six candidates for his House seat (all but Jill Duson). Thanks to the Winthrop Democrats for putting together such a great event!

Happy Labor Day, Grandpa now get back to work
Nice piece on the front page of the Labor Day L.A ... , and part of the year at a store in another, warmer region. Just last month Sen. Susan Collins of Maine

A Semi Comprehensive List of Republican...
From ccmask at Firedoglake: Jack Abramoff -prison Bob Allen -Veteran Park sex scandal George Allen -called an American voter a Macaca Michael Ray ... in Plame affair; said troops would be greeted with flowers Susan Collins - Incorrectly claimed a dem ... Abramoff Affair Lance Dutson - Susan Collins campaign staffer, called FDL a “foul mouth femblog”

The power of the blogosphere
The power of the blogosphere September 2nd, 2007 Bloggers exert influence over editor’s conflict of interest Editor & ... Rep. Tom Allen. The issue isn’t Maine or the senatorial candidates. Rather, it is the growing

Senate Rankings: How high can the Democrats...
It’s the first of the month! That means it’s time for our (first) Senate rankings. It has been obvious for months that the 2008 Senate cycle would favor Democrats. Even before taking into account the anti-GOP national mood that allowed Democrats to prevail in every close Senate race in 2006 but Tennessee, the raw numbers tell the story:

Hsu-Nami Hits New Hampshire
Norman Hsu -- big-time Democratic fundraiser, acquaintance and donor of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and numerous other major Democrats, convicted criminal and (until recently) fugitive, certainly spread his money (from unknown sources) around .

Maine News for Thursday, August 30, 2007

PRESS HERALD:

Anthem seeks jump in health plan rates
The insurer says an 18.6 percent increase is needed to cover Mainers who lack group coverage.

Medical data law disputed in lawsuits
Maine and Vermont are challenged over statutes that keep doctors' prescription information private.

Activists eye excise-tax referendum drive
AUGUSTA, Maine — Looking past this November´s statewide ballot question voting, a couple of activists on the political left and right have found common cause in a new brain storm: a plan to cut the excise tax on cars and trucks in Maine and give the owners of hybrid vehicles an additional tax break.

Ski area's owner plans four-season expansion
The vision for Big Moose Mountain near Greenville includes condos, new hotels and a golf course.

LTE: Leaders lack historical perspective

LTE: Keeping term limits will preserve democratic process

LTE: Dragging names through mud standard political fare

BANGOR DAILY:

FairPoint vows $16.1M

Editorial: Jail Savings
Gov. John Baldacci's county jail consolidation plan is a welcome move to try to save tax dollars. It's too soon to say whether the plan would work or save the amount of money promised.

OP/ED: Michael Korda: Memo to a president: Try being a bit more like Ike
It might be possible to forgive a president for failing to understand the present or to foresee the future, but it is harder to forgive a total lack of interest in the past.

Thursday's Letters to the Editor … Respect for intel staffs … No WWII-Iraq parallel

KENNEBEC JOURNAL:

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION
Merger activity quickens

Augusta gets state data, but little else
AUGUSTA -- City school officials got the numbers they had been looking for from the state Department of Education Wednesday -- but that doesn't mean they agree with them.

Citing consolidation, School Union 52 chief departing
WINSLOW -- School Union 52 Superintendent Elaine B. Miller announced her resignation Wednesday, citing the ongoing school reorganization initiative as a major factor in her decision.

EDITORIAL: Dunlap undervalues voter process
A government that says it is too poor to pay for voting is not a government.

SUN JOURNAL:

EDITORIAL:

An honest man has left the Legislature

Thursday, August 30, 2007

It's forgivable to be unaware of William Walcott.

The three-term representative from downtown Lewiston, who resigned Tuesday, was the antithesis of the flashy politician. No bombast, no grandstanding, no scandals. A lunch-pail representative, to coin a phrase.

Which makes it unsurprising that Walcott, whose career involves caring for developmentally disabled adults, has put his work first. He resigned his legislative seat, he says, because of job responsibilities. His peers say he now has an opportunity to finally get some sleep, and pay the bills.

Walcott deserves it. For his five years in the Legislature, his unwavering focus on helping the unfortunate in his community and across the state, and for his recent common-sense analyses of Maine's welfare spending to try to dissipate political smokescreens about the real beneficiaries.

In doing so, Walcott again showed he was unafraid to speak the truth. Just like the first time.

This came in March 2005, when the nervous lawmaker stood before his colleagues and revealed, in the course of discussion on the House floor about anti-discrimination legislation, that he was gay. Previously, he kept his sexual orientation private, known only to family and close friends.

At that time, we praised his courage for being himself. At this time, as a U.S. senator from Idaho suspected of lewd activity dominates the headlines, Walcott's admittance is even more remarkable. Maybe we're used to politicians always resorting to obfuscation when it comes to matters of sexuality.

Walcott's bravery illustrates how shortsighted this can be. After his revelation, he expressed concern some voters would hold his sexual orientation against him, but felt they would support him on the issues, over everything else.

He was right, and earned re-election to his third term in 2006, a superb accomplishment for a political novice nominated at the last minute in 2002, when his predecessor, former Rep. Bill Cote, abruptly resigned his seat after losing the Democratic primary amidst allegations of dirty trickery.

His peers respected him. Legislative leadership thought enough of the blue-collar representative to appoint him chair of a blue-ribbon commission on MaineCare in 2005. And his floor speech about anti-discrimination, in which he described his lifelong fears of prejudice, earned him stirring applause.

Fellow Lewiston Rep. Elaine Makas, one of Walcott's earliest proponents, describes him as "the brightest man in Augusta," a compliment about his intellect, not his luminescence.

Because Walcott didn't shine, not, at least, in the way politicians are known to do. He shirked individual spotlights to focus on committee work, about important issues such as health care and social services. And when he did draw attention - as with his announcement in 2005 - it was for all the right reasons.

With his resignation, Lewiston's lost a hard-working, honest and courageous lawmaker.

Those are the toughest to see go.

LTE: Believes in America
I support a presidential candidate who has not even officially announced he is running.

LTE: Editorial shows tendency of Congress 'stampede'
The New York Times, editorializing on departing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, found little good to say of him or his boss. Not to excuse Gonzales in any way, but one phrase jumped out at me from this piece: "He later helped stampede Congress into passing the Military Commissions Act of 2006."

TIMES RECORD:

Special session eyed for tax cuts...(full story)

Justice in the balance...(full story)

MPBN:

Governor to Unveil Cost-Cutting Proposal

SEACOAST ONLINE:

Protest draws 4,000

KENNEBUNKPORT — They came 4,000 strong this time, determined to make their voices heard. They came from around the country, from the dusty back roads of Downeast Maine, the busy streets of New York City, the empty parishes of New Orleans.

Man spends three years walking cross-country to push for peace

Camp Casey was just getting started. Named for the son anti-war activist and congressional candidate Cindy Sheehan lost in the Iraq War in 2004, there have been many Camp Caseys set up around the country since he died. This, however, was the first...

Collins on Gonzales's resignation

WELLS — Sen. Susan Collins offered comments on the resignation of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during a visit to Laudholm Farm in Wells on Monday. Gonzales, who has been beset by controversy in the Justice Department, reportedly...

ELLSWORTH AMERICAN:

OP/ED: Time to Devise a Test for Lawmakers - How do we qualify our federal representatives for leadership roles?

LTE: Time for Accountability - How unfortunate The American has chosen to take its editorial stance straight from Susan Collins’ Senate office (which apparently serves her campaign as well).

LTE: Now Collins Knows How We Feel - I read with interest your editorial about the “tracking” apparently being conducted by Tom Allen’s campaign against Susan Collins (“A Deplorable Practice,” Aug. 23).

PORTSMOUTH HERALD:

Nation's next AG should be loyal to Constitution
Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to make sure when they consider the next nominee that the person be better known for his or her understanding of the law and ...

PORTLAND POENIX:

Genuine sense of outrage: Politics and other mistakes
Democratic US Representative Tom Allen is being accused by editorial writers and other whack jobs of demeaning the political process.

Portlanders have opinions on iraq - Approximately 250 people turned out in Monument Square last night for the statewide Take a Stand day, sponsored by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, the organization that's been putting the heat on Maine's congressional delegation (and politicians nationwide) all summer.

FORBES:

GOP Reeling From Money and Sex Scandals
Wayne Allard is retiring, as well as seats held by GOP incumbents John Sununu in New Hampshire; Susan Collins in Maine; Gordon Smith in Oregon;

BLOGS:

ME-SEN: Collins Office, Maine Paper Silent On Conflict-of-Interest Allegations

The liberal blogs have been abuzz with accusations against a major Maine newspaper, the Bangor Daily News, charging it with a conflict of interest in its coverage and editorial opinions on the Maine Senate race, which is shaping up as one of the highest-profile races in the nation, with intense interest from the Netroots.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/8/29/142859/539

ME-Sen: Collins and the Bangor News are refusing to comment on the major conflict of interest they have:

http://achorn.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-response-to-lance-dutson.html - Lance Dutson is the personal blogger of Senator Susan Collins. Once again, he has attacked Tom Allen, the progressive community, the netroots, and this time he used my report about the Take A Stand event last night to bash Tom Allen and our community.

Pete Johnson: GOP Candidate in HD 27

Abbott Is Busy - Another point about that PPH blog-themed piece: It's the first place where I've seen Steve Abbott identified as both "Collins' chief of staff" and "campaign manager."

False and Balanced - The latest blog-themed piece in the Maine press--this one courtesy of Justin Ellis at the Portland Press Herald--is no worse than the other articles on the subject.

Bush wants $50 billion to pay for his failed, endless escalation
Bush is convinced he can roll Congress -- again. For Bush, Iraq is an endless war with an endless supply of money. That's why so many people took a stand last night including Congressman Tom Allen, pictured below. ...

Mattel Toy Recall Causes CPSC to Face Senate Scrutiny
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), the ranking Republican on the committee, said in a statement that the toy recalls suggest that not enough is being done to ...

Moderates for Torture - Mainesippi Sue: Fighting For Our Right to Torture In closed door meetings White House officials convinced Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn), Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-California), Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Congressman Peter Hoekstra (R-Michigan) to delete the anti-torture provisions before the bill went to the House

About that so called lib media… - About that so-called lib media… Wednesday, August 29th in Republicans, ... Daily News (Maine) has a major conflict of interest regarding US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). Turns out that the Daily News’ executive editor, Mark Woodward, is married to a member of Sen. Collins’

Maine News for Wednesday, August 29, 2007

CHINA NEWS

US Senator Aware of Barriers to Trade -- china.org.cn

Bartlett also said he hoped the Chinese government could understand why the issue had become so heated in the US.

"We would be vulnerable to anything that affects our children," he said. "The American people buy things not only with their heads but also with their hearts."

PRESS HERALD

Baldacci says budget cuts would avert new taxes
The governor's plan to trim $11.3 million includes changes to jail oversight and custodial staffing.

EDITORIAL: Primary elections are not bath water
A democratic selection of candidates for state office should not be scrapped to save money.

LTE: Republicans responsible for our scary situation

BANGOR DAILY

Gov. Baldacci pitches cuts totaling $11
AUGUSTA - The Baldacci administration is offering an $11.3 million package of proposed spending cuts as a way to meet a target set in the new $6.3 billion biennial state budget, but it has stopped short of putting $30 million in potential reductions on the table as requested by the Appropriations Committee.

EDITORIAL: A Healthier SCHIP
The Bush administration adds restricting and distracting limits to the State Children's Health Insurance Program when it sets new standards for coverage expansions and new caps on who gets coverage.

Wednesday's Letters to the Editor … Learning from history … U.S. must stay out of Iran

KENNEBEC JOURNAL

Lawmaker cool to idea of eliminating primaries
AUGUSTA -- Rep. Janet Mills said Tuesday she'd be "disinclined" to support a proposal to eliminate primaries as a way to save money.

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION
Augusta plan rejection has leaders miffed
AUGUSTA -- It took the state less than 24 hours to tell city school leaders it might reject Augusta's proposal not to join with a neighboring school district.

CONSOLIDATION
SAD 11 will go right down to the deadline
GARDINER -- School Administrative District 11 won't decide who -- if anyone -- it will consolidate with until Thursday. That's the eve of a state deadline for picking potential consolidation partners.

Excise tax cut has momentum with activists
AUGUSTA -- Activists from both ends of the political spectrum are uniting behind a proposed referendum that would cut the excise tax on cars and trucks in Maine and give the owners of hybrid vehicles an additional break.

Maine poverty rate down,
but income declines, too
The number of poor families in Maine declined last year -- but so did the state's median household income.

NANCY KELLEHER : Playing telephone tag
We were shocked to see the Public Utilities Commission press release of Aug. 14, which said: "MPUC Approves Broadband Deal." In that release, PUC Chairman Kurt Adams takes credit for accepting Verizon Maine's proposal to invest $12 million of Verizon money into DSL or broadband access development in Maine.

LTE: State appears to back away from local issues
In the July issue of the Maine Townsman, Geoff Herman of the Maine Municipal Association writes, "a surprising number of our currently elected legislators are of the opinion that state government has every right to abolish existing local units of government and create new units of local government without even allowing the local voters to weigh-in."

SUN JOURNAL

Cal Thomas contradictions
Cal Thomas' column printed Aug. 21, challenging global warming, is riddled with contradictions. His push to label the majority of current data as extremist (Democratic party) seems as if he is paid by President Bush's oil company-supported researchers and uses fundamentalist labeling to avoid most independent studies for the last 25 years.

TIMES RECORD

LTE: Why I continue...(full story)

BARRE MONTPELIER TIMES:

Researchers find mercury in songbirds in saltwater marshes
Susan Collins, who was on hand for the news conference, renewed her call for Congress to pass the National Mercury Monitoring Establishment Act, ...

ABC NEWS:

Senate committee to investigate toy standards
Susan Collins of Maine said in a statement. "Recent recalls of toys with dangerous levels of lead paint and small magnets that can come loose and be ...

WCSH

War Protesters Rally Across Maine

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- On the heels of a massive demonstration in Kennebunkport, anti-war activists gathered again in several locations across the state Tuesday, including Monument Square in Portland.
Full Story

Lewiston Lawmaker Resigning

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Another vacancy has been declared in the Maine House of Representatives.

MSNBC

Senate prospects seem brighter for Democrats

BLOGS

Take a Stand takes off across America
Congressman Tom Allen is attending the event in Orono, Maine -- and you know Susan Collins will never show up. Ever. Our very good friend, Chris Achorn, will be liveblogging tonight. Ditch Mitch and BlueGrassRoots are covering the event ...

Invasion of the Identity Snatchers: Immigration Benefit Fraud and ...
Additionally, Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) requested an investigation into the loss of immigration files at US Citizenship ...

Take a Stand
Tom Allen (D-ME), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) at schoolhouses, churches and meeting halls around the country. ...

Take A Stand Day

Today is the culmination of the Iraq summer campaign Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. Today is Take a Stand Day day. Think Progress reports:

From Orono, ME town hall targeting Sen. Collins
"Craig Cote, father of an Iraq War Sergeant, speaks from the heart—

Tom Allen Takes a Stand to End the War in Iraq

by: Mike Nutter
Tonight Congressman Tom Allen joined scores of progressive activists are joined by Congressman Allen to demand an end to the war in Iraq.

Every single member of the Maine delegation, except Senator Collins, took a stand tonight. Senator Snowe submitted a four page statement. Congressman Michaud responded by video, and Congressman Allen delivered a speech and took questions from the audience.

I’ve included a few highlights of tonight’s event and will be adding photos and video of the even as they become available over the next few hours and days.

(Full discloser, I am the Director of Internet Communications for Tom Allen for Senate.)

Gonzo's Resignation Changes Nothing

Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove. This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House.

Looking for "Macaca"

Susan Collins has recently complained about being followed around by a tom allen-sponsored cameraman. The Bangor Daily News, inexplicably, supports Collins' efforts to limit who can film her in in public. The Republican Journal rightly criticizes her . What’s wrong with holding a U.S. Senator on the campaign trail accountable for what she says?

The Hanging Chad of Health Care

Guarantees are hard to come by. Even with medicine, doctors would be hard-pressed to tell patients that the drug they're prescribing is certain to work. … This fundamental misunderstanding is being advanced by politicians grasping for answers to questions on health care. For an example, look no further than Reps. tom allen, D-ME, and Jo Ann Emerson, R-MO, whose Enhanced Health Care Value for All Act would increase spending on one-size-fits-all, top-down solutions.

Maine News for Tuesday, August 28, 2007

PRESS HERALD:

Election official proposes ending primary system
Political parties could instead host caucuses to pick their candidates, the secretary of state says.

Maine lawmakers say it was time for Gonzales to go

WASHINGTON D.C. — Members of Maine’s congressional delegation said the resignation of embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is in the best interest of the country.

EDITORIAL: After Gonzales, nation needs a credible AG
Issues such as domestic surveillance demand an independent leader at the helm of Justice.

EDITORIAL: Take care when bringing lawmakers into digital age
Governments don't have a good track record with computers, so a pilot program is wise.

LTE (3): Readers grow weary of war

LTE: Seniors should be aware of changes in Medicare

AP

Former lawmaker nominated by Democrats in District 27

AUGUSTA, Maine — Democrats nominated a former legislator, Sharon Libby Jones of Greenville, as their candidate to fill a Maine House of Representatives seat left open by the recent death of Rep. Earl Richardson.

BANGOR DAILY:

Gonzales' decision a relief for Maine delegation
PORTLAND, Maine - Maine's congressional delegation on Monday expressed relief that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales decided to step down.

EDITORIAL: After Gonzales
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' departure is widely welcomed by Republicans as well as Democrats, but he leaves a department in which morale has sunk because of his highly partisan leadership that put politics ahead of policy.

Editorial: Under earth link
When Congress soon convenes hearings on what went wrong at the Crandall Canyon Mine where six coal miners were killed earlier this month, rather than just grilling company officials, lawmakers should look at what progress has been made in meeting the requirements of a sweeping law passed last year after mine disasters killed 18.

Tuesday's Letters to the Editor … Bring the troops home … An unnecessary death

KENNEBEC JOURNAL:

Secretary of state proposes abolishing primaries
AUGUSTA — In response to the Legislature’s call for money-saving ideas, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap is proposing to get rid of the state’s primary election system.

Consolidation tests schools
Administrators fear distraction as year starts
Some educators worry all the attention focused on meeting a series of aggressive state deadlines meant to have new regional school units up and running by the start of the 2008-2009 school year could distract from something that is usually at the top of the list this time of year.

Columns: Maine and the mortgage mess
The headlines in the financial and business pages, and more and more often on the front pages, have been concentrated on the problems in the housing industry.

SUN JOURNAL:

Gonzales' departure a relief for GOP
WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation Monday after months of draining controversy drew expressions of relief from Republicans and a vow from Democrats to pursue their investigation into fired federal prosecutors.

EDITORIAL: A dogfighter's second chance eludes Gonzales
Only a delay could make a convicted dogfighter seem more sincere than the U.S. Attorney General.

OP/ED: Democrats play both sides of situation in Iraq war
George Orwell, call your office. You can add to your list of opposites ("war is peace," "ignorance is strength" and "freedom is slavery") a new one.

TIMES RECORD:

LTE: Liberties under siege...(full story)

WALDO INDEPENDENT:

EDITORIAL: Senator stalking a sorry state of affairs

The story by now is fairly well-known. On Saturday, August 11, United States Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, marched in the Sesquicentennial Parade in Stockton Springs. During that parade, Collins was followed by a young man with a video camera. The young man was employed to do so by the Maine Democratic Party, and he recorded what Collins did all along the parade route.

BAR HARBOR TIMES:

LTE: Contact the senator

PORTSMOUTH HERALD:

Collins pushes for mercury monitoring program
Senator Susan Collins examines a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow during a banding demonstration at the Wells Reserve Monday.Kevin A. Byron photo By Jim Kanak ...

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER:

Gonzales' exit

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, offered a fitting epitaph for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who announced his resignation Monday:

FOSTER’S DAILY DEMOCRAT:

Snowe, Collins pleased that Gonzales has stepped down
Michael Michaud and Tom Allen agreed that a change in direction was needed. "Both Mr. Gonzales and his predecessor, John Ashcroft, leave a legacy of working ...

CNN:

Even some Republicans happy about Gonzales' resignation

WCSH6:

War Protesters Hold Rallies Across The State

PORTLAND(AP)Anti-war protesters will be out across Maine today to protest Senator Susan Collins' position on the Iraq war.

MPBN:

Gonzales Resignation Brings Collective Sigh Of Relief To Delegation

BLOGS:

More Woodward

No word back from Bangor Daily News Executive Editor Mark Woodward about his ties to Sen. Collins.

DNC Shuts Down States Playing Shotgun

The Democratic National Committee voted over the weekend to strip Florida of all its 210 presidential convention delegates, effectively leaving the sunshine state without a voice in choosing the party’s 2008 nominee, unless it delays its primary date.

Collins: Gonzales Is A Liar

The Bangor Daily News ran an article about the Allen-Collins race, and especially the influence of the internet and blogs in the race.

Senator Larry Craig: {Misunderstandin’} in the Boys Room

David Fiderer: Katrina Whitewash: Michael Chertoff Remains Incriminated by the Smoking Gun Buried in Plain Sight

"President Bush will likely nominate Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, senior administration officials told CNN Monday." August 27, 2007 Chairman Susan Collins moved to sideline an examination into the smoking gun that incriminated Michael Chertoff.

Maine News for Monday, August 27, 2007

PRESS HERALD:

Group offers revisions to TABOR plan

The Maine Heritage Policy Center says its proposal is just as comprehensive.

Anti-war protest wraps up
Demonstrators leave Kennebunkport after a weekend of events.

Kucinich, in Maine, trumpets health care proposals
The presidential candidate backs universal plans under consideration in Congress.

LTE: Administration opponents acting in spirit of America

BANGOR DAILY:

Mainers full of ideas on saving state money
AUGUSTA, Maine - Legislative budget writers who have solicited suggestions from the public in their effort to squeeze out $10.1 million in new state government savings have received several hundred proposals through a virtual suggestion box created by the Appropriations Committee staff.

Primary, caucus moves 'not good'
AUGUSTA, Maine - Last week the Michigan Senate voted to move that state's primary to Jan. 15, and Florida Democratic leaders are going ahead with moving their primary to Jan. 29.

War protesters rally in Kennebunkport
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine - Even though President Bush wasn't in town, hundreds of war protesters including Cindy Sheehan marched by the Bush family compound on a scorching, muggy Saturday.

Collins, Allen race wades into Web
Almost 50 years after the famous Kennedy-Nixon TV debate opened a new arena for political campaigns, candidates like Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Tom Allen are learning they need to be savvy about a new, vastly different medium - the Internet.

EDITORIAL: Back to BRAC
Among the many arguments Maine's congressional delegation made to the federal base-closure commission in 2005 was that the Defense Department had badly underestimated the cost of closing bases, meaning the expected savings wouldn't be nearly as great.

Monday's Letters to the Editor … Right to Privacy

Baldacci to propose jail consolidation
Saturday, August 25, 2007
AUGUSTA - Gov. John Baldacci said Friday he will propose that the state take over the county jails to create an efficient prison system and to lower local property taxes.

As commissioner, McGowan puts pilot’s license to use
Saturday, August 25, 2007
As head of a state agency that manages more than 900,000 acres of recreational land, Patrick McGowan travels to all corners of Maine while on the job.

KENNEBEC JOURNAL:

Group draws up another tax reform package
AUGUSTA -- A conservative think tank that supported last year's failed push to curb government spending in Maine has drafted a revised plan that would make it a bit easier to raise spending or taxes

EDITORIAL: The Farm Bill needs to feed more people
You are forgiven for thinking that the federal Farm Bill is all about farms.

Columns: WILL LUND : State taking action to help consumers in mortgage mess
By now you've read about upheaval in the subprime mortgage market. You may be wondering what's being done to address the problem. As director of the state office that regulates many subprime lenders, let me describe steps we're taking to advise and assist consumers.

MORNING SENTINEL:

Republicans don't want energy solutions
When is a $20 billion savings over 10 years for American taxpayers misrepresented as a tax increase? When Republicans want to stop the kind of energy policy that will begin addressing America's addiction to foreign oil, that's when.

ELLSWORTH AMERICAN:

EDITORIAL: A Deplorable Practice

Imagine that you are attending a public event — a parade, a fair, a festival — and you have an opportunity for a few one-on-one moments with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Then, as you begin to converse with the senator, someone with a video camera steps up closely to film and record every word of your exchange.

PORTLAND PHOENIX:

Someone I used to know: Politics and other mistakes
Nobody can accuse Democratic 1st District congressional candidate Chellie Pingree of being blindly loyal to an old pal.

BLOGS:

General Pace, You Can Save the US - by Arresting Bush for "Conduct Unbecoming"

RSS Feed via iTunes for the enhanced podcast:

Senate 2008 Guru's Week in the Senate Races - Maine: If you think Susan Collins faced copious embarrassments last week, this week brought more of the same. The Collins camp last week tried to kick up a big fuss over the Maine Democratic Party sending a staffer to video record her public appearances. Shocking, I know.

Invasion of the Identity Snatchers: Immigration Benefit Fraud and ...
Additionally, Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) requested an investigation into the loss of immigration files at US Citizenship ...

tom allen Makes ActBlue Weekly "Top 5" Report

I want to take the time to cross-post this week's entry here as a Maine candidate made the list. I'll try to do that each week in any state with a community blog if they have candidates on that week's list as a service to the larger blogging community.

Political Moderates and Mavericks RE Smith Jr.
Christopher Shays, and senators Lindsey Graham, Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, Lincoln Chaffee, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. He described them as “under ...