Hello Everyone

I'm taking a break on this blog for now, and plan to restart it around Labor Day, when the campaing will really heat up.

Announcement Expected

WCSH expects Tom to announce soon! No word yet on when, but they quote someone as saying the race is shaping up to be one of the biggest potential pickups for the Dems in 2008.

Collins Attacks Democrats on Homeland Security

Susan Collins appears critical of what the new Democratic Senate has done on homeland security. In a recently published article on CongressDaily, Collins complains that "I think it's unfortunate that the bipartisan approach that we've always taken to homeland security in the last four years appears to be unraveling." (http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0307/031907cdpm2.htm)

So, you might ask, what have the Dems done thats so terrible? The article lists three things.

1. Tougher security for chemical facilities
2. Comprehensive cargo screening
3. Security workers are actually valued, and now have collective bargaining rights and whistleblower protections.

Senator Collins, what's wrong with these policies? Her problem appears to be that someone solved a problem without her. Recall that since the Dems took control, she is no longer the chair of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

More evidence that our junior senator is another inneffective, partisan Republican.

What We Have

Because the Maine Senate race has been getting so much national buzz lately, I decided to make an inventory of what this campaign has that gives it such a strong chance of success:

Tom Allen's potential Senate campaign would have:

• A candidate. Often times, Senate challengers are fairly uninspiring candidates who run on a platform of general dissatisfaction with their opponent. Not surprisingly, most Senate challengers lose. Tom Allen, on the other hand, is a proven leader with a strong record in Congress. He has a reputation for acting when Susan Collins talks. (Case in point: Iraq "surge" response. Allen introduced a House bill to begin a strategic withdrawal while Collins debated the wording of a resolution.)
• The better party organization. The Maine Republican Party is incapable of winning a major election. Democrats have controlled the legislature since the Ed Muskie era, and there has been just one Republican governor in the past 40 years. Democrats have firm control of both congressional seats too. This basically puts our senators in a two-member party without a real organization.
• A regional trend. New England is represented in Washington by 21 congressmen and 12 senators. Democrats picked up 4 House seats and 1 Senate seat in the 2006 elections so the region's congressmen are now Democratic by a 20-1 margin, and senators are Democratic by a 8-4 margin. Clear regional trend.
• A great state. Maine voters are famous for an inability to be fooled by smoke and mirrors. Susan Collins will have to do some hard work to hold onto this seat!

"Pro-McCain means pro-escalation in Iraq"

Great piece on The Accountability Project about how Susan Collins claims to oppose Bush's Iraq "surge," and yet supports its biggest Senate backer, Arizona Republican John McCain for president. http://theaccountabilityproject.blogspot.com/2007/02/pro-mccain-08-means-pro-escalation-in.html

Senator Collins, what is John McCain's biggest issue? Five years ago it might have been campaign finance reform, but he's pretty much shut up about this issue in an attempt to appease the far right activists who are so powerful in the Republican primaries.

Today his big issue is Iraq.

Senator, the voters of Maine can see through this hypocricy.

Tom's Real Strategy for Iraq

Great column by Tom in the Bangor Daily News about a real strategy for Iraq.

http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/viewpoints.aspx?articleid=146399&zoneid=35

He's touting HR 645, a bill which he is influential in getting through Congress. Unlike the toothless Senate resolution Susan Collins spends so much time on (only to have the resolution filibustered by her own party) this bill is a real plan to hold Iraq's chaotic and warring factions acountable for their country's future.

The bill will taper down our forces throughout this year, with the last leaving in December.

Our troops have done everything we can reasonably expect them to do. Now its time for Congress to do its job. Go Tom!

Collins votes against letting airport screeners unionize

From today's Press Herald:


"A Senate committee voted Thursday to give airport screeners the right to join a union and to be protected from retaliation if they report wrongdoing."

"[The bill was advanced] on a strict party-line vote, with all 9 Democrats voting in favor, and all 8 Republicans voting against."

Turns out that the Republican leader on the panel is none other than Maine's very own Sen. Susan Collins!

"Collins said that she 'reluctantly' opposed the bill, adding that hearings are needed to examine the issue more closely"

Senator, as the ranking Republican on the committee, you're supposed to be a leader. If you oppose a bill, don't vote for it! While the White House and the minority leadership could try to pressure you, you'd certainly be in a safe position to oppose them.


This seems to me to be a classic case of Sen. Collins posturing as a moderate, but actually voting as a party line Republican.


Sen. Collins owes hardworking airport screeners an apology. While they defend our nation from terror, she tries to apologize for "reluctantly" attempting to rob them of their rights.