Maine needs effective, experienced leadership to meet our state’s challenges. That’s why I’m supporting Mike Michaud for governor.

For many years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the kind of leadership that makes a difference in our democratic society. I believe Mike Michaud has and exercises the critical qualities of a strong and effective leader.

In 1962, I joined the Senate staff of one of our country’s great leaders, Ed Muskie. Nearly everything I know about politics and leadership, I learned from Sen. Muskie. I traveled with him frequently and saw close up how he gained respect by giving it; how he never acted in a condescending manner to those he met; how he weaved integrity into every aspect of the political process.

Muskie’s persistence, and the respect he showed opponents, allowed him to craft compromises on several pieces of landmark legislation that gained widespread support. In a governing system like ours, leadership, cooperation and compromise are necessary.

Mike understands this fundamental aspect of governing and knows how to bring people of divergent views together to hammer out solutions.

It’s human nature to want to tell others our ideas and our thoughts. Many of us – particularly those in politics – struggle to listen. When I served as majority leader of the U.S. Senate, I regularly joked I had the strongest patience muscle in Washington. Listening in a way that helped me understand their real concerns, their true objections to different ideas, and where common ground could be found.

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Mike Michaud listens to people. That quality means he’ll bring to the job of governor real insight into what Maine people want and expect in Augusta. And, it means he’ll get genuine input from his political allies and adversaries – a vital part of leading.

Of course, true leadership requires more than just a willingness to listen. We expect governors to have a vision of their own to improve the quality of life in our state. Mike has demonstrated a forward-looking vision and a concrete, long-term plan to improve our economy.

Maine’s next governor will face serious challenges. I’m confident that Mike’s experience at both the state level – where he chaired the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee and presided over an evenly divided Senate – and at the federal level as a ranking member in Congress, make him ideally suited to bring stability to the state budget, tackle the problems facing Maine businesses and restore a spirit of bipartisan cooperation in Augusta.

Mike has strong convictions, and he understands that others do, too. The real test of leadership is the ability to get men and women with strong, deeply held views to find common ground for the common good. That’s what Mike Michaud has done throughout his public service.

For some of our citizens today, believing in the American dream is hard. Citizens see a government disconnected from their struggles, an economy that holds little hope for their children’s futures and a system that appears rigged against them. Restoring citizens’ belief in the American dream is one of our elected officials’ most important roles today.

Mike has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to put the public interest above party or personal interest and to bring opposing groups together. His record as the president of the Maine Senate concretely demonstrated that quality.

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When the 2000 election left the Maine Senate evenly divided, with 17 Democrats, 17 Republicans and one independent, the two parties agreed to alternate the Senate presidency, with Mike serving for the first year, then turning it over to the Republican leader, Rick Bennett, in the second year.

The arrangement worked well. Under Mike’s leadership, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to pass a minimum-wage increase and a reduction in taxes on small businesses, among many other achievements. That spirit of collaboration and bipartisanship is sorely needed in Augusta (and Washington) today.

But it’s what happened in the second year that truly demonstrated Mike’s integrity. The unexpected death of a Republican senator and subsequent election of a Democrat to replace him gave the Democrats a clear majority. Despite being urged to the contrary, Mike kept his promise and a Republican became president of the Senate even though Republicans were in the minority.

By giving respect to others, Mike earned their respect. That willingness to keep his word and to put the good of the state ahead of his own ego is a testament to Mike’s character and one of the many reasons he’ll make an excellent governor.

Our next governor needs to have a plan. He needs to listen to the people. He needs to respect others, especially those who disagree with him. And he needs to work together with both those who share his views and those who hold different views. That’s the only way to end the bickering and the name-calling that for too long has dominated our politics.

As governor, Mike Michaud will do all these things and more to lead Maine forward in these challenging times.

— Special to the Press Herald


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