The trade papers that cover Congress and elections here in Washington, D.C., have been writing on Maine's 1st Congressional District race in the lead up to today's primary.
Roll Call and Congressional Quarterly had articles in recent weeks (subscriptions are required). The Hill takes a stab today (full disclosure: that's where I worked before the Press Herald hired me).
The theme is all the same: as Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling run to the left, can first-time candidate Adam Cote win over enough moderate Democrats in the southern part of the district?
New campaign-finance reports show that three candidates for Congress – Democrats Michael Brennan and Steve Meister and Republican Dean Scontras – are getting low on cash as the campaign enters its final days.
Of the three, Brennan was in the best financial shape. He reports having $27,912 in cash remaining on May 21, out of a total of $241,602 raised during the campaign.
Meister had $187 cash on hand, while his campaign had debts of $17,893. Almost all of that money was owed to the candidate himself, who has loaned dollars to his campaign.
Scontras had $7,244 in cash, plus debts of $66,509. Scontras has loaned $62,300 to his campaign, most of which has yet to be repaid.
The other five candidates – Republican Charlie Summers and Democrats Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling – must file their latest campaign-finance reports by midnight tonight.
These are the last reports that the candidates must file with the Federal Election Commission prior to the June 10 primaries. However, if any candidate receives a contribution of $1,000 or more in the campaign's waning days, he or she must report that money.
Here's what's on tap this week in the 1st District race:
Wednesday, May 28
6:30-8 p.m., Democratic candidates participate in a candidate night sponsored by the South Berwick Democratic Committee, Marshwood Great Works School, 49 Academy St., South Berwick.
Thursday, May 29
7-9 a.m., Democratic and Republican candidates participate in a debate sponsored by the Portland Regional Chamber, Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks, 200 Sable Oaks Dr., South Portland.
8-9 p.m., Democratic candidates participate in a debate sponsored by the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, broadcast live on radio and TV.
May 30-June 1
Democratic candidates attend the Maine Democratic State Convention, Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Dr., Augusta.
I didn't have enough room in my story today to include one other point of contention from yesterday's GOP debate at the PPH.
During the sometimes heated discussion, Dean Scontras raised the question of whether his opponent, Charlie Summers, has inaccurately claimed the endorsement of former President George H.W. Bush.
Democrat Chellie Pingree's latest TV ad tells a personal story. In it, she says that her brother died of cancer, but only after bankrupting his family while fighting the disease.
Pingree uses the story – which she also recounted in last night's televised debate on WCSH, and in a recent op-ed article – to argue for the need for change in the health-care system.
Democrat Ethan Strimling is now on the air with a TV ad focused on the wealth gap.
"There's one gulf war I do want to fight," Strimling says while walking outside the Palace Diner in Biddeford. "That's the gulf between the very rich and the rest of us."
Later, talking to people inside the diner, Strimling says, "They send our jobs overseas, they raid our pensions. They're making billions. And then they pay lower taxes than the rest of us."
The ad is currently airing on network and cable TV, according to the Strimling campaign. You can also watch it here.
If you missed last night's televised Democratic debate in the 1st Congressional District, you can watch it by clicking here. The hour-long debate was moderated by Pat Callaghan of WCSH-Channel 6.
Republicans Dean Scontras and Charlie Summers are sparring over a new radio ad that Scontras' campaign has released. The two are vying for the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District.
* Chellie Pingree announced today that she's been endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Chris Quint of the Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Action Fund said in a statement that the Democratic primary race in Maine's 1st Congressional District features a field of candidates who favor abortion rights.
"However, during this time of constant attack by the Bush administration and his far right allies in Washington, we are proud to put our organization's support behind the pro-choice candidate who we believe will be the strongest and most effective leader on reproductive rights in Washington," Quint said in the statement. " That candidate is Chellie Pingree."
* Michael Brennan announced that he's gotten the endorsement of Dexter Kamilewicz, who ran for the 1st District seat two years ago.
Kamilewicz and his wife, Gretchen, said in a statement: "We support Michael because he has made the connection between the need to end the war in Iraq and the other problems facing our country."
In 2006, Kamilewicz, of Orrs Island, got 15 percent of the vote in an independent run for Congress. The winner of that race was Democratic Rep. Tom Allen, who is now leaving the seat to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Election Day is three weeks from today. Here are your chances this week to see and hear debates featuring the 1st Congressional District candidates:
Tuesday, May 20
6-7:30 p.m., Democratic candidates participate in a radio debate on WGAN-560 AM.
7:30 p.m., Republican candidates participate in a debate sponsored by the Cumberland County GOP, Scarborough Middle School, 44 Gorham Rd., Scarborough.
Wednesday, May 21
8-9 p.m., Democratic candidates participate in a TV debate on WCSH-Channel 6.
Thursday, May 22
7-9 p.m., Republicans Dean Scontras and Charlie Summers and Democrat Steve Meister participate in the Maine Values Voter Congressional Forum, sponsored by the Maine Right to Life Committee and the Maine Coalition of Concerned Families, among other groups, University of New England, 716 Stevens Ave., Portland.
Friday, May 23
6-8:30 p.m., Both the Democratic and Republican candidates participate in a forum sponsored by the NAACP, University of New England Ludcke Auditorium, 716 Stevens Ave., Portland.
The first televised debate in the 1st Congressional District race is happening now on WGME-Channel 13. All six Democratic candidates are participating – Michael Brennan, Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Steve Meister, Chellie Pingree, and Ethan Strimling.
Stay with me over the next hour as I track the debate live.
5:14 p.m. - The six candidates each gave a version of a stump speech they've now given countless times. Although this is the first televised debate, over the last several months these candidates have gathered for more than two dozen forums between Kittery and Camden.
5:26 p.m. – In response to a question about energy policy, Michael Brennan just spoke out against a gas tax holiday, which became an issue recently in the Democratic presidential race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
“I think that is a misguided notion," Brennan said, "and I think that will set this nation back rather than moving it forward.”
Mark Lawrence, who spoke just before Brennan, has come out in favor of a gas tax holiday. Lawrence says he would pay for the gas tax holiday with a windfall profits tax on the oil companies.
Brennan, by the way, agrees with Lawrence about the need for a windfall profits tax.
5:35 p.m. - A question about the Iraq war caused the most vocal disagreement of the debate so far. First, Ethan Strimling and Mark Lawrence said they disagree with Adam Cote, who opposes cutting off funding for the war. Then, Michael Brennan went after Steve Meister, saying that the humanitarian crisis he's worried about happening if the United States leaves Iraq has already occurred. Next, Meister and Cote fired back. Everyone involved made their points forcefully.
5:40 p.m. - Whoops. Audio problems with Cote's microphone.
5:45 p.m. - The next question was about what the candidates are going to do to help working families. Brennan used the question as an opportunity to tout his proposal to significantly expand access to higher education. That sparked a retort from Meister.
“I don’t think we can afford to pay for every person in America to go to college," Meister said, adding that the United States tried something like that in the 1970s, and a lot of students ended up partying.
The partying remark prompted a joke from Pingree, who was next up to speak.
“I just want to say I went to college in the 70s, and there was no partying," Pingree said.
5:50 p.m. - The lightning round happened a little too fast for me.
6 p.m. - Well, that went by quickly. If you missed it, fear not. There are plenty more opportunities to hear these candidates debate, starting tomorrow night at 6 p.m. on WGAN Radio. Thanks for tuning in...
WGME-Channel 13 will be televising a debate tonight between the six Democratic candidates for Congress in Maine's 1st District – Michael Brennan, Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Steve Meister, Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling. The debate is scheduled to run from 5-6 p.m.
I'll be live-blogging throughout. So if you aren't in front of a TV – or even if you are – stop by around 5 p.m. for coverage.
Two more endorsements in the 1st Congressional District race...
* Democrat Adam Cote has been endorsed by a pro-business group, the Business-Industry Political Action Committee. BIPAC, based in Washington, favors tax cuts, tort reform, and investment in the nation's transportation infrastructure, among other policies, according to its Web site.
"Adam Cote will work to promote sound business policies, Gregory Casey, BIPAC's president and CEO, said in a written statement. "He is the clear choice in a hotly contested Democratic primary, particularly when it comes to prosperity issues."
* Republican Dean Scontras was endorsed by the National Right To Life Political Action Committee. Among the six Democrats and two Republicans running in the 1st Congressional District, Scontras is the only pro-life candidate.
"We look forward to working with you in Congress to restore legal protection for innocent life," National Right to Life Executive Director David O'Steen was quoted in a press release as saying to Scontras.
Chellie Pingree, who's in a six-way race for the Democratic nomination in Maine's 1st Congressional District, finds herself under fire this week for her position on the Iraq War. And today, her campaign released an ad that doesn't respond directly to the criticism she's facing, but does tout her anti-Iraq War credentials.
The Iraq discussion heated up on Saturday, when the Press Herald published a letter about Pingree and Iraq from retired Army Maj. General Paul Eaton. A few weeks earlier, Pingree and Eaton had co-authored an op-ed article in the Press Herald about Iraq; the op-ed piece touted their support for a document called "The Responsible Plan To End The War In War."
Republican congressional candidate Dean Scontras released his first radio ad this morning. Campaign Manager Michael Pajak said that the commercial is currently airing on talk stations WLOB and WGAN.
The ad is called "Change Washington." It's another example of how politicians of all stripes are running on a message of change, convinced that voters are unhappy with the status quo.
Scontras is running against Charlie Summers for the GOP nomination in Maine's 1st Congressional District. The seat is being vacated by Democratic Rep. Tom Allen, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Over the last couple of months, I've been using this blog to track candidates' public appearances in the 1st Congressional District race. There are eight candidates in the race, and with primary election scheduled for June 10, the weekly calendar is becoming hard to manage.
So for the last four weeks of the campaign, I'm going to use this blog only to track forums and debates where more than one of the candidates is scheduled to appear. Most of the campaigns have additional information about their own candidates' appearance on their Web sites.
With Charlie Summers' return home from Iraq – and about four weeks remaining before voters go to the polls – the race for the Republican nomination in Maine's 1st Congressional District enters a new phase today.
Dwayne Bickford, a spokesman for the Summers campaign, tells me that paperwork is being processed today that will take Summers off active military duty. Once that happens, Summers is allowed to hit the campaign trail. Summers is running against Dean Scontras for the GOP nomination in the race to succeed Democratic Rep. Tom Allen.
Summers, Scontras and Democratic candidates Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Steve Meister and Chellie Pingree are scheduled to appear at a candidates' forum tonight in Scarborough. The event is scheduled from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Maine Veterans Home, 290 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough.
Democrat Adam Cote is introducing himself to voters in Maine's 1st Congressional District with his first TV ad. It highlights Cote's Maine roots, his service in Iraq and his experience in the energy field.
You can see the ad here:
Look for my profile of Cote, part of a series of articles about the 1st District candidates, in tomorrow's Press Herald.
Democratic congressional candidate Mark Lawrence said this afternoon that he's gotten the endorsement of a big name in York County politics.
Dennis "Duke" Dutremble of Biddeford, a former state Senate president, endorsed Lawrence during a news conference at the recently renovated North Dam Mill in Biddeford.
"From high gas prices to health care, Mark Lawrence best understands the pressures facing working and middle class families in Maine," Dutremble said in a written statement.
Lawrence, the York County district attorney and also a former state Senate president, is one of six Democrats and two Republicans in the race to succeed Democratic Rep. Tom Allen.
Democrat Chellie Pingree's campaign for Congress announced a labor endorsement this afternoon.
The Maine State United Auto Workers' Community Action Program Council, based at Bath Iron Works, endorsed Pingree, one of eight candidates in the 1st District race.
Pingree is herself a member of the UAW – the National Writers' Union/UAW Local 1981.
"We endorsed her because she's a UAW member," said Beverly Harris, the council's president, "and she supports our views."
Harris said that most of the UAW's members in Maine work at Bath Iron Works, where the union has around 900 members.
On tap this week in the 1st District congressional race: forums or debates in Augusta, Ogunquit and Buxton.
Tuesday, May 6
8 a.m., Democrat Adam Cote attends the Donut Club meeting in Biddeford. For more information, call 347-3103.
6 p.m., Democrats Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree and Michael Brennan and Republican Dean Scontras attend a candidates night sponsored by the Maine Council of Senior Citizens, Chateau Cushnoc, 36 Townsend St., Augusta.
In the 1st Congressional District race, two Democratic candidate forums are scheduled for this week: Tuesday night in Scarborough, and Wednesday night in Limerick.
Here's the full schedule of campaign events:
Monday, April 28
5:30 p.m., Democrat Adam Cote attends a campaign house party at the home of Meg Baxter in Cape Elizabeth. For more information, call 347-3103.
Tuesday, April 29
7 p.m., Republican Dean Scontras holds “Evening with Dean” event, Town Office, 100 Main St., Topsham. For more information, call 432-2877.
5-7 p.m., Democrat Michael Brennan host a campaign house party hosted by Polly Blake and Skeek Frazee, 26 Brackett St., Portland.
7 p.m., Democrats Michael Brennan, Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree participate in a Democratic candidate forum, Scarborough Municipal Building, 259 Route One.
Democrat Adam Cote announced this afternoon that he's gotten the endorsement of the Council for a Livable World's Veterans' Alliance for Security and Democracy.
The group said in a letter that it based the endorsement partly on Cote's answers to a series of questions about foreign policy, veterans' issues and civil liberties. The letter also states that Cote's status as a veteran was a factor in the group's decision.
A national campaign finance-reform advocacy group is seeking to calm the waters following a recent fund-raising flap between Democrats Ethan Strimling and Chellie Pingree.
The group, Public Campaign Action Fund, issued a press release today urging voters in Maine's 1st Congressional District to evaluate the candidates' positions on campaign-finance reform, rather than listening to the accusations flying back and forth between candidates over certain contributions. The group, which supports public financing of congressional elections, noted that all six Democratic candidates in the race have pledged to support federal legislation based on Maine's Clean Elections act.
Democrat Michael Brennan has released his campaign's first TV commercial. Its theme - working together - has emerged as a central message from the Brennan campaign.
Here's the 30-second commercial, which the Brennan campaign said was scheduled to air on WCSH, Channel 6, and WGME, Channel 13:
According to the Brennan campaign, this is the first ad in the 1st District congressional race to air on network television. Earlier, Democrat Steve Meister released a commercial that aired on cable TV.
Democrat Chellie Pingree's campaign announced this morning that she's gotten the endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters in Washington, D.C.
Following the announcement, I took a look at how the Maine League of Conservation Voters has rated the four Democratic candidates who've served in the state Legislature.
Here are the past League ratings that I could find (ratings are on a 0-100 percent scale, with a 100 percent rating representing a perfect voting record):
On the Democratic side of the 1st District congressional race, Chellie Pingree remains the leader in raising money. She is ahead of the other five candidates in total money raised, money raised between January and March, and cash remaining on hand. Adam Cote is currently second in cash on hand, while Ethan Strimling is in second place in money raised between January and March, and in total money raised throughout the campaign.
Here are the numbers:
Total money raised by March 31:
Chellie Pingree - $1,116,163
Ethan Strimling - $500,950
Adam Cote - $461,310
Mark Lawrence - $415,619
Michael Brennan - $210,489
Steve Meister - $62,442
The latest fund-raising reports in the 1st District congressional race had to be filed by midnight last night. I'll be sorting through them today and writing a story for tomorrow's newspaper, but first I wanted to post some of the key numbers.
In the Republican contest, Dean Scontras has raised more money than Charlie Summers, but he's also spent more, and Summers has more remaining.
With a midnight deadline looming, some initial fund-raising numbers are being released this afternoon in the 1st District congressional race.
Michael Brennan, who ranked fifth out of six Democratic candidates in fund-raising through Dec. 31, announced that he raised $59,102.16 between January and March. His campaign said it was its strongest three months of fund-raising to date.
"We are not going to buy this election with the most out-of-state donors or $2,300 contributions," Brennan campaign manager Peter Asen said in a press release, "but we are going to win it with the best ideas, the strongest grassroots support, and the most heart."
Dean Scontras, one of two Republicans in the race, announced that he raised $76,897.89 from 403 contributors between January and March.
"I'm humbled by the support my candidacy continues to receive from Mainers who are tired of politics as usual in Washington," Scontras said in a press release.
Look here for more on campaign fund-raising today and tomorrow...
Here's a postscript to a story I wrote back in February.
At the time, Republican congressional candidate Dean Scontras was more than five months late in filing a mandatory financial disclosure statement with the House Ethics Committee in Washington, D.C. Scontras said the delay was an oversight. He vowed to file the report soon.
A short time later, Scontras did file the report. A few days ago, my colleague in Washington, Jonathan Kaplan, picked up a copy.
Ethan Strimling's campaign announced today that it has returned a $250 campaign contribution from one of fellow Democrat Chellie Pingree's donors.
The Strimling camp also questioned the motivation behind the donation, calling it a "dirty trick."
The online contribution was made by Selwyn Sussman of Rye Brook, N.Y., on March 28, according to the Strimling campaign. Today's press release states that the money arrived hours after the Strimling campaign sent an e-mail to its supporters criticizing Pingree for accepting around $60,000 in contributions from executives and employees of a hedge fund called Paloma Partners.
Paloma Partners is headed by S. Donald Sussman, who lists a Virgin Islands address on contributions to Pingree. (See this recent article by Chris Busby of The Bollard for more on Sussman's contributions to Pingree.) Sussman has also made campaign contributions using an address in Greenwich, Conn.
7 p.m., Democrats Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree and Michael Brennan, Republican Dean Scontras, and other candidates are expected to attend a candidate forum hosted by the Maine Veterans Coordinating Committee, Augusta Armory, 179 Western Ave., Augusta.
Tuesday April 8
8:30 a.m., Democrat Mark Lawrence speaks to the Heart of Biddeford Donut Club, Reilly's Bakery, 232 Main St., Biddeford. The meeting will be followed by a tour of downtown businesses.
5:30 p.m., Democrat Ethan Strimling attends a campaign party at the Freeport Community Center, 53 Depot St., Freeport.
7 p.m., Republican Dean Scontras attends a meet and greet event hosted by the Saco-Old Orchard Beach Republican Committee, People's Choice Credit Union, 23 Industrial Park Road, Saco.
In June 2006, when Chandler Woodcock of Farmington secured the Republican nomination for governor, a good deal of the credit went to religious conservatives.
The Maine Right to Life Committee provided a phone message for the Woodcock campaign to send to voters. The Maine Jeremiah Project, headed by Bob Emrich, worked to contrast Woodcock's conservative views on issues like abortion with the positions of his more socially moderate Republican opponents.
Now a similar coaltion of religious conservatives is going to bat for Dean Scontras of Eliot in his race for the 1st District congressional nomination.
There are a slew of opportunities this week to meet the First District congressional candidates. Most notable is a Wednesday night debate in Portland, which is being sponsored by the League of Young Voters. We're planning coverage of the debate for Thursday's Press Herald.
Tuesday, March 25
7 p.m., Dean Scontras attends a town hall event at Gardiner Middle School, 161 Cobbossee Ave., Gardiner.
Wednesday, March 26
6:30-8:30 p.m., Michael Brennan, Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Steve Meister, Chellie Pingree, Dean Scontras, Ethan Strimling, and a representative from Charlie Summers' campaign are expected to participate in a debate sponsored by the League of Young Voters, Space Gallery, 538 Congress St., Portland.
Republican congressional candidate Dean Scontras made a gaffe Friday on the Lou Dobbs radio show - and in the process insulted New Mexico governor Bill Richardson.
Scontras appeared on the CNN anchor's radio show to talk about his opposition to driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.
Toward the end of the interview, Dobbs asked Scontras for his reaction to a sound bite by Richardson, the former Democratic presidential candidate who last week endorsed Barack Obama. In the clip, Richardson referred to Obama's recent speech on race in America.
A couple of endorsement notes from the First Congressional District campaign trail:
* Ethan Strimling, who represents Portland at the State House, has gotten endorsements from numerous members of the city's Democratic Party establishment, including former mayors Nick Mavodones and Peter O'Donnell, and Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion. The latest to sign on is City Councilor Jill Duson, who last year mulled a run for this congressional race.
* Democrat Michael Brennan is touting an endorsement from environmental activist and author Ken Ward, who knows Brennan from their work together on an anti-nuclear power campaign.
Here's what's happening this week in the First District congressional race:
Wednesday, March 19
11 a.m., Democrat Adam Cote announces his campaign's veterans' steering committee, One Canal Plaza, Portland.
Noon-1 p.m., Democrat Michael Brennan moderates a roundtable discussion on the state budget at the University of New England's campus off Stevens Avenue in Portland. For more information, call 773-1323.
6:30 p.m., Democrat Mark Lawrence speaks at the Bath Democratic Committee meeting, Patten Free Library, 33 Summer St., Bath.
Free publicity is the lifeblood of political campaigns. So with six Democrats and two Republicans vying for the open seat in Maine's First Congressional District, even relatively mundane developments are cause for a press release.
Consider some of the e-mails that have gone out in the last two weeks, as the candidates file signatures with the state in order to get their names on the ballot for the June 10 primary.
* Feb. 27: "Ethan Strimling, Democratic candidate for Congress in the First District, will brave the elements today to become the first candidate in a crowded field to turn in the required number of signatures to appear on the June Primary ballot."
This week in Portland, voters will have two chances to hear the Democratic congressional candidates debate. Tuesday evening, a forum at the Portland Public Library will focus on the military and foreign policy. Four of the six candidates are confirmed for this event. Thursday evening, the Portland Democrats will host a debate at King Middle School. Three candidates have confirmed their plans to attend.
Here's the week's entire schedule of events:
Tuesday, March 11
1 p.m., Dean Scontras attends a "meet the candidate" event hosted by the Maine Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 714 Congress St. To RSVP call 773-7773.
6-9 p.m., Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree, Ethan Strimling participate in a candidate forum on the military and U.S. foreign policy, co-sponsored by Maine Veterans For Peace, Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland.
Wednesday, March 12
2:30 p.m., Chellie Pingree participates in a candidate forum at the Atrium at The Cedars, 640 Ocean Ave., Portland.
5:30 p.m., Chellie Pingree attends a campaign party hosted by Women Attorneys for Chellie, held at Verrill LLP, One Portland Square, Ninth Floor, Portland. For more information, call 773-0155.
7:30 p.m., Ethan Strimling attends a campaign house party hosted by Suzanne Fox, 239 Foreside Rd., Falmouth. For more information, call 874-0808.
Iran may have just become an issue in the race for Maine’s First District congressional seat, as the Democratic candidates vie for the anti-war vote.
Yesterday, Michael Brennan’s campaign sent out an e-mail attacking a bill – up for public discussion this afternoon in Augusta – that would require the state of Maine and its employee retirement system to divest from companies that do business with Iran. The bill is being sponsored by state Sen. Ethan Strimling, one of Brennan’s opponents in the Democratic primary.
The Brennan campaign’s press release argues that the bill is straight out of the neo-conservative playbook.
“Divestiture has made sense in the past when designed to address unbearable human rights abuses in Sudan or South Africa. However, in this case it is clear that divestiture would be part of a series of tactics to increase pressure on Iran in a way that could lead us into another war. This time, it would be a war that could inflame the entire Middle East,” the press release reads.
It goes on to say that the bill “is the Maine version of a nationwide campaign instigated by the neo-conservative Center for Security Policy, a group which has recently given awards to Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld, among others.”
Strimling, when reached for comment, vigorously challenged Brennan’s characterization of the bill. He said that he’s never even heard of the Center for Security Policy, and said that the bill is part of an effort to avoid war with Iran.
“It’s not even close to being saber rattling. It’s about avoiding war, and saying to the president of the United States, do not invade,” Strimling said. “We need diplomacy, not bombs, and economic sanctions are part of diplomacy.”
Strimling said that his bill is analogous to a federal bill sponsored by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., which would authorize state and local governments to divest from companies that do business with Iran. The House of Representatives passed the bill overwhelmingly, but it has been held up in the Senate, and has not gotten the support of the Bush administration.
During a phone interview, Strimling lumped his Democratic opponent in with President Bush for his opposition to the Iran divestment bill.
“I have to say, I never expected Mike and George Bush to be on the same side,” Strimling said. “It’s the corporate interests who don’t want this.”
A public work session on the bill is scheduled for 1 p.m. today in Room 220 of the Cross Office Building in Augusta.
Republican Dean Scontras is trying to make his opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants a central issue in his run for Congress. He's sought to draw a contrast between his position and that of his opponent in the GOP primary, Charlie Summers.
Now, the Summers' campaign – which is currently being represented by the candidate's wife, Ruth, because her husband is on active military duty – is modifying its rhetoric on the issue.
Here's where to find the First District congressional candidates this week:
Monday, March 3 7 p.m., Ethan Strimling attends a campaign house party hosted by Chris Kast, 582 Sawyer St., South Portland.
Tuesday, March 4
5:30 p.m., Ethan Strimling attends a campaign house party hosted by Bruce and Jan Kornbluth, 147 Beacon St., Portland.
6 p.m., Chellie Pingree attends a campaign house party, 16 Cobbs Bridge Rd., New Gloucester. For more information, call 773-0155.
6-8 p.m., Mark Lawrence attends a campaign house party at the home of Ed and Marsha Pontius, 16 Muddy River Lane, Topsham. RSVPs are helpful but not required. For more information, call Marc Malon at 490-6275.
The forum just wrapped up, after the candidates fielded questions from the audience about global warming, taxes, and whether there should be a criminal investigation of 9/11.
I'm not sure whether this live-blogging experiment was a success or not. I didn't get a chance to post as much as I'd hoped, because I also wanted to take down enough notes to write an article for tomorrow's newspaper. But it's definitely something that I'll try again as the campaign progresses.
Thanks for tuning in, and look for the story in tomorrow's Press Herald.
The candidates and audience members were asked whether they agree with the following statement: “America should join the rest of the world’s industrialized nations in providing public, not for profit health care for all its citizens."
Almost all audience members indicated that they do agree.
The organizers, the Sacopee Valley Community Forum, have hung three signs in the gym. They read, "Agree," "Disagree," and "Undecided."
The forum's organizers are going to unveil a series of statements, and the candidates and members of the audience will then be asked to stand under the sign they agree with.
The first statement is: “A strong, ongoing U.S. military presence in Iaq is vital to American interests.”
Not surprisingly, all the Democratic candidates are standing under the "Disagree" sign, along with almost every member of the audience.
Republican Dean Scontras is lonely under the "Agree" sign, joined by just two audience members.
We're going to try something new here today. I'm writing from Cornish Elementary School, where the sun is shining and the snow is piled high. People are filing into the gymnasium for a candidate forum in the First District Congressional race.
The forum will include Democrats Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling, and Republican Dean Scontras. Democrats Steve Meister and Michael Brennan weren't able to make it today. Nor was Republican Charlie Summers, who is not allowed to campaign right now because he's an active-duty member of the military.
They're getting started right now, so stay tuned...
Monica Castellanos, Rep. Michael Michaud's press secretary, is taking an unpaid leave of absence to go work for Democratic congressional candidate Adam Cote.
Cote, who was in Washington last week to raise money, is running in a crowded field to succeed Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, who is running for the Senate.
Castellanos ran Michaud's field operation in 2002 when he was first elected to the House.
From 3-5 p.m. Sunday, I'll be live-blogging from a First Congressional District candidate forum in Cornish.
This will be a bit of an experiment, but if it goes well, I hope to keep it up as the debate season continues.
Sunday's event, at Cornish Elementary School, is being sponsored by the Sacopee Valley Community Forum. Democrats Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling are expected to participate, along with Republican Dean Scontras.
The two Republican candidates for Congress in Maine's First District have agreed in principle to a series of debates between May 26 and June 9.
It was reported Monday that Charlie Summers, who's not allowed to campaign while he's deployed in Iraq, will be returning home toward the end of May. At that point Summers will be off active duty, and there will be no restrictions on his political activity, according to his wife, Ruth.
This morning, Dean Scontras, the other GOP candidate, proposed a series of at least three debates during the last two weeks of the campaign. The primary is scheduled for June 10.
I just reached Ruth Summers for a response, and she agreed to the Scontras campaign's proposal.
"We would love to participate in the debates," she said. "And we do hope that there are three debates between those days, with Charlie being home."
Earlier today, I mentioned the big event of the week in First Congressional District race. Three candidates have also confirmed that they're attending a forum Sunday in Cornish. Here's the entire schedule:
Monday, Feb. 25
5:30-7 p.m., Chellie Pingree attends a campaign house party hosted by Margi Spratt and Henry Wyatt, 29 Maddocks Rd., Southport.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
7-9 p.m., Michael Brennan, Mark Lawrence, Steve Meister, Chellie Pingree, Dean Scontras and Ethan Strimling attend a forum on the Constitution, co-sponsored by Maine Campaign to Impeach, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 425 Congress St., Portland.
Tomorrow evening, six of the eight candidates for Maine's First District congressional seat are expected to participate in a forum on the future of the Constitution.
Co-sponsored by the Maine Campaign to Impeach, the forum is titled "Our Constitution in Crisis: What Does a Broken Democracy Look & How Do We Fix It?"
It's scheduled to run from 7-9 p.m. at the First Parish Unitarian Univeralist Church, 425 Congress St., Portland.
One of my plans with this blog is to hold candidates and campaigns accountable for what they say. So from time to time, I'm going to be fact-checking their words.
If you notice any falsehoods, half-truths or misleading rhetoric emanating from political campaigns in Maine, please note them in a comment here, or send me an e-mail at kwack@pressherald.com. I'll at least take a look at all of them.
Today's fact-checker is about Dean Scontras' recent op-ed, published in the Portsmouth Herald, arguing that Maine has become a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. Scontras, for those who don't know, is running against Charlie Summers for the Republican nomination in Maine's First Congressional District.
Following the flurry of political activity around Maine's Democratic and Republican presidential caucuses, the First District congressional candidates have a light schedule of events this week:
Monday, February 11 6:30 p.m., Dean Scontras meets with patrons at Eggspectations, 125 Western Ave., South Portland.
Wednesday, February 13 6:30-8:30 p.m., Adam Cote meets with patrons at Brian Boru’s, 57 Center Street, Portland. 7 p.m., Dean Scontras attends Lincoln County GOP Meeting, Town Building, 51 Bath Road, Wiscasset
Adam Cote and Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Murphy already had a few things in common.
Both served in the Iraq War, came home, and decided to run for Congress as Democrats. Murphy was elected in 2006, while Cote is running this year in Maine's First Congressional District.
As of 3:40 p.m. Monday, the two are also sharing Internet real estate. When I type the Cote campaign's web address, www.adamcote.com, into my browser, I get redirected to Murphy's 2008 campaign site.
I just sent an e-mail to the Cote campaign, seeking an explanation.
LATE UPDATE: Emily Boyle, spokeswoman for the Cote campaign, just e-mailed the following explanation: "We share the same web design company and they're doing maintenance on our site - and somehow the wires got crossed. They're uncrossing them as we speak."
After this story and this sidebar were published last Monday, some readers asked why I didn't ask the Republican congressional candidates about their views on the Iraq War. I did; I just didn't have room in the newspaper to include their answers. Here they are:
Each week until the June 10 primary, I'm going to be posting a weekly calendar of campaign events in the First District congressional race. Check here each Monday for the latest information.
Monday, February 4 7 p.m., Dean Scontras attends Sagadahoc County GOP meeting, City Hall, 55 Front Street, Bath.
Who's leading the fund-raising battle between Republican congressional hopefuls Dean Scontras and Charlie Summers? It depends how you slice the numbers.
Scontras has raised more money than Summers, but Summers has more cash on hand, the latest Federal Election Commision reports show.
Between Oct. 1-Dec. 31, Scontras hauled in $56,319 – a bit more than Summers, who raised $53,455. For the entire campaign, Scontras has raised $157,761, versus $117,127 for Summers, according to the reports.
Dean Scontras, a former walk-on to the University of Maine football team, is using Super Bowl week to roll out a few gridiron-related endorsements.
Here's Dick MacPherson, an Old Town native and former New England Patriots coach: "Dean comes from a strong family and was raised with strong principles. .... He will make a worthy candidate and a Congressman that Maine can be proud of!"
And here's Jack Cosgrove, the current Black Bears coach, who was offensive coordinator when Scontras was a member of the team: "If Dean Scontras models leadership as a Congressman in the same manner he did as a wide receiver in our Black Bear football program, the state of Maine will score a touchdown."
Here's how the six Democratic candidates currently stand in the money race. The totals shown are for the amount of cash each candidate had on hand, as of Dec. 31, 2007.
1) Chellie Pingree - $442,851
2) Ethan Strimling - $195,919
3) Adam Cote - $192,197
4) Mark Lawrence - $189,489
5) Michael Brennan - $82,339
6) Steve Meister - $39,639
Look for more on the latest campaign-finance reports in tomorrow's Press Herald.
Chellie Pingree continues to rake in cash. Pingree, a North Haven Democrat, was the 1st Congressional District's fund-raising leader on Sept. 30, and she increased that lead in the last three months of the year.
Pingree raised $303,365 in the last three months of 2007, which brought her fund-raising total for the campaign to $777,534. She reports having $442,851 cash on hand.
Also filing with the Federal Election Commission last night were Democrat Ethan Strimling and Republican Charlie Summers.
Strimling raised $112,981 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, bringing his campaign total to $337,026. His campaign reports having $195,919 cash on hand.
Summers raised $53,455 in the last three months of the year, raising his total to $117,127. The Summers campaign reports having $70,972 in cash on hand.
More soon on where the eight 1st District hopefuls stand in the money race in comparison with each other.
Two more congressional campaigns released information this afternoon about their fund-raising efforts.
Democrat Mark Lawrence raised $100,452 in the last three months of 2007, and had $189,489 in cash on hand at the end of the year, according to the report his campaign filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Republican Dean Scontras said in a press release that he has raked in "close to $160,000" during the campaign. Given what Scontras' previous campaign-finance reports say, this means that he raised somewhere around $55,000 in the last three months of 2007.
Three of the Democratic 1st District congressional hopefuls have filed their end-of-the-year fund-raising reports with the Federal Election Commission.
Michael Brennan, the former state Senate majority leader from Portland, reports raising $41,560.92 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2007. He also had $82,239.33 in cash on hand at the end of the year.
Steve Meister, a Winthrop doctor, raised $40,451.37 in the last three months of 2007. He reports $39,639.19 in cash on hand.
With John Edwards expected to drop out of the presidential race this afternoon, I thought I'd post the Democratic congressional candidates' views on their party's presidential candidates.
I asked them whether they're supporting a particular candidate. Keep in mind that I did these interviews during the week of the New Hampshire primary, so the candidates' preferences may have changed since then.
Welcome to our new blog on Maine politics. We plan to use this space to offer deeper and more sustained coverage of this year's big political races than we can in the newspaper.
So without further ado... I had a story in yesterday's paper that discussed the First District congressional candidates' stances on various issues.
Here's the main link. Sidebars are here and here. I didn't have room in the newspaper for the candidates' answers to a number of other questions. So I'm going to be posting that information on this blog over the next several days.
Today: the six Democratic candidates on energy policy.
Prior to joining Portland Press Herald-Maine Sunday Telegram, Jonathan Kaplan was a senior staff writer at The Hill newspaper in Washington, D.C., where he covered the House Democrats, the 2006 election, business and lobbying and the House Republicans. He has worked at The American Lawyer magazine and as a freelance journalist in Washington and New York primarily writing about endurance and adventure sports. He's reported twice from Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Kaplan received his B.A. in government from Colby College and his M.A. in public policy from the University of Chicago.
Kevin Wack has been at the Press Herald since 2004, most recently as its
investigative reporter. He will be covering this year's First District
Congressional race in the newspaper and on this blog. Wack is a graduate of
Stanford University and Northwestern University's Medill School of
Journalism. He's previously worked for the Associated Press.
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