Elect Gideon to change Washington

Susan Collins decries the partisanship in our politics yet when given an opportunity to be clear on where she stands she remains silent. She has demurred on whether she would support Trump because she is concentrating on her race and staying out of presidential politics. In response to a question about Donald Trump’s attack on Sen. Kamala Harris, she commented only that Harris is diligent and capable.

Perhaps she would like Trump supporters to believe that she will support him; and for those opposed to Trump that she will not. But her record of support for Trump on critical votes is public; her debt to the party leadership and millions of out of state PAC money to support her campaign is also part of the record. Her unwillingness to condemn Trump’s birther attack on the Democratic VP shows that she will not defend the principles of bipartisanship and moderation that she claims to value so highly.

Speaking out for the principles you care about is not the same as “presidential politics.” If you fail to stand up for those principles during difficult times, you cannot expect those who have looked to you for leadership to support you. Sen. Collins is right — things need to change in Washington, and an important part of making that change happen is to elect Sara Gideon as our Senator from Maine.

Nils Tcheyan,
Harpswell

Gideon committed to environment
I met Sara Gideon as a fellow parent of our school-age children. We spoke at their school about our mutual interest in seeing our children participate in fewer video games and more outdoor activities. With Sara’s encouragement and partnership, I launched with Old Mast Landing Outdoor Club, which engaged kids in outings where we cleared trails, fished, picked up trash along roads, had search and rescue training with dogs, studied the night sky with an astronomer, hauled lobsters traps and dug clams with local fisherman. I was impressed on these outings by the ease with which Sara spoke with clammers about issues like green crabs and their impact on the clammers’ livelihoods, and the insight she brought to her conversations with lobsterman about the impact of warming on the Maine Gulf.
Maine is my home and that of my ancestors going back ten generations. We have an enormous investment in the ecology of our state and are gravely concerned about the disturbing changes that climate change is bringing about.
But we are proud that our town of Freeport has put forward a candidate who can challenge the uninspiring tenure of Susan Collins. We have witnessed with enthusiasm her commitment to safeguarding the timber and lobster industries, and to protecting the public lands we know so intimately. My family’s long and proud history in Maine has forged a strong connection to the land and the sea, and our endorsement of a Senate candidate is deeply personal.
Sara has demonstrated her commitment to environmental issues and, based on what we have learned about her over the years, we are confident that she has the skills, drive and determination to have a strong, positive impact on the Federal government’s role in protecting Maine’s ecosystems.
I look forward to a brighter, safer future for all Mainers with Sara representing us in the Senate.
Joseph Coleman,
Freeport

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