BREWER, Maine — Kevin Raye cut his political teeth as a staff member for U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe and he agrees with his mentor that Washington, D.C., is broken.
But Raye, a four-term Republican state senator and Maine’s current Senate president, is more optimistic than Snowe about the future of Congress. All that’s missing, Raye said, is stronger voices who are willing to work with the other side.
He hopes to be one of them.
This week, Raye has been canvassing the state to build support for his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District. His challenger, Democrat Mike Michaud, has held the seat for five terms and is seeking reelection to a sixth, but many feel this could be the incumbent’s biggest test in a decade.
When Michaud first was elected to the U.S. House in 2002, Raye was his opponent. It was the closest race in Michaud’s decade in Congress.
“I like my opponent personally,” Raye said Tuesday. “I just disagree with him about how government should be run.”
Raye pointed out that, despite Michaud’s claims that he’s a moderate, the Democrat has voted with President Barack Obama and U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi far too often, including on the Affordable Care Act, which Raye opposes.
Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is different now than it was 10 years ago, according to Raye. Of the 19 state Senate seats in the 2nd District, 15 are held by Republicans. Of the more than 70 House seats in the district, two-thirds are held by Republicans.
Many of those Republicans have helped turn Maine around over the last two years, Raye said, by championing regulatory reform and welfare reform and bringing “fiscal sanity” back to government. He hopes to do the same in Washington.
The district is also literally different as its boundaries were redrawn last year. A controversial plan to completely redraw the state’s two congressional districts — and making the 2nd District noticeably more conservative — was dropped by Republicans at the last minute.
Although Raye has set his sights on Michaud, he does have to win a primary in June. The other Republican in the race is Blaine Richardson, a retired Navy veteran from Belfast.
Raye has been visiting small businesses across Maine as he kicks off his campaign. On Tuesday, he visited Getchell Brothers in Brewer.
Stay at home with your mustard. You’ve screwed the people of Maine long enough.
It will be hard to believe a word that comes out of any republican mouth this election year. Especially since they seem scared of standing up to Lepage.
And you believe Obummer? Wow, sad to think such undiscerning people have the vote.
You don’t know me so don’t just me…
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Keep the mustard, hold the baloney.
Cut the Cheese campaign, more like.
Other LeRaye slogan:
He who smelt it, dealt it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcNU3yMezUg
This guy doesn’t appear to have received the message that Republicans are going to get trounced in November.
I honestly don’t think he cares about winning. This campaign is great for advertising the family business. However I’m not too sure about the difference between “Who cut the mustard” and “Who cut the cheese.” Either way, if you ask me that slogan kinda “Stinks.”
Why don’t you try to cut the crap first, Kevin ?
>>>>>
Of the two R candidates in June’s primary, Blaine Richardson is the one to vote for. He is truly a conservative, bases his issues on the Constitution, is a 30 year Navy man, retired Captain and served in four conflicts. http://www.richardsonforcongress2012.com.
I just looked at his site, he doesn’t sound any different than any other Republican of late. They all seem to be following the party line. Love it that he wants to repeal Obama Care while he already has health coverage for the remainder of his life through his Navy career. I got mine the rest of you don’t matter.
So you are going to fault him for making a choice to serve his country and in return gets a small retirement but a good medical coverage. Clearly you have never served your country. If you did, you would not have made that comment. If you did serve, you must have been a flunky
Didn’t fault him for his past service. Faulted him for being indifferent today to the people he once served and protected.
Contrary to your perception, I did serve my country. In fact I voluntered. Honorably discharged. In my time in the service I never came across the rate of flunky.
Now if you would be so kind as to go to his website and point out what he is preaching differently than any other Republican/Tea Party candidate.
By the way 30 years = 3/4 full salary at his retired rate of pay, with pay raises that match the current pay scale. Full medical coverage for life. I don’t begrudge him these benefits, he earned them honorably serving his country as have many others.
What I do resent is his disconnect to people who don’t have adequate health coverage. This seems to be a common thread among our Republicans in Congress and quite a few Dems for that matter. They just have been so far removed from those who were less fortunate than themselves that they can’t conceive of everyone not being able to match their good fortune.
Pa,
It isn’t that we have a disconnect, it is that we don’t want you to take from us and give to someone else at your discretion. Your discretion can not be trusted if past performance is any judge.
Your discretion is responsible for the fact that I now have to pay for Free Breakfast, Free Lunch, Free Supper, and in some cases Free weekend meals for children when you already took my money to load up their parents EBT cards to feed them with.
Your discretion is responsible for the State becoming the free drug dealer to all who wish to come here and get drugs and for paying for their gas mileage back and forth. There is no end to the things we could pay for with my money as long as we use your discretion on who is worthy to take my money. Druggie baby factory living with biker boyfriend making drug money under the table. Not a problem. Throw money at the problem.
Your discretion is responsible for the SSI pyramid scheme that requires me to pay for others to settle down to a nice easy retirement knowing full well the system will be bankrupt before I will ever get my money out of it. If not before I get mine then before my children will ever be able to retire.
You do all of this with my money so that I can not afford to take care of my children. You do this because it is not your money that you are giving it is mine.
Your discretion since the Welfare State really took off of free stuff for all is the reason our country is 15 Trillion dollars in debt and the reason this President has accumulated more debt in less than 4 years than the previous one did in 8.
Using your discretion, where do you see us ending up when I am your age?
For your information, I totally agree that we should not be giving free meals to kids in school after we have given their parents food stamps or EBT cards to feed them. That is something that could be addressed by the Governor and the Legislature that would probably have the full support of anyone with an ounce of common sense.
Methadone clinics are nation wide. I also agree that we shouldn’t be paying each individual travel money when anyone involved that looks outside will see them carpooling. There are no liberals that can say this is a good thing and I highly doubt that they could mount an argument against that. So why haven’t the Republicans in charge in Maine done anything about that yet?
You leave my SS alone!!! I worked for 57 years to get this and I for damn sure plan on trying to survive on it!!!!
The wealthy conservatives don’t seem to be happy paying taxes, but they don’t seem to mind the fact that our military is manned mostly with people from the lower socio-economic sector of this country.
So Kevin funny what a big difference a couple of years makes isn’t it. If you had chosen to run for the Second Congressional District seat two years ago you probably could have won. After all 2010 was the year of the tea party wasn’t it. Heck the man that many are now calling the most unpopular Governor in the history of The State of Maine got elected and I don’t think there are many people who would disagree that his election was caused in large part by the tea party. Yep 2010 was most certainly the Republican’s year. Just think if you had run two years ago you would be the incumbent and we all know that it is a virtual impossibility to unseat an incumbent. But you didn’t run against Michaud two years ago did you Kevin? Nope you were going to be Mr. Big Cheese in the Maine Senate. Now that isn’t a bad thing necessarily. Well that is if you had shown that you were a leader who was interested in the People of Maine. But Maine people weren’t where you placed your loyalties were they Kevin? Nope you decided to be a bobble head for MHPC, ALEC, The Insurance Industry and any other special interest didn’t you Kevin? Remember how you and your buddy Bob Nutting were able to cram through bills by the bucket load and most of them either cut taxes for rich folk, increased premiums for insurance companies, weakened environmental rules and kissed the butt of big business. Remember how you and your really good pal LePage were able to screw all of those poor people? I have to hand it to you Kevin you do a really good job when it comes to picking on Maine’s most vulnerable citizens. Picking on those least able to defend themselves has always been a trick of bullies hasn’t it Kev? Well you sure had your successes didn’t you? You passed all of that special interest legislation that didn’t do a damn thing for the average working Mainer. You sold out Mainers in the interest of whatever the Grand Wizard and his clan of highly paid political operatives at the Maine Heritage Policy Center’s post office box told you to support. Remember when the Governor told people to kiss his butt Kevin? You really thought he wanted people to do that didn’t you. You must have because you have been pressing your lips against LePage’s backside every chance you got. Remember the foreclosure veto Kev? How about the line item veto you sure showed leadership on that one didn’t you. No Kevin I think you might have miscalculated by two years on this running for congress thingee. You know Kev you might just find yourself back at work at the mustard factory after November 6th. Of course there just might still be one job available to you. You are still next in line to be the Governor should the current one not be able to fulfill the duties of that office. Just think Kevin it happened in Alaska to another right wing nutcase so it probably could happen here in Maine as well. Just think you would get two years of LePage’s unexpired term to show Mainers that you really can think for yourself. Then you could run for your own terms. Think about it Kevin. It sure beats grinding mustard.
Do you plan to give Mike Michaud the same level of scrutiny?
I agree that it makes little sense for Kevin to run in a Presidential year against Mike (which is inherently much more difficult) and he might have won in 2010.
The rest of your rant ignores the complexities of policies and how they affect people. Society is not divided between the “poor” and the “rich.” And it really gets tiresome to hear about “picking on poor people.” Doesn’t the system (both pre-LePage and now) screw over people up and down the spectrum? Not all “poor” are deserving and not all “rich” are great innovators who drive society forward. Your assessment is overly simplistic because it suits your own viewpoints but it doesn’t contribute to an honest discussion.
For two year Republicans had the chance to make some changes and you have literally gone insane. Ask yourself if Maine was really doing that well prior to LePage and K-Raye. To be honest the changes made have been pretty modest adjustments.
Your incendiary rhetoric is just as bad as what you are criticizing. Telling someone to “kiss my butt” is in bad-taste…but it is no worse than accusing someone of “hating the poor.”
I have never voted for Mike Michaud and I haven’t missed voting in an election since I first became eligible to vote in 1967. So according to you I have gone insane because I don’t care for the way the Republicans have conducted themselves in Augusta? You have to be kidding right? I also notice that you have used quotation marks as if I accused someone of “hating the poor” that is not true. I never used those words. Rather then lecture someone perhaps you would be better off to actually take the time to read what was said rather then trying to make up things and try to make it sound as if the person you are demeaning said them. So you tried to imply that I would some how give Michaud a pass which I won’t I just won’t vote for him. You have, without saying why, accused me of being insane and you have quoted words that I never used. And you have the gall to talk about an honest discussion?
so you never said ‘hating the poor’ but you did say…
‘Remember how you and your really good pal LePage were able to screw all of those poor people?I have to hand it to you Kevin you do a really good job when it comes to
picking on Maine’s most vulnerable citizens. Picking on those least
able to defend themselves has always been a trick of bullies hasn’t it
Kev?’
you can try and deflect the discussion based on one word but what you said is clear. again, i ask you to keep it honest.
i said you’ve gone insane because of your stream-of-conscious style that kept repeating kevin’s name. sorry i gave you that to further distract.
i also never ‘implied’ that you gave mike a pass…you read into a straight forward question.
so what poor people have been screwed and how? how is anyone being picked on?
I don’t think he said the Republicans hate the poor. I think he implied that they hold them in low esteem, therefore they are easy targets to be cut in the greater scheme of things.
I am not deflecting anything. I am not the one who has to resort to misquotes you are. Keep changing things to suit your needs. I think everyone recognizes your post for what they are.
I refer you again to your quote:
“Remember how you and your really good pal LePage were able to screw all of those poor people?I have to hand it to you Kevin you do a really good job when it comes to picking on Maine’s most vulnerable citizens. Picking on those least able to defend themselves has always been a trick of bullies hasn’t it Kev?”
In what manner did Kevin “screw all of those poor people” and “pick on Maine’s most vulnerable citizens?”
If you would like to rephrase here is your opportunity. Otherwise simply answer for your accusations.
“”””””
You feel qualified to judge the viewpoints of tens of millions of people? Painting in such broad strokes is wrong and pollutes any dialogue. The only thing you reveal is that you are prejudiced against half the country and assume something about how they think. I’m Republican and I do not despise the “poor.”
What is “poor” in your definition?
Please clarify your statement that “This governor is waging a war against the poor.” You are clearly speaking figuratively but I’d like to know specifically what the Governor has done that warrants this type of statement.
The argument pattern is the same on this thread as is any thread that flames LePage or any Republican for that matter. Make the current Republican politicians look like buffoons, 2010 was just a fluke, and anyone that supports them must be a brain dead hater that is in an extreme minority of voters. It’s always a war on the “victims” or the “poor”, but in reality it is a war on 40 years of slanted liberal policies that encourage government dependence, which for the democrats guarantee’s re-election by their unemployed constituents. It’s no wonder there are few good paying jobs in Maine. Who in their right mind would come to MAine and set up shop? It’s way too expensive to start a good business here other than small stores and tourist based businesses. The very people that support the handouts are the ones that created the joblessness in Maine. And no, 2008 wasn’t when there was a huge downturn in good quality jobs in Maine, it’s been happening for many years. Unless Maine makes it more affordable to do business here, then it won’t get better, but I’m sure LePage and Raye don’t know this. They just support the rich getting rich, and the poor getting screwed. Yeh,,,,right. Demagog away!!
Well said. I would like to see the focus on irresponsible spending by the politicians and take the focus off the welfare recipients. The politicians abuse MUCH more money than a few that get welfare when not qualifying.
WOW you are very angry and a name caller to boot.
Doesn’t that mean the same as “Who cut the cheese?” Not the most clever campaign slogan I’ve ever heard but what the hey it might be good for his family business and when it comes right down to it isn’t that what all Republicans are in government for ? You GO Mr. Raye! We’ll all still catch a whiff even when you’re gone.
You are incorrect. To cut the mustard is to perform top notch, to be the best, to shine…
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Let’s see – – – Raye condones the LePage ethic (he hasn’t disowned LeRage) – – He should stick stick with the Mustard – – – LeRage and people like Raye who support him have some things to learn. I suspect Raye will get the lesson this fall – – two years before LeRage.
Kevin is a good man. I would like to see him win. To do so, however, I think he must stand up to the LePage machine and distinguish himself from the Governor’s angry rhetoric. This would be a pragmatic move as well as a morally correct one.
He should have stood up a very long time ago. Starting now isn’t credible and is just expeditious politics.
How do you know that Kevin hasn’t “stood up” to LePage? How do you define “stood up” in this case?
He defines it as being with Liberals on all issues. Including aligning with them on Welfare and Social Issues. Not being with LePage on any issue.
Because if he had it would be news and not a secret.
The fundamental problem with your fantasy, is that he’s not going to distinguish himself from the Penguin administration, because he’s behind most of it’s policy initiatives. He is part of the Penguin administration. For that reason alone, his campaign will never go anywhere.
Don’t forget that Mustard boy is also just plain stupid
Pot calling Kettle black but Mumbles Michaud isn’t a genius himself . If anything the guy is very stupid he fits in well with Democrats like Pelosi , Reid, Obama, Wasserman-Schultz in Washington all of which are dumb idiots.
If Kevin Raye had stood up for Maine people and worked to reach across the aisle to balance LePage’s stunningly inept, harsh and arrogant ways, perhaps more might consider him a suitable candidate. Even his back-handed criticism of Senatore Snowe (“All that’s missing,” Raye said, “is stronger voices who are willing to work with the other side.”) has to give one pause.
So he should stand up for the Welfare Crowd. No he is doing what Maine voters in 2010 what we wanted him to do and that is chop down the Massive Welfare State we have now. To get rid of all the garbage that is taking up space in Augusta. We should stop giving out handouts to every person , special interest group and Former Liberal Politician who goes to Augusta looking to be “taken care of “. Maine people deserve a government they can afford not one that subsidizes every person who refuse to provide for themselves. The only thing disappointing is the roadblocks that keep popping up with those associated with Democrats that is stopping them from moving Maine further ahead.
After a year and a half of being a yes-man for Paulie, he now wants to bill himself as a moderate republican. He knows the truth of what Olympia stated upon her exit,but that is not what he has shown himself to be. Are we to believe that this leopard can change his spots?
Lame slogan. He’ll be playing ketchup the whole campaign.
I don’t relish his situation, he seems to be in a bit of a pickle !
His cheese is grilled and his buns are toasted.
Hot dog!!
He might get a chili reception from the GOP, and have to go to the Mayo Clinic !
Excuse me, can I get an order of Milk Toast here?
Good guy to send to DC. At least he’s smart enough to move to the center unlike than the fool from the county.
Go Kevin! It will be nice to have someone like
him in Washington. Before he took over as Senate President, state regulation was so thick and convoluted businesses had to be insane to move to Maine. Kevin Raye helped to change all that, and oh what a surprise, despite what the democrats have told us for years, they didn’t have to hurt the environment to do it. On top of that, the big Regulatory Reform bill that made most of the changes was passed unanimously! It wasn’t rammed through. Under his
leadership, the state has done more positive things in 2 years than the
democrats were able to do in 10. What more could you ask for?
Sounds good, but you forgot the truth.
Most of these comments are just proof that the Democrats are scared of Raye as a competitor given that none of these points are based on any actual policies supported by Kevin. If they were confident, they wouldn’t have to resort to these personal attacks.
Is Mr. Speaker in Thief, Robert Nutting going to manage his campaign?
”
Mr. Speaker in Thief” – LMAO.
Cut the mustard? Another Lepage stooge with no chance.
Snore…
Could this story be any more devoid of substance?
Where are the hard-hitting questions about Raye’s involvement with refusing to act on Gov. LePage’s line-item vetoes, which contraducts his professed desire to work with Democrats? What about Michaud’s opinion of Raye? What does Raye propose instead of the Affordable Care Act?
Kevin may be a good man, but he is not going to win. I am a Republican, and have been all my life. He is not going to fire up republicans when he acts like a Democrat. At this point I don’t care who wins with a Republican like Kevin running!! Sorry
Beware of Pyrite and Grover Norquists surrogate children. The mustard is watered down and spread too thin. I suggest running for town council first.
I hope this fool fails miserably and spends a good deal of his own money doing it. He and his fellow idiots in the senate who wholeheartedly support Lepage deserve every bit of bad that will come their way in November. This guy is an embarrassment and doesn’t stand a chance.
Liberals are running scared because Kevin has a great chance of beating Mumbles this year. Mumbles is not a blue dog dem. Mumbles is a Leftist Liberal Government hack who has spent more than 20 years in Augusta and Washington. He claims to be for the working man but has done everything to help destroy economic conditions for the working person. He says he is against Quimby’s park he is now because he knew people found out in his hometown of Millinocket and surrounding areas that he was helping Quimby to get her park. The guy is not for the people he is for those Liberal Special Interest Groups that he has aligned himself with since he has been in politics. It is time for change and a fresh face that will fight for Mainers and carry on the tradition of Snowe and Collins , Kevin Raye is that man who will carry that torch.
So Kevin, is it fiscal sanity to keep the prison open in your district at a cost of over 1 million dollars in additional expense to the taxpayers? Or is it pork?
It would be nice to know what Kevin opposes in the health care law. Is it that people can’t be denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions? Is it making health insurance cost the same whether you are a man or a woman? Strengthening Medicare? We spend 400 billion dollars a year on insurance company “administrative costs” that are 5-10 times higher than what the government spends per person in administrative costs. Not to mention the 40-80 billion per year that we pay for health insurance company profit. Kevin can completely refute his taxpayer paid health policy to get some credibility, but without Obamacare he would not be able to buy a new policy for his wife.
Who killed the Maine Congress?
I think Mr Mustard did it, in the Chamber, with a tea pot !
Raye keeps the prison going for the connivance of the prisoners but he lets them close rural nursing homes and tear families apart.
Michaud will win by a large margin once again.
Mr. Raye will be a Governor for the great state of Maine down the road…
Just a matter of time..
Isn’t mustard yellow?