We are endorsing state Sen. Kevin Raye to represent the 2nd Congressional District because of his political skills and his commitment to Maine and because we believe having someone in the majority party in the U.S. House will improve the odds that legislation benefiting Maine will pass.
U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, D-2nd District, ably serves his constituents and has fought to grow manufacturing jobs and improve veterans’ health care. Michaud, of East Millinocket, has not been afraid to challenge the president or other members of his party when their proposals conflict with the best interests of Maine.
Raye, of Perry, however, is a capable challenger. He has led the Maine Senate fairly as its president. He stood up for his beliefs when he voted to override Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of research and development bond money. He has the strong approval of his district — Washington County and eastern areas of Hancock and Penobscot Counties — where he was elected to a fourth term in 2010 with 71.3 percent support.
Both Michaud, as a conservative Democrat, and Raye, as a moderate Republican, represent well the values of Maine’s northern congressional district. But the fact that Michaud belongs to the minority party makes it less likely the bills he helps write will pass. Michaud acknowledges his frustration with inaction in the last two years.
National polling indicates it’s likely the GOP will retain the majority status it gained in 2010, so Raye, as a Republican, has a better chance of influencing viable legislation. Currently all of Maine’s congressional delegation are members of the minority party in their chambers. Having learned from his mentor, Republican U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, Raye could bring a voice for moderation from within the majority party that could have more sway than one from the minority opposition.
Michaud and Raye hold relatively similar views. Both support abortion rights but not the federal funding of abortions. They both support a balanced budget amendment to not spend more in a fiscal year than the government raises in taxes — but with realistic exceptions for times of war or other crises.
They understand the importance of renewable energy. Michaud helped secure federal funding for tidal power research in Maine. Raye acted as a liaison between communities and companies involved in the Cobscook Bay tidal energy power system — the first commercial, grid-connected ocean energy project in North America.
Both have aimed to be bipartisan. Michaud worked with both Democrats and Republicans to pass H.R. 1016, which allows Congress to approve veterans’ medical care funding one year ahead of each fiscal year to better plan the most effective care. Raye, after unanimously being elected Senate president, sponsored a regulation-reform bill, L.D. 1, which passed unanimously in the Senate and only garnered three “no” votes in the House.
Our decision to endorse Raye is rooted in his strengths — we would not endorse a weak candidate just because he or she belonged to the majority party. But, in this instance, where both candidates have historically represented well the values of their constituents, we believe Raye’s affiliation with the party likely to hold the majority in the U.S. House could help Maine more.
Having worked for Snowe for 17 years, Raye has learned many lessons about the necessary difficulties associated with bipartisanship and compromise. As a business owner and Senate president, he knows what it’s like to be responsible to others and to lead. May he use his skills as the next congressman to represent the 2nd District.
Thank you, BDN, for this common-sense and reasoned endorsement!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kevin-Raye-for-Congress/303736943004340?ref=ts&fref=ts
Kevin Raye for Congress!
If Raye is truly a moderate, as BDN asserts, he is going to run into the same wall of extremism that prompted Snowe to resign from the GOP. The Republican elephant has swung so far to the extreme that it completely anti-tax and pro-corporation. This might work if the corporations cared about democracy more than profit, or the citizens of the United States more than profit. But because they don’t, they subvert the system, buying politicians and putting unlimited amounts into propaganda.
There’s a reason everyone in this country is sinking, except the rich, and that the gap has been widening for over a decade.
The only way to move Maine, and the USA back from the financial cliff, is to elect fiscal conservatives to all levels of government.
Otherwise, the colossal slush-funding spending from DC will continue, unabated.
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/03/31/pentagon-art-600000-gurgling-toad-sculpture
Kevin Raye would never vote to spend $600K on a giant, burbling toad statue for the Defense Department’s gargantuan $700M new building in Virginia.
Kevin Raye would never take a “free” luxury $800/month leased car from American taxpayers, like Michaud has been doing for years.
Maybe, but more likley he will be the good little soldier and walk around with his head stuck up Grover Norquist’s nether regions, and will continue to be a road block to making the real decisions that will set things straight. I find it completely ponderous that you guys still trumpet the notion that having someone who makes $250K or more should not have to pay a fair tax rate, or that your guy Mitt doesn’t believe in taxing capital gains, or won’t even tell us how he plans to implement his tax plan without raising taxes on the middle class. Yeah, if Raye is elected, it would be more of the same lies and selling us out to the wealthy elite who have people like you so blinded you can’t see your hand in front of your face.
Feel better now? I find that most liberals need at least one good unfounded rant per day.
Some. It’s our attempt to see if we can make a dent in the denseness that is the mind of a Republican. It’s only one step above banging our heads against a brick wall, however.
Then stop. Won’t bother me either way.
A friend who is a conservative economist who used to work on the Hill used to say the debt was no problem back when Bush was spending the billions on the two wars and tax cuts. It was only when Obama became president that it became an issue.
Sounds like following the script.
It became a problem because of the meteoric rise in the debt to GDP ratio. I am surprised your conservative economist friend would not have recognized that.
If you have an income of $100k an unsecured debt of $5k doesn’t look so bad. When you have a $100k income and an unsecured debt of $100k suddenly your creditors are going to look at you funny.
As long as you keep the deficit less than the growth in GDP you won’t grow the debt to gdp ratio which is actually more important than the actual amount of debt. That was actually what Cheney was trying to say when he said debts don’t matter, and he is correct in that…the problem is over the past 10 years or so the deficits have been larger than the growth in GDP.
Thanks.
you seem to know all about unfounded–its a conservative thing—
‘ Tax Policy Center, a respected nonprofit that issues studiously detailed tax analyses.
That study found, in short, that Mr. Romney could not keep all of the promises he had made on individual tax reform: including cutting marginal tax rates by 20 percent, keeping protections for investment income, not widening the deficit and not increasing the tax burden on the poor or middle class. It concluded that Mr. Romney’s plan, on its face, would cut taxes for rich families and raise them for everyone else.”
oh and by the way-if you start whining about bias””’Many economists across the political spectrum have said they found the report’s conclusions convincing, like Alan D. Viard, a tax expert at the right-of-center American Enterprise Institute.
Mr. Sullivan of Tax Analysts said: “I like tax reform. I want to broaden the base. It’s something I’ve devoted my life to. And I welcome Governor Romney and the Republicans’ strong push, but the plan doesn’t work out. It’s not mathematically possible.”
get a clue
The Tax policy center is part of the Brookings Institute, a liberal policy center. They also contributed recommendations to the Obama administration. Maybe they are part of the reason we are doing more poorly economically this year than we did last and the year before that.
A man who has both feet planted firmly in the air can be safely called a liberal as
opposed to the conservative, who has both feet firmly planted in his mouth.
Not necessarily you, at the moment at least, but I thought rants, especially unfounded ones, were an R/TP specialty. Kind of tough to keep up with the leaders in that dubious category.
And right wing extremist like yourself need at least three, your point being?
You don’t have any idea as what you are talking about!
It’s on her talking points memo.
Kevin Raye would never take a “free” luxury $800/month leased car from American taxpayers, like Michaud has been doing for years.
No, instead he will take the mileage that will add up to the $800/mo anyways. I can’t believe you are actually so petty as to bring this up.
I had to lease a car once when my car was getting fixed and it took the shop quite a while to get it fixed, $800 does not get you what you might think it gets you.
In 1998 $1,000 got me a Nissan Maxima for the month, with a government discount as I was active duty at the time, so $800 now, you might be lucky to get a Ford Fusion, not luxurious by any means.
I don’t think you know why Snowe chose not to run for re-election. She did not resign from either the Senate nor the Republican party. You have wildly mischaracterized what she did, how can you now say you know the reasons?
Snowe, in fact recently held high profile campaign events with Kevin Raye.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/olympia-snowe-why-im-leaving-the-senate/2012/03/01/gIQApGYZlR_story.html
“Why I am leaving the Senate”
“Some people were surprised by my conclusion, yet I have spoken on the
floor of the Senate for years about the dysfunction and political
polarization in the institution. Simply put, the Senate is not living up
to what the Founding Fathers envisioned.”
“I certainly don’t have all the answers, and reversing the corrosive
trend of winner-take-all politics will take time. But as I enter a new
chapter in my life, I see a critical need to engender public support for
the political center, for our democracy to flourish and to find
solutions that unite rather than divide us. “
Of course she said that. But where does it say…. it was all Republican extremism? Stop and think for a moment. After the stimulus meeting with President Obama in 2009 she never again chose to meet with the President. Not once in over three years. That is unusual for a President not to meet with a member of the Senate, one of the top 100 people in the country. Think on that a bit.
Again Snowe did not resign from the Senate nor the Republican party.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/Snowe-No-firm-financial-backing-for-Summers.html
Snowe had been targeted by the tea party, and as she ramped up her campaign against D’Amboise she approached Republican leaders in Maine for endorsements that could blunt a tea party surge against her.
Richter, in a written statement, confirmed that Snowe approached Summers. She got the backing of state Senate President Kevin
Raye, a former staffer, and Gov. Paul LePage, who was elected with tea party support.
But Summers, who has long harbored aspirations for higher office, declined to join them.
“Kevin Raye endorsed Senator Snowe in her primary over Scott D’Amboise and was a member of her 2012 Leadership Team,
whereas Charlie Summers wasn’t able to endorse her over Scott D’Amboise,” Richter wrote.
The statement makes public a long-rumored rift between Snowe and Summers.
It also illustrates how Snowe — often derided as a “RINO,” Republican In Name Only — came to be viewed as a political
liability to some members of the Maine Republican Party.
I guess you have never been exposed to party infighting before. Nothing new here.
Try Clinton-Obama for some object lessons.
Bill Clinton on Obama:
“A few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-18/snowe-s-resignation-leaves-a-vacuum-at-senate-s-center.html
“Snowe’s Resignation Leaves a Vaccum at Senate’s Center”
“There’s no longer political reward for consensus
building,” says the 65-year-old, one of the last of a dying breed of middle-of-the-road Republicans who worked with Democrats.
No where does this article support the claim you make that it was Republican only extremism. Post all the links you like, You still don’t know the specifics of her decision.
Thanks for the debate. Bye :)
Anytime. :) Bye
And just look at Slick Willy now – toadying up to Obama at every given opportunity. Thugs of a feather.
yeah and if bill clinton could run again he would beat the vulture capitalist like a gong–
Isn’t the 22nd Amendment wonderful .
I now live in VA and our best senator is retiring for the same reason. It is a sad commentary on this nation, our civility and its institutions.
“I don’t think you know why Snowe chose not to run for re-election”
Somebody needs to stay home to feed the cat while Jock goes to jail!!
LOL
Don’t just look at the republicans for all the problems, the Democrats are to blame just as much. Each party has decided to not work together for the most part and while I’m republican I don’t think Mike is an far lefty just like I don’t think Kevin is a far righty. I do agree that with the BDN if Raye wins. Under Mike/Obama the state has lost a lot of heating assistance for the poor, so much for the party that is suppose to take care of the poor. Oh, by the way 7 out of the top 10 richest Senators/reps are Demos!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html
Let’s Just Say It: The Republicans Are the Problem
“We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.
The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”
I believe so too.but what really scars me if this “problem”wins the election. americans seem as divided as our politiians. If the tea party right wins this election,I believe America will resemble England during CHARLES DICKENS TIME
What leftists fail to recognize was when Obama won the election in 2008 it was a repudiation of Bush, not an embracement of Obama and his policies. He was merely a nice warm fuzzy symbol. Obama did not win by such a large margin that he could have forgotten the people as he did. The 2010 sweeping anti-Obama election was proof of that. 2012 will be a reminder to the leftists that they really don’t know who the American people are. We are gonna stuff you Progressives back in the closet for another 50 years.
Romney is Bush, except he also wants to dismantle Medicare.
And Obama is Idi Amin, laying in a pool of blood from the many victims of his drone attacks …it’s fun to play revolutionary in Harvard Law School and on the streets of Chicago; but very different when you have to pay for the collateral damage it causes to hundreds of thousands of people who now really hate America.
Michaud was a union puppet and sure vote for a long time…unfortunately, it’s up and he’s got to move out of the way. The union is dying and that’s his only source of support.
That’s odd to hear, because several polls and surveys note that Michaud is one of the ‘best liked’ politicians in Maine.
Which kind of dispels the notion of lazy Ds.
Interesting how as a Republican you disavow your party’s beliefs. First, what is this about lamenting over less heating assistance? I thought you were the party opposed to government “socialism” like that??? Aren’t you? Aren’t you the party of “rugged individualism”? Why should the government get involved in “socialism” like heating assistance? Isn’t that a “socialist” waste of money? Let the market take care of it, right? Let them get off their lazy butts and buy their own heating fuel, right? Hmm? Whatever happened to that? Next, you are lamenting people with a lot of money? When you are the party of “get rich get rich get rich….” right? So you should be thrilled that ANYONE, regardless of party affiliation, is rich, right? Oh, or is it just progressive rich people that you don’t like? Hmmm? As to partisan logjams, give us a break. Your party’s TeaRadicals, who shame the legacy of Lincoln and TR and Ike and Rockefeller and Chase Smith and Cohen are so extreme it is their very religion to block anything and everything. Democrats have been more than willing to work with them on issue upon issue. You have a bunch of TeaPublicans who are so out there in ultra right field they won’t even ask billionaires to pay one more dime in taxes to help reduce the deficit, then they screech about needing to reduce it. Every economist in the world worth anything says you must have some revenue from the rich to do it. And yet the TeaPublicans say no, not a dime. Put it all on everyone else’s back, as usual. The TeaPublicans are ultra radicals, and Raye would go there and toe their line on most votes, and he knows it. GO MICHAUD !!
And what you said is what is wrong with the system, if I don’t
agree with you 100% then I’m against you.
I’m for helping the people that truly need help to get them back up on
their feet but not for them to live off the system unless they truly need to
like the disabled but not because of laziness.
I can be a moderate republican just like Mike can be a conservative democrat. I’m not a sheep like you, the world isn’t
all black and white, and there is a lot of gray and color so you need to open
your eyes. I can be fiscally
conservative and liberal when it comes to social issues. My problem with Obama is that he wants us to
trust him while our deficit runs over 16 trillion and people on assistance has doubled
in the last 4 years. When I voted for
him and hope and change this isn’t what I voted for. He blames Bush yet doesn’t change any of his policies,
so now he owns them and is part of the problem and not the solution. Open your eyes and while in Washington it is
all or nothing when it comes to parties that isn’t how it is in the rest of the
country.
Very true, Naran.
If this is their “token Republican” as I snarked yesterday, then it’s a whopper! Well done, BDN editorial board.
Raye, “NO WAY”
Common-sense and reasoned endorsement? I don’t mind Raye but endorsing him because he is in the majority party is far from common-sense and reasoned.
On that logic we should have booted Collins from her seat a few years ago and put a democrat in there.
Their reasoned endorsement would dictate to only have one party.
Endorsing a candidate because there are more republicans in congress is the stupidest idea I have heard.
What a hoot! Everyone knows that Raye’s “Majority Party” affiliation expires on November 6th when the whole GOP/Tea Party/American Taliban gets the voter’s boot right up their backside! Besides, the man himself doesn’t stand a chance against Mike Michaud.
I would check your sources on the Democrats taking Congress. The Democrats need 25-26 seats to take control and polling indicates they may pick up 5-6.
Hardly the sweeping anti-Tea Party wave you seem to predict, especially if Raye wins in Maine which is now possible.
I think this BDN position tells a lot more about the election than just a simple endorsement for a Republican. These media folks usually have polling data/information not always available to the general folks.
I am willing to bet that this endorsement means that the Second CD elector for Maine is in play. So In November when the Electors votes are cast, Maine may cast 3 votes for Obama and 1 for Romney. I know that’s a stretch, but national campaign money is starting to flow into the district from both sides. You tell me.
Let’s talk about women:
http://front.moveon.org/scarlett-johansson-eva-longoria-kerry-washington-break-down-just-how-important-this-election-is-for-women/
Those women as far as i went are all starlets and models with makeup and finery.
Lets talk about REAL women.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/10/15/swing-states-poll-women-voters-romney-obama/1634791/
You mean the type your party promotes? The Stepford Wives. Hardly real women, not by the biggest stretch.
Obviously you are having trouble with my link.
It indicates that the so-called gender gap between Obama and Romney does not exist.
Yeah, dream on.
Not my “dream”. Several national polls say its true. Start with the link above then go to the Washington Post Poll then the AP. Looks like more folks than just me have the same dream, if dream it is.
When you distinguished between “real” women and other women above, I think you lost all support from anybody.
You didn’t look at the women in his video ad. I don’t know any women like the Hollywod fantasy they represent. Do you?
They are dressed normally. For instance, one of them is wearing a plaid shirt.
I’m just trying to help you out. Right now, I think you’re doing more damage to Republicans than good.
Bye.
Oh my, Plaid.
I don’t fool myself, like you, that blogging here means anything. People vote their pocketbooks.
This means nothing.
First time voters maybe but all the polls are saying that first time voters are going to vote for Obama. Just as the first time voters did in 2008. Except those who voted for Obama then are not so likely to vote for him this time. That only goes to show that you do have to have been born yesterday to vote for Obama.
Apparently for some folks they only seem to know how to bite even a lending hand. Best to leave this barking cheese dog alone.
I wonder what Michelle’s divorce papers will reveal about Obama’s view of women?
Which stretch marks concern you the most?
move on.org as a source. Really?
You need to get a real job!
You certainly aren’t a journalist !!!
LOL
Didn’t claim to be.
LOL
How come you’re not using your new PPH name?
Shall I post it for you?
It is all a stretch. And my abs hurt.
Didn’t say it wasn’t. :)
Why doesn’t this same logic apply to Pingree?
American Talliban! I like it! It sums their whole pack up. LOL
BDN endorses Raye; Romney wins Maine’s 2nd district riding on Raye’s coattails; Romney wins the elction by virtue of one electoral vote from Maine’s 2nd district. BDN never makes another political endorsement and StillRelaxin loses his voice. Life is good.
Be brave; very brave and be prepared to lose.
Wow I am blown away that even the BDN is sick of Michaud being Nancy Pelosi’s lacky! GO KEVIN RAYE!!!!!
Well, I would rather not see Pelosi back too. I think we need some new leadership there. But GO MIKE MICHAUD.
This was just an attempt to look neutral!
They know that Raye hasn’t the chance of a snowball in hates on this one!
Stupid is doing the same thing over and expecting different results. That’s what we have with Michaud and a President that has a difficult time telling the truth.
It is all about power now not us “little” people anymore.
Making the argument that this endorsement does is tacit acceptance that the massive stonewalling by GOP members-of-congress during the first Obama Administration was acceptable and constitutes assurance that such a strategy will be effective when used in the future. No thanks, I think I’ll stick with the very experienced Mr. Michaud. We’re going to need it.
I prefer someone with college education ….BATES(Raye) vs. Shenk H.S.; and has a family business background vs. unionism.
I’m pleased to see the BDN endorse a non-incumbent, Republican– though their reasoning is quite odd. It’s interesting that they assume Republicans will hold onto the House this election.
Sounds like BDN decision was based on TV reality show, like “survivor”, “….contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes… allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe member…” lol
I don’t think there is any difference between these two career political leeches but this endorsement is a sham – “we like him because he’s friends with the cool guys” nice job BDN
Wait….I thought that the BDN was a biased, liberal rag.
Also, the majority party thing….are all endorsements going to be based on that now, or is this selective logic?
And, even if I thought that Raye was a moderate, the party that he belongs to is not and as a freshman house member, he will have no power on the committee level, which is where Michaud has some heft.
If you want to endorse Raye, that’s fine…but the member of a majority party logic is foolish, shortsighted and means literally nothing.
They need to change their image or only the moonbats would read it.
Really? It always seems like there are a lot of angry, bitter right wing folks in the comment section.
Or actually buy it. Of course people still get puppies & have birds, so there is some use for it. Hard to understand the venomous passion from Michaud supporters as opposed to simply looking @ his record logically & deciding that change is definitely needed. If Raye doesn’t work out, throw him out next election. Simple as that. Of course that is logic. Passion dictates that people support their own congressman while blaming every other state’s. Of course I think that I heard Mike say that when he’s re-elected he promises to spend @ least 20% more of his time in Maine next year. That’ll up his total to around 30 days. Now that is a hard working guy in touch w/his state…
Maybe Kevin ought to give Donald a call!
You can endorse him but he would not be part of a moderate House. His caucus would reign him in quickly. We all know how that works. I do not want the America envisioned by those in control of the House. I am so relieved that Michaud has a wide lead here in Northern Maine.
“Send Kevin Raye to Congress – He’ll Buy His OWN Car!”
http://www.pressherald.com/blogs/capitolticker/153282315.html
American taxpayers don’t need any more tax-and-spend liberals in Congress. Ask Michaud why he’s taking a luxury $800/month leased car, on top of his $174K annual salary. Why can’t Michaud pay for his own car?
Yeah, just think of the whopper of a kitchen kevin can install in the US Capital Building!!
The ad from Michaud is a fake — as the PPH “Truth Test” points out, loud and clear.
http://www.pressherald.com/politics/Truth-Test-.html
The PPH says the ad uses FAKE PHOTOS, and is 100% false.
Thanks for asking.
Here’s the real photos of the conference room, and the kitchenette:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/557101_540425929307577_1780324164_n.jpg
Conference room
https://www.facebook.com/ajax/messaging/attachment.php?attach_id=9ebf1df1bed89d4e0b648d52bbeef4c2&mid=id.219405328190622&hash=AQBir2CPiOPlvfl4&mid=id.219405328190622
Kitchenette
Look at the photos, and then review Michaud’s FAKE attack ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pORBLocI-Ow&feature=player_embedded
Mike Michaud – What ELSE is He Lying About?
You then agree with evrything the pph prints, including evrytime they’ve pointed to a bogus regressive add
i don’t care how big or small the kitchen was, just because Raye was so lazy to walk down the hall for water does not mean my tax dollars have to build him a kitchen!!
So you’d agree that every republican who on top of their $174K salary who is now leasing a car and charging it to the gov should be voted out of office.
Is Michaud driving around in the same luxury SUV as your boy lepage? Lets vote legage out, he gets chaufered around in a luxury SUV.
As usual, you’re long on hubris and short on facts. There are only 82 DC House legislators taking the “free” car from the taxpayers – out of 435 House members in Congress.
Your boy Michaud is the only Maine legislator taking the gravy-train perk of a “free” luxury car from the US taxpayers. Even Pingree manages to pay for her own transportation.
And as usual you avoid the point. Let’s try it one question at a time so you won’t be easily confused.
There are 38 republicans in the house, as noted in the link
you provided, “who on top
of their $174K salary who is (are) now leasing a car and charging it to the gov,” SHOULD
THEY ALL BE VOTED OUT, just like you suggest Michaud should?
Here, let me channel what your mother used to say: “Dear, we’re not talking about those other states. We’re talking about Maine.”
You’re welcome.
Yeh, the regressive hypocrisy just continues to waddle along.
Aren’t those regressives stealing your hard earned money,
don’t you pay more to the irs because of those wild eyed, big spending republican comressmen. Come on, where’s your indigniant concern, that’s your money they’re spending.
So let him know you object to that. I will join you. But that is hardly a reason to discredit his legislative accomplishments.
Which other than local VA centers is….?
Are you saying they weren’t needed? You just lost a bunch of votes for the Rs.
OTHER…. than….. Other…… than…….
Besides what I write here will not effect how people vote one way or the other. You also.
Maybe they should put that in the job description, “Must have your own car”, LOL
I imagine that Charlie Rangel doesn’t need to spend hours in a car to see his entire district. Just sayin’.
tax and spend liberals instead of borrow and spend republicans? it was your boy that put 2 wars on a credit card and hows those bush tax cuts doing creating jobs
They call that Projection!
It is what the Delusional Mind Does for Life Support!
Whats this insanity about Tax and Spend Liberals?
Do you think that Tea Brains and Neocons don’t Tax and Spend?
Give US a break!
CAR? KITCHENS? What STUPID ads they both are. Give me someone who will not be in ALEC’s back pocket and I will vote for them. Let me go check. Well Raye is not there. Michaud is not there. Oh, but look. Charlie Summers is. Imagine that. Nope, keep Raye and Summers away from Congress and maybe the people of Maine will actually be able to get things done in Washington.
The only thing Michaud has ever said to Obama is “did I do good boss, did I, did I?”
Dead wrong. You should check out Michaud’s record on international trade deals, for instance. Facts are great.
And dont give me the “votes with the president whatever % of the time” crap, those numbers include the naming of post offices and other procedural nonsense.
Michaud is widely known as one of the weakest most ineffective members of Congress. That probably has more to do with the endorsement than membership in a majority caucus.
A newspaper in Bangor Maine can’t come right out and say “Our Congressman is a dweeb.” afterall.
“Michaud is widely known” is a statement of opinion. An incorrect opinion at that. Do you have metrics, or are you doing the Fox News special (stating opinion’s as facts and hoping people are too stupid to notice).
The HEADLINE of the endosement mentions the majority party issue.
Yes it’s opinion. This is an opinion section of the newspaper.
I base my opinion on people who know him personally as well as a few political folks that are familiar with DC politics.
The Sun Journal while endorsing Kevin Raye characterizes Michaud as “listless”. In my opinion that means ineffective.
Mike Michaud is a Firewall against the Insanity of the Tea Party!
All he has to do is fill a seat and he has done more for Maine in that regard than any of those radical Tea Intoxicated drones could do in a life time !!!!
Speaking of intoxication………
When I think of someone railing and struggling against (of for) something, Mike doesn’t come to mind.
Um, their only basis for recommending Raye is that he will have the House majority with him. They actually found them to be quite similar.
The only “crap” I’m going to give you is when the votes count he’s with Obama.
Yes, they do seem to have the same priorities. But Michaud was there well before Obama, though he may have worked with him when Obama was in the Senate. So what is your point? That they work well together? Glad someone does.
I think you’re in for a rude surprise at the polls on November 6th. Like KIng and other progressive Democrats, Michaud’s real record has been spreading far and wide.
You do not understand what the word progressive means. Neither Obama nor Michaud are Progressives. I fault them for that. But I will vote for them anyway as the alternative is abhorrent to me.
“Having worked for Snowe for 17 years, Raye has learned many lessons
about the necessary difficulties associated with bipartisanship and
compromise. As a business owner and Senate president, he knows what it’s
like to be responsible to others and to lead. May he use his skills as
the next congressman to represent the 2nd District.”
Sounds about right! Kevin Raye WILL be A Stronger Voice for Maine!
Those skills serve Snowe so well in this current political climate that she quit in disgust with the whole process.
The House, Senate and Oval office. Will be great to see someone in the big chair that respects the office.
Indeed. I am tired of seeing photos of President Obama with his feet up on the desk and antique furniture that was owned by the Founding Fathers and our first presidents. He has no respect for the office he holds, or our history.
Please, Naran, that is pathetic, even for you. Thinking that Romney will somehow bring some sort of respect to office is lame. Or maybe you’re looking back fondly on the Bush years, when many in your party were saying the same thing about W bringing respect to office. If you include having absolutely no respect for the American people being respectful of the office, then I guess Mittens and W fit your world view.
She saw it in a chain email a few years back and still hasn’t gotten over it. Give her your email, she can forward it to you.
W put his feet on the desk too, just as probably every other president before him. So so silly.
I never voted for either Bush. Thanks for playing, though.
You’re just playing? Does that account for the trivia?
Was that when you claim you were a democrat or had you not moved to the US yet?
Um, I may be mistaken, but the decor for the Oval Office is chosen by each president. And each president takes it when he leaves office. There’s nothing antique about that desk.
Does that count for Wall Murals in state office buildings?
Is the Maine Labor Department lobby or waiting area LePage’s office? No, it is not.
Petty, petty. Best you can do? Scraping the bottom of the barrel for dirt, you’ve run out of meaningful mud.
Got anything important to say other than you should be an interior decorator? More important things going on here lucy.
What a childish comment. You obviously know little of Mr. Romney’s past, or views toward people like you.
So if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em?
This reads like the editorialist was instructed by the publisher to endorse Raye, so the editorialist purposefully wrote a weak endorsement. Either that or the editorialist wasn’t able to articulate how, on the merits, one candidate is better suited for the job than the other.
As surprising as this endorsement is to many of us who thought that the BDN was becoming ever more progressive, surely it reflects the power of publisher Rick Warren in imposing his will on the editor(s). The BDN has always supported Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, so that Raye’s long years with Snowe is, let us acknowledge, the real reason for this endorsement. Let those right-wingers who harp on the BDN’s alleged liberal bias keep this unconvincing editorial in mind next time they want to denounce the newspaper. Raye in Congress will work to try to restrict voters at all levels, as he has done on the state level as Senate President. Boy can he “cut the mustard” there.
I doubt that it will help his numbers at this stage of the game. The non partisan polls, critical insight, and others show a Michaud lead anywhere from 12 to 20 points. I wonder, why BDN waited so long to endorse him, do they think that their endorsement makes that much of an difference? It’s not the only daily circulation in the district, considering it is the largest congressional district. Lewiston, Waterville, and Presque Isle all have dailys, and regardless of their endorsements, I’ll wager that their reasoning will be much more identifiable and succinct. Majority party……..my word!
Boot the union hack out and let him buy his own car. Boycott Lee Auto Mall
I have to say that I’m a die hard liberal but I understand your reasoning. The Republican party does need some more moderate influences. I have to assume that Raye didn’t take Rove’s pledge to not raises taxes under any circumstances. I’ll probably still vote for Michaud in hopes of turning the House around, if not this year then maybe next election.
However, his pledges or lack thereof, need to be vetted.
Why bother endorsing Raye? Conservatives are still going to scream and cry that they’re victims of a liberal media bias. Just look at these comments.
Worst justification for endorsing a Congressional candidate that I have witnessed in a very long time. Makes no sense. Mike Michaud has been an effective Representative in CD 2 for a long time — and for all citizens, irrespective of party affiliation. He has developed seniority in the House that Raye will need years to acquire. You’re dead wrong on this one, BDN.
After all the damage he and his party did to the working people of this State, I would sooner vote for ANYBODY running against him! Fortunately, we have a good man in the running. Michaud
And what about the wars in the middle east….No one..No one…talks about that…We spend $3million a minute there creating more terrorists and putting our soldiers at risk….We have no money because the wars have cost $2 to 3$ billion…..Remember when dingbats like Tom Brokaw said the war in Iraq would be over in a week……And what have Republicans ever done for the average person in Maine except cutting Medicare and wanting to privatize prisons, schools, social security…..Any for a buck for the masters on K Street and Wall Street
A men to you, but it seems the american people are as divided as the congress.
Now this really is a surprise!
The Sun Journal has now endorsed Kevin Raye for Congress.
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/our-view/2012/10/26/change-congress-suit-maine/1271304
Sen. Raye will do a fine job in DC.
Sorry, BDN… I’m stepping outside of my binder to let you know that if you think I’d intentionally vote for any candidate who would add to the number of regressive, repressive Republicans in the U.S. House, you’ve been hanging out far too much with the bath salts crowd. You’re totally delusional.
Good one!
Does anyone have any deeper insight on Raye’s foreign policy views? Nothing on his website and finding zilch via search engine.
He can see Canada……………………..
This is one of the most lame endorsements I’ve ever read.
If endorsements were based upon what party was in power, then there would be only one party. You have to have a better reason then that to endorse a candidate.
Wow every day it looks more and more that this state is waking up to the 30 years of corruption and debt the dems left us with.Thank you BDN.
I am surprised
Thanks for the debate. Bye. :)
Dear BDN:
You are both politically, and functionally illiterate….
It’s a good thing that people don’t read very well!
…you’ve got to be kidding
I have a feeling that the voters of this country have had buyers remorse from the 2010 elections. A huge number of these extreme right Tea Party Repubicans are going to be sent back to where they came from.
We’ll keep the crying towel handy for you on November 6th.
I have a feeling you may have an active imagination.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/house/2012_elections_house_map.html
Please note that according to the averages the Republicans are going hold Congress by 9 seats even if they lost all the toss-up races to the Dems.
If the Republicans split all the toss-up races 50/50 they would be up 22 seats.
The story about a snowball and a hot place comes to mind regarding the chances of what you think above coming to pass.
The headline “Dewey Wins” comes to mind.
I think there is an anti-Obama wave sweeping the country at the moment. The only thing that may blunt that momentum is early voting in some states.
I’m not so worried about the White House. What worries me is the current Congress. The extremist on both sides of the isle need to be booted out. This current Congress has to be the worst this country has ever seen.
I agree with you 100%. The makeup of Congress will determine where this country is headed more than who gets elected president,
I see it the other way. The Democratic President is the one holding up progress. He is holding back economic growth for instance.
Congress is going to remain in Republican hands and should Obama be re-elected will remain in Republican hands until 2016 from what I have read.
A Democrat majority is more likely to happen in 2014 if Romney wins, according to the pundits that watch such things, as the political party out-of Presidential power usually makes gains.
Like I said, I don’t care what the label is Dem, Rep, Ind, etc. We need to get rid of the ideologues who are only interested in their ideas with the exclusion of all others. They want absolute power.
Most of us know where that leads.
At the present time we seem to have one individual, Grover Norquist, who seems to have absolute power over the Republican legislatures in both the Federal and State governments. If you don’t think that is dangerous, I worry about you.
The Norquist pledge was to the people of their districts who are tired of being taxed for everything that comes down the pike. It has to end. Ever increasing spending has to end.
BS it is all connected state and federal. Norquist is anti-american.
Let me get this straight. You are saying that if I believe I am over taxed and the government overspends I am anti-American? Pretty arrogant statement.
Norquist is a radical who only cares about the wealthy. You must be one percenter!
Ever increasing costs of living has a tad bit to do with the increases in the costs of running government and its services.
Norquist uses the pledge like a weapon to anyone who has the temerity to try and back out of it.
There is no honest reason to hand that kind of power to anyone. He is not a seer or prophit who can predict what the real needs to run this country will be. Neither are the finacial backers of his. He has masters also.
A tad. Can’t afford it don’t spend it.
Speaking as you have here will only serve to make your comments disappear (Not by me. I like it when conservatives expose their true selves like this. Please continue!). It’s too bad though that you also chose to tarnish the reputation of our veterans whom we all love and respect in the process. In the future, could you please leave them out of your angry hate filled personal attacks?
To some who know the Taliban up close and personal your statement above and obvious lack of personal knowledge could be considered a bit “over the top”. They might even be considered “hate-filled” remarks.
Well, it is nice to see and make note of the fact that the only part of my comment you don’t seem to agree with is the comparison of today’s conservative leaders to others who are also closed minded religious fanatics who want to keep women in their place and spew nothing but hatred for anyone not like them. The only difference I see is where these folks have chosen to live.
You might feel different if the real Taliban placed an IED and killed a friend of yours.
http://news.yahoo.com/ap-poll-romney-erases-obama-advantage-among-women-071129692–election.html
And Mike Michaud and DEMOCRATS have been the national leaders making sure the returning veterans get the care they need and get education and jobs when they return as well.
If denial is the first of five stages of grief, liberal mourning about
the possible end of the Obama presidency can be said to have begun.
Actually, the Togus Union is closer to Michaud’s heart than the veterans he claims to serve.
Thank you for your service to our Country, Keith.
BDN Do you want the comments to be only supportive to TeaParty candidates? Can’t believe this!
Not to worry. Looks like the non–TPers are winning, both in numbers and in substance.
Glad I am not a subscriber to BDN. And now I know why.
Freelodaer, eh?
What? Raye will serve in the majority — what crystal ball is the BDN board using? Secondly, this paper doesn’t seem to know the Raye that all of us know. I am disappointed that the BDN has made an endorsement based on such silly reasoning.
Really?? Because the republicans will have the majority you are endorsing him?? What malarkey….
I won’t be voting for him.
Thank you BDN. I agree with you and not because this is a republican vs democrat thing but because it is pure common sense. Mike Michaud has tried hard but his accomplishments are not to be found. It’s time to try someone different and Kevin Raye is a reasonable and middle of the road choice.
Uncommon nonsense.
I noticed they said majority party, and not Republican party, do not vote republican, this Raye has been training under Snowe for 17 years and look what Snowe has done for Maine, nothing.
Is this April 1st?? Endorsing a candidate because of his affiliation with the majority party may not be much of a ringing endorsement for the man himself, but at least it’s a step in the right direction for the BDN!! Now, please do what is right for the country, and endorse Romney over Obama!! Obama has no 2nd term agenda to speak of, so why not give Romney a chance to do something different??
Wrong, on all counts.
The truth can be painful to hear.
How about voting for Michaud and other Democrats for all offices and oust the majority party which isn’t usually good for the middle class?
Go to the polls early and vote! I hope my party wins and I’m doing all I can to promote my candidates. But anyone who doesn’t get out and vote will forfeit the right to complain later.
If you’re going to endorse based on chances of success influencing passing legislation then you’re being disingenuous. The House likely will remain Republican. But ultimately no controversial legislation will be passed by both houses as cloture requires 60 votes in the Senate. And no matter which party wins the Senate, neither will have a large enough majority to move legislation. So, your argument is moot.
Except that the removal of this President will remove roadblocks in the Senate as well. Reid & the Dems will finally realize they will have to negotiate in order to get any part of their agenda passed.
Let’s see. Kevin Raye 2074 ‘likes’. Mike Michaud 5203 ‘likes’. Good odds there. Think Mainers might be on his side.
Where are you getting these stats. If those likes are anything like Obamas they have professionals making likes from false accounts.
ooooo the paranoia is back!
And the falsehoods.
It also has the benefit of being true.
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katehicks/2012/08/24/heh_70_of_obamas_twitter_followers_are_fake_accounts
I love how it calls it a “study”, but then if you click the “study” it’s a New York Times article referring to a “web tool” that lumps “fake” with “inactive.” Those are two wildly different things. So, to say that 70% of Obama’s followers are “professionals making likes from false accounts” is dishonest.
The truth is that 60% of Twitter users go inactive within the first month. (http://mashable.com/2009/04/28/twitter-quitters/) Twitter has a low retention rate.
I’m really sick of this willful ignorance and dishonesty all in order to get in cheap jabs. It’s so immature and useless.
So why do you do it?
London, Sept 28 (ANI): Social networking giant Facebook has started deleting fake page ‘likes’, says a report.
The move came after it had emerged that 8.7 percent of its users of the site are not ‘real’.
I don’t do it. Don’t pull that I know you are but what am I garbage.
60% of users go inactive before the first month. So a web tool that searches for fake and/or inactive accounts is obviously going to yield results of 60%+ for ANY major twitter user, like Barack Obama or Lady Gaga.
That is a far cry from your implication that Obama pays people to create 70% of the likes/followers he receives.
Petty nonsense. Grow up.
Just my informal poll from their Facebook pages. Social media has become quite the thing. It is reported everywhere. Thought I would report some too.
I doubt all of the crap about the 2nd district voting for Romney is correct. Think about it….Lewiston? Waterville? Presque Isle, Millinockets all are gonna vote Michaud. Bangor, who knows, but I wouldn’t be so sure that Bangor is definatly Romney. There’s alot of anti-LePage people out. I will laugh, if the 2nd district goes for Obama, BDN’ shouldn’t have even endorsed anyone………if it took them this long, then they don’t know which candidate they want.
My vote goes to the candidate who has done his job and represented the people of Maine, not private interests during his term in the House- Mike Michaud.
There will be no votes for those who have obstructed the government that is supposed to work for the people of the United States of America. They have done nothing but represent special interest in their time in Washington.
When they could have come together and worked together to get us out of recession and back in the black, they have done nothing except vote repeatedly to attempt to overturn regulations on banking, the environment, clean air and water, womens’ rights, and the affordable healthcare law.
They spent their time in Washington saying one thing out one side of their mouths in public and another out the other side in private.
They have insulted the people of America, taken their huge paychecks and their gold plated healthcare and done NOTHING for FOUR years.
Kevin Raye is just more of the same.
Michaud for Congress in the 2nd District!
There should be no votes for the Party of NO, obstuctionists to the core.
You are kidding…. right?
Endorsing someone because he’s a member of the majority party in Congress is pathetic. I can think of several legislatures in the past that were connected to totalitarian movements that were staffed in the same manner. It is also the basis for the concept of careerism. Congratulations BDN.
The Democrats?
Sorry, I forgot them.
Vote Kevin Raye. Michaud will do and say anything that supports the failing Obama, he needs to retire and let progress move in.
More like regress under the R/TP.
So the BDN offers its token Republican endorsement of the year, and a lame one at that. The fact is that Raye is a Paul LeBUFFOON toadie who sides with the corporatists, sides with LeBUFFOON, and talks about being “bipartisan” when he stood there on the floor of the Maine Senate and promoted the disgusting LIE about non-existent voter fraud as they tried to suppress voters with their NATIONAL RIGHT WING AGENDA to do this right out of ALEC, the Heritage Foundation, and the Koch Brothers.
Generic polling shows the Democrats positioned to win the House and hold the Senate at the national level, so it is very wrong for the BDN to speculate who will emerge in control of the lower body. There is no question that the Democrats will gain seats in this cycle. And while Raye talks about the hyperpartisanship in Washington, you can thank the TeaRadicals for that whose very RELIGION it is to not work with the other side and block everything even to the point of taking the nation to the brink of default for the first time in history. Raye would toe the line with them most of the time and he knows it. Michaud has worked tirelessly for Maine. He has worked his heart out for our veterans, for Maine business and manufacturing, and brought a lot of resource home to us. He has also worked across the aisle on issue on top of issue. He is a good and honorable man, a good Congressman, and he will win another term.
Generic polls and individual polls are two different animals. You site the generic Poll which has the Democrats up 0.2% which is not very much as these things go. That number generically means a pick up of 2-3 seats… (1 point generally mean 10 seats, in 2010 the generic ballot had Republicans up 6.8% which translated into an actual 63 seat pick-up.) If this generic ballot were to hold true it mean that Democrats would gain 3 seats, 23 shy of the number to gain control of Congress. Prognosticators are saying Democrats will actually pick up 5-6 seats still well shy of the number needed to take control.
BDN , how can you endorse Raye by saying that because of his party affiliation he will be good for us and also post an article that democrat Pingree will be good for Maine ? I fail to see logic in place here ! Please quit pandering to both parties and tell us the truth.
Yikes! What’s gotten into the water at the BDN?
Given the logic (??) of your Raye endorsement why didn’t you endorse Pingree’s Republican opponent? Now neither of your endorsements are worth the paper they are written on—if they ever were.
Democrat or Republican, Conservative or Liberal, Green or Libertarian, just how dumb does the editorial board think BDN readers are?
I will continue to buy the paper edition because in the spring and fall it’s nice to have something to start the occasional fire with.
Given the agenda of the current House majority, I question any benefit to Maine from adding to it.
Better that we should try to eliminate the R/TP majority. I don’t think Raye can cut the mustard. Haven’t scanned the other comments yet, but waiting to see what the BDN haters will say about this one.
Ah, the good things that will happen to Maine if Kevin Raye gets to join John Boehner’s reactionary caucus! One wonders, what will they be, exactly?
Zilch. Nada. Bupkis.
This has got to be the most shortsighted endorsement ever.
What happens when the Republicans no longer have a majority?
If Michaud does not get reelected Millinocket will fall off the map. Although people think Michaud does a lot for veterans it is not all him as people seem to think. He trys but he needs to go if you look at his voting record his support of the military is not all that great.
Wait–you are endorsing Raye so he can go to Washington and do what John Boehner tells him to do?
How is that standing up for Maine?Glad to see the BDN editorial board hasn’t gained either principles or smarts
Fair point…why have that when we can have someone do what Nancy Pelosi tells him to do.
Great, let’s give the reactionary republicans another vote to help them sink the country.
Great, another vote to help the reactionary republicans sink the country. What both houses need is as many democrats as possible. BDN is living in lala land with their reasoning. There is no reasoning with the my way or the highway republicans.
Except that there’s a pretty good chance that Raye would be in the MINORITY. Time to vote the TeaPublicans off the Island.
So basically what you are saying BDN news is we should have one party so that we can get things done?
Michaud is a bought and paid for shill of the greenies and unions, and had never got the support of small business
Kevin’s roots in rural DownEast Maine are now deeper and wider than Michaud’s in the dwindling union ranks.
Wise choice. Polls support Raye’s victory over Michaud.
Why doesn’t this same logic apply to Pingree?