Poliquin re-emerges with a bitter message of division

Former US Rep. Bruce Poliquin is running, only this time it’s not into a bathroom to hide from reporters. Shy as a congressman, comfortable walking away from a reporter while refusing to answer a question or locking the doors to his offices in the state so he wouldn’t have to face constituents, Poliquin has now […]

Democrats can’t afford to let primary fight divide the party

Democratic voters in Iowa will caucus next week, becoming the first to weigh in on who should be the nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in November. I’m going to let you in on a little secret that only experienced and wise political columnists know. Michael Bloomberg can beat Trump. So can Bernie Sanders. And […]

The accidental endorsement from The New York Times

The editorial board of The New York Times thought it was endorsing its preferred candidates in the Democratic primary for president this week. Instead, what the writers actually endorsed was ranked-choice voting. For a little background, The New York Times – one of the most important and influential newspapers in the country – endorsed two […]

BIW gets a $45 million tax break. It should expect scrutiny.

Bath Iron Works is one of the most important companies in Maine, but that doesn’t grant it immunity from basic oversight of tax programs designed for its sole benefit. The company employees more than 6,000 people, most of them unionized. It’s a defense contractor, building destroyers for the United States Navy. It’s also more than […]

When he needs it most, the president has no credibility left

The longer President Donald Trump talks, the more lies he tells. And now, at a time when the world may be teetering on the brink of war, the president and the US are paying the price. That’s the conclusion of a deep-dive analysis by the Washington Post of the president’s performance at political rallies at […]

Can the former Republican Party chair shed baggage of LePage era in run for the State House?

The Republican Party needs to demonstrate that it’s up to the task of governance and upholding the law. Bennett, if he’s up for it, can show them how to do it.

The day after Christmas there arose such a clatter

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore: ‘Twas the day after Christmas, when all through the House Not a legislator was stirring, not even to grouse; The impeachment articles were delayed by the speaker with care, But the Senate was ready in hopes that they would soon be there. The jury was nestled back home in […]

Does Trumpy Bear herald the End Times for parody – and democracy?

It’s not the first time it’s happened, but it has to be the most bizarre. Have you ever been scrolling through Facebook or flipping through the channels and see something that makes you stop and ask: “Is that real?” And then think, “that can’t be real.” In the era of President Donald Trump, Russian misinformation […]

Trump earned impeachment through abuse of power and obstruction

President Donald Trump has earned his impeachment. Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have an obligation to give it to him. The House Judiciary Committee released two narrowly drawn articles of impeachment on Tuesday, making the case that the president deserves to be removed from office for his actions regarding Ukraine and efforts to […]

Health care gives Democrats advantage heading into 2020

Off-year elections — even high profile contests — aren’t always reliable predictors of things to come. But election results in Kentucky, Louisiana and Virginia confirm a lesson that we learned in Maine in 2017: The No. 1 issue in the mind of voters is health care. After nearly a decade of obstruction by former Gov. […]