Maine: Liberal USA Tour Part 2

On Monday, October 9, I went to Maine as part of my Second Annual Liberal USA Tour.  I attended a fundraiser for the Maine Democratic Party held at the Italian Heritage Center.  Howard Dean was there, along with the Governor Baldacci and congressional representatives Tom Allen and Michael Michaud.  Jean Hay Bright, candidate for the US Senate also spoke, and what a wonderful liberal grassroots candidate Jean is.  

I couldn't have picked a better event to attend my first time in Maine since I got to hear from the Governor, their two congressional representatives and the senator who will hopefully replace Olympia Snowe.

Below the fold I'll tell you what I heard Monday morning from Governors Baldacci and Dean. I'll also pass along some key comments from the chair of the Maine Democratic Party and most importantly a plan for getting out of Iraq from Maine congressional representative Tom Allen.

When I arrived at the breakfast, it was exciting to see a big Howard Dean sign out front. For those of you who don't know, I'm a Howard Dean supporter and a big fan of his 50 state strategy.  There were a slew of blue dots in my vision field because many people were wearing Howard Dean for America and Democracy For America buttons.  What I enjoy most about going to a grassroots Democratic event is knowing that I'll be in a roomful of instant friends.  Is the entire Maine Democratic Party embracing grassroots activism?  It sure seemed like it to me.

One woman I was sitting next to had forgotten her Dean button in the car and didn't feel comfortable without it so she went outside to get it.  When she returned she told me how she had once felt so enlightened being an independent in the years prior to George Bush. Although Bush had started to feed her anger, it didn't move her to action until Howard Dean came onto the national stage with his message to take back our country.  That's when she realized being an independent was only an excuse for not taking a stand.  She's now active in the grassroots and a Proud Democrat.  We're taking our party back!

College Democrats from Husson College and Maine Maritime

There were about 200 people in attendance when Governor Baldacci started to speak.  I know that Kos has posted that Baldacci is now the
most endangered Democratic governor in this election cycle, so please check out his web site if you can volunteer or contribute to his campaign.

Baldacci talked about some of his accomplishments in Maine like turning a $1.2 billion dollar deficit into a suprlus without raising taxes in Maine.  That average income in Maine was rising for it's citizens in contrast to the reduction the majority of other states are experiencing.  [What are inhabitants of Maine called, Mainers?]  Governor Baldacci also talked about how Howard Dean had inspired Maine's legislation on health care by proving that it can be done.

Governor Dean was next up to speak and he talked about the Republican War on American Families.  Dean also made an appeal for people to run for office saying that's where the grassroots starts.  He called for people to run locally for county commissioner and the school board as well as Governor.  In addition to Dean's call, I think it's also important to run for Democratic Party positions at your local and state levels.

Dean called for change in our country so that America is owned by ordinary citizens, not oil and insurance companies.  He said America's strength is hard working people.  That that we can't trust Republicans to protect Americans. We need to be tough AND smart, not just talk tough.  Dean went through the failures of Republicans to protect us like North Korea's detonation of an atomic weapon, Iraq, Bin Laden.  Dean reiterated that you can't trust Republicans on those things any more than you could trust Republicans to rescue people off the rooftops after Katrina.  

Finally, Dean said we need to put one foot in front of the other for the next 29 days, emphasizing the importance of personal contact.   The Governors then had to leave to go canvassing.  You can check out the pictures from their canvassing event on Governor Baldacci's blog here:
http://governorbaldacci.blogspot.com/...

I was really surprised when the Maine Democratic Party Chair, Ben Dudley, started speaking. Dudley immediately talked about the importance of the 50 state strategy in Maine, naming  at least four organizers in Maine paid for by the DNC.  Sorry I couldn't write fast enough to get all of their names.  Dudley thanked Howard Dean for the 50 state strategy as the Governor's exited the room.

I haven't followed the Maine polls for congressional elections, but I sure as hell hope that Tom Allen gets reelected!  I'm not sure if this is his Iraq plan or the new Democratic Iraq plan, but it's a plan I can back 100%.  I'm recollecting his speech from memory, so check with his office for the specifics.  

Congressman Tom Allen says we need to get out of Iraq in 2007. [Please note that Allen voted against the resolution authorizing the Iraq war in 2002]  As a prerequisite to our leaving, Allen says the Sunnis and the Shias need an agreement on how to share  the oil revenues.  Here's where I'm not clear in my memories, but I think he said that Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are best situated to help broker this.  I think he also said that these countries are also best situated to help provide the security forces for Iraq to replace U.S. troops withdrawing.  The other key of Allen's plan is the need for donor nations to pull together to finance the reconstruction of Iraq and that the Europeans will need to do this, again because of the lack of U.S. credibility.  

Congressman Allen also talked about the Democratic Engine of Reform in 2006.  That we are at the start of a progressive movement when we win this fall similar to the movements of the 1930's and 1960's.  

I like Congressman Allen's message!

The next speaker up made me wistful that if only the DSCC and DCCC spent more time raising money instead of finger pointing, we'd have enough money to make sure all the people of Maine knew Jean Hay Bright and how much better a senator she'd be than Olympia Snowe.  Snow, with her 80% Bush loving voting record needs to be exposed as the radical Republican she really is. 80% with Bush does not a moderate make in anyone's book.

I picked up some of Jean Hay Bright's literature and what I love best about her one tri-fold flyer is that she is not afraid to put in writing exactly how she would vote on past and present legislation.  Hay Bright also has an appealing slogan, "Vote for the America you want to live in."

Jean Hay Bright started her speech by saying how Monday was such a great day for her because the tide had really turned in Maine, the country, and her senatorial race.

On Iraq, Hay Bright said that we need to make a commitment to leave because no one wil do anything until we have said we're out of there.  She said that we also need to make a commitment to fix what we've broken and that if we want Iraqi oil we should just buy it.  

One of my favorite things I heard from Hay Bright was when she talked about the need to separate health care from a job and how this will grease the wheel of the American economic engine.  I have always felt that we would free up so many talented individuals from corporate slavery if they felt that their family would still have health insurance.  Single payer will definitely help more people realize the American Dream of being their own boss.

If you're not familiar with Jean Hay Bright you definitely need to check out her web site.  If you want to vote for a senator you can believe in, that's definitely Jean Hay Bright.
http://www.jeanhaybright.us/

Tomorrow I'll diary about seeing Murtha in New Hampshire and Carol Shea-Porter whose running for Congress against incumbent Jeb Bradley.  Little did the people of New Hampshire know that when they sent Jeb Bradley to Congress they'd be getting back Jeb Bush.