Nov 21 2013

The Red County Firewall

The people of Maine endured a political firestorm in this past legislative session from the Democrats. From the moment they took their majority, they embarked on a partisan mission to undo every legislative accomplishment of the Republican Party. This narrow minded approach to governing was best exemplified recently as Maine Democrats voted down party lines against a bill to aid victims of sex trafficking, but then passed a Justin Alfond bill to promote wine tasting.

This “blind leading the blind” mantra practiced by the Alfond/Eaves Democrats is simply a parrot of the “my way or the highway” dogma preached by the Reid/Pelosi Democrats at the national level, where reaching across the aisle simply means to reach and pull Republicans to their side. All must obey. All must march in lockstep to the stamp of Nancy Pelosi’s stiletto heel or feel its sharp point in the back of their neck. One can then understand why Maine’s own whimpering Mike Michaud, Pelosi’s Puppy, meekly obeyed and voted against his own people, preventing them from keeping their health insurance.

The Alfond “subvert the people at all costs” tactics left the Governor sharpening and resharpening the quill on his veto pen. Governor LePage set a record for vetoes sustained. He would not have been able to defend the people of Maine with such tenacity had it not been for the strength of conservatives in the legislature who worked hard to sustain those vetoes.

In a recent conversation with an influential political operative and good friend, Jason Savage, I asked him what percentage of those vetoes sustained had been sustained by two or less votes. He didn’t have exact numbers with him but acknowledged that the percentage was pretty high. I further pressed him by asking which County was the most consistent in their votes to stop the overreach of the Alfond Democrats. Jason smiled because he knew where my questions were leading. He replied with this simple answer, “This is why we call Piscataquis County, ‘The Red County Firewall’.”

Paul Davis (R-Sangerville) and Pete Johnson (R-Greenville) are the two representatives from Piscataquis County. Their two votes have made up what has become know in political circles as “The Red County Firewall”. Their votes have been about more than sustaining the Governor’s vetoes; they have been about defending the common sense of Maine people. It has been about demanding that our State government pay its bills just like Maine residents do. With the support of “The Red County Firewall”, Governor LePage was able to pay the hospitals the money due them, something the Alfond led Democrats fought desperately to block. If you see Paul Davis or Pete Johnson, thank them for having the courage to hold the line against the firestorm of big government and selfish politicians. Thank them for being “The Red County Firewall” for the people of Maine!

Nov 5 2013

The High Value of Integrity

It has been some years now since I decided to step into the murky and troubled waters of politics. I remember the first time I walked into a political headquarters and offered to help in any way I could. To that point, I had viewed politics as a necessary evil and only got close enough to vote. But as I watched the steady downward spiral of this Country and this State I loved, I wanted to help. Perhaps, I thought, we could start to turn things around for our children.

The first politician I met when I walked through that door was Paul Davis. From that day I entered into one of the most honest, straightforward and frank relationships that I have ever been in. Despite my entering the political fray as an outspoken and, at times, edgy activist columnist, Paul was always encouraging to my involvement, though I’m sure my tendency to push the envelope could make one uneasy. Paul has always been direct in his opinion of my opinions. There is no confusion to where he stands on issues and this is why The Maine Conservative Voice is publishing this letter of endorsement to support Paul Davis in the Senate primary race for the new District Four.

Paul Davis believes in fiscal responsibility and small government. He not only believes it, he lives it. He is one of the most frugal men I have ever met.

Paul Davis is a social conservative but it is more than a title to him. He has never betrayed those of faith whose vote he courts by claiming to believe one way and living another way. Paul gives his word and stands by it.

Paul Davis will never sell his vote for campaign favors. He does his best to ally himself with men and women of like conscience, who will work with him to represent his constituents. In the very tough and, at times, ugly business of politics, it’s nice to see someone who is willing to take a stand on principle.

Paul Davis believes that the government should stay out of the private lives of the people, their homes and their businesses. He is a strong proponent of private landowner rights and prefers to keep government out of the private sector. Government has a way of confusing what honest citizens do so efficiently.

Paul Davis’ record speaks for itself. Those he has represented for so many years know him. They know he will listen to them and speak for them in Augusta, like the time he put in a bill to change the regulatory mess that was keeping Chris Clukey from establishing his optometrist office in Dover-Foxcroft or the bill to protect the Sebec and Milo dams, which guard Maine’s only natural salmon fishery in Sebec Lake. They know they can put their trust in him because he has proven over and over again that he values and protects their trust.

It’s time to restore integrity to this Senate District again. It’s time to restore the common sense and honesty to this area. It’s what we value most in Maine. Please join me in supporting Paul Davis to be our next Senator from the new District Four.

Andy Torbett

The Maine Conservative Voice

Oct 26 2013

Republicans Should Thank Ted Cruz

It’s been a political whirlwind in Washington D.C. to be sure in the past few weeks. While some Republicans have lamented and even railed against the stand taken by Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, a closer look should have the GOP shaking the Texas and Utah Senators’ hands in gratitude. It’s really not that hard to see, even for a backwoods construction guy like me.

When Ted Cruz made his historic stand on the chamber floor in what was characterized as a flawed strategy, he showed a bright and glaring light on the horrible travesty of ObamaCare. The media carrion swooped in, eagerly waiting to feed on what they expected would be the rotting corpse of the stalwart Senator. As they incessantly circled, pecked and tore at Cruz, they unwittingly gave a constant opportunity for him to speak and educate Americans on the true nature of this healthcare law; something to this point the media had worked obediently with the President to conceal. Now in their rabid thirst to feast on Cruz’s demise, they allowed the curtain to be pulled back. The banner achievement for this administration was truly unfurled and all could see its ineptitude on full display.

All this took was courage, the courage to stand on principle. This has been lacking in the Republican Party for some time. Was the strategy flawed? Perhaps, only time will tell. Did the Republicans take the blame for the tactics? Yes, which is precisely my point.

We have all seen the abject failure of the roll out. I had a friend, who once rebuilt his own transmission in his car. When he had the car ready to show off to his friends, he rolled it out to put on a show. After revving the engine, he let out the clutch for the obligatory smoke show. He immediately realized that he had put reverse in the wrong sequence as the car went straight backwards, firmly planting his chest and face in the steering wheel and dashboard of the car, much to the uproarious delight of all his friends gathered around for the “big reveal”.

But imagine if one of those knee slapping, finger pointing friends had mentioned several times while the young man was putting the car together, that perhaps he was putting it back together wrong. Imagine if that friend had said it several times and even tried to block him from putting the transmission in. I would suspect after all the knee slapping was done at the final “reveal”, they would turn to the lone dissenting voice and say, “I guess you were right”.

Ted Cruz was a lonely easy target for scorn during his “ill-advised” filibuster. But there is no one that has even a nominal understanding of national news that can attach the failure of HealthCare.gov or ObamaCare to Ted Cruz. He was made too much of a whipping boy by the media. It was too public.

And the GOP can be thankful that there was an R at the end of his name. Oh, I know there has been the strange almost comical behavior of John McCain once again making a very public mess in his already sagging soggy Depends. Yes, and there’s Peter King’s drunken three-legged bull in a china shop approach, but the Republicans can stand tall and, no matter what they think of Ted Cruz’s tactics, thank him for his courage in his very public charge against ObamaCare. Thanks to that, the media will be hard pressed to blame this latest White House debacle on the Republicans. They need to move quickly to align with the courage of Cruz and Lee before the smelly, sorry sideshow of McCain and King once again bungles another shining opportunity for Republicans.

Oct 22 2013

Blaine Richardson: Kevin Raye’s Biggest Ally?

With the recent revelations in fundraising, Kevin Raye may be sending olive branches, cuddly bunnies and warm well wishes to libertarian candidate Blaine Richardson in an effort to keep him in the race. It’s becoming increasing clear that Richard Rosen will most likely not enter the race so as to not split the moderate vote for Kevin Raye. The old guard/status quo Republicans will now be free to coalesce behind Raye.

Now, the former State Senate President and career Olympia Snowe favorite, will hold out his hope that Maine Conservatives will continue in their historical self-destructive pattern of sticking it to each other for the sake of, well, just sticking it to each other. Blaine Richardson has had a horrific start to the political fundraising season. He comes out of the gate already woefully in debt. His only hope for impact in this primary is to hobble the already strong striding Poliquin.

Bruce Poliquin has not just sent a shot across the bow of his political opponents of both Parties; he has fired a trident missile. As the shock waves have blistered through the Raye camp, the rattled old guard is now looking at Blaine Richardson as their new favorite BFF. He is their own dark horse, who represents their only outside chance to upset the surging and well-funded conservative, Bruce Poliquin. If their ace-in-the-hole Richardson strategy works, once again the status quo will be forcing 2^nd District Republican voters into holding their noses and voting for a candidate that does not share their values. It looks as if the ground swell behind Poliquin may be enough to overcome Richardson’s attempt to be Poliquin’s Achilles heel. But to watch Maine conservatives stubbornly cling to these self-destructive patterns every election cycle is mind numbing at best.