Mar 5 2010

THROUGH THE CONSERVATIVE PRISM: Steve Abbot Edition

As personalities go, there are always the individuals who have the God-given ability to invoke feelings of camaraderie in those they meet day to day.  Such was the case in Steve Abbott at the Red County Caucus.  Mr. Abbott spoke to a roomful of people who probably at first were a little suspicious of his connection to the moderate/liberal Senator Susan Collins.

As the former chief-of-staff for Senator Collins began to speak to the Caucus goers, they seem to warm to him.  He told stories of the years he spent at Hampden Academy playing basketball against Foxcroft Academy.  The audience chuckled as he retold his many heartwarming altercations with Foxcroft players leaving him usually bloodied and hospitalized.  The residents of Piscataquis County found this humorous and even engaging.

Steve Abbott proceeded with more yarns of nostalgia. This included a story about his sister shooting deer.  At this point, Mr. Abbott’s speech began to loose traction.  Not because his sister shot a deer, since the majority of the room, I’m sure, had a sister who had shot a deer; some even during deer season, but Steve Abbott held this up as some kind of political accomplishment.  There seemed to be a collective “What’s your point” emotion that began to thread through the room.  A theme was developing in this speech.

Mr. Abbott then proceeded to lay out his conservative credentials, which included his dislike of seatbelts. Yeah, you’re right, now eyes started opening.  What had started as Steve Abbott the nice guy, turned into Steve Abbott syrup and Red County Caucus goers were not impressed.

Now, you may say, “Mr. Maine Conservative Voice…guy, where’s the theme in his speech! He said nothing!”  Exactly!  That’s the theme.  That’s the intent.  Ambiguity.  He could not be quoted as saying anything definitive on any valid issue except for an outlandish, over indulgent (syrupy) claim about DEP.  Where have we heard that tactic before?  Ah hah…Susan Collins.  It all comes back to his mentor.

Now some have accused this columnist of laying wait in the grass like a cobra just waiting to strike at liberals. ( For shame, to say such things against my humble person…O.K. …guilty as charged.)  I think Steve Abbott is employing a similar tactic in his campaign.  He is hoping Paul LePage and Bill Beardsly will take each other down and he can strike from behind.

Steve Abbott has no record of leadership.  He intentionally has stayed incased in ambiguity.  This is the Susan Collins machine.  The candidate says vague catch phases intended for each demographic the candidate faces while not saying anything. Do you have that feeling of being insulted?  Get used to it.  He is Washington politics.  Thankfully, perhaps, the fact that an inexperienced, unqualified, previously unknown leader now resides in the White House may be able to give us a good indication of what type of catastrophic leadership ambiguity can bring.  Steve Abbott has no record for us to examine save for some syrupy one- liners. This columnist purposes that we look at the record of his mentor and that should give conservatives a pretty good indication of his true, political leanings.

Mar 5 2010

THROUGH THE CONSERVATIVE PRISM: LES OTTEN EDITION

Mr. Otten was one of the candidates that took the time to come to the Piscataquis County Caucus.  This columnist was surprised at how uncomfortable the man seemed without a teleprompter; although, I have to say, he was not the only candidate that seemed uncomfortable with the short time allotment.  With a crowded primary field and caucus business to attend to, we thought it necessary to limit the speakers to three minutes.

The pressure of time constraint can be an interesting test in itself.  It does take a special leader to consolidate his thoughts, focus his presentation, and impact his audience.  I’m not sure Mr. Otten pulled that off.  I noticed many quizzical expressions on caucus goers faces as he stumbled with his note cards.  Perhaps he should try writing notes on his hand.

Mr. Otten’s claim to fame and money is his ownership of Sunday River and Sugarloaf.  He does come from a family of money also as his father, Albert Otten or Ottenheimer, was a wealthy steel magnate in Germany before migrating to the United States landing in Princeton, New Jersey.

Les Otten purchased Sunday River in 1980.  In 1995 and 1996 Otten formed the American Skiing Company by acquiring Killington, Mount Snow, Haystack, Waterville Valley, and Sugarloaf/USA from S.K.I.  After purchasing Pico Peak, Otten began to spend heavily in marketing and infrastructure.  This ignited a huge growth boon but American Skiing soon was under a mountain of debt.  Mr. Otten’s spending habits had overleveraged the company and the company had to be bailed out.  Where have we heard that before?!  No wonder Mr. Otten kept choking on his words before the Red County Caucus.  Must have been a Freudian frog in his throat.

In the face of American Skiing’s 100 million dollar mountain of debt and stocks careening downhill (I couldn’t help myself), Les Otten sold his controlling shares and left the other partners holding the proverbial bag.  Unfortunately for Mr. Otten’s partners, American Skiing’s earnings did not keep pace with their owner, Les Otten’s, spending.  Now help me, Mr. Otten, because I’m having a hard time seeing the fiscal conservatism here….anywhere here.  Does spend thrifty Augusta really need a spend thrifty Governor?  Just asking a small common sense question.

Mr. Otten seems to embrace the liberal business model of spend now and dodge the consequences later; in fact, the more we dig into Les Otten’s campaign the more liberals we find.  Take for instance Christian Potholm, who helped the Baldacci campaign capitalize on conservative infighting to re-elect a very unpopular Governor.

My fellow Conservatives be wary of this tactic.  Moderates such as Otten, Mills, and Abbott will bide their time hoping a misstep by a Conservative such as Lepage will generate dissension within the Conservative ranks.  They will then pounce and capitalize on our disunity.

Of all the candidates, Les Otten seems to be hiding the most.  He was appointed by Governor Baldacci to chair the Wood to Energy Taskforce at the same time he was forming a wood pellet business.  Conflict of interest…maybe?  When asked why he supported the bogus Income Tax “reduction” bill, he said he did so “reluctantly”.  Hmmm, Mr. Otten, Mainers are fed up with political “emotions”.  They want actions and yours definitely speak louder than your words.   Then, of course, it would be remiss to not show the Otten “O”:

I…ah…I…I just don’t know what to say …except perhaps, “Les, you really Otten to have done that.”

Feb 27 2010

THROUGH THE CONSERVATIVE PRISM: PETER MILLS EDITION

With the Red County Caucus off and running, it is time to take a look at each of these candidates. This column can only view a candidate through one prism; Conservatism. As the light of common sense begins to shine on these candidates, it will either reveal standards or distortions. We begin our analysis with Peter Mills.

Peter Mills wants to be Governor. Peter Mills wants the citizens of Maine to forget that he has a voting record. Peter Mills wants us all to smile and forgive him for voting for gay marriage, voting for a fraudulent tax law last year, and then mocking the concerned citizens who bravely fought these mistakes. Well Peter Mills, this columnist will try to be objective but under the scrutiny of Conservatism there isn’t much that can be found that is positive.

First of all, Peter Mills has voted conservatively against unfunded liabilities. He also has stood against Augusta’s propensity to borrow. These are positive things and should be written in Mr. Mills behalf. I applaud Senator Mills for voting correctly in these situations. Unfortunately for Senator Mills, the majority of his votes outweigh the minority and in a true democracy the majority rules.

Peter Mills has a weakness for Big Government. He has not been able to embrace the Reagan mantra that Government cannot solve problems because it is the problem. Senator Mills has consistently voted to increase the size of Government, frustrating his conservative counterparts in Augusta who have been tasked with the overwhelming responsibility of trying to keep spend thrifty Democrats in check.

This pattern of defection was on display this past year when Peter Mills voted to approve the bogus income tax “reduction” bill which proved to be a tax expansion. When the details of this bill came to light for the people, they were furious. Republicans had to work feverishly and were able to put together a Citizens Initiative to stop the Democrats and Peter Mills. A pattern of partnership has developed over the years that stands against Maine citizens; the Democrats and Peter Mills.

Then we have the gay marriage issue. This was one of the most egregious attacks against the citizens of Maine in recent history. Despite the fact that Mainers had repeatedly rejected a gay marriage law, Peter Mills was the lone Republican who thumbed his nose at the will of the people and voted with Democrats to pass another gay marriage law. Once again, the citizens of Maine were called upon to fix the mistakes of the Democrats and Peter Mills.

Senator Mills now wants to call on these same citizens he has insulted and ignored to now trust him to make Augusta accountable to the citizens again. This columnist had the opportunity to listen to Peter Mills address the citizens of the Red County Caucus in Dover-Foxcroft today. The disdain for him was palpable in the room. As he finished his speech, which seemed at times on the verge of testy, I heard murmurs around me from caucus goers. They were not positive. Terms like “arrogant politician” and “you can tell he went to Harvard” filtered past me. It seems as though the citizens have been burned one too many times and pay back is… well, it’s pay back.

The good Senator has promised the citizens of Maine that he understands the heavy tax burden they are under. He promises to lift that tax burden or some facsimile thereof. He is campaigning as a fiscal conservative, but he is also campaigning as a clean elections candidate. Something tells this columnist that Mr. Mills will have a hard time squaring with common sense Mainers how he can say he feels their tax pain yet is running for Governor on the backs of Maine tax payers through the tax funded Clean Elections system.

What many politicians still don’t understand is that citizens have had it up to the stratosphere with spin and politics. So, if you haven’t been a common sense Conservative right along and are trying now to spin into a Conservative Super Suit, the citizenry may just take a dim view of that. How did they put it in the Red County Caucus today…..Oh yes,… “arrogant politician”…ouch!

Feb 27 2010

The Red County Caucus

This is a story about promises that never create change, change that never happens, and what happens when a promise never changes.

There once was a party that stood by its principles and never wavered. They called for smaller Government, voted for smaller Government, and were proud of smaller Government. The people gave them their vote and their trust.

For a while this party fought against the waste of Government and the heavy tax burden on the citizens it represented. The engine of prosperity began to run smoothly in the nation. The hope of progress began to beat Red across the country. Americans were proud again of the prowess of its people. Unfettered by Government, the American citizens knew there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish.

Unfortunately, Fat Cat politicians began to maneuver within the Republican party. Soon the stench of corruption was pungent enough to expose the carcasses of greed that lay rotting within the Grand Old Party. The people were repulsed. They had been betrayed. Americans would not tolerate hypocrisy in a Party that touted itself as a true champion of truth.

So in 2006, the Republicans suffered significant defeats and lost power in the House and Senate. In 2008, the Presidency was lost to the Democrats. The nation was feeling Blue. The citizens betrayed by the Party of truth and responsibility turned to the Party of deceit and half truths.

The Democratic Party has never claimed to be moral or have ethics. It’s never even tried. They’ve winked to tell us that their ties to corrupt unions and fishy election results were just an “amazing” coincidence. We all knew the Democrats many “initiatives” for the less fortunate would “unfortunately” never reach the “less” but certainly fatten the trust funds of many elite Democrats. But at least, Americans thought, you knew what you were getting with the Democrats. A Party built on corruption, lies, and seedy agendas. Maybe with that knowledge, we could contain the stupidity.

While Democrats promised that all of its policies were “for the children”, the future for our children grew bleaker and bleaker. That was to be expected, Democrats have never hid the fact that their power is derived by those enslaved in poverty. So they continue to enact legislation to keep the citizens impoverished and add more to their ranks.

Americans are now burdened with despair. The weight of an increased debt, the monumental size of Government, and the ever growing shadow of poverty is slowly grinding the gears of American opportunity to a halt. The nation is feeling Blue.

A year and half ago all across the birthplace of Freedom, the counties of New England were feeling Blue; except for, one county in Maine. One county in sea of pale Blue still had a heart that beat vibrant Red as it stood for truth and Conservatism. That county was Piscataquis county.

When the Republican party started crumbling with compromise, our county stood true to its conservative principles. When the rest of New England and the Country was caught up in Obama hysteria, we stood true to common sense and never wavered from Conservatism. You see, the Piscataquis Republican Party has never turned its back on a promise to the people. We’ve never had to change because we know the truth. Conservatism works!

This year a small caucus committee has been developed as an offshoot of the Piscataquis County Committee. It is the brainchild of Rep. Paul Davis and aptly named the Red County Caucus. Between now and the Republican Convention in Portland, the Committee will be interviewing and researching the Gubernatorial candidates. We will hold a debate at the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft on May 1st, sponsored by the County Republican Women.

After enough information has been gathered, the Red County Caucus Committee will present its recommendation to Piscataquis county. The County delegates will vote at the Convention. Ultimately from the platform of the State Republican Convention, the Red County Caucus will endorse a candidate for Governor.

Pure symbolism, you say? I agree! There has never been a better time for a pure symbol in our State than now. Piscataquis county has been a lighthouse for truth amidst a storm of socialist Blue in this State. It is time for the State and Nation to acknowledge that Conservatism works!