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!

Enthralled? Who’s Enthralled?

 

The endorsements for State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin keep rolling in making the likelihood of a Poliquin/King match up in the general election more of a realistic proposition with each passing day.  The FreedomWorksPAC, a national conservative organization, has joined the chorus of conservatives across the United States imploring the voters of Maine to send this fiscal hawk Washington D.C.  But more importantly, Poliquin has been picking up many endorsements from conservatives throughout the State.

Representative Peter Johnson, a well respected conservative from Greenville, who co-chairs the education committee, has enthusiastically endorsed the Treasurer.  He states his reasons as follows.   “I have been most impressed with Bruce as our State Treasurer.  He came to the job with a great understanding of the fiscal problems our State faces.  He has been tireless at addressing the problems of excessive cost in bonding, the unfunded pension liability and several issues with the wasteful spending of the Maine Turnpike Authority and the Maine Housing Authority.  His dedication to protecting the taxpayers of Maine and eliminating wasteful and unsustainable programs have saved our State millions of dollars and I am certain he will do the same in Washington.” The Maine Conservative Voice could not agree more.

Mr. Poliquin has also received the endorsement of several Tea Party groups throughout the State.  Perhaps Bruce Poliquin’s candidacy will have a unifying effect, after the near splintering the Party has weathered through the Convention period.  What has become increasingly clear is this, with ads running on television and radio, polls which show him the frontrunner in many cases and a ground game that is functioning at a high level, the Poliquin campaign was off and running early with plenty of traction while the others still seem to be trying to gain their footing.

Which bring us to the Treasurer’s inevitable foe this election season, Angus King.  The former Governor has written an opinion piece in the Bangor Daily in which he quotes Abraham Lincoln.  This seems to be the pattern as of late for liberal leaders. He insinuates in the piece that those of us who are clamoring for a return to small government and fiscal responsibility are somehow “enthralled” with partisanship.  He touts his title as an “independent” as proof that he is above the perceived pettiness of those who want reform.  He brags that he will choose at some appointed time, in the later to be named future, whom he will caucus with.

What the Honorable former Governor does not explain in his piece is how being an “independent” has become the method of choice for liberal politicians to circumvent the political process and expense of a primary, while jumping ahead of all the other candidates who compete in the primary, i.e. Eliot Cutler and Angus King.  Mr. King also made a sizable donation to the Democrat Party immediately after Olympia Snowe announced her retirement, effectively buying Chellie Pingree’s withdrawal from the U.S. Senate primary.  As for his being above the partisan fray, Mr. King had repeatedly made large donations to Barack Obama’s campaign, the most divisive and partisan leader this country has ever had; in fact, all of King’s donations have been to the Democrat Party and their allies.  So much for whom he is going to caucus with, he’s already started!

And now for his derision of those who fight steadfastly for a return to a constitutional government as being “enthralled”.  Governor King, you may think yourself witty by using the words o f a revered Republican against conservatives, but we are not “enthralled”, we are engaged.  We are not enthralled with partisan deadlock but we have drawn a line in the sand and said “thus far and no further”.  We are tired, Mr. King, of having leaders, such as yourself and others of the forty years of past liberal domination, exploit our love of peace and tranquility as the means to your end.  But it is more than ironic that every time a liberal leader is faced with a crisis that needs a real solution, they always start quoting conservative Republicans.

The endorsements keep rolling in!

Peter Johnson (R.-Greenville), the stellar representative from the Moosehead lake region as issued his endorsement of Bruce Poliquin.  He states his reasons as follows:

“I have been most impressed with Bruce as our State Treasurer.  He came to the job with a great understanding of the fiscal problems that our State faces.  He has been tireless at addressing the problems of excessive cost in bonding, the unfunded pension liability and several issues with the wasteful spending of the Maine Turnpike Authority and the Maine Housing Authority.   His dedication to protecting the taxpayers of Maine and eliminating wasteful and unsustainable programs have saved our state millions of dollars and I am certain he will do the same in Washington.”