In case you missed it, Ed Muskie last month endorsed independent Eliot Cutler for governor.
This is remarkable for a number of reasons. For one thing, Muskie – the former governor, U.S. senator and secretary of state – was one of the founders of the modern Democratic Party in Maine. His loyalty to its nominees is legendary. For another, although Cutler makes much of having once worked for Muskie, that was long before the candidate gave up public service for high-paying jobs with the influence-peddling industry in places like China.
And finally, there’s the little matter of mortality.
The Muskie in question died in 1996.
The Muskie who drafted the endorsement (published as an op-ed in the March 28 Bangor Daily News) is his son, Edmund Junior, known as Ned. “Were he alive today, I believe [Muskie Senior] would proudly support Eliot for governor,” Junior wrote, dismissing the environmental groups that are backing Democratic hopeful Mike Michaud as “purely partisan,” a claim his Dem-to-the-core dad might have found amusing.
There’s an ironic footnote to all this: One person (among many) who will certainly not be voting for Cutler this November is Ned Muskie, who’s a resident of Washington, D.C.
Still, the exhumation of a Maine political icon to advance the electability of a current candidate has its appeal. Unlike the endorsements of living people, there’s no way the deceased can make comments that might embarrass the campaign, get caught in unseemly liaisons or be indicted for legal transgressions. In nearly every way, the residents of cemetery row have to be considered superior endorsers when compared to the living.
Which explains the work crew busy digging up Margaret Chase Smith. Smith, the former Republican U.S. senator, hasn’t held elected office since 1972 and cast off this mortal coil in 1995, but she’s still regarded with reverence by many older Mainers. As a result all three campaigns booked séances in hopes of convincing her spirit to bless one of them. To date, Smith has been unresponsive, but once Cutler, Michaud and GOP Gov. Paul LePage start pounding on her coffin lid, they may make enough noise to wake the dead.
Campaign-funded mediums have also made similar efforts to bring forth the specters of such deceased Maine political luminaries as Percival Baxter (former governor, creator of Baxter State Park; packed it in back in 1969), Thomas Brackett Reed (former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; bought the farm in 1902), William Pitt Fessenden (ex-U.S. senator and secretary of the treasury during the Civil War; croaked in 1869) and John Baldacci (ex-congressman and governor; refuses to stay dead in spite of repeated attempts to bury him).
There’s nothing like being placed in a grave to enhance somebody’s popular appeal.
By comparison, having some living politician say nice things about you is virtually worthless. Ask any Democrat running in Lewiston whether they’d rather have the endorsement of state Senate President Justin Alfond (technically alive) or former state Rep. Louis Jalbert (indefinitely postponed in 1989), and they’ll tell you the Jalbert legacy of backroom wheeling and dealing is still worth a few thousand more votes.
Former Portland mayor, governor and U.S. Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster (hammered out of order back in 1976) may have been a front man for the Ku Klux Klan, a tool for Howard Hughes’ enemies and a bag man for Richard Nixon, but his GOP ghost is still guaranteed to draw bigger crowds to campaign rallies than Republican congressional candidates Bruce Poliquin, Kevin Raye and Isaac Misiuk combined.
This unearths (ha!) another matter. If the dear decaying departed make the best endorsers, doesn’t it follow that they would also make the finest candidates. Instead of Eliot Cutler, we’d have Nathan Cutler, a Democratic governor the people never got tired of because he served less than three months in office in 1829 and 1830. In place of LePage, there’d be Hannibal Hamlin, a Republican who quit after a few weeks to become a U.S. senator and eventually Lincoln’s first vice president. Substitute William King, Maine’s first governor in 1820, for Michaud, and not only do you get a personage later relied upon by the federal government to negotiate a difficult treaty with Spain, but also a registered Democratic-Republican Party member. Can’t get more bipartisan than that.
Setting aside the small problems of musty odors, worms, spiders and rats (issues no worse than those plaguing most meetings of the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs), corpses would appear to offer a vastly improved option for operating state government. It’s well past time we repealed the term limits arbitrarily imposed by their life spans, and gave back control to our ancestors.
Bring on the zombie apocalypse.
Maybe we could get an endorsement for that idea from some actors on “The Walking Dead.”
Bits of graveyard gravitas can be emailed to me at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
Perhaps Obama could nominate Cutler for an ambassadorship somewhere. That would placate his ego, get him out of Maine and prevent LePage from pulling the flush handle on the state’s economy.
Snowman,…hate LePage much? If the ever falling unenployment rate here in Maine was taking place with a dem in the Blaine house you would be hooting with joy. LePage is going to usher in a real economic turn around, that is already underway, dispite the dems fighting his every move. Get used to another 4 years of LePage, cause Mikey and Eliot aint gonna pull it off. Mikey has a terrible record, which will be there for all to see soon, and Eliot has none at all.
There’s MORE to dux’s story than he lets on…slow growth is the other side of the coin.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/Maine_s_falling_unemployment_rate_isn_t_all_good__economist_says_.html
It’s ironic that our buddy “Actual News” gets his actual news from Portland’s birdcage-liner factory. The entire country is mired in an extended period of slow or nonexistent growth. Everybody knows that, except for President Obama, that certain newspaper, and those who rely on them for “news”.
It’s doubly ironic that the author of the referenced piece points out, with scarcely concealed glee, that the rate has gone down because the number of people actively looking for work has gone down. When the same sleight-of-hand is used by Dear Leader in DC, Portland’s fish-wrap service is consistently silent.
Hmmm, federal taxes are lowest they have been in decades. The unemployment rate continues to drop. The number of foreclosures had dropped off dramatically. Over 8 million people have now have healthcare insurance, where they either didn’t or had substandard insurance, the stock market is at historic highs, my own 401K is higher now than ever before, more than making up for the “Bush dip”.
Our Nation’s infrastructure has been improved, the federal budget has closed significantly.
We have fewer troops in harm’s way, the defense budget is lower.
Who would we prefer to Mike Michaud? A Rand Paul? A Ted Cruz?
What, exactly- have those two actually done for their constituents?
I don’t hate LePage. I think he had some good ideas coming into office. I support a few of the vetoes he has made.
But he is ineffective. Our state continues to lag far behind most of the rest of the country. Governor LePage was a good businessman. He is not adept as a politician in an executive role.
The same is true of Cutler. Great ideas. He could never bring them to fruition. He lacks the skill, the experience and the political clout needed to implement them.
Politics should be about pragmatism. All of the great leaders in the past grasped this.
I think Mike Michaud’s record indicates a deep, quiet pragmatism that is lost on those who shout ideological ultimatums.
Think of it this way; who did more to build our government; Patrick Henry, shouting “Give me Liberty or give me death!” or Benjamin Franklin, who’s adeptness at diplomacy brought us the support of the French and who negotiated the peace treaty with Great Britain?
“I think Mike Michaud’s record indicates a deep, quiet pragmatism that is lost on those who shout ideological ultimatums.”…….way,way,way…..funny.
A little more fodder for the discussion. One statistic is JUST ONE part of the story, duxy. Guess any source that doesn’t agree with you is “fish wrap”, Nevertheless, the problems of Maine’s economy are very much with us and LePage isn’t the guy who’ll make things better. He’s going to make Maine “a true retirement destination”? Right!
https://bangordailynews.com/2013/09/10/politics/economist-without-huge-changes-maines-aging-population-could-lead-to-financial-ruin/
Quoting another liberal rag after another ,huh newsie? bring your crying towel with you this fall, as liberal tears will be flowing like the Kennebec after LePage gets another 4 years, and the dems get a beating like they have never gotten before. Think 2010 was a fluke? Guess again.
Ok Snowman, let’s take a look at this:
“federal taxes are lowest they have been in decades.” – Now in the budget proposal he presented to Congress last month, President Barack Obama called for what would be the highest level of sustained taxation ever imposed on the American people, according to the analysis published last week by the Congressional Budget Office. Under Obama’s proposal, taxes would rise from 17.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product in 2014 to 19.2 percent in 2024. During the ten years from 2015 to 2024, federal taxation would average 18.7 percent GDP.
“The unemployment rate continues to drop.” – And our labor force participation rate is the lowest since 1978, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, given our increasing population this is not good. Fewer paying more for the masses.
“The number of foreclosures had dropped off dramatically.” – According to the US Census bureau home ownership is at its lowest since 1995, and many foreclosures have already devastated the nation.
“Over 8 million people have now have healthcare insurance, where they either didn’t or had substandard insurance,” – According to the Congressional Budget Office, 6.2 million people lost healthcare coverage, so even if the 8 million is real it is only a net gain of 1.8 million, but also according to the CBO right now only about 65% of the insured have actually paid their premiums. Additionally, the CBO still claims that there will be 42 million uninsured… Wow that was worth it! Some of the “better insurance” options are birth control for elderly couples or $10K deductibles.
“the stock market is at historic highs, my own 401K is higher now than ever before, more than making up for the “Bush dip”” – I’ll give you this one, but according to many including Warren Buffet the numbers is inflated and built on a great deal of speculation. The “Bush Dip” that is kind of funny considering I don’t hear anything about the “Clinton Dip” or “Dot Com Crash” that occurred on his watch.
“Our Nation’s infrastructure has been improved” – It should $750 Billion on shovel ready projects that the President later indicated were not so shovel ready.
“the federal budget has closed significantly” – That is true for year over year budget but not so much for our overall debt which is now at $17 Trillion up about $6.5 Trillion since President Obama took office. And from the NY Times “Growth in tax revenue from an improving economy accounted for much of the decline in the deficit. But increases in taxes and cuts in federal spending played a significant role”.
This really is a rosy picture.
Do any of you think you’ll change the other’s mind?
Wrestle with pigs, you get muddy.
The Tea Party crowd has misappropriated the “Don’t Tread On Me” slogan. Whatever I say won’t change THEIR minds, but I will not stand silent while there are those who would hijack our country and drag us backward into the Dark Ages. We’ve come too far to stand for this drivel. Stand up and be counted. It’s that simple.
Really, Cisco? Still using the old “birth control for elderly couples” argument? Lame.
I think that instead of encouraging the dead politicians to endorse candidates or run for office themselves, we should encourage dead politicians to email comments on Daily Bulldog posts. Not only would the opinions of the dead be well reasoned and insightful, they would certainly be as entertaining as what passes for debate here. I for one would enjoy reading an exchange between Senators Muskie and Brewster. Being dead, they would each have as much chance of convining each other of anything as most of the living contributors.
Wait for it…
Everyone here talks a good game here but nobody seems to have the courage of their convictions. Fiery words without courage.
Yes David, It’s something I like to call “Internet Muscles”. I feel like I’m reading a printed exchange of a CB radio conversation with all these “handles”..Put in front of another however, where one must look another in the eye, fiery courage is quickly extinguished.
Well ActualNews, It still fits, you know “we have to pass it to find out whats in it” or “if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor, period”!! This is much more applicable than after 6 years of the Obama Administration and those on the left continue to blame Bush for all that is wrong. Really!!!
I don’t expect you to change, nor agree which is a majority of the problem in America today, compromise is off the table … “I won” isn’t that what the President said. That is the difference between an academic ideologue with an experience deficiency like Obama and a politician like Clinton. President Clinton for all his misgivings knew how to compromise and to get what he wanted in particular areas through negotiation. The current president believes more in stomping his foot, or through intimidation, threatening, the use of executive action and by using the arms of government (IRS, BLM, NSA and so on) kind of like a modern version of the novel The Octopus.
But Actual News I don’t want to silence you, nor do I want to be silenced, and that is the nature of a free society. Public discourse is part of our fabric and at least for now for you and I that is our right. All any of us can do is try to be factual and substantiate a point of view. But, I do also find it interesting how the left tries to marginalize anyone who they disagree with by applying the Tea Party moniker. Maybe we are just individuals who believe in self-governance, liberty and individual rights. Common sense is no longer common place!
@ Actual News: Concerning the dark ages, you don’t need to worry about the Tea Party. You should instead worry about the Democrat party. Since it was hijacked by the far left 5+ years ago, it has been dragging us backwards and down.
@ david Firsching: Do you again equate courage of conviction with posting under a real name? I invite you to consider the example of the Sun-Journal. A couple of years ago, they changed the rules to require online commenters use real names. Participation plummeted (like their subscription rate) for the very real fear of retribution – not online, but offline in the workplace and/or among friends. To those without those concerns, courage comes cheap.
@ MaineBoy: Where did you get the silly idea that this is debate?
Cisco: It was Mitch McConnel (R-KY) who proclaimed that he and the GOP would do whatever it took to deny Pres. Obama a 2nd term. This statement was made to the press. There’s no ambiguity in his declaration. Yet you fault Obama & the Dems for failing to compromise. Me thinks you want to turn a blind eye on the hostility that has been shown to this president from “the other side of the aisle”.
Maine lost Olympia Snowe in the U.S. Senate because of the environment that was created to thwart Obama at every turn. Even a seasoned pol such as her couldn’t stand the acrimony of especially the Tea Partiers.
Who carries racist signs depicting Obama with a bone thru his nose? Tea Party people. Who calls Obama a Muslim? Tea Party people. Who promotes that Obama was born in Kenya? Tea Party people. Who persists with these notions in spite of Obama being re-elected? Tea Party people. It’s your choice to be part of that group…you haven’t said that you AREN’T.
Actual NewsFlash here,,
Yes Olympia bowed out due to gridlock,,
And Actual News makes it sound like it’s one sided Gridlock.
NEWSFLASH HERE,,, (ait for it,,,),,,,Ready,,,,,”IT TAKES @ TO FIGHT”,,,Hello.
I’m pretty sure Olympia is capable to speaking for herself without this hysterical leftist spin applied to her reasons,,,
I notice she didn’t run out and join the Dems “Party” either..
btw..
partisan you are.
@Actual: Obama called himself a muslim in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, but that is not my point. And the racist Tea Party signs, I am not a member but if you could produce one piece of evidence that at a sanctioned Tea Party rally there was one or that racist words were spoken I will take you seriously. The left has tried mightyly to paint that picture but proof is shall we say lacking. I think you are confusing the MSNBC, George Soros or Media Matters version of the Tea Party as opposed to reality.
In contrast Harry Reid called the Tea Party all of the good names some of which you mentioned and Domestic Terrorist, yet lauded the 99 percenters who took over city parks accross the nation. Arrests at Tea Party events Zero (0) arrests at the Occupy movement camp ins … too numerous to mention.
Yes McConnell said he did not want Obama to succeed on some of his ideas, and so did Limbaugh in a well publisized statement, but you have to seperate the ideologies from the person. We could go back to Bush and yes the same things that were said about him and his policies only from the left but why bother rehashing that again! Why did America need a fundamental transformation? It doesn’t seem to be working…..
If I or anyone disagrees on values, principles or ideas it does not make either one racist, homophobes or bigots, it just make the person who throws those accusations look weak.
The difference is that Bush was appointed NOT elected. Then he and his fellow chicken hawk cabinet launched pointless wars that cost us 100’000 of our best and brightest young people and ruined the lives of Millions. FOR WHAT? For NOTHING. The cost of trying to fix these poor kids will be astronomical. Yet the same folks who cheered for these sick wars and run around with tea baqs in their hair dont feel that they shouild have to pay taxes to fix their mess. Are we supposed to FORGET that?
A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS… just look up the Tea Party rallies dating from Sept., 2009 in Wash.,DC, you’ll see plenty of which I speak. BTW, some of these photos even appear on Tea Party sites. They must be so proud!
I know bigotry when I see it, when I hear it.
Cisco: I suppose you equate being “arrested” with being WRONG. How many times was MLK, Jr. arrested?
Don’t know what you mean, “Why did America need a fundamental transformation? It doesn’t seem to be working…..” Like no more wars? Cancelling Bin Laden? Health care options for millions who needed it? Getting the economy back on track ?
Is it possible that the tone of this “debate” mirrors the deterioration of politics of the possible?