Let’s peel back the many layers of scum surrounding the mysterious entity called the 16 Counties Coalition. Protective clothing and eyewear are recommended.
According to the coalition’s statement of purpose, it’s an educational organization dedicated to enlightening the public about all the horrendous stuff Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has done. But the coalition isn’t trying to convince you to vote against Collins in next year’s election, because if it did that, it would have to file campaign finance reports revealing whatever shady out-of-state financial sources are funding its operations.
“We are not about advocating that anyone gets elected or defeated,” coalition executive director Willy Ritch told the Portland Press Herald, somehow maintaining a straight face. “Our sole focus will be about advocacy and accountability and public education.”
Ritch used to be the spokesman for Democratic 1st District U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree. His coalition co-workers include Christopher Glynn, former spokesman for Democratic Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, who, in a shocking coincidence, happens to be running for Collins’ seat.
The coalition was allegedly created by another nonprofit called Maine Momentum, whose executive director also happens to be Ritch and whose funding sources are equally murky. But Maine Public’s Steve Mistler did a fine job sorting out the connections between Maine Momentum and a national dark-money outfit called the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which, over the past couple of election cycles, has pumped millions of dollars into Democratic Party front groups in several states, including Maine. Nevertheless, Ritch told Mistler, “The 16 Counties Coalition is a totally Maine-based effort.”
In much the same sense that Donald Trump’s history of the American Revolution is totally reality-based.
As of last week, Maine Momentum hadn’t filed incorporation papers with the state and didn’t have a website or Facebook page. The 16 Counties Coalition did show up on Facebook, where it claimed “the people of Maine can compete with corporate PACs, lobbyists and pharmaceutical companies.” The “people” will have an advantage in that competition, because PACs, lobbyists and corporations all have to reveal their campaign spending, while so-called educational groups do not.
Democrats, including Ritch’s and Glynn’s old bosses, have been outspoken in demanding transparency from political players and an end to dark-money schemes to influence elections. But it seems those sorts of reforms are only supposed to apply to Republicans, because the good guys shouldn’t be bound by such petty rules.
It’s clear those behind the coalition don’t have the guts (or the legitimate money) to engage in a clean fight. They lack the courage to come right out and say “Don’t vote for Susan Collins,” because to do so would expose their funding sources. So instead, they’ll spew out nasty attack ads that stop just short of that point, while barely masking their real purpose by pretending to be, in some incomprehensible way, educational.
It’s enough to make Collins look attractive.
Random notes from the news
“Restaurant owners say they’ve had no choice but to hire inexperienced or unreliable workers, sometimes with disastrous results.”
— Maine Sunday Telegram, July 7, 2019, on how the tight labor market is affecting tourism
“Former Gov. Paul LePage has a new job: bartender. The two-term former Republican governor is tending bar at McSeagulls Restaurant in Boothbay Harbor this summer, owner Jeff Stoddard said Friday.”
— Bangor Daily News, June 17, 2019
Recipes for a decent Manhattan may be emailed to aldiamon@heniahill.net, and I’ll pass them along to anyone who needs help mixing drinks.
Al, it is always good to point these campaign finance law work around out. However, this is a consequence of the Citizen’s United ruling which allows for this type of shenanigans. And, the left and the right both do this on all sorts of issues.
Personally, I hate the consequences of the Citizen’s United ruling, but based on the constitution, it was the correct ruling. The founding father’s never thought so much money would go into elections so they created a broad category of free speech. Side note, at what point does Fox Newsy have to file campaign finance disclosures? Same for MSNBC but only three people watch that station.
This to me is why I am not in favor of strict constitutional judges as unfortunately, “we the people” have managed to create “a more imperfect union”..
The best solution is to get people energized to amend the constitution where needed or for people to be aware that what they see on TV, or read on the internet is biased by some group looking to gain an advantage.
Keep up the good work enlightening the readers of this space and calla duck a duck if it quacks.
What the Democratic Party needs is a better Pimp to direct their “Dirty Deeds”.
The Libs have gone Bizerko,,
The DeRangement Syndrone is killing any degree of common sense they “may” have had.
Their Bizarre tactics are backfiring.
Their unwavering accusations that 80% of Americas population is Racist/Mysoginist/Homophobic Nazi Lovers has caused a Massive Eye Roll.
If you’re going to Commit Dirty Deeds,, you need to do it correctly.
You need a better Pimp,
OR
Trump and Collins Both Win Again!!
And your weeping and knashing of teeth will continue.
It would be funny if it wasn’t so weird..
Susan Collins became an Elitist long ago. She recently gave a speech in Farmington where she spent the whole time patting herself on the back and never once talking about the current issues or problems facing our state or the country. Has she ever taken the time to visit the southern border ? Answer: No. I doubt if she has taken the time to visit our Border Agents here at the checkpoints here in Maine. Time to replace Mrs. Collins with a Republican who will work for all the people of Maine not just the few in the major cities who will get her reelected with ‘Rank Choice’ votes….
@ egles soar. She has visited the Maine border patrol agents you can find it on her Instagram account. I follow her on there. She doesn’t need to visit the southern border AOC and “the squad” can give her false info or she can go talk to Dan Crenshaw and get real facts on the situation.
The one question I have asked many dems is, When did Justice Kavanaugh say he was going to do away with RoevWade ? Not one person would answer yet they all scream about her confirming him.
I don’t like everything she does but I will vote for her again before I gote for anyone that wants to throw my money away like the dems want too.
Every time I turn around, Democrats are complaining about the Constitution. At least they’re not hiding it anymore – their disdain is quite open now. (Steve in Wilton among 45 million others). I guess every nation needs a political party that is against it, eventually. Not a peep about totally fake news stories coming out of CNN and the other Lefty outlets, huh? Not surprising.
“We’d be in power if it weren’t for that pesky First Amendment!” – ‘Cept when it benefits their side, ‘that’s different’. “Here, let ME define “hate speech”…. ” and so on. We could spend 45 mins just on the desire to end the 1st Amendment, and days on the others.
If Citizens United got 1 D in office, it would be just like Jim Comey – awesome, til he’s not. Then awesome again. Whatever the leaders tell them, they’re happy to shift, 180 degrees sometimes, no questions asked. That doesn’t bode well for the future.
This sliding-scale rule of law is going to be the end of this Republic, absolutely…it’s already quite well underway.
@Better Pimp…”Their unwavering accusations that 80% of Americas population is Racist/Mysoginist/Homophobic Nazi Lovers “, you forgot Deplorables.
@Steve in Wilton…”Same for MSNBC but only three people watch that station”, your forgot CNN. Only 2 people watch that station.
OAN “One America News” network is where I go for the news.
These “progressive liberals” have become so bizarre it’s pushing reasonable people away from that party.
So be it.
The more they scream and falsely accuse everyone else of being bad people,, the less they are taken seriously.
I don’t like Pelosi one bit,, so I guess she deserves what she is getting from these kooks they have allowed in… But I don’t envy her.
Because they refuse to be “real” The rest of us just dismiss their antics. Why bother every trying to talk with them anymore.
Btw,, “WE’RE not going anywhere either”.
The local talent Al discusses are working for the Democratic Party’s nominee, whoever she may turn out to be. Funding sources are not so easily detected, but it’s reasonable to generalize about the donation motives. Their concerns are located in Washington, DC—not in the State of Maine.
To Aww:
You are right when you say Susan Collins doesn’t need to go to the southern border…she will do as she always does..get her information second hand. The southern border issue is the largest issue in the nation and in case you have forgotten…The men who killed thousands on 911 CAME INTO MAINE from out of the United States…Any representative of the people should visit the problem first hand not rely on someone else’s view or opinion. Susan Collins is lazy and just deals with the ‘soft issues’ so she won’t be in the limelight where she might show what is really on her mind. She is a Republican and it would be a pleasure to show up for an interview on Fox News or Tucker Carlson’s show. Then the voters in Maine could find out what she thinks and who she is behind instead of us guessing. I will vote against her and cancel out your vote for her so keep watching Instagram. I want a Republican who does not pretend to be working for Mainers.
@ Eagle’s soar. Lazy? Go google her record she hasn’t missed a single roll call vote since being in office (7,049votes) I wouldn’t call that lazy. Do you know of another Republican candidate running against her ? I haven’t heard of one. Like I said I don’t like everything she has done but she’s better than any socialist dem out there.
This just in Sen. Collins (the lazy one according to eagles soar) just got $36 million to help Maine’s infrastructure. She also spent the weekend listening and spreading the word of her constituents in Stonington to help fight animal right activists trying to cripple the lobster industry. She is far from lazy she is working for the people of Maine like she was elected to do. Just because she doesn’t get involved in the drama on the southern border doesn’t make her lazy.