Author: Jonathan McKane

Every election year Mainers can count on a handful of desperate political campaigns that rely on confusion and deception in attempts to get our vote. Politicians running these campaigns know that many of us don’t pay close attention to every issue. We sometimes cast our votes based on our emotions and with minimal information – such as in the last two presidential elections. This year in Maine we seem to have more than the usual number of misleading and blatantly deceptive campaigns. Two in particular come to mind. Unfair bear campaign The Humane Society’s “Mainers for fair bear hunting” or…

There are plenty of differences between the Maine gubernatorial candidates this election. Whether it concerns tax, labor, business or welfare policy the differences are many and clear. One particular issue, however, looms larger over the others and illustrates best the clear choice between Governor LePage and his two contenders – MaineCare. Both Eliot Cutler and Mike Michaud have promised to dramatically expand this welfare program using temporary ObamaCare dollars and despite MaineCare’s exorbitant long term cost and difficult history. Our largest program MaineCare is the name we give Maine’s Medicaid program – the third largest Medicaid program in the country.…

Author’s note: A previous version of this column appeared in the Portland Press Herald We’ve heard the term “embarrassing” used a lot in Maine over the last four years – and it’s usually in connection with our current governor. I, for one, am not embarrassed by Republican Gov. Paul LePage at all. OK, I’ve cringed once or twice because of an indelicate, off-the-cuff remark or technical inaccuracy. And also, along with many of you, I have been thoroughly entertained by this politically incorrect breath of fresh air in Maine politics. But embarrassed? Not really. Paul LePage can do and say…