National Coordinated Political Attack on Conservatives Hits Maine: We’re losing “the way life should be”

The following is an op-ed submission from Joel Stetkis, Chairman of the Maine Republican Party:

Growing up here in Maine, being neighborly was always just how we lived our lives — but unfortunately, our Maine way of life seems to be continually changing for the worse.

Take the Maine case getting national attention right now.

I’m talking about the case of Leonard Leo, longtime leader at the prestigious Federalist Society: right now, this prominent — and deeply effective — conservative activist is under personal fire in Maine in a way that would never have happened in the past.

[RELATED: Maine Liberals Level Anti-Catholic Attacks Against Federalist Society Co-Chairman Leonard Leo…]

It’s a sad sign of the times and I’m glad he’s fighting back.

Leonard Leo is known as someone who helps get legal scholars with conservative principles (which mostly means folks who think judges shouldn’t make up new laws from the bench) confirmed to judgeships.

The Leo family happens to live here in Maine.

Being a residential building contractor for the last three decades I sometimes get a very intimate view of my clients’ hopes and dreams. Many of them are essentially escaping years of surviving the rat race outside of Maine.

In almost every case, folks come here for the people, the lifestyle of a slower, quieter, nicer place and the atmosphere to live your life as you see fit.

In the past, prominent people who spent time in Maine were generally left alone, afforded their privacy, and treated as a neighbor by folks here. It’s always been the Maine way. That’s why prominent and even more not-so-prominent people spend time here.

What changed? Enter in national leftist politics, cancel culture, wokeness and lefty corporate media. We’re going from a good thing – a place known for polite, reserved people – to a place known for being increasingly nasty.

[RELATED: Bar Harbor May Pay $150k to Oberlin Grad Who Harassed Leonard Leo and His Family…]

Of course, this change isn’t an accident… it’s amazing what happens when conservatives play to win – then win!

After we achieve a victory, it’s like an alarm bell sounds and we get to see all the weapons at the Left’s disposal being used. They just can’t stand losing any power to control what we say or think.

So let’s look at Leo, the clear exception. He’s connected to successful efforts to put conservatives on the bench, so he’s an enemy of the left.

That means there have been nasty, over-the-top protests at his house in Northeast Harbor. In one case, a person was arrested by police after harassing Leo, his wife, and their 11-year-old daughter – and, of course, the harasser is now suing the police for doing their job.

One can hear the conversation in Maine and national newsrooms now. “A lawsuit? Related to a prominent conservative? Now’s our chance to get him!”

You can see why their headlines are so breathless, their reporting so intense and their narrative so misplaced: they’ve been handed a weapon to use against this person who dared to defy them!

Here’s the thing, though:

It’s reasonable to assume that someone who would break the Mainers’ code (simply put, leave the famous person alone) would also be someone that would break the law in going beyond peaceful protest of said famous person.

Then, in turn, because Leo is a conservative, the leftist media supports the false narrative that the offender is actually the victim of the local police — who were simply protecting a local family from being harassed.

Mainers: when the leftists/media (but I repeat myself) go on the attack against conservatives, let’s stand up and speak out.

[MAINE WIRE PODCAST: Leonard Leo in His Own Words…]

We don’t want to see Maine become a haven for conservative-bashing and anti-Catholic smears, and we don’t want the press to get away with demonizing effective conservatives.

Let’s use Leo’s case as a rallying cry. This is not how Mainers treat their neighbors, period.

And we don’t want these outliers to give our state any more of a negative, hateful reputation.

Let’s instead look to solve the problem.

When Maine Republicans fight hard, work diligently, and compete in the “arena of ideas” we can win — as we did recently in the case of electing Abden Simmons to the Maine House of Representatives in a coastal swing district.

We are in a cultural battle in our State and it’s my mission to elect a majority of Republicans from across our State to serve the people and restore our State to the prosperous, neighborly place that we all want to raise our families in.

Joel Stetkis is a building contractor from Canaan, an Air Force Veteran, the former Assistant Republican Leader of the Maine House of Representatives, and the Chairman of the Maine Republican Party.