“Welcome thy stranger.”
“Love thy neighbor.”
Those are the words Maine Democrats like to repeat, until the person asking questions works for The Maine Wire.
That is the reality of Maine politics in 2026.
This reporter has been removed from or blocked at so many Democratic events that it has become difficult to keep count.
At a Somali rally in Lewiston, was every media outlet excluded?
No.
Just The Maine Wire.
At the Democratic convention in Portland, was every media outlet excluded?
No.
Just us.
“Just so you know, you are not welcome here.”
That was the message.
This reporter has also been barred from an event featuring Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, stonewalled while seeking answers from Gov. Janet Mills about Gateway Community Services, and blocked from the House chamber in Augusta.
These are the same political figures and party officials who routinely lecture Mainers about transparency, democracy, inclusion, and accountability.
Yet when The Maine Wire shows up, the doors close.
That should tell readers something.
There is no greater compliment to a reporter than being treated like a threat by people who do not want to answer questions.
So what exactly are Maine Democrats afraid of?
Are they afraid this reporter does his homework?
Are they afraid The Maine Wire almost never asks a question without already having a strong sense of the answer?
Are they afraid The Maine Wire is not interested in playing the access-journalism game?
Or are they afraid their carefully crafted talking points collapse when someone asks a real question?
This is not about safety, fairness, or procedure.
It is about control.
They want friendly microphones, managed events, predictable coverage, and reporters who know when to look the other way.
The Maine Wire does not look away.
Not from fraud.
Not from crime.
Not from corruption.
Not from taxpayer money flowing into politically connected nonprofit networks.
Not from public officials who preach compassion while refusing accountability.
That is why they want us out.
Not because we are unfair.
Because we are effective.
This reporter has always tried to be professional and balanced. Every story has more than one side, and people deserve the opportunity to explain themselves.
But when one side refuses to answer questions, blocks access, changes rules, and runs from scrutiny, it becomes much harder to give them the benefit of the doubt.
They can call it security.
They can call it policy.
They can call it whatever they want.
Mainers know what it is.
Fear.
And if Maine Democrats believe banning The Maine Wire will stop the questions, they still have not figured out who they are dealing with.
The Maine Wire is lean.
The Maine Wire is relentless.
The Maine Wire is growing.
And The Maine Wire is not going away.
So, thank you for the compliment.
Every locked door, every nervous staffer, every “you need to leave,” every sudden rule change, and every panicked glance when The Maine Wire walks in all say the same thing.
They know Mainers are watching.
They know the old media firewall is breaking.
And they know The Maine Wire is not afraid to ask the questions others will not.
The joke is on them.
Because even when they think they have kept us out, we still get the story.
Midnight votes of a democratic legislators says it all, the bad stuff usually happens at night
the real not see party does not want us to hear or read about their real agenda ………..
They have plenty to be afraid of. The entire party is corrupt. Why is the Maine Wire not suing them
Call it what it is – Democrats are invoking Information Control and Censorship. They do not want an informed public. Period, end of story.
What are they afraid of ?
They are afraid of the TRUTH .
Monarchists, Ruling Mullahs and The Infallible Maine Communists believe in absolute rule with no dissent of any kind allowed!!!’
In the 1960s, Maine was every bit as corrupt as it is now. Back then, the state was run by corrupt Republican politicians, the papermills, the railroads, and the electric utilities. Corruption of a different sort, but still corrupt and had been for decades.
The rivers had been turned into open sewers, and you could always tell when you were downwind of a papermill, the one in Westbrook and the one in Old Town playing particularly noxious.
The main times started in 1968, and by 1972 the state had changed. I see the Maine Wire as something similar to the main times, a lot of the writing is actually similar even though the issues are pretty much the reverse, all the Democrats are doing is what the republican establishment did in its ineffective attempt to hang onto power as a sand shifted beneath their feet.
In the 1960s, Maine was every bit as corrupt as it is now. Back then, the state was run by corrupt Republican politicians, the papermills, the railroads, and the electric utilities. Corruption of a different sort, but still corrupt and had been for decades.
The rivers had been turned into open sewers, and you could always tell when you were downwind of a papermill, the one in Westbrook and the one in Old Town being particularly noxious.
The main times started in 1968, and by 1972 the state had changed. I see the Maine Wire as something similar to the main times, a lot of the writing is actually similar even though the issues are pretty much the reverse, all the Democrats are doing is what the republican establishment did in its ineffective attempt to hang onto power as a sand shifted beneath their feet.
The Oyster Fuhrer said it best “an informed person is a dangerous person”
Please keep up the good work.
1. You dont fit their agenda or narrative and 2. All democrats want nothing to do with people who don’t conform to their ways. Keep up the great reporting! Thank ypu for what you do. A mature adult will listen to others opinions and ideas and not flip out when it differs. They don’t know the phrase, interesting, tell me more, when it comes to republicans.
Is it even legal to keep anyone out ?
Sound familiar?
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During the 1960s, some Maine Republicans faced allegations of corruption, such as Frederick G. Payne, who was accused of accepting a bribe related to the state liquor industry but was ultimately cleared of all charges. Additionally, the political climate was marked by various controversies and challenges, reflecting broader national tensions within the party.
The last thing they want is for us peons to know what they’re up to. Many thanks to The Maine Wire for the work you are doing. It is most needed and they are scared. You know you’re hitting close to home when they exclude you.
One thing we all should thank Platner for is getting rid of Janet Mills.
Aaaahhhh I love the hypocrisy and evil of the Maine Democrat Party. If they weren’t either of what I just called them they’d be nothing
Thank you John, Maine needs reporters like you. Truth will prevail! God bless everyone at the Maine Wire.
Since the 1960’s the state has been run by Democrats, the whole state bureaucracy is controlled by democrats. How has it worked out for the average Mainer?