By Diana George Chapin On Feb. 23 the Bangor Daily News and Lewiston Sun ran an article, “The good, bad and…
Browsing: Commentary
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum — Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, c. 400 A.D. Back in the bad old days,…
Tuesday’s paper had some interesting headlines on the front page. To start with, we were told by the left-hand topper…
By Neal B. Freeman The Buckley Rule has been much invoked in recent weeks, in this space and elsewhere, and…
When President Obama traveled to Minnesota Feb. 4 to make a plea for gun control, the photos of him delivering…
President Obama has made his leftist goals explicit in a pair of major national addresses (his acceptance speech at the…
There’s one thing about our immigration policy that is an absolute necessity for any progress to be made on the…
“When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.” — Albert Shanker,…
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone to be told that when liberal politicians and green lobbying groups…
By Senator Susan Collins It is a privilege to represent Maine in the United States Senate, and I am deeply grateful…
Conan O’Brien said last week that the mayor of Washington, D.C., had asked the owner of the Washington Redskins football…
By Prof. John Frary On January 9 of this year the National Taxpayer Advocate released her Annual Report to Congress.…
Some ironies are just too delicious to ignore, and one of them is that Matt Damon’s new anti-fracking movie “Promised…
When the going gets tough, the tough take their fun where they can find it. So, rather than dwell on…
“If you don’t want to have a gun in your home or in your school, that’s your choice. But don’t…
By Prof. John Frary “It’s time to talk about gun control.” This was the title of a Washington Post editorial…
Numerous commentators, with Fox’s Bill O’Reilly chief among them, are busy this time of year building up the idea that…
By Prof. John Frary Maine Wire columnist Most people know about the vanguard of the union-busting gang. They’ve seen the…
We’re all familiar with the way many high school and college football teams enter the field at the start of…
By Senator Susan Collins As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have always worked to support our…
It seems fair to say that, as recently as a month ago, you could have walked down any city street,…
Here’s a headline seen on forbes.com on Nov. 25: “Do You Live in a Death Spiral State?” Unfortunately for residents of the…
There’s a story told about the ancient, fabled Eastern European Jewish city of Chelm, in which the elders of the…
By U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) Now that the elections are behind us, it is time for the campaigning to…
A new study says there are five specific warning signs for developing Alzheimer’s disease. The first one is going bald,…
By Senator Susan Collins For more than two centuries, young Americans have left the comfort and security of home in order…
Well, at least Big Bird is safe. OK, that wasn’t all that funny. But there isn’t much that is this…
By Diana George Chapin In her March 14, 2009 Wall Street Journal column, Peggy Noonan recalled in “There’s No Pill…
When Halloween is over, the masks come off, at least for trick-or-treaters. Thus, it’s also a good time to note…
Weekly Address by Governor Paul LePage Those who know me know I enjoy reading history – presidential biographies are my…
By Prof. John Frary Maine Wire columnist On October 22 at a forum the candidates for U.S. Senate explained their…
Reading the encomiums to the late Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota in the paper and on the web this…
By Prof. John Frary Maine Wire columnist Unlike Chellie Pingree and Angus King, Congressman Mike Michaud and his challenger, Maine…
I was a bit surprised a few days ago to see that the national Democratic Party had spent some of…
By Pem Schaeffer Maine Wire columnist On Sunday, October 7, The Maine Wire published my column, “Maine’s colorful political chameleons:…
It was recently suggested that Mitt Romney go to California to hold another press event in front of a gas…
By Pem Schaeffer Maine Wire columnist A few weeks back, I wrote on the subject of partisanship here on The…
By David Sorenson Over the years, Angus King and his friends have built up a tall tale about King as…
Sometimes, you hear a grand and glorious rant delivered by someone who’s had it up to his hairline with whatever…
“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – John Dalberg, Lord Acton By Harold A. Clough Before this Legislature leaves the…
To the Editor: This November voters in Maine’s Second Congressional District will choose between the Eastport Mustard Mechant, Kevin Raye,…
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some…
By Jamie Py When gasoline went to $2.25, I can remember exactly where I was: coaching my son’s football team.…
The problem a lot of conservatives have with Mitt Romney’s campaign to date—as opposed to problems with Mitt Romney as…
The Portland Press Herald ran an editorial on September 8 stating that lowering Maine’s liquor prices is bad public policy.…
By M.D. Harmon Maine Wire columnist Among the continual questions being asked of us squeeze-the-federal-government-until-its-beady-little-eyes-bug-out-fiscal-responsibility types is the big-spenders’…
The polls continue to find that voters’ attention remains focused on the economy—not so much in the sense of Bill…
Imagine that, as you are contemplating the purchase of a new house, you are visited by your insurance agent. He…
By David Sorensen Maine Republican Party Welfare reform is one of the most important initiatives that Maine and America can…
By David Sorensen Maine Republican Party The 125th Legislature of 2011-12 passed the largest tax-cut package in Maine’s history as…
“Paul Ryan represents Obama’s most horrifying nightmare: Math!” — David Burge, blogging as “Iowahawk” By M.D. Harmon Conservative activists are…
On July 1, most of Central Maine Power’s customers unknowingly suffered a 19.6% increase in electrical transmission rates. If they…
Are government subsidies to business a net benefit to the economy—or a net loss? A new study from a libertarian…
By Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) The Internet was born in October 1969, and for the first half of its life…
How corrupt is our federal government under Barack Obama? You can get a measure of that from the things politicians…
By Prof. John Frary Governor LePage’s proclamation of July 31 as “Milton Friedman Day” probably needs some explanation. Although more…
“You may not be interested in war. But war is interested in you.” –Attributed to Leon Trotsky Sometimes falsely attributed…
Now that a week has passed since the murder of 12 people with firearms in the hands of a lunatic…
I guess, if I had to stand in a crowd listening to President Obama brag about what he’s done so…
By J. Scott Moody, CEO The Maine Heritage Policy Center The Lewiston Sun Journal ran an inaccurate editorial on Sunday,…
Gov. Paul LePage has said he was sorry for his comment likening the Internal Revenue Service to the “Gestapo” (in…
Now that the battle over the nationalization of U.S. health care is fully engaged, with the outcome to be determined…
Summer in Maine is a favorite time of year, and the Fourth of July is always a joy. With parades, picnics,…
The U.S. Supreme Court, as the apex of one of the three branches of government laid out in the Constitution,…
By John Frary Party platforms, particularly state party platforms, do not typically represent the views of a party’s elected officials…
Climate-change enthusiasts (aka “warmists”) are gathering this week in Brazil for the U.N.’s big “Rio+20” conference involving a reported 193…
A column in the Bangor Daily News by Luisa Deprez, a sociology professor at the University of Southern Maine, would have readers…
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” — Inigo Montoya, “The…
Mitt Romney told Wisconsin’s once-and-future governor, Scott Walker, that his seven-point win in the recall election that state employee unions…
by Pem Schaeffer I’ve been watching Brunswick school budget theatrics for a dozen years or more. After thinking about it,…
by Sandy George In response to the recent Bangor Daily News editorial Conservation Priorities, I would like to offer a…
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a division of the Interior Department, is considering loosening regulations on the killing of…
column by Senator Susan Collins. “Let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom…
As I read the news this week, I’m starting to get nostalgic for 1968: I see cops in Chicago trying…
The recently adjourned Maine Legislature made a great decision this session and wisely delayed setting up a health insurance exchange…
For months now, we have been told in numerous ways that Mitt Romney is going to have to “tack back…
People pondering the business-friendliness of Maine’s tax and regulatory policies should be paying attention to another pair of reports this…
This week, the Maine legislature will reconvene to consider another supplemental budget. As the Appropriations Committee joins hands once again,…
It’s difficult to understand many things about the ins and outs of politics if you’re not involved in it every…
by Sam Adolphsen I still remember the day. I was sitting at my kitchen table, pen in hand, and I…
Every time I write about polling data, I feel the need to point out that opinion polls are not prophecies,…
By Neal Freeman – this item originally appeared in the American Spectator in the run-up to 2010’s overwhelming taxpayer rejection of…
Imagine if the State of Maine wrote you a check for $4,000. Every year. That’s essentially what would happen if…
By now you’ve heard the story of Democrat Rep. Chuck Kruger and his tweet saying he would like to see…
The current ginned-up controversy over “stand your ground” laws in Florida and elsewhere is actually a testament to the growing…
What do rock legend Ted Nugent and State Representative Chuck Kruger have in common? Kruger would probably hope the answer…
The sad, wry joke that goes, “How can you tell a politician is lying? His lips are moving,” is a…
Governor Paul LePage is doing exactly what he’s promised Mainers he’d do from the first day he set foot on…
By Rep. Rich Cebra Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has some explaining to do. On March 14, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)…
But hey, what are friends for? By J Dwight Distrust of—and anger toward—the politically connected elite is one of the…
By Rep. Phil Curtis Maine House Majority Leader Phil Curtis originally submitted this piece to the Maine Today Media for…
The worldview that says it’s a good idea to force others to contribute to private causes that they oppose appears…
By Lucky Cambridge. When I was a kid, late-winter Saturdays included watching old movies on a clunky black-and-white television. Neatly frocked…
By Pem Schaeffer. Let’s start by saying “God bless Yogi Berra” for his short and snappy insights, his humanity and…
“I had a dream last night, About the comin’ fight. Somebody yelled ‘Attack!’ And there I stood With an arrow…
When the failing Maine Today Media papers announced weeks ago that billionaire left-wing financier Donald Sussman was “loaning” the paper…
Gov. Paul LePage, who just can’t keep his hand off “third-rail” issues, grabbed on to another one when he proposed…
Editorial The Legislature’s Insurance and Financial Services Committee on Thursday cast a critical vote to protect the people of Maine…
Those of us in the opinionating business are often accused (not always incorrectly) of overselling the usual twists and turns…