Impressions from Mike McMillen, Brooksville
I attended the Democratic Party Blue Wave Gala in South Portland with our daughter and her partner, who is the Maine representative on the board of the National Education Association. Abbie was home finishing up one of the Hancock County Committee’s mandatory reports to the Ethics Commission, due by midnight. Shenna Bellows and MJ Schepers were the only people I saw from Hancock County.
I told Shenna that everyone is relieved she would be running the elections this year. She said they are on top of things: the only area they anticipate any trouble may be Lewiston, and they will have extra poll watchers there.
I had a long chat with Chellie Pingree. I asked her if she was, in fact running opposed since we hadn’t heard a peep from her opponent! He probably realizes she is unbeatable. I also asked her if Congress was ever going to hold Trump to account for treason and if any Republicans actually cared. She thought a large Democratic victory next month would awaken many Republicans to the fact that sticking with Trump would mean the death of their party. She agreed completely that Trump’s actions are treasonous, as defined in the Constitution.
I had a chance to speak with Troy briefly, congratulated him on running a good campaign and said I was aghast at the negative attacks adds against him being run by Collins, especially the attacks on his family. I mentioned that Abbie and I are 9th cousins and we shared a few laughs about that. I also had a conversation with Matt Dunlap. He described a recent encounter with Paul LePage. As you know, LePage had refused an invitation to debate, so MPR interviewed Matt. LePage turned up at the studio after the interview and raged at Matt, shouting and swearing. In response Matt just calmly said, “Hope you have a pleasant drive back to Florida.”
Maxwell Frost, the night’s featured speaker, at 29 is the youngest person serving in Congress. He was there to energize the crowd, which he did. The theme of his talk was to believe in the possibility of big change. Ignore the “BS” that big change is unrealistic – that’s just propaganda from those benefitting from the status quo. Troy also spoke of the need for big change. We need to see to it that he gets the chance to make it happen.
(Mike and Abbie met in 1973 at the State Planning Office where they worked for the Ken Curtis administration. They have been partners ever since.)