Not satisfied with simply lying that the Employee Free Choice Act takes away workers rights to a secret vote (it does not, as I have noted here: Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards.  Under the NLRB's ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the "recognition" of the union.), an anti-union group from away, Employee Freedom.org, has begun running a radio spot here in Maine that compares labor unions to the Mafia.

The transcript below the fold:

Rasmussen just released its poll results from the Pine Tree State.

Given what happened yesterday, I feel it's important I repost my earlier diary on who are the GOOD Democratic challengers when it comes to FISA.  I'll try to corral all their statements into this diary, so you can see who the "good guys" are.

First, let's start off with the current House and Senate members who voted against this bill.  (For the Senate, I'm only including those who voted against cloture yesterday for the bill.)  They do deserve credit, as it's their jobs on the line.

Follow me below the fold to see the dozens of Democratic challengers who are standing up for the Constitution, and are against this FISA bill and retroactive immunity.

Cross posted at Turn Maine Blue

In the midst of a hot summer day, with the next Federal election still 15 months off, a few residents of the Magnolia State sought to influence a senate campaign 2,000 miles away.

On that day, 30 June 2007, the following 26 people from Mississippi donated $56,400 to Susan Collins' re-election bid:

Please make the jump:

On the heels of Mike Lux putting the race between Rep. Tom Allen and Susan Collins as the 4th most important this cycle and with Collins holding only a 7 point lead in a recent poll (with Collins less than 50% for the first time), the DSCC has released this viral ad:

Knocking down the myth that Susan Collins is a moderate will be the hardest thing about this campaign, especially since the media in Maine seems intent on continuing to promote it. Ads like this help, and I urge you to help circulate it to those you konw with connections to the Pine Tree State. Thanks.

In the last couple days, there have been several posts across the blogosphere citing what various candidates running for Congress have said on FISA and retroactive immunity for the telecoms.  But so far, it's been all over the map.  I'll try to corral all their statements into this diary, so you can see who the "good guys" are.

First, let's start off with the current House and Senate members who voted against this bill.  They do deserve credit, as it's their jobs on the line.

Follow me below the fold to see the dozens of Democratic challengers who are standing up for the Constitution, and are against this FISA bill and retroactive immunity.

We all know that Senator Susan Collins is no friend of progressive politics.  With Holy Joe at her side, however, she is trying to create the appearance of being a moderate.  So much for that image (which we all know is an illusion).  The Maine Senator said today, at a hearing of the Senate's committee on homeland security and government affairs, that she is opposed to a proposal to ban large institutional investors from investing in commodities, a proposal floated by her own BFF Sen. Joe Lieberman.  Give that she is in a tight race with Tom Allen, with recent poll numbers showing Collins vulnerable, tacking to the right of Joe Lieberman can only help unseat her...

Cross posted at Turn Maine Blue

In light of recent reports in the New York Times and the BBC Jonathan Kaplan has this in today's Portland Press Herald reporting on Rep. Tom Allen's renwed criticism of Susan Collins' work as chair of the Senate committee tasked with overseeing all Federal contracts:

Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, on Friday used the recent reports to renew his accusation that Republican Sen. Susan Collins did not conduct sufficient oversight of private contractors providing services to U.S. troops in Iraq when she chaired the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee from 2003 through 2006.

"Sen. Collins should have been doing investigations, holding hearings and calling contractors on the carpet," Allen said in a phone interview that his campaign initiated. "These horror stories would be very much minimized if she had done her job."

More on the flip:

Yep, so at this point the sheer mass of polling data is such that it is time for me to tiptoe back into the water. The fact that school has let out for the summer (though I am teaching summer school) helps out, as well.

So today, the Following the Polls series that I began back in 2006 makes its permanent return. It will start as a weekly series (Friday seems to be the logical day), and then it will become daily once we get past Labor Day.

And, week one of the series sees a big polling week, as there are 35 separate races that were polled this week. Head past the flip for all the numerical goodness.

Rasmussen. 6/16. Likely voters. MoE 4%. (5/22)

Allen has been quietly, steadily closing the gap in polling numbers between himself and Collins for months now, and finally finds himself within striking distance of Maine's junior Senator.

Allen has managed to seal 72% of the Democratic vote, an increase over previous Rasmussen polls, but Collins still takes 24% of the Dem vote and the lion's share of the indie vote. She has, however, only 81% support from Maine Republicans. If Allen can hold her to that and shore up indie and Dem support, he has a shot to win. I'd consider this race "likely Republican" at this juncture.

Race tracker wiki: ME-Sen

The lead Republican incumbent Collins has held over Democrat Tom Allen continues to degrade.  According to Rasmussen, in April, the lead was 16.  In May, it was 10.  Now the June poll has the lead down to 7.  At present the poll is:
Collins 49
Allen   42

Drip. Drip.  Drip.  
http://rasmussenreports.com/...

Rasmussen just released a new poll, and the bad news for the GOP continues virtually unabated:

SUSAN COLLINS (R-INC) 49%, TOM ALLEN (D) 42%

The poll, conducted on Monday of this week, is the latest in a series of polls this week which have been rosy for the Democrats, and (by and large) depressing for the GOP.

Lost in the shuffle yesterday was this news brief in the Portland Press Herald:

The Pentagon’s harsh interviewing tactics against detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba cribbed from the U.S. military’s resistance training programs were "inappropriate," Republican Sen. Susan Collins said on Tuesday.

The Senate Armed Services Committee revealed at a hearing on Tuesday that top Pentagon lawyers began compiling lists of interrogation methods used by the military’s elite Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Schools in July 2002, much earlier than previously had been known.

"It seems that it was more logical for the (Pentagon) to go to the FBI for assistance than to try to figure out how the SERE techniques could be re-engineered for interrogation since that’s not at all what the purpose of the SERE techniques were," Collins said during the hearing.

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that the Senate is just now getting around to investigating how SERE techniques were used on detainees held by our government at Git Mo and other places, since this was first reported in the media nearly three years ago.

More below the fold:

Cross posted at Turn Maine Blue

On a gorgeous early summer morning, about 75 Mid Coast Dem's were joined by by their compatriots seeking office to officially open the Knox County Democratic Headquarters, located in Rockland.

Headlining the event was Rep. Tom Allen, and Chellie Pingree, winner of a six-way race seeking the 1st District seat vacated as Allen seeks to replace Susan Collins in the U.S. Senate.

More below the fold, including photos!

I know, I know...it's not likely, but a brother can dream can't he?

Following up on my post from yesterday and incorporating some of the suggestions/corrections from the comments made there, let's take a look at our best case scenario in the November Senate elections.

Right now, we're at 49 Ds, 49 Rs and 2 I's.  When the smoke clears on election night in November we'll be at 62 Ds, 37 Rs and 1 I.
Here's how it's going to happen....

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...

Tom Allen wants you to be healthy. Susan Collins might not.

Maine Congressman Tom Allen, now running for the U.S. Senate, recently unveiled what he calls "a bold, comprehensive plan for national health care reform [pdf]."

"To fix the economy, to help small business and to compete globally, we have to fix healthcare. Piecemeal measures won't fix the problem and are just more of the same. Under my plan, every American will have access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage. It builds on the strengths of the existing American health care system by providing new and better choices for businesses, families and individuals who are left out of the system or lack the health care security they should have throughout their lives."

Among the highlights:

>> Every American will have new options and choices.  But Americans who like their current health care coverage can keep it.  

>> The new Healthy Americans Program will offer quality, affordable health insurance choices like those available to Members of Congress to businesses, the self-employed, families and individuals.

>> Benefits will include essential medical services, including preventive services, maternity and mental health care, and access to a wide range of specialists.

>> Businesses and employees enrolling in a national plan can keep their plan even if they change employers, move to another state or experience changes in medical conditions. This will ensure continuous lifetime coverage and access to preventive services.

>> To ensure that all Americans have ready access to health insurance, the enrollment process will be simple.

>> Insurers will compete for business on the basis of cost and quality, not profit from and discriminate against people because of age or a pre-existing condition.

Allen explains his plan via the You Tube here and you can support his campaign here

I'd tell you what opponent Susan Collins' health care solution is, but it seems her web site is missing a basic issues page. We'll just assume it's, "Take your vitamins and pray you don’t get sick."

Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]

Race tracker wiki: ME-Sen

So with less than half a year to go, it’s time for another look at all the 2008 Senate races.  There are 35 seats up for election because of a scenario in Wyoming and Mississippi where both seats are up, due to the passing of Craig Thomas and the resignation of Trent Lott, respectively.  Now obviously, quite a few of the races are considered "safe" for the incumbent.  So I’ll rank these in terms of tiers.  The top tier will be the races where the party holding the seat has a real shot of switching.  The second tier are races that could become top tier races, but are not at this point.  Tier III are ones where a major event would need to happen for the seat to come into play.  And the safe seats?  Well, Mike Gravel has a better shot at winning the presidency than those incumbents have of losing their races.

Follow me below the fold for all the races.  This is meant to be a primer for both newcomers and political junkies alike, so some of the information may seem repetitive for you junkies out there.  Also see my previous March diary to see what things have changed since my last update.

It's been five LOOOONG months since I last posted a Senate '08 diary. Back then, Fidel Castro still ran Cuba (in name, at least) and Iowa was anyone's game to predict. Two weeks before my diary was posted, a loon held Clinton's Rochester, New Hampshire office hostage for several hours. And about the time my diary was posted, the hottest news on Campaign Trail '08 was Sex On the City (if you don't remember, it's okay...it was Rudy Giuliani's 497th scandal of 2007).

Anyway, much has changed, and the Senate '08 picture has seemingly gotten brighter and brighter for the Democrats. Retaining a Senate majority seems just about assured, and expanding it significantly looks likely. That's what a basket-case economy and unanimously disdained President will do for the opposition party. Good times.

My Senate roundup below the fold! . . .