Maine Political Pulse

[politicalpulse]

Two years after leaving Washington, the Maine Republican wants to be the face of bipartisanship. Can she change Washington?

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

via SunJournal.com Top Stories

[politicalpulse]

Lewiston Mayor Bob Macdonald on Monday  praised Poliquin's track record and his business background while endorsing Poliquin for Maine's 2nd Congressional District seat.

[politicalpulse]

Sen Angus King speaks with Eric Shawn of FoxNews about the federal debt. (via http://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=ZUyU7COmZ-FZebTc_kR_mw&u=/watch?v=NVFTNoOKaf8&feature=share)

[thisdog]

LePage calls for special session on bonding bill, Riverview issues

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AUGUSTA — On his way to a manufacturing conference in Florida, Maine’s Republican Gov. Paul LePage issued a proclamation Wednesday calling the Legislature back to work Aug. 29. In a release, LePage said lawmakers are expected to pass a $149.5 million state borrowing package that…

[thisdog]

Maine lawmakers Tuesday discussed with reporters a proposal to expand the state’s MaineCare program using funds available to the state from the federal government under the Affordable Care Act. Clockwise from top left is Rep. Ken Fredette, R-Newport. Fredette, the Republican Minority Leader in the House opposes the expansion of the program without further debate and study. Republicans have also noted the state needs to provide health care coverage for some 3,100 disabled and elderly Mainers who are eligible for MaineCare but are currently wait-listed before expanding the program to single and childless adults. At top right state Sen. Anne Haskell, D – Portland, said Maine’s Republican Gov. Paul LePage should not be in the position to decide who gets and doesn’t get health care in Maine. At bottom House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, tells reporters expanding the MaineCare system will create jobs and save the state money in the long run. Read the report here.

http://www.sunjournal.com/node/1424316

[thisdog]

Maine Democrats call for Medicaid expansion as LePage plans CMCC visit

[politicalpulse]

LEWISTON — Maine Gov. Paul LePage will visit Central Maine Medical Center on Wednesday to deliver the news the state is making good on a $183 million debt it has owed the state’s 39 hospitals beginning in 2009. The state payment for past services provided under MaineCare, the state’s…

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[thisdog]

Shots from this week at the State House. 

[politicalpulse]

LePage fires away on WGAN interview

Gov. Paul LePage defended his education proposals, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew and blasted Republican lawmakers who oppose his energy bill during a recent interview with WGAN 560. 

LePage also referred to Democratic Sen. Justin Alfond as a "spoiled little brat from Portland" during a long interview with Republican host Phil Harriman. 

The full interview is available here.

The interview has received quite a bit of attention from Democrats, who not only objected to the governor's characterization of Alfond, but his comments supporting how religious schools discipline students.

and progressive activist Mike Tipping. Tipping wrote about the DHHS portion of the segment in his weekly column for the Kennebec Journal, saying the governor's statements may further the call for an independent investigation into a DHHS computer problem that allowed 19,000 ineligible Mainers to access Medicaid benefits.

Tipping points out on his Down East blog that the audio of the interview was taken down from the WGAN website at some point. A link was reposted this morning.