It is in the air, it is in the water. Most t.v. stations are talking about it and it has infected the printed press like pneumonia on a transient on the first cold night in Maine. Political fever has spread. It is amazing to watch a nation that in the past carried so little for politics suddenly spring to life with gusto and energy that would make Italian lovers blush at the bawdiness and display that we put these elected officials through. In the "great" state of Maine (which is the name of a bear in John Irving's "A Hotel New Hampshire" FYI) the political race for senate has become an issue that could bring the national exposure.

The race for the seat is taking place between two people. Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent versus Tom Allen, the former Congressman from Maine's First District. This highly contested seat makes Democrats get weak in the knees if they could knock off a high ranking Republican member and take a bigger lead in the current 51 to 49 roll call in the Senate. Currently their hopes have begun to fade as poll after poll show that Collins will not go down without a fight and will not go down without bringing out her checkbook to make human interest T.V. ads about heart attacks and little white girls with some medical condition. Which makes me wonder why? Why spend all of this money in a state that does not have a huge economy or even a huge population.

It all comes down to numbers for the Democrats. They are looking at this race as a way of taking down a fairly moderate Republican who for the most part does not stand by Bush and the rest of her Republican allies (cronies) all of the time. The lead in the Senate would be a huge boost as well. Currently the Senate has two independents who vote with the Democrats most of the time. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (a cool and independent dude, who votes with his “liberal” mind to represent the people of VT the best he can) and Joe (I suck at life and want to make the Democrats hate me for the rest of my existence on this large blue and green planet and at the same time piss off as many people as I can) Lieberman. If Joe Lieberman could go find a wood chipper to re-create Fargo with I would endorse it. It has been rumored that Lieberman needs two Vicodin to even get to sleep because his mind continues to think of new ways of making people hate him. Back to the nature at hand. Tom Allen winning the Senate seat would be a huge coup de grace against the Republicans. The problem is he will most likely lose.

It is true what "Tip" O'Neil said when declaring, "All politics are local". The issues that towns and cities deal with everyday affect the actions that their representatives bring with them to Washington. Susan who I have very little trust for and believe she sounds like Chris Farley after climbing two flights of stairs every time she talks, has cultivated this image of a down home Maine girl/women(?) who still shops at Hannafords in Bangor every Sunday after church. Whose family owns a small business (which we know her family does not own a "small business" her family owns a lumberyard, I think they do well off!) Susan has cultivated this image of a small town America who at the same time gets things done in Washington by writing bills and choosing her own path. We can at least agree that she likes her gig in D.C. because while she once supported term limits she needs to rack up a few more frequent flier miles for a trip to anywhere hot and awesome when it is 10 fucking degrees in Maine in February. Proof of her talking about term limits right here!

The clear issue is if you support Collins you are going to get the same old thing. She does have an upside. She has been in the Senate for awhile now. She knows how to carve some pork and it would be nice to see Maine get some because frankly if Alaska can build bridges to nowhere then we could at snowmobile trails to east bumfuck. (To anyone who reads this and thinks that Congress will every end pork barrel spending you are about two fries short of a Happy Meal).

The downside to Collins is her voting record. Yes she has said she is and independent mind. Yet she votes for and helps people like Blackwater stay in business in Iraq, while fucking over the soldiers that should at least be given a little help. She votes with the Republicans on issues that really matter, i.e. the budget, claiming women's right while voting in Samuel Alito and John Roberts who are not fond of women choosing what goes on in their va-jay-jays, to supporting a national I.D act so that Big Brother can be started, and saying "criminals" should not be allowed habeas corpus. Not that anyone wants any corpse lying around

The upside to voting for Tom Allen is he is general a good guy. He is a thinking man Senator. He tries to show off that he is a down home guy but he went to Bowdoin College (which most Maine people could never afford), he went to Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship, and then he went to Harvard Law School. And you know what? That is alright. Yes, if you were his parents wouldn't you be saying to him, "Go to law school, apply for the Rhodes thing, better yourself, don’t set your goals to assistant manager at the D.Q.". I am sure Allen's family has money and I know he would vote for things that I do not agree with but he is still the better candidate for Senate. Currently he is 10 to 15 points down in the polls. Collins is known better and will mostly likely win. But at least old Tommy boy is one vote ahead of Susan before the polls open up.