This story looks like a case of trying to buy your vote using your own money. President Trump ordered the suspension of payroll tax collections during the election campaign. But workers will have to repay the money right afterwards. It’s complicated. If you’re confused, don’t worry. Trump surely did not understand the details either. Each […]
Is Sen. Susan Collins a moderate? Is anybody? Much depends on the definition of “moderate.” A Washington rating organization classified Collins as a moderate by focusing on the number of bills she sponsors with Democrats. Others see her as a moderate because she votes with President Trump less than any other GOP senator. Missing in […]
Would Donald Trump abide by the presidential election results if he lost? Such a question has never before been asked about a sitting president, but the White House answer left the matter in doubt. The real answer is both simple and complicated. Trump might refuse to accept that he had lost the election, but it’s […]
Donald Trump wants to make voting more difficult this year, because voters supporting the Democratic Biden-Harris ticket may be less enthusiastic than those backing the Republican Trump-Pence ticket. If the Democratic voters lack commitment, they might be easily discouraged from casting their ballots by obstacles placed in their path to the polls. Making it impossible […]
President Trump has tried to short-circuit the congressional efforts to come up with a new bill on federal Covid-19 aid. That’s today’s politics, but much more. Here’s the story. In May, the House of Representatives under Democratic control passed a new $3 trillion aid package. It waited for the Senate under Republican control to pass […]
“We, the People” made the Constitution. But our right to vote is not included in the Bill of Rights. Still, the Constitution protects it. The Ninth Amendment says that the specific inclusion of only some rights does not “deny or disparage others retained by the people.” The right to vote is retained by the people. […]
The rising tide of campaign advertising is a sure sign that the days dwindle down to the national elections. November 3 is less than 100 days ahead and massive campaign money means that American voters risk being drowned in campaign ads and mail. Maine’s U.S. Senate race will set a new state record for spending […]
The war about reopening the economy is being fought about as fiercely as the war against Covid-19 itself. Maine is caught in this war between public health officials and open economy advocates. The conflict can be partisan. The unanimous Legislature gave Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, authority to fight the spread of the virus. She […]
Would Joe Biden as president merely be the un-Trump? Would his presidency be all about undoing Trump’s moves? For many people, that would be satisfactory. They have enough experience to judge Trump and enough confidence, if not enthusiasm, to prefer Biden. To accomplish even a Trump rollback, Biden would need a cooperative Congress. The Democrats […]
President Trump may be right in saying Confederate generals are part of American history, but he gets their role wrong – intentionally. After the Civil War, southerners erected the statues of leaders of what they called “the Lost Cause.” To sanitize their rebellion, they claimed their intent had been to preserve states rights and was […]
