PORTLAND, Maine — In her first speech in Maine since announcing she was dropping her bid for a fourth Senate term, Olympia Snowe provided few details about her future plans, stating only that she does not plan to run again for elected office and that no organizations have approached her about joining their ranks.
During a packed press conference at the Embassy Suites hotel near the Portland International Jetport, Snowe, surrounded by family and cracking jokes, repeatedly hit on the theme of bipartisan dysfunction in Washington and said she hopes to build popular support for a centrist approach from outside the Senate.
While Snowe was clear Friday about what she feels is wrong with politics today, she remained noncommittal about every possible trajectory moving forward. She said she even remains unsure about whether she will endorse one of the candidates vying to replace her.
Snowe’s decision not to seek re-election triggered a free-for-all among high-profile politicians in Maine, with rumors running rampant about who might throw their hat into the race.
As of midday Friday, 1st District U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and former congressman and two-term Gov. John Baldacci were the prominent names in the mix for the Democratic nomination, while Secretary of State Charlie Summers was the first establishment GOP candidate to announce he was seeking the Senate seat. Treasurer Bruce Poliquin and former Maine Senate President Rick Bennett followed close behind.
Former two-term independent Gov. Angus King and former independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler have both stated an interest in the race as well.
Several prominent Republicans, including Maine Attorney General William Schneider, Maine Senate Majority Leader Jon Courtney of Springvale and former House Minority Leader Josh Tardy of Newport, attended the press conference, fueling whispers that one of them may seek the seat.
Maine Senate President Kevin Raye also was on hand Friday morning, although he announced that he is recommitting himself to a run for the 2nd District House seat now held by Democrat Mike Michaud.
“Hopefully, I’ll be in a position to help a Republican nominee,” Snowe told a cluster of reporters at the end of her nearly 40-minute press conference. She said she does believe there are candidates in the Senate mix who can carry on her tradition of moderate conservatism, but she declined to name anybody and was unapologetic about dropping out of the race less than three weeks before the state deadline to submit the 2,000 signatures necessary to qualify for the primary ballot.
The three-term senator said her decision to drop out of the race aims to “send a message” that she hopes candidates clamoring for her seat take to heart.
“At some point, you have to bridge that divide” between Democrats and Republicans, she said. “That’s not what’s happening.”
Candidates who wish to follow in her steps “have to take that message and make the change if they’re elected,” Snowe said.
Snowe refused to say whether she believes the current crowd of GOP presidential hopefuls includes anyone who could build consensus among the parties in Washington, but said she has no plans to join that crowd or seek any other elected office, dousing rumors of a primary challenge for the Blaine House in 2014.
She said no organizations have approached her with job offers since dropping out of the race. She also indicated she has no cabinet position on the table.
Accompanied by her husband, former Republican Gov. John McKernan, and a stage full of family members Friday, Snowe was effusive in giving thanks to her supporters, family, friends, colleagues and staff.
Snowe has repeatedly referenced the dysfunctional environment in Washington when talking about her decision to leave the Senate after three terms. She repeated those refrains Friday, saying that the two major political parties have an obligation to find compromises on issues to avoid the Senate turning into a “winner-take-all” parliamentary system.
Snowe stopped short of calling for a third-party solution or systemic reform — as promoted by the nascent Americans Elect organization spearheaded Cutler — saying the two-party system is “fundamental” and can still be used to exact change.
“What I like to call the sensible center has all but disappeared from the Senate,” she told attendees.
Sorry Greek. But quite a few of your constituents won’t be able to tune into WSCH but they
understand why you were not a steward for the planet and a voice for them in the Senate, eh?
Oceans Acidifying Fastest in 300 Million Years Due to Emissions
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/03/02/bloomberg_articlesM07LBA07SXKX01-M099V.DTL
Friday, March 2, 2012
GOVERNOR!! Run for Governor of Maine!!!
It is amazing that more people are recognizing what I did many years ago, refusing to vote for Olympia because of her anti-family stance for which she gathered money from Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, NOW, Republican Log Cabin group and many other pro-abortion and pro-homosexual groups. So, she thinks it is okay for her to try to squelch the conservative speech and vote! Interesting.
It is unfortunate this comment section does not include a “Dislike” button.
Here is a little hint!
Click the Like Button.
Go have a couple of beers,
Come back and hit it again and it will count backwards.
I’m kind of skeptical that will work. I do see many “Likes” on my comment to add a “Dislike” button, though.
I always am amazed at people like 4lifeandfreedom who spew all this hatred and prejudice while claiming to uphold American Values. What has happened in America that has caused people to be so spiteful, angry, and hateful of others that do them not one bit of harm?
Pro-choice is freedom. Restrictions are not. Seeking the same rights for gays is freedom. Subjugating an entire minority to comply with their misguided and antiquated religious concepts is not. They are not even members of your church and for some reason telling them what is moral and what is not is your right? Let’s send over a couple of Islamic clerics to make sure the women in your family are covered from head-to-toe and their car-keys are taken from them. I see no difference in listening the rantings of those fools than I do of the fools on this shore.
Here is the deal – if you want to stop most abortions, stop unwanted pregnancies. It’s simple and it is what Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said. He’s right. But, here we are in 2012, actually having discussions about contraception? What’s next? Women’s right to vote? A seat at the lunch counter? Inter-racial marriage?
Why is there this desire to regress in history? It makes no sense. And, then, to listen to the rantings of religious leaders who can hardly claim the moral high ground? Are these people all sheep?
Perhaps, I was different. As a young child, maybe 7, I listened to religious rantings and thought to myself, what fool would believe this bozo? He was drunk as skunk on Saturday night, hitting the bottle and puffing away on cigarettes. He hardly was the exception. But, I suppose there are more sheep than there are shepherds so that might account for it. Too bad, too. We all know the final chapter for the sheep.
someone responded to 1 of my comments and said there should be a “love” button here.
there are many good reasons some choose abortion. it could be the life of the mom or a severely disabled baby who will live a short time or would have a life full of pain & suffering. It could be a parent knowing she can’t give the baby a life with a dad and basics like food & housing. who are you to say that is wrong? it is not your choice. I know a lesbian couple and a gay couple. They are attracted to people of the same gender for whatever reason. They would not be happy with a partner of another sex just as I wouldn’t be with someone of the same gender. Learn some tolerance & love others where they are in this life. God made us all.
I hope she’ll be okay financially in her golden years. Maybe a few benefit bean suppahs are in order?
She’s collected enough special interest money selling voters out and now she and Jock can ride off into the sunset…laughing all the way.
She fears the Revolution is nigh. Watch for her and Jocko to quietly move all their ill gotten gains to a numbered offshore account and acquire a ‘second home’ in some country without an extradition treaty.
EXACTLY!!
That press conference was a disgrace. On a day when people in the state of Maine needed clarity and honesty from their Senior Senator! On a day that it was announced that the Justice Department will join the suit against her husband’s for profit “university.” The Maine media should be ashamed that they did not confront her. Her husband’s company allegedly has preyed on folks who rely on federal money to go to school. Our taxpayer money. Shame Maine press. She’s one of the richest members of Congress. Some of her money comes from her husband and that money appears tainted. Instead from the Maine press we got a love fest “love you all” and a standing ovation. Shame!
Hopefully someday we will get “The rest of the story”!
Popeye II
Comeing to theaters near you!
Since Keven Raye has already told us he decided not to run. This must mean he wasn’t Olympia’s choice to replace her.
future= olympia rains or reigns?
Thank you for your service but I think it was time for her to retire and get someone with new ideas in DC to represent the people of Maine.
I always liked Sen. Snowe. Very articulate, bright, and conversant.
I cannot blame her for retiring. She’s 65 and another 6 year term will be 71. It’s a good time to move into something else and enjoy life a bit. Her reason for retiring makes all the sense in the world to me. I have been in DC since 1979 and I never have seen Congress as bitter and divided as I do now. I do not know how she has maintained her patience this long.
I wish her the best.
The media frenzy over this has been good infotainment , and bad analysis. Long after she and the rest of us have assumed the role of natural composts and manures, a historian will take the time to do sufficient research to give a more balanced portrait of Olympia Snowe, that is, if anyone cares at that point. For the moment, we’ll get nothing of the sort. Love-fests and sniping will be the rule for the short term no doubt.
As they hang on to her parting words of wisdom, the media crowd might think a bit about her allusion to her fighting Spartan ancestors. Those possessors of the “fighting spirit,” the victors in the Peloponnesian War, are generally credited with a major role in the decline of the world of classical Greece. Those conquerors of Athens had little use for arts, music and other finer aspects of human potential. Even though they had ruling councils, they had little use for real debate of important issues. Rather, they built a garrison society based on oligopoly and authoritarian strict discipline, on militarism and conquest, altogether the sorts of heritage one might wish not to enshrine. So, those Spartan ancestors were much more than simply feisty.In her retirement, she might do a little reading – good for a clearer understanding of one’s “heritage.”
NO DOUBT SHE HAS ALREADY HAS A STANDING OFFER FROM THE UMAINE SYSTEM TO TEACH A COURSE AND GET A HUGE SALARY WHILE THE ORDINARY EMPLOYEES CONTINUE TO BE TREATED LIKE DIRT BY A SYSTEM WITH MILLIONS IN RESERVE FUNDS THAT COULD BE USED IN PART FOR EVEN MEAGER PAYRAISES. BUT THE POWERS THAT BE WANT THE THREE-YEAR OLD WAGE FREEZE TO CONTINUE EVEN AS THEY HOARD MILLIONS FOR UNNEEDED CONSULTANTS, LAVISH PARTIES AND RETREATS, AND REDECORATED OFFICE SUITES.
I agree she should run for Governor but I think even better is it is not to late to throw in a run for the Republican nominee for the President now. She would be a great candidate for President or another option as Vice-President. All in all Sen. Snowe Maine will miss you in the Senate and thank you for the past 33 years of service. You certainly have served Maine well and also me personally on several personal issue over the years. I thank you for having a wonderful aide in Presque Isle years ago in Marion Higgins as she was the go between for you and I on several issues over the years to help Aroostook County and Maine to come to understand the need for the ADA and implementing it. Shows you my age that I was young when ADA was coming in and it has helped me being a paraplegic getting fair employment. I have been proud of the fact that a physical disability is not the same as the stigma used to be that people assumed a physical disability was a mental disability one also. You helped my life to be easier while overcoming the physical barriers that were in place in the 70’s when I was not allowed in many public places due to no access or having to leave public schooling as they had no laws then regarding discrimination of physical limitations. So I leave on the note as I met you and your husband at Hannaford in Ellsworth when you were heading to your summer home. We had met years earlier too when I worked at a local TV station and we held the county debates. I see that you have nothing on the table but after a short vacation I hope you will not leave public service permanently because you are one the best and you would be missed forever. Thank you again for serving the United States, Maine and Aroostook County by understanding what was best for people not political party lines.
She entered public life with modest means, earned a maximum of $170k per year over her career and leaves office with a net worth of $9.3 million. She’s got some nerve accusing everyone else in Washington of being to blame. She got filthy rich in the senate.
One solution is to develop a third party. Snowe, of couse, cannot support it but I think behind closed doors she may agree the time for a third party has come.
Chapter 7 – A Mad Tea-Party: Alice becomes a guest at a “mad” tea party along with the March Hare, the Hatter, and a sleeping Dormouse who remains asleep for most of the chapter. The other characters give Alice many riddles and stories, including the famous ‘Why is a raven like a writing desk?’. The Hatter reveals that they have tea all day because Time has punished him by eternally standing still at 6 pm (tea time). Alice becomes insulted and tired of being bombarded with riddles and she leaves claiming that it was the stupidest tea party that she had ever been to.
ChuckGG–sounds as though you were listening to the wrong person when you were 7 or so. No hatred spewed from me–simply the facts that can be found in Congressional journals, campaign finance reports, etc. Always have said that Olympia is a lady and a nice person to meet, but………..isn’t it okay to disagree with her on the political side? She has not represented ME well during many of her years in Congress.
One can hardly blame Snowe-McKernen for stepping down from a job that undoubtedly demands an ever increasing measure of moral and fiscal restraint. Age, a comfortable bounty and an unwillingness to compromise her liberal values vis à vis infanticide, natural law and the constitution must surely have weighed heavy on her mind these past few years.
Fleeting reminiscences of Snowe-McKernen and Maine’s other libertine Rhino engaged in flagrante delicto with Obama during the health care putsch are vivid reminders that moral turpitude and integrity may indeed be the Karamozovian off-spring of bi-partisan compromise.
We wish Snowe-McKernen well in the coming years; however, if ever we are to correct the impasse that clogs Washington, we will indeed require the indefatigable services of men and women who share the vision of the Founding Fathers and the moral constancy of Mother Therese.
her unwillingness to compromise her liberal values vis a vis Natutal Law? What are you talking about?