AUGUSTA, Maine — U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe addressed the Maine Republican Party Convention on Sunday for the final time as a member of Congress and urged the audience to continue pushing the GOP as the “party of potential.”
Snowe shocked Maine Republicans — and Mainers in general — when she announced in late February that her current term in the U.S. Senate would be her last.
Her exit from the race opened the door to six Republican candidates, four Democrats and three independents who hope to succeed her. The six Republicans each were expected to speak on Sunday at the convention.
Left out of Snowe’s half-hour speech were any references to the bitter partisanship in Washington, D.C., that played a large role in her decision to forgo re-election to a fourth term.
In many ways, Snowe contributed to that partisanship on Sunday by highlighting “philosophical differences” between the two major political parties.
“We believe as Republicans that the individual is more important than the state,” she said. “We believe that the great days of our past can be a stepping stone to an even greater future. We believe a job is preferential to a handout and independence is better than dependence. We believe that the private sector is more productive than big government will ever be.”
She praised the accomplishments of the Republican-controlled Maine Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage and she said she hopes that continues past the 2012 elections.
“They have made too much progress to turn back now,” Snowe said.
She talked about the importance of electing a Republican senator to replace her and join her colleague, Susan Collins. And, she said, “We must pull out all the stops to ensure that Barack Obama goes into the history books as a one-term president.”
The biggest applause came whenever Snowe mentioned Obama. She criticized his economic policies and said, “We must keep fighting until Obamacare is repealed, unless of course the Supreme Court does it first.”
Snowe also talked about the need to pass a federal balanced budget amendment. During her more than three decades in Congress she has tried 18 times but was never successful.
As the speech wound down, Snowe moved away from targeted criticism of Obama.
“In the end, it isn’t about any one person, or any one party,” she said. “In the end, it’s about the United States of America.”
When she finished speaking, the crowd stood and clapped for several moments. Many held signs that read “Thank you, Olympia.”
Many in the audience likely viewed Snowe as a RINO, or Republican in Name Only, for the long-held belief that she is one of the most moderate senators in Washington. But they treated her with respect.
Before Snowe took the stage, Gov. LePage made reference to the senator in his remarks.
“Give a her a great hand,” LePage said. “She’s really done the best she can with what she’s had to work with in Washington, which is not much.”
Take your baby Mr. Lepage with you please.
A BIG YES
Snowe could easily have won re-election but her own party was starting to attack her, ridicule her, call her RHINO. If the Koch-led Tea Party takes over America, we can expect to slide even deeper. George W. Bush was just the start.
GO GO MAINE
LePage brings Senator Snowe’s appearance to a close with a moderate compliment to her (This is the best he could muster? Now that’s sad considering everything she and her former husband did for him when he was down and out) and a negative comment about Washington. Wow, gotta hand it to the guy, he knows how to be more consistently negative toward anyone not named LePage than anyone I’ve ever seen. We’ve heard of Debbie Downer, every day now we’re becoming more familiar with Pitiful Tea Party Paulie .
GOOD BY SNOWE
Do you mean “bye” you illiterate Ron Paul supporter?
LePage said “she’s really done the best she can with what she’s had to work with what’s she had to work with in Washington, which is not much”. I’d would have to agree that the Bush, Cheney administration will go down in history as the most reckless and corrupt administration in Americas history thus far.
Hey, im, put the kool-aid down and open your mind. The Obama administration’s one term will replace the classic textbook Harding administration as history’s most corrupt by far.
This country was happy to get rid of the stench of the Bush/Cheney administration, just as this state will be happy to rid itself of the stench that is in the Blaine House now. His Immenseness called state employees corrupt, but to my knowledge, none of them has given his daughter a do-nothing job sucking on the public teat. I guess it’s only welfare if it isn’t immediate family.
You have not noticed the Obama, Biden adminstration, huh?
Good night, Olive Oyl.
Glad to see you go Snowe. Take Collins with you, she is an even worse Senator then you ever were. Hopefully Maine will finally turn into a blue state this election and never go back to Atrocities like LePage.