AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine State Chamber of Commerce honored U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe on Friday evening at its 2012 annual dinner for her years of public service.
Sen. Snowe was presented with the Alton “Chuck” Cianchette Business Hall of Fame Award, which recognizes the contributions of an individual who has demonstrated public service leadership and business success.
After being introduced by her husband and former Gov. John R. McKernan Jr., the Chamber played a video tribute to Sen. Snowe that featured comments from former President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton.
Sen. Snowe also offered the keynote address.
“Time and again I’ve witnessed how the Maine State Chamber and its 5,000 members have been the heart that pumps the lifeblood of our economy, and a game-changer for progress in public policy,” she said.
“As former chair and current ranking member of the Senate small business committee over the past decade, there has been no priority more urgent for me than being a megaphone for Maine’s nearly 150,000 small businesses and America’s nearly 30 million small firms that represent an astounding 99.7 percent of all employers.”
She continued: “You are willing to take risks others won’t. You have your fingers on the pulse of your communities. And that’s one reason I’ve made main street tours across this state a hallmark of my tenure in public office — they’re like my ‘secret poll.’”
Sen. Snowe also addressed her impending departure from the Senate.
“I’m not leaving the Senate because I’ve ceased believing in its power, or I no longer love the institution — but precisely because I do love it. I’m just taking my fight in a different direction from the outside, to help return the Senate to its roots as a place of refuge from the passions of politics — to the Founding Fathers’ vision of a forum where the political fires are tempered, not stoked,” she said. “And if there’s one message I want to leave you with, it’s that we do not need to accept that partisanship-at-all-costs has to be the ‘new norm;’ we can reverse the tide. Because even as the atmosphere in Washington today is all-too-often regrettable, I am convinced it is not irreparable.”
Nothing is ever an issue with Snowe, till it is an issue, she could not see folly of the Iraq war, or see how it would bankrupt this country, she never stood up to rock a boat, take a tough unpopular stand while she was there, what has she done for Maine really, her and her buddy George W. Bush, have made a mess of the U. S, economy, and she wants us all to join in on what a great senator she was, her legacy is hide, pop up for a quick headline, and back to business as usual.
Congratulations, Senator.
Surely they are talking about her work for the southern part of maine.Her and collins did nothing for keeping loring afb but again most of the votes come from the population in the southern half.
WONDERFUL!!!!!! Yes, Congratulations, Senator, and thank you for raising the bar of civility. You will be long remembered for that as much as anything you have accomplished. A breath of fresh air.
Snowe has voted against every jobs bill except the veteran’s jobs’ bill that President Obama has proposed.
Her record is there for anyone to see. Maybe the Maine Chamber is another appendage of the tea party, like so many other chambers across the country.
She deserves no award for jobs creation.
I don’t call being a senator public service when it pays $180,000 or so a year, provides the best in health insurance and a retirement plan that is the best in the world. I call that self service.
I’m still trying to figure out how Snowe, whose only job has been in “public service” ended up being a multi-millionaire.