Block Supreme Court nominee
I urge Sen. Susan Collins to join with Democrats and block any Supreme Court nomination until the Russian investigation is complete.
President Donald Trump has refused to use his power to address Russian interference in our elections.
He can nominate a Supreme Court justice who is likely to decide on issues relating to the Mueller investigation and its impact on him. Does he get to pardon himself? His friends? What is within the scope of Mueller’s investigation? Trump could even secretly require a loyalty oath from his nominee. He has lied so often that we cannot believe anything he says.
Republican leaders have not kept their promises to Collins. Too many Republicans have chosen loyalty to Trump over fulfilling their responsibilities as members of an independent branch of government.
Republicans forced a one-year delay to vote on a Supreme Court nominee when there was no cloud over the president. Now there is a compelling reason to wait.
Joyce Schelling
Orland
Golden for Congress
The week of June 21 was a busy one for Maine’s political landscape. Not only did we learn who the Democratic candidates will be for November’s election for governor ( Janet Mills) and the 2nd Congressional District ( Jared Golden), the U.S. House of Representatives voted on a farm bill that could significantly impact millions of low-income people. Mainers, who experience the third highest rate of hunger in the nation, will feel its impact.
Rep. Bruce Poliquin continued his disregard for the needs of Maine people by voting in favor of the farm bill. It paves the way for billions of dollars in subsidies to wealthy farm owners and their families. Members of Congress stand to gain hundreds of thousands of dollars in windfalls from subsidies in the House bill, according to the Environmental Working Group.
Poliquin’s assertions of caring for and about Maine people have fallen flat. He has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing insurance coverage to more than 550,000 Mainers with pre-existing conditions; to support the GOP tax bill, which results in half of all benefits going to the top 1 percent by 2027; and most recently, to substantially cut food assistance to low-income people.
Join me in supporting Golden as our next congressional representative. He’ll advocate for everyone in the 2nd District. Voting for Golden on Nov. 6 is the best way of ensuring equality and justice across this great land.
Beth Clifford
Perry
The baker and the Sanders
Bryan Fulwider in his recent column makes an error in his assumption about the Colorado baker and his refusal to sell a cake. Jack Phillips did not refuse to sell a cake, but refused to make a custom wedding cake for the gay couple, which he felt was offensive and against his religious beliefs. He also refuses to decorate cakes for bachelor parties, divorces and other “events” that he does not believe he should support. He did offer the couple any pre-decorated cake they wished, so he did not deny them service except decorating. They chose to make this a federal case — not him.
This is vastly different than the Sarah Huckabee Sanders case where she and her family were denied service at a restaurant because of her job as White House press secretary (she might be a liberal Democrat and be doing the same job). Totally hypocritical.
Chet Suske
China
American horror
I am a retired teacher. I taught U.S. history for more than 40 years in several coastal Maine schools. I spoke with pride about Valley Forge, Nathan Hale, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the Marines on the island of Iwo Jima.
While speaking of these great events, I did not ignore some of the negatives of our country’s story, such as the treatment of the American Indians and our very poor record on equal rights.
Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would see the treatment of humans such as we now extend to children of immigrants.
Had the Nazis done it, we would condemn it. Had the Islamic State group done it, we would condemn it. Had the Taliban done it, we would condemn it.
I am filled with contempt and disgust at the treatment that they are receiving, and I am outraged that American tax dollars are being used to support such a program.
I ask that any people who share this view contact their elected representative and awaken them to this horror.
Woody Townsend
Brunswick
Trump setting country back
As I look back at my life as a senior citizen, and take a political view of the past, I realize that I voted for our president of the United States 13 times. I also remember being very concerned when Ronald Reagan was elected, for whom I didn’t vote. He was a Hollywood actor who co-starred in a movie with a monkey. At the time, I wondered where the country was going, and would we survive this administration.
Fast forward 30 years. We now have the monkey in the White House, bringing, without a doubt, the most disaccord in local, national and worldwide politics and policies. Producing divided communities, uprisings in race and religious issues, with totally closed eyes on ecological and environmental concerns, with all decisions made allowing regulations to be ignored to allow the rich to prosper more, this will set this country back 30 years on all fronts.
Not to mention the divided political party view, which has always existed somewhat, but never to this level where a party has completely ignored the country’s destruction for the sake of the Grand Old Party, totally allowing our hard fought for alliance with the free world to diminish as corrupt views and actions go forward without question.
It’s time to put the “monkey” back in the zoo, allowing him to go back to his previous illustrious life of spending, swindling and woman molesting, and he can continue his obnoxious, rude approach toward life and disrespect of common people.
Lewis Pelletier
Winslow