Kavanaugh right for court
Shortly after it was announced in July that Judge Brett Kavanaugh would be the next nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, many of those he has worked with came out with letters to show their full support. As a matter of fact, 160 members of the Yale University community, 26 state attorneys general, and 18 of Kavanaugh’s female law clerks all signed letters in support of the Supreme Court nominee.
While a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Kavanaugh hired 25 women and 23 men as law clerks. This rare gender parity is a testament to Kavanaugh’s character in that when he says, “I look for the best,” when hiring, he doesn’t discriminate based on gender.
A majority of the nation’s state attorneys general also are strongly urging the Senate to confirm Kavanaugh without delay because they say he is an outstanding jurist with a temperament that would make him a great associate justice.
The Yale University community highlighted in their letters Kavanaugh’s willingness to help those in need in his community whether it’s providing food to the homeless or routinely volunteering at various Catholic Charities. Students he has taught in the past have also vouched for Kavanaugh saying, “he is a person of deep conviction and integrity.”
Sen. Susan Collins should also support Kavanaugh because he is a great man, not just for his many accomplishments in the courtroom.
Rep. Paula Sutton
Warren
King helps hospitals
Northern Piscataquis County is highly dependent on the Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital in Greenville, and Sen. Angus King has made sure it remains well-funded and operational. In 2017, he voted against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, thus ensuring that the hospital — our county’s fifth largest employer — continues to receive the federal support it needs to carry on strong. He has done the same across the state. King has continually reached out to rural health care providers, from Machias to Bridgton, to ensure their voices are heard by their representative in Washington. After all, rural hospitals are a top employer in 15 out of Maine’s 16 counties.
The Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital is a vital caregiver for northern Piscataquis County’s large senior population, and King has fought hard to ensure that all members of our county can receive treatment there. He is vehemently opposed to recent proposals that seek to restrict insurance access for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. Our county has one of the highest cancer rates in the state, and so continued access to affordable health insurance is vitally important for us.
I am voting for King in November so he continue to protect our hospitals and health insurance.
Sharon Libby Jones
Greenville
Collins must oppose Kavanaugh
If Sen. Susan Collins votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, she will be acting against the health and welfare of about one half of our nation’s citizens: namely women. Banning access to any abortion, even to save the life of the mother or in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape, is unacceptable and inhumane. To criminalize abortion would force women to seek illegal back-street abortions. At age 80, I remember countless women maimed and killed by such procedures.
In 1969, after three miscarriages, I conceived a fourth pregnancy. This went very badly. I could not hold down any food for over 10 weeks and lost 40 pounds.
My doctors told me I would not survive unless the pregnancy were terminated. Even then I had to see two psychiatrists and undergo some truly humiliating procedures before receiving a therapeutic abortion at 16 weeks. My body rejected the first three pregnancies; the fourth succeeded in implanting itself and began to reject me.
No woman should be forced to carry a pregnancy that will kill her or to bear more children than she can properly care for. On average it takes two years for a woman’s body to fully recover from the stress and depletion of a full-term pregnancy and birth. Should she conceive much earlier than that, both her health and that of her unborn baby will inevitably be at risk.
On behalf of every girl and woman citizen of the U.S., I implore Collins to not vote to approve Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
Anne Stebbins Funderburk
Scarborough
Giles for Senate
As the owner of the Lupine Cottage Craft Co-Op in Belfast, I wholeheartedly support for Jayne Crosby Giles for Maine Senate. The Lupine Cottage was my dream. Giles believed in me. When I first started out, I was faced with many obstacles as a small business owner. Giles took the time to listen and understood my issues and concerns. Her banking and business experience was invaluable. She went the extra mile and found the resources I needed to succeed. She was always looking ahead and willing to do more to ensure she found me the best answer to my needs.
Giles continues to visit my shop and make sure everything is going well. She is genuinely concerned about the members of the community and business in Maine. Her help insured my success and that gives a chance for success to over 60 individual small business members of the Lupine Cottage. She was a huge asset to me and I know she will be an asset for Waldo County and the state of Maine.
Margaret Masessa
Montville
Poliquin v. Trump
If you have seen the Bruce Poliquin ad talking about his fighting against tariffs that hurt Maine, you might, like me, wonder if a person who ducks into the bathroom to avoid talking to reporters can stand up to a person like Donald Trump.
William Phillips
Orono
Fundraising not a bribe
It’s not a bribe. Sen. Susan Collins’ constituents are trying to tell her how serious this is by saying, if she votes yes on Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court, we will do everything possible to ensure that she is never elected to office again. Collins has a history of giving the political appearance of sitting on the fence, trying to play both sides. This won’t work in a Donald Trump presidency or with this appointment.
If Collins votes for Kavanaugh, we the people of Maine, who funded this crowdsourcing campaign will work to make sure it’s her last term in office. Pretty simple and straightforward — no bribery here.
Betty Kijewski
Thomaston