I'm not surprised at the party winners in New Hampshire, but I am a wee bit surprised at the order of the underlings on the Republican side of the ballot. Of course you all know Donald Trump, as expected, finished atop the R heap while Bernie Sanders surprised only Hillary Clinton on the D heap. Well, the D's didn't have a heap, but Bernie's win wasn't unexpected by most.
The NH results did show what one "expert" said was a change in the electorate that wants to see politics in America returned to the people. I remember not his name right now, but he told WCSH6 reporters the voters want ordinary folk, not the super rich, to be running the country.
That would be the case if either Trump or Sanders holds on to win next November.
My mild surprise was that Marco Rubio dropped all the way down to fifth. I honestly had expected to see a real battle between Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich for that second spot but it turned out that only Kasich was there. Remember I've been saying all along that Rubio could come through and win the R nomination. He still could, I suppose, but he probably won't.
Kasich might be a good alternative to Trump.
It'll now heat up in down South as attention turns to South Carolina and out West in Nevada next.
The race will heat up.
Back to Maine. A chance of peaceful relations between the Democrat controlled Legislature and the Republican Governor we thought might bring some civility to Maine governance this session has apparently been rather short-lived. On the first day of the current session after the tumultuous year of the last session opened with the Democrats seeking to impeach governor Paul LePage. However a majority of Dems didn't want to start out that way in hopes, I imagine, of at least having the two sides work together for the good of Maine.
That has apparently come to an end. I haven't seen it in the news anywhere, but as you know I don't get much of the news to read Gov. LePage withdraw his nomination for Commissioner of the Department of Education, Dr. Bill Beardsley. Dr. Beardsley is highly qualified for the position and will continue in his temporary position until all this is cleared up.
According to the Governor's Press Release I read in the Maine Wire, the newsletter of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, the withdrawal resulted from what the release called a planned blockage by democrats on the Legislature Education Committee. The Governor said he had learned that the Dems had planned to pack the confirmation hearing with strong groups and transgendered students to stop the nomination.
The Maine Wire says, "At issue appears to how Maine is dealing with transgendered students, and the brewing conflict between left-wing groups and their allies in Augusta, and the governor’s office over the issue." The Maine Supreme Court had urged the legislature to fulfill its duties of creating specific rules for transgendered students to use bathrooms, especially in schools. The Governor had stopped incomplete action of the Legislature until that body followed the Court's instructions.
The action of the Democrats on the Education Committee, however, signaled they would continue to ignore the Court, until they got their way at least, and that signaled that they will continue to be in conflict with the governor at every turn.
The Maine Heritage Policy Center in the same newsletter is calling upon all Mainers to look closely at electing more Republicans who support Maine ideals to the Legislature next November.
Something surely needs to be done to return civility to our legislative lives.
Dave
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