Candidates for statewide office never know what will come back to haunt them, and the race for Maine governor has already been full of “gotcha” moments.
For gubernatorial candidate Libby Mitchell, it became a party photo showing the laughing candidate holding a plaque with a sticker identifying former President George W. Bush as an “international terrorist.”
Republican opponent Paul LePage came to a Monday night debate in Bangor with that gem in his pocket.
During the debate, Mitchell said a governor must be respectful of a sitting U.S. president. It was a clear reference to a video that surfaced of LePage telling a group of fishermen he would tell President Barack Obama to “go to hell.”
LePage was ready, announcing he had a photo showing Mitchell laughing at the “International Terrorist” president.
At first Mitchell denied knowing what he was talking about. But the LePage campaign produced the photo, apparently refreshing her memory.
Oh, brother.
Of course, LePage had his own problems early in the campaign when it was revealed that his wife had taken a homestead property tax exemption in both Florida and Maine.
It wasn’t the finest moment for the Republican’s campaign.
Skill behind the wheel, or lack thereof, has come back to haunt a couple of candidates.
Second District congressional candidate Jason Levesque had his driver’s license suspended for 30 days last week after three convictions over the past 11 months.
Two of the violations occurred just a day apart last month, adding a quick 12 points to the four he had on his license
Levesque took it all in stride: “Obviously, I’m not a great driver,” he told the Sun Journal. “That’s not what this race is about.”
Of course it’s not. But still …
Gubernatorial candidate Kevin Scott is in an entirely different category of bad driver. The youngest person in the governor’s race has been convicted of 35 motor vehicle violations and has had his license suspended 21 times.
We’ll see what voters make of that on Election Day.
First District congressional candidate Chellie Pingree’s troubles have also been transportation-related, but of the high-flying variety.
Pingree has received heat for traveling aboard a $25 million luxury jet owned by her fiance, Donald Sussman.
Sussman is a very wealthy New York hedge fund manager who has bankrolled some environmental causes and candidates in Maine.
Pingree had previously taken other lawmakers to task for flying in jets supplied by corporations and lobbyists. She says, however, that House ethics regulators had OK’d the flights, classifying Sussman as a relative.
Perhaps more damaging Wednesday were revelations that U.S. Rep. Barney Frank flew to the Virgin Islands aboard Sussman’s jet.
Frank chairs the House Financial Services Committee. Sussman’s firm, meanwhile, manages more than $1.7 billion in funds.
Barney Frank calls the charges of conflict “nonsense,” claiming he’s never done favors for the hedge-fund industry.
As a hedge-fund manager, Sussman represents everything ordinary Americans — the ones losing their homes and jobs — have come to resent about Wall Street and taxpayer bailouts.
While the homespun Pingree remains popular in Maine, voters are in an anti-elitist, anti-Wall Street, anti-incumbent mood, and the Sussman controversies certainly don’t help.
So, plenty of surprises on the campaign trail, but no knockout punches yet.
But there are two weeks to go.
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