WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Republicans struggled to tamp down a family feud Thursday as they approached a politically charged showdown with the White House that combines the threat of a government shutdown, a possible first-ever federal default and the GOP’s bid to repeal the nation’s three-year-old health care law. One day after conceding that the […]
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Posted inMaine
Maine politicians renew support for better background checks in wake of D.C. shootings
AUGUSTA — State and federal lawmakers from Maine on Wednesday renewed their support for law changes that would improve gun-sale background checks in the U.S. after a mass shooting in Washington D.C., on Monday. The incident, which claimed the lives of 13 people, including the shooter, at the Navy Yard, remains under investigation. But emerging […]
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Posted inMaine
Collins and Michaud say they oppose U.S. strike against Syria
Just minutes before President Barack Obama addressed the nation on Syria U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R- Maine, said she could not support a Senate resolution authorizing U.S. military action in the civil war-torn nation. Moments later, U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, joined in saying he would oppose a unilateral strike by the U.S. “I have […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
80 House members: Government shutdown better than ‘Obamacare’
A letter from 80 Republicans asked Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to resist any spending bills that would accommodate the new health care law, which is nearing a critical stage of signing up millions of Americans for health coverage. Because it’s virtually certain that President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate would reject such demands, leaders […]
Posted inMaine
Legislature to start work on $150 million borrowing package in earnest Thursday
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee will convene Thursday to start work on a $150 million state borrowing package. Republican Gov. Paul LePage and leaders in the Democratic majority reached a tentative deal late Friday on a bonding package they hope to send out for voter approval in November. […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Froma Harrop: GOP of two minds, at least, on immigration
On immigration, the Republican Party is trapped in two trains of thought, each speeding along the wrong track. At the tea party end, there’s absolute resistance to normalizing the status of illegal immigrants. On the cheap-labor side, there’s this big push to admit as many unskilled immigrants as possible. The first view, that putting millions […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Congress: Divided, discourteous — taking a break
WASHINGTON (AP) — The accomplishments are few, the chaos plentiful in the 113th Congress, a discourteous model of divided government now beginning a five-week break. “Have senators sit down and shut up, OK?” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blurted out on Thursday as lawmakers milled about noisily at a time Sen. Susan Collins was trying […]
Posted inLetters
N. Willard: Party doesn’t always matter
It appears that Thomas Shields (July 25) believes in a black and white world in which all things Democratic are black and wrong and all things Republican are white and right. An Indian belief: “Never judge a person until you have walked many moons in their moccasins.” Too many people today are prejudging others based […]
Posted inLetters
D. Marquis: Republicans incapable of governing
Thomas Shields (July 25) still refuses to look at his own party’s failures. Intelligence agencies set talking points for all agencies of government while facts are gathered and confirmed. Benghazi was a serious investigation. Fact check.org says it cannot say the administration was intentionally misleading the public. There were huge mistakes made for sure. The […]
Posted inLetters
E. Field: Calling all moderate Republicans
Twenty or 30 years ago, Republicans had much more moderate views and were willing to compromise. There was little rudeness and hostility toward liberals. Most wouldn’t have questioned a president’s birthplace or religion. Many Republicans were pro-choice, socially liberal and fiscally conservative. The word “abortion” never appeared in the Republican party platform until 1976. Religion […]