![[menu_gallery]](http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/GridIcon-24px.png "[menu_gallery]"){kind=small}
#MESen: Angus King Makes Crude Stereotype at Camden Debate
Speaking about a Chinese foreign exchange student… “And she’s really good at math!”
On the heels of racial twitter posts by family member, Angus stereotypes Asian student During last night’s debate on foreign policy in Camden, Angus King offered a thoughtful statement on relationships between Chinese and American citizens. Unfortunately, he ended his statement by using an insensitive and stereotyping comment to try to elicit laughter from the crowd. King described a Chinese foreign exchange student’s enthusiasm about America, and then crudely stated: “And she’s really good at math!” King’s insensitivity toward racial stereotyping comes a day after revelations of insensitive, racist twitter posts made by King’s son, including posts featuring a black child eating a watermelon, and descriptions of sexual encounters with Asian students. “First, no one is accusing Angus King of being a racist,” said GOP spokesperson David Sorenson. “But let’s be real here – a candidate for U.S. Senate cannot be making jokes about racial stereotypes. Angus King has shown in so many ways that he believes he is above the rules, and the events of the last few days show a disconnect that is frankly appalling. Angus King needs to take a step back, realize the insensitivity of his remarks and those of his family members, and apologize.”
#MESen Update: Sen. Kelly Ayotte Campaigned with Charlie Summers and Summers slammed King for Using Energy to Line his Own Pockets
In Maine, the Associated Press reports that Sen. Kelly Ayotte campaigned yesterday with Charlie Summers. Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire is campaigning on behalf of GOP candidate Charlie Summers in the U.S. Senate race in Maine. Ayotte has been touring the country with Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to warn of the danger to national security of sequestration, a series of automatic, across-the-board federal cuts that will take effect if Congress doesn’t reach a budget solution. On Wednesday, she joined Summers at a roundtable discussion with representatives of defense contractors in Maine. She also attended a fundraiser on Summers’ behalf.
Meanwhile, the AP also reports that at a debate yesterday Charlie Summers slammed supposed Independent Angus King for once again attempting to line his own pockets when it comes to energy. “Summers suggested that King’s support of natural gas was an opportunity to line his own pockets and said King vetoed an increase in Meals on Wheels funding while promoting laptop computers for public school students. ‘You have to ask yourself, ‘What’s important?’ People being able to feed themselves or laptops?’ Summers said.”
#MESen: LePage Blames Obama, Angus King for Maine’s Higher Energy Costs
From the Lewiston Sun-Journal:
Gov. Paul LePage blamed wind and solar power for rising energy prices in Maine during his weekly message Saturday morning.
“It is because Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, often referred to as RPS, requires that some of the state’s electricity be generated by expensive ‘renewable’ sources, like wind power and solar,” says LePage.
LePage says Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) will increase electricity costs by $145 million.
“Homeowners will pay $85 more per year on their electricity bill and business will pay more than $600 annually,” says LePage – citing a study by the Maine Heritage Policy Center and Beacon Hill Institute. “Industrial users will suffer the most taking on more than $14,000 per year because of the mandate.”
LePage says that will cost the state about 1,000 jobs.
He blamed former Gov. Angus King for instituting the RPS in 1999 and profiting from the policy after he left office. In 2007, King co-founded Independence Wind. The company helped create Record Hill, a 22-turbine, 50-megawatt wind farm in Roxbury.
LePage also tied politics to the cost of heating oil in Maine. “The challenge is, however, that for years, the status quo has been that special interests here in Maine and Capitol Hill dictate which energy sources Mainers pay for and which ones are discriminated against – with no regard to the ratepayer.”
The Governor’s Energy Office reports the average cost of heating oil in Maine is $3.68 per gallon – up 9 cents per gallon from last month.
New #MESen Video: Invitation For Angus
Make America Strong & Secure PAC has a new video ad going after so-called independent Angus King for apparently accepting the $410,000 ad money being pumped into the Maine Senate race by Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, and the Democrat Party!
#MESen: King Campaign Busted With False Excuse, Spokesperson Confirms Coordination
Documents prove Eliot Cutler was Board member of Unregistered SuperPAC, Despite Denials
AUGUSTA – Angus King campaign chair and failed gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler has been caught trying to deceive reporters about his involvement with an illegally-coordinated money funneling scheme to support Angus King’s struggling senate campaign.
And King’s spokesperson Crystal Canney’s comments confirm the campaign’s involvement.
Cutler is a member of the Board of Directors of Americans Elect, a self-described “social welfare” organization that pledged under oath to the IRS that it would not advocate on behalf of any candidate or campaign. Cutler’s group broke this oath when it funneled more than $1 million into the Maine senate race to support Angus King. Federal Election law prohibits third-party groups from coordinating with campaigns, but Eliot Cutler serves as both a board member of Americans Elect and the chair of Angus King’s campaign.
To try to deflect criticism for illegal coordination, Cutler has been telling reporters he resigned from Americans Elect’s board on June 26.
However, official documents filed with the State of Rhode Island show Eliot Cutler was still a board member as of June 29, 2012.
Americans Elect Rhode Island Annual Report Filed June 29, 2012 (1)
Crystal Canney responded to news that Cutler’s organization was spending money in Maine by confirming the campaign’s coordination.
“We will not unilaterally disarm, the time has passed when this money could have been kept out of Maine.”
King’s ability to ‘disarm’ would require coordination with Cutler’s group. So what does this mean? Did they ask for it? Fundraise for it? Suggest someone do it at one of their out-of-state fundraisers?
“Angus King can’t claim to represent a different kind of politics – and Americans Elect can’t claim to be an alternative to party politics – as long as they both engage in this kind of double talk and hypocrisy,” said Maine Republican Party spokesman David Sorensen.
#MESen: Maine GOP Files FEC Complaint Alleging Illegal Coordination Between Angus King & Outside Group
Maine GOP Seeks Federal Investigation Into Illegal Coordination Between Angus King & “Non-Profit” Outside Organization Running Campaign Ads On His Behalf
FEC Complaint Outlines Multiple Violations Of Federal Campaign Law
In the wake of news that a purported “non-partisan” organization funded by wealthy out-of-state friends of Angus King and run, in part, by King’s own statewide campaign chairman, is airing a $500,000 ad campaign on Maine television stations in direct support of King’s Senate candidacy, the Maine Republican Party announced today that it has filed an extensive formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission.
“From breaking his promise to ‘never’ run a negative campaign to flip-flopping and accepting special interest PAC money from Washington to now welcoming the same outside groups that he once condemned, it’s clear that Angus King and his wealthy friends are getting desperate. But abandoned principles and sinking poll numbers are no excuse for violating the law which is what Mr. King and his out-of-state supporters appear to have done here,” State Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster said today.
The Maine GOP is seeking an immediate FEC investigation into what appear to be several clear violations of federal election law, including illegal coordinated communications with the King campaign and the outside organization, Americans Elect. Even as of this afternoon, Americans Elect’s website listed King’s statewide chairman Eliot Cutler as a member of their board of directors.
Further, when Americans Elect sought non-profit status with the Internal Revenue Service in April 2010, the organization explicitly stated under oath that, “Americans Elect does not and will not support or oppose any candidate or candidate committee.” And since that time, Americans Elect does not appear to have ever registered as a political committee as is required under federal law for any group that spends over $1,000 “for the purpose of influencing election for federal office.”
“It’s one thing for Angus King to continually put his personal political interests ahead of voters in Maine, but it’s another matter when those actions violate the law and we look forward to a thorough investigation by the FEC into these illegal campaign ads,” Webster concluded.
Here’s a copy of the FEC complaint:
FEC Complaint
A copy of the supporting exhibit:
Exhibit
#MESen: Latest NRSC Poll is Boosting Republicans’ Confidence; Ready Beat Supposed Independent Angus King
In Maine, the Bangor Daily News reports on how the latest NRSC poll in the senate race is boosting Republicans’ confidence that they will beat supposed independent Angus King. Charlie Summers’ Senate campaign and the Republican party’s Senate campaign arm are cheering the release of polling data this week that show independent former Gov. Angus King’s lead in the race for Maine’s open U.S. Senate seat tightening to a four-point advantage over Summers…The National Republican Senatorial Committee on Tuesday released data from two polls it commissioned from Idaho-based GS Strategy Group. The first, conducted Sept. 5-6, showed King with 44.3 percent support and Summers with 33.5 percent. The second, conducted Sept. 24-25, showed King’s lead narrowing to 3.8 points. King had 37.3 percent support in that survey while Summers’ support level stayed at 33.5 percent.
#MESen Update: Angus King’s advantage in the Maine Senate race is down to 3.5% & King has been caught misleading voters
In Maine, Matthew Gagnon writes for the Bangor Daily News on the NRSC’s internal polling that shows just how increasingly close the race in Maine is. Well, would you look at that. According to the latest poll from GS Strategy Group, a poll conducted for the NRSC, Angus King’s advantage in the Maine Senate race is down to 3.5%. The current race stands at 37% for King, 33.5% for Summers, and 17% for Dill…However, this same pollster conducted a poll in early September which showed the race as an 11% advantage for King, 44-33-11, respectively. That is generally in the same vicinity as other pollsters have been showing in the same time period… King completely blowing his lead will only be deadly for his campaign if Summers can somehow improve and get in the high 30s or low 40s. Even a marginal increase in his support would make this race dead even, or even give Summers an advantage.
- Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that Angus King has been caught, once again, misleading voters – this time about his tax rate. Republicans on Tuesday accused King, a self-made millionaire, of using a methodology that understated his income to make it seem as though he was paying a greater share of taxes. King computed his rate based on taxable income “after deductions and loopholes, artificially lowering his gross income and effectively raising his perceived tax rate,” David Sorensen, spokesman for the Maine Republican Party, wrote in a statement.
- Key quote – Bob Williams at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington said the best standard is total income. Barring that, the best measure of income on a tax return is the adjusted gross income used by Romney. “What King did is not right. What King did is overstate his taxes, potentially by a lot,” Williams said.
- Further, Roll Call writes on how King as early as last week chided negative advertising and then this week went up with a negative ad attacking Charlie Summers. Independent Senate candidate Angus King has made a $105,000 ad buy in Maine painting Republican opponent Charlie Summers as too conservative for the state… The negative ad, however, is a shift in approach for King, who as recently as last week tweeted, “Negative ads distract from the real issues in the campaign like energy, health care and jobs.”
#MESen More King Deception: Tax Returns Show Angus Paid 25% Less Than Mitt Romney
Deceptive ‘Summary’ Overstates Tax Rate, King Paid Only 15% on Nearly $4 million in Income
AUGUSTA – Yesterday, Angus King’s campaign intentionally overstated the amount of taxes he paid over the last seven years in an effort to deliberately mislead Maine voters. Tax returns released later last evening show that the millionaire former governor actually paid a lower tax rate than GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
Records show King’s effective tax rate on nearly $4 million in income over seven years was 15%. His lowest rate was 12%, in 2010. By comparison, Mitt Romney’s campaign reports that the presidential candidate paid 20.2 percent over a nine-year period, with a low year of 13%.
On September 22, King’s campaign sent out a press release attacking Charlie Summers’ call for lower taxes on investment. In the release, King’s campaign criticizes Romney’s tax rate:
“This comes on the heels of Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney’s release of his personal financial records showing he is taxed at a much lower rate than many working Americans.”
King’s campaign circulated a summary yesterday afternoon, claiming that King’s effective tax rate was 22.2%. This is not accurate. King’s summary computes his rate based on net income after deductions and loopholes, artificially lowering his gross income and effectively raising his perceived tax rate. His taxes paid should have been divided into his Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), not his net income after loopholes.
“I stopped being surprised by this kind of behavior from King a while ago,” said Maine Republican Party spokesman David Sorensen. “This is the latest incident in an evolving pattern of Angus King trying to mislead Mainers. From taking his opponent’s words out of context in his negative ad to doctoring a newspaper article on his website to citing false information about his governorship, there seems to be no limit to the lengths Angus will go to in order to get himself elected.”
The Maine press apparently failed to check King’s summary numbers, and reported the false rate of 22.2% extensively. King released the deceptive summary several hours before releasing the actual returns to the general public, and well after initial stories ran with the incorrect rate.
Breaking: DSCC Prepares To Pour Money Into Maine – Where They Won’t Endorse Their Own Nominee
As the polls continue to show a tightening race, I wanted to make sure you saw the breaking news from Politico that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is now preparing to invest a significant amount of money in Maine and they are trying to bury this big news late on a Friday. As Politico reports:
- The committee has purchased $410,000 in Maine airtime between Oct. 2 and Oct. 12, a significant investment in a relatively inexpensive state.
If you are reporting on the DSCC’s impending ad campaign in Maine, please consider the following statement from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC):
“It’s remarkable to see national Democrats now spending money in a state where they refuse to even endorse their own nominee. Now that they are spending almost a half-million dollars in Maine, the DSCC should make clear who they are supporting – the Democratic nominee or the candidate that the State Democratic Party Chairman said today cannot be trusted.”
- Rob Jesmer, Executive Director
National Republican Senatorial Committee
BACKGROUND….
As a reminder, this is the same state that Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer had this to say about in May:
- “There’s only one state where the strong likelihood is there’s a pick-up,” Schumer said. “That’s Maine and that’s ours.”
But Schumer’s comments – which both he and the DSCC refused to expand on – raised eyebrows because of the remarkable situation in which the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has refused to even acknowledge the existence of their duly-elected female nominee, State Senator Cynthia Dill.
Despite continuously touting the 2012 election cycle as the “Year Of The Woman” in press releases, press conferences, and barn-storming fundraising tours across the country, the Chair of the DSCC Senator Patty Murray has remarkably refused to even acknowledge her own female Democratic nominee in Maine, State Senator Cynthia Dill.
This was confirmed by State Senator Dill who said in an interview earlier this year – at the same time Murray was touting her “Year Of The Woman” narrative – that she couldn’t even get a phone called returned by Senator Murray. And even in an interview with MSNBC the morning after the Maine primary in June, Murray couldn’t bring herself to utter State Senator Dill’s name, let alone say whether the DSCC would back their duly elected nominee.
This remarkable hypocrisy even led Dill to pen a public letter to Senator Murray asking why “Beltway Democrats” have been refusing to back her “grassroots campaign for working-class Mainers.”
- “The silence from Washington is deafening, has taken voters’ focus from the issues that families care about, and does nothing to address the concerns of the people of Maine,” Dill said. “This is Washington politics and drama once again getting in the way of progress for ordinary Americans, as Beltway insiders broker deals, hedge bets and pick winners and losers. It’s the same old song and dance, and Maine voters are tired of it.”
Dill also made news this week when she called on both Republican Charlie Summers and “Independent” Angus King to publicly release ten years of tax returns – something which Summers readily agreed to but which Angus King has not, apparently because he’s been busy raising money out-of-state.
The DSCC’s newfound interest in this race also comes the same day that the Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party Ben Grant publicly broke with national Democrats and slammed King in an op-ed in the state’s biggest newspaper, the Portland Press-Herald. Chairman Grant wrote in part:
- Voters are mostly concerned with the jobs picture and health care costs. These are the facts. But Angus King is not running a campaign about those issues. That, more than anything else, is why he has fallen in the polls….Cynthia Dill shares those values, and she is our candidate. If Angus King wants more Democratic support, it’s not we who need to change.
As Politico reports this afternoon – “The Maine Democratic chairman questions whether King can be trusted” -
- [A]t minimum it is a different message than the no-explicit-endorsement one coming from national Democrats about their own candidate, in a race where Republicans and outside groups are making a major play on behalf of Republican Charlie Summers.
