Defining Terms

As some who might read this may know, the journalist and author, Colin Woodard , is a relative of mine. Colin wrote an article, Brewing Up A Storm, on the Republican Party's new platform for the September 2010 Downeast Magazine. I posed the following comment in repsonse.

Defining Terms


If the term centrist is supposed to mean a point in between the small size of government favored by our founding fathers and those who believe in a larger government providing certain entitlements for the people, then it raises the question why the term ”centrist” applies to the entrenched political system in this state, which has collectively advanced state capitalism over the past fifteen years, including this year’s recent passage of LD1, which unconstitutionally charters a mutual funds investment corporation .LD1 was sponsored by none other than Peter Mills, who is calling those who want to return to the state and federal constitution “far right extremist”. In the creation of investment corporations, through special acts of legislation, the entrenched political system in Maine has passed far beyond “centrism”. It is incredulous that Peter Mills would characterize a state congress that has instituted an expanding state capitalism system over the past fifteen years as “Reagan conservatives”, an identity associated with tax cuts and rolling back government. Expanding capitalistic investment corporations, subsidized by the taxpayer, does not qualify as “rolling back government”- rather it grants state capitalism a competitive edge over the private economy which competes in the same investment market as the government- and in fact underwrites that competitive edge, which special acts have legislation have granted to state-sponsored capitalism.



This articles does not make mention of the fact that the primary thrust of the new Republican platform is to return to the rule of law as written in both the Maine and the United States Constitution. The details that are mentioned here are from a much larger list of articulated details relating to the essential theme of rule of law, which is ultimately based in constitutions. Peter Mill’s characterizing of the tea party movement is itself extremist. Intentionally talking about an alleged element that even Mr. Mills acknowledges is a fringe element, all the while ignoring the main stream of the tea party movement. The intent is obvious. Before Mr. Mills accuses others of not abiding by the “Supreme Court”, he should himself answer the question “How do you reconcile the recently passed LD1 With Article IV, Section 14 of the Maine State Constitution which states “Corporations shall be formed under general laws, and shall not be created through special acts of legislature” ?



This is one former supporter of Snowe and Collins who will no longer vote for these political wild card players. Many felt betrayed when Snowe and Collins handed the stimulus bill to Obama but were ready to reconsider after Snowe and Collins held back on the “too big to read” health care reform bill, but when Collins and Snowe handed over the financial reform bill, which should have been rejected merely on the basis of sheer size and the magnitude of regulations that are added to the magnitude of other regulations in bills previously passed by congress on a “too big to read” basis, it became perfectly clear that Snowe and Collins are unclear in their own minds what the issues are and what side they are on. Forgetting the content of the regulations. The sheer magnitude of regulations are “overwhelming” the private economy, which unlike congress cannot “pass a bill to find out what is in it” but must act on the rational principle of knowing what the thousand upon thousands of new regulations are, before making plans, or hiring more employees.