Political Extra Blog Index
March 11, 2008
Lautenberg v. Collins

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., on Tuesday called a government watchdog's visit to Maine in January "inappropriate."

Lautenberg questioned Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Iraq reconstruction projects, about his visit to Maine from Jan. 2 through Jan. 4.

To view his testimony, click here.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, accompanied Bowen to Maine. He delivered a speech at Husson College and participated in an editorial board meeting with this newspaper.

During the editorial board meeting, Bowen praised Collins' record of government oversight as chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

His comments were noticed by a State Department official, who subsequently told The Washington Post that, "This is the kind of thing we're taught not to do."

Lautenberg asked Bowen if he had consulted State Department lawyers about his visit to Maine.

Bowen said he did not, adding that he often travels to discuss his work and that he was invited by Husson College and the Portland Press Herald to appear for an editorial board meeting.

But John Porter, the newspaper's opinion editor, said Jen Burita, Collins' spokeswoman, informed him that Collins and Bowen would be in Portland and asked if the newspaper would like to meet with them.

Porter accepted the invitation.

"That's how these things always happen," Porter said, adding that Maine's congressional delegation has standing invitation to appear at an editorial board meeting.

Lautenberg is a fierce critic of Congress' oversight record on contracting in Iraq and he has singled out Collins. He wrote nine letters to Collins asking her to hold hearings on Halliburton and other civilian contractors in Iraq. She held one hearing in 2006.

Collins has said hearings would have duplicated ongoing investigations by Congressional committees and governmental agencies.

Lautenberg has endorsed Rep. Tom Allen in his bid to deny Collins a third term.

Posted at 01:12 PM

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Comments

"bid to deny Collins a third term."

You speak as if she is entitled to it? Don't we have elections in this country? How is Tom Allen trying to deny Collins anything? He's running for the US Senate on his own merit ... but you're implying that he's running to oppose her directly.

Elections are supposed be about ideas and plans.

Let's see some fair journalism and some standards in your reporting.

Posted by of Journalism
March 12, 2008 12:49 PM

I agree with the last sentence only. Who gives a crap if a democrat politican endorses antoher democrat politican? This isn't news.
What is news is what I read here:
http://mainecr.org/facebook-and-media-bias-maine

This paper has always been biased, but this reporter takes the cake.
Having obvious leftwing reporters covering this election is unacceptable. this reporter should go write a blog at DailyKos where he'd feel right at home.

Posted by smurfette
March 12, 2008 02:31 PM

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Dieter Bradbury is the Press Herald's political correspondent. His career at the newspaper started in 1980, and includes 21 years as a reporter and seven as an editor. Bradbury is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine.


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