We've got our first general election ads from the two 1st District Congressional candidates, Democrat Chellie Pingree and Republican Charlie Summers.
The dueling 30-second ads strike similar tones about the economy and continuing this idea of "Wall Street vs. Main Street" that has been a familiar political battle cry since the recent financial bailout package was passed by Congress.
Both ads also have a similar style and message, equal part biography - Pingree talks about her time in the legislature, Summers his time working for Sen. Olympia Snowe, the regional Small Business Administration and as a soldier in Iraq- to introduce the candidate, and positions - mostly economic issues and digs at Wall Street - to mark where they stand relative to each other.
As has largely been the case so far in debates, forums and speeches, there's no direct jabs at the opponent in either Pingree or Summers ad, sticking mostly to rhetoric that's designed to score points with the middle class.
Also interesting to note, like many congressional candidates this year, both Pingree and Summers make no mention of their party affiliation in the ads.
Democrat Chellie Pingree's latest TV ad tells a personal story. In it, she says that her brother died of cancer, but only after bankrupting his family while fighting the disease.
Pingree uses the story – which she also recounted in last night's televised debate on WCSH, and in a recent op-ed article – to argue for the need for change in the health-care system.
Democrat Ethan Strimling is now on the air with a TV ad focused on the wealth gap.
"There's one gulf war I do want to fight," Strimling says while walking outside the Palace Diner in Biddeford. "That's the gulf between the very rich and the rest of us."
Later, talking to people inside the diner, Strimling says, "They send our jobs overseas, they raid our pensions. They're making billions. And then they pay lower taxes than the rest of us."
The ad is currently airing on network and cable TV, according to the Strimling campaign. You can also watch it here.
Republicans Dean Scontras and Charlie Summers are sparring over a new radio ad that Scontras' campaign has released. The two are vying for the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District.
Chellie Pingree, who's in a six-way race for the Democratic nomination in Maine's 1st Congressional District, finds herself under fire this week for her position on the Iraq War. And today, her campaign released an ad that doesn't respond directly to the criticism she's facing, but does tout her anti-Iraq War credentials.
The Iraq discussion heated up on Saturday, when the Press Herald published a letter about Pingree and Iraq from retired Army Maj. General Paul Eaton. A few weeks earlier, Pingree and Eaton had co-authored an op-ed article in the Press Herald about Iraq; the op-ed piece touted their support for a document called "The Responsible Plan To End The War In War."
Republican congressional candidate Dean Scontras released his first radio ad this morning. Campaign Manager Michael Pajak said that the commercial is currently airing on talk stations WLOB and WGAN.
The ad is called "Change Washington." It's another example of how politicians of all stripes are running on a message of change, convinced that voters are unhappy with the status quo.
Scontras is running against Charlie Summers for the GOP nomination in Maine's 1st Congressional District. The seat is being vacated by Democratic Rep. Tom Allen, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Democrat Adam Cote is introducing himself to voters in Maine's 1st Congressional District with his first TV ad. It highlights Cote's Maine roots, his service in Iraq and his experience in the energy field.
You can see the ad here:
Look for my profile of Cote, part of a series of articles about the 1st District candidates, in tomorrow's Press Herald.
Democrat Michael Brennan has released his campaign's first TV commercial. Its theme - working together - has emerged as a central message from the Brennan campaign.
Here's the 30-second commercial, which the Brennan campaign said was scheduled to air on WCSH, Channel 6, and WGME, Channel 13:
According to the Brennan campaign, this is the first ad in the 1st District congressional race to air on network television. Earlier, Democrat Steve Meister released a commercial that aired on cable TV.
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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