Harpswell residents sign petition to keep U.S. from intervening in Iran

[MaineDem]

Harpswell is a tiny town on the coast of Maine, but a few of its residents hope its collective voice -- the town meeting -- will send a message that is heard across the nation.

Hannah Trowbridge and Victor Skorapa Jr. have collected more than 100 signatures from residents who support a resolution calling on Congress to prohibit spending for any type of military intervention in Iran by the United States.

Trowbridge and Skorapa presented the resolution to Harpswell's selectmen on Dec. 13. The board took no action but its members agreed to consider putting the resolution on the March town meeting warrant to let voters decide whether to support it. Trowbridge said she realizes it's asking a lot of the selectmen and town meeting to take on a national issue, but she believes it's worth the effort.

The resolution would be forwarded to members of Maine's congressional delegation. "We just felt that, here we are, a little town in the middle of nowhere. We want to make a statement to the government that we are paying attention," she said. "I think if we could speak with one voice ... It could have a ripple effect. If every person does what they can to promote peace, we can make a difference."

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/4605340.html

Go Harpswell!!! :thumbsup:

[asteroid2003QQ47]

1. Flip side of the coin

Downeast Republican Chickenhawk Reisman running for District 30 seat in Augusta

'Perhaps we should redeploy our forces in Iraq to the
real source of our problems in the region- Iran.
President Bush should not leave that problem to his
successor."
--Jon Reisman

"Condi is simply superb. I knew it for sure when a very liberal colleague from Orono told me Dr. Rice was Provost at Stanford and W's National Security Advisor because of affirmative action.
-- Jon Reisman

"I believe the ideological leaders of the environmental movement, such as the
Natural Resources Council of Maine, truly hate freedom."
-- Jon Reisman

"Nukes are the only realistic alternative ."
-- Jon Reisman

" Gov. Baldacci voted against the Iraq War in one of his last votes as a Congressman. It was, his brother said, a vote for peace, and not a campaign issue. I think it's fair to assume that Gov. Baldacci supports Ms. Sheehan. Just let Cindy be Cindy. She's destroying herself, her family, her Party and her cause."
--Jon Reisman


http://www.mainecampaignfinance.com/MainePublic/CFReports/CAN/RegReports/RegistrationReports/55832.htm

http://www.umm.maine.edu/content/faculty.php?faculty_id=30

May there be many more like Harpswell, thank you MaineDem.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One big union, one big strike!
--I.W.W.

[jpak]

2. Reisman is whack-job and an embarrassment to the U Maine System

ugh

[asteroid2003QQ47]

3. BINGO, jpak, Reisman is...

all of that and then some!

Not only does Reisman single-handedly destroy System credibility, in no way does he adhere to the principles he rabidly espouses!
His entire career is comprised of positions no one else wanted, one can only hope Washington County Dems will see to it that he does not run unopposed.
To label him a traitor to those committed to promoting peace would certainly not be inappropriate. nor would, in the interest of speaking 'with one voice," identifying and rooting out those who might be committed to subverting the cause here at DU Maine. Marketing an attractive image is essential, no one wants to be associated with pseudo morons.

------------------------------------------------------------------

One big union, one big strike!
--I.W.W.

[Angsty]

4. Hmmm

I thought you were referring to Lucky, but "pseudo" is making me unsure.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

5. Cause for perplexity.

No, it's not the degree of stupidity that's the cause, one would have to live a very solitary life to not have encountered stupidity of the degree displayed, it's more about style, something about it does not always ring true.
The most likely scenario is that it a blend of both authentic and fabricated stupidity intended to cast DU and Democrats in general in an unfavorable light.
In her community and beyond, Hannah Trowbridge has stepped up to the plate and called for every person to do what they can to promote peace. To not heed her call, especially here in our DU Maine community, would be deserving of everlasting shame and ignobility!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
--Sun Tzu

[Angsty]

6. You might be right

But I still can't imagine anyone spending that much time and effort to perpetuate such an insignificant ruse. I think that part of the reason that this forum never catches fire is that it's so heavily moderated. The end result is that you can find more discussion of Peace at AsMaineGoes than you can at DU Maine. I was curious to see what people would say about the guy that linked to the pro-Kucinich/Paul, anti-Pelosi/Murtha/etc... website the other day. Instead, it's been deleted.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

7. "...spending that much time and effort...

to perpetuate such an insignificant ruse."

Not so long ago, "Naran," loyal Maine brownshirt, devoted much time and effort attempting to emasculate the competitor by posting as "Ganache" at the now defunct forum, "The Maine Road."
When her identity was challenged, she quickly retreated into her comfort zone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
--Sun Tzu

[Angsty]

8. Other forums

I've never even heard of that one. Are there ANY active political forums besides AMG in this state?

[Shorebound]

9. Re: Other forums

The key word in your question is "active." There have been a number of discussion forums covering politics and other topics in recent years. Few have survived, and those are mostly moribund, such as www.thevoiceofmaine.com, which has even fewer active members than this place. More recently an interesting blog has shown up -- www.politickerme.com.

It's discouraging that the most active political forum in the state is a conservative one, and even more discouraging that the overwhelming majority of posters at the Press Herald, KJ, and Sun Journal sites are also right wing. This is just about the only place on the Web left where I can find a good discussion of politics in Maine, as long as a particular poster is ignored. And even here the number of active posters can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Which begs the question: Why are conservatives in Maine so much more active on the Web than we are?

[asteroid2003QQ47]

10. Shorebound asks:

Why are conservatives in Maine so much more active on the Web than we are?

In a word, Shorebound, zealotry! War mongers seem to possess unlimited fuel
with which to feed the engine that drives their zeal. It's a degree of energy
that peace waging liberals neither have nor, for the most part, desire.
We are placed at a disadvantage by our very nature.

Having just perused the 6 pages that comprise DU Maine 2007, I find 518 Topics.
Over HALF, (276) were authored by ONE person and don't get me started on the
quality of most of those topics! Do you think it unreasonable to suggest that
zealotry might be a factor to consider.

Other forums, Angsty? Maine Democrats have all the forum we need right here,
if we lack what it takes to purge the usurper then it could be said
with a degree of legitimacy that we get the forum we deserve!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
--Sun Tzu

[Angsty]

13. Well...

...at least there is an ignore button, here. I hate to use it, though, because he usually DOES make me laugh. Just not in the way he intends.

[mirrera]

20. I am a Mainer but never post on the Maine Forum.

I think the national situation is so dire, I try to stay local and just can't. I only became political because of the Supreme court selecting our president in 2000. Big wake-up call. Now when I look at local issues, they seem to be the trickle down of the larger problems in Washington. It is like sticking your finger in the dike while right behind you a gun is shooting holes in the dam.
Every once in a while I check in here to see if I am missing something. Like finding a ride to NH to volunteer for Edwards... I check and it is all about local issues that I SHOULD know more about, but don't. Still I will make an effort to check in more because we all should at least find each other.

[Maine-ah]

11. go check out Village Soup

http://www.villagesoup.com/forums/

it's a pay to play, but worth it. I used to be on there all the time. It's not moderated, but there are rules. It's also a great news site for the midcoast region. You do have to use your real name as well.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

12. White Flag, Maine-ah?

Your solution is total surrender to the usurper?

[Maine-ah]

14. the poster had asked for other *active* political forums

so I suggested one. It also happens to be one where some very intelligent people from my community post and has rather lively decipherable conversation (which is my current problem in this forum, though I enjoy many other aspects of DU). It's a worthy board to check out. It doesn't have any bells and whistles, but it doesn't need to.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

15. 53%!

Fifty Three Percent of 2007's DU Maine Topics were authored by ONE usurper.

It took a total of FORTY members to author the other forty seven percent!
Of those 40, only a few who thus far refuse to be driven off by the usurper remain.
RESTORE DU MAINE! Don't give up on this forum, the stakes are too high.
Phoenix like, it CAN fly again!

------------------------------------------
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
--Sun Tzu

[asteroid2003QQ47]

16. Pages 7 through 12

Four hundred and twenty topics, of which one hundred and fifty were authored by the usurper; a 17% decline compared to Pages 1 through 6!
With only a slight increase in activity, the usurper will have finalized his hostile takeover of DU Maine sometime in 2009. Think of it, EVERY topic authored by luckyleftyme2! That will be a black day in the history of this forum!

Everything about the usurper reflects poorly, not only on this board, but on Democrats in general. For committed lifelong democrats, his is a recipe for disaster!

----------------------------------------------------------
TOP TEN SENATORS(TIMES MAGAZINE)

"it was a pleasure to see sen. snow getting recognition for her out standing work.although she is a republican,she represents" maine" well.
Kudos to the lady sen from "MAINE" we love you!"
--luckyleftyme2 , Apr-18-06
----------------------------------------------------------

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
--Sun Tzu

[asteroid2003QQ47]

21. "It [TheSoup] also happens to...

be one where some very intelligent people from my community post..."
----------------------------------------------------
"John I read that also about the Clinton campaign saying Obama might have been a drug dealer, I think he resigned. However, that is an insult to Bush to compare her to him. Just like she won her election, 62 million (bigger than Ann's phantom majority lol) like GWB to lead our country and I admire him and like McCain said History will judge him great."

Submitted by: Darin Haviland
------------------------------------------------------
I won't insult you by suggesting that you include Darin as one of the very intelligent people in your community, Maine-ah but after checking out "TheSoup," as you locals call it, TheSoup shouldn't look for my check in the mail any time soon.
Forever stuck with "dial-up" in a geographically isolated unorganized territory, I am forced to lead a rather spartan life. The overwhelming scent/stench of money has long been impossible to ignore as, on my increasingly less frequent (due to the price of gasoline) visits to family in Rockland, I am forced to suffer the deplorable Route One Camden traffic. No, even if I could afford to, I would never choose to live in the Camden of today.

Perhaps my situation explains, at least in part, my admittedly strong feelings as to the import of keeping DU Maine a strong online community "where some very intelligent people...post." In theory at least, one should not have to "pay to play" in a democracy however I do not mean to suggest that certain laws of economics are not applicable.
For instance, one could ascertain from re-reading the last 16 pages of DU Maine that, "in 2006 DU Maine took a turn for the worse" and a great many potential donors to DU were driven off by ONE very obnoxious person.

How can that particular law of economics continue to go unnoticed at DU Headquarters?

[Maine-ah]

22. Darin is from FL, so that explains a lot.

I'm not in Camden either. There are several intelligent posters there though. Why don't you quote one of those? Harvey for instance? He's a very intelligent man, and I enjoy his posts.

I guess your questions about keeping this forum alive should go to the mods. They are the ones in control, and have the power to fix the problem, we have all tried ignoring the problem and that doesn't seem to work either. I would love to see the Maine forum come to life with better posts. I think everyone here is capable to do so, they just have some habits to break. I hate that if I disagree with someone, I'm suddenly a poster from AMG (which, btw, I have never posted at, and never even heard of until I was accused of being someone from there).

Another way to maybe get the word out about this forum, is if you post anywhere else leave a link to DU.

As for the soup, it's a simple site, I never claimed it to be more than that. The soup is also a local paper, so it's not just a website that they're trying to maintain with a fee to post.

[Shorebound]

27. One place to start

"Another way to maybe get the word out about this forum, is if you post anywhere else leave a link to DU."

I just stumbled over a blog called Turn Maine Blue:

http://turnmaineblue.com/frontPage.do

The owner apparently crossposts to Daily Kos, and he gets traffic from Mainers who should also be coming by this place. Or is Gerald already a member here?

[asteroid2003QQ47]

17. It's [Village Soup] not moderated..."

and you "pay to play."

A malignant tumor metastasizes unchecked at DU Maine
and the best you can suggest is an unmoderated forum at Village Soup!?
What exactly would the advantage be?

---------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP TEN SENATORS(TIMES MAGAZINE)

"it was a pleasure to see sen. snow getting recognition for her out standing work.although she is a republican,she represents" maine" well.

Kudos to the lady sen from "MAINE" we love you!"

--luckyleftyme2 , Apr-18-06

---------------------------------------------------------------------
One can imagine Olympia's reply went something like this---

Thanks for your continued support, luckyleftyme2.
I love you too!
Oly

[Maine-ah]

18. It's relatively intelligent conversation going on there.

as opposed to ME DU. If I want to talk politics, I go to GD or GDP. I mostly read those, with occasional input. When I post here in ME DU, I do post informative ME stuff, I also post fluff stuff once and a while too. There are alot more ME'ers on DU than the ones that post in here, which I'm betting has to do with what goes on in here. The stupid arguments, posts you can't understand and when one is asked to explain them they get all defensive, and start name calling. Ignore option in here is the only solution until the mods deal with it. Until that happens ME DU will most likely remain a dead forum.

[MaineDem]

19. I spend much more time at LBN and GD-P

I agree with you; I usually post local stories here and leave the politics to the other forums (fora?)

Back when the state forums started it was tough to get discussions going but some of us tried. We had some interesting threads going. Then in 2006 DU Maine took a turn for the worse. I'm not pointing fingers but we can all guess what happened.

We'll keep trying. We're Mainers and put up with a lot. :)

[Shorebound]

23. OK, I'll ask

LBN? GD-P? Is there an acronym table someone could refer me to? Not that I need another forum to visit, but ...

[MaineDem]

24. Latest Breaking News and General Discussion-Politics

Two of the other forums at DU.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

25. "...until the mods deal with it."

"View" numbers seem indicate a multitude of likely sympathetic lurkers
whose persistence cannot forever go unnoticed. Running the numbers,
how could the mods NOT deal with it?
---------------------------------------------------------------------

TOP TEN SENATORS(TIMES MAGAZINE)

"it was a pleasure to see sen. snow getting recognition for her out standing
work.although she is a republican,she represents" maine" well.

Kudos to the lady sen from "MAINE" we love you!"

--luckyleftyme2 , Apr-18-06

---------------------------------------------------------------------

One can easily imagine Olympia's reply went something like this---

Thanks for your continued support, luckyleftyme2.
I love you too, little man!

XOXO, Oly

[Maine-ah]

26. or someone is continually clicking on their own posts.

I dunno, Asteroid, the only thing I can suggest is bringing it up with the mods, and use the ignore options. The forum isn't going to disappear if posts drop, it's a state forum, not a topic forum.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

28. Why would you do that, Maine-ah?

Just kidding.

No doubt your "clicks" are counted though, as are mine but I fail to see the point of "continually clicking." Not one prone to knee jerk responses I do perhaps revisit a topic for research purposes more than most, my reference to accumulated view numbers allowed for that.
(I'm also not one prone to rolling over and playing dead in the face of adversity.)

[mainegreen]

29. There is no policy on DU for banning people for being batshit crazy.

It would be nice from time to time, but in most of the other forums the massed weight of DU can keep most of the nutters down.

It's hard with the Maine forum, it being a bit more rarefied.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

30. Cancer Free!

Thursday and Friday I performed a little exploratory surgery on DU's State Forums and am pleased to report that biopsies of 30 State Forums (excluding DU Maine) tested cancer free!
The sites sampled were--
DU Utah
DU Nevada
DU New Mexico
DU West Virginia
DU Nebraska
DU Idaho
DU New Hampshire
DU Hawaii
DU Rhode Island
DU Montana
DU Delaware
DU South Dakota
DU Massachusetts
DU New Jersey
DU Arizona
DU Arkansas
DU Colorado
DU Idaho
DU Iowa
DU Kansas
DU Mississippi
DU Oklahoma
DU Oregon
DU Vermont
DU Alaska
DU North Dakota
DU Minnesota
DU Wyoming
DU Wisconsin
DU Washington

The biopsy results revealed active political forums where, in TOTAL contrast to DU Maine, "very intelligent people" were unencumbered by malignancy thus free to enjoy unlimited "decipherable conversation" as mentioned by Maine-ah.
Yes, "We're Mainers and put up with a lot," MaineDem, but do you suppose we "put up" with more than, say, North Dakotans or . . . Alaskans?
Are we, as Mainers, in some special way, unique in that we, unlike those of the 30 sampled forums, internalize what evidently is our extreme repression, maintain a stiff upper lip and feed the very malignancy that renders us powerless? If we Cut and Run from the small challenges, should we expect significant change in the next 8 years? You might do well to ask yourselves,do we deserve 'leaders" other than Olympia, Susan and Cheney/Bush? If the answer is, NO, then
embrace, don't run from, the small battles and view winning them as necessary stepping stones to total victory!

(mainegreen:
The results of my admittedly rudimentary research would seem to lend credence to your premise that, at least in part, "in most of the other forums the massed weight of DU can keep most of the 'batshit crazy' nutters down."
Having included states with populations equal to or less than Maine in my study I'm struggling to grasp the meaning of "the Maine forum, ... being a bit more rarefied."
It's of little import though when compared to my struggle with coming to terms with why "our"
"batshit crazy nutter" has enjoyed carte blanche for so long?")

[mainegreen]

31. I guess I meant

by 'rarefied' was that we here in the Maine forum are fewer in number than say General Discussion and not that we a special compared to other state forums (other than our 'special' friend here).

[asteroid2003QQ47]

32. Thanks mainegreen

I should have been able to figure that out.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

33. In Unity there is Strength!

Don't look now but it appears the "batshit crazy nutter" is back.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP TEN SENATORS(TIMES MAGAZINE)

"it was a pleasure to see sen. snow getting recognition for her out standing work.although she is a republican,she represents" maine" well.

Kudos to the lady sen from "MAINE" we love you!"

--luckyleftyme2 , Apr-18-06

---------------------------------------------------------------------
One can easily imagine Olympia's reply went something like this---

Thanks for your continued support, luckyleftyme2.
I love you too, little man!
XOXO, Oly

[Dirtman 1]

34. My Suggestion

My suggestion is no matter what he says, do not respond. I don't post here often, but after being abused by our "freind" a couple of times, I just started not responding to anything he had to say. It's worked to a degree.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

35. Point taken, Dirtman 1

While conducting what I call "my 'Batshit crazy nutter' DU State Forum Survey," our "friend"
had posted once each in New Hampshire, Vermont and Wyoming (out of 30 states biopsied) with zero response.
Evidently those who participate in other state forums have reached a consensus similar to yours. Now if those who post here will follow suit we can be rid of the "batshit crazy nutter.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[luckyleftyme2]

37. nowhere near as bad as another part timer

you know who i'm speaking of. soon to be banished! soon we will be cancer free of ms
sarcastic!

[luckyleftyme2]

38. I find reisman

a far less threat to democracy or the u of m system than people like you madam!