Wake-Up Call: Monday, June 30, 2008

With the PolitickerME.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Maine's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerME.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Maine's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Leave it alone, MCEA proponents say

In the last legislative session, state lawmakers approved measures that made it 30 percent harder for candidates for governor to qualify for public financing. They also required all gubernatorial candidates to be audited by the Ethics Commission. (PolitickerME.com, Jessica Alaimo)

Link: http://www.politickerme.com/jessicaalaimo/1884/leave-it-alone-mcea-propo...

The race for Mainers' hearts

They're not quite saying "ayah" — at least not yet — but both candidates for the Maine's U.S. District 1 congressional race say victory in November will depend on their success not necessarily as the torchbearer of their party but as the Mainer who can out-Maine the opponent.

Democrat Chellie Pingree talks about extolling "common-sense, practical, Maine-type ideas." Republican Charlie Summers says he'll "deal with people in a plain-speaking, Maine way." (Seacoast Online, Deborah Mcdermott)

Link:  http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080629/NEWS/8...

State sees net job growth

AUGUSTA- While the unemployment rate is up and there seem to be daily headlines about businesses closing, Maine is still seeing net growth in the number of jobs throughout the state. (Bangor Daily News, Mal Leary)

Link:  http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=166486&zoneid=500

Maine delegation divided over surveillance bill

WASHINGTON — The members of Maine's Congressional delegation are split over a bill to rewrite the nation's surveillance laws and give legal immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program. (Portland Press Herald, Jonathan E. Kaplan)

Link: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=196755&ac=PHnws

It's politics 24/7 for state's D.C. interns

WASHINGTON — Every summer, thousands of college students from across the country flock to Capitol Hill for a political rite of passage: The chance to work as an intern for a congressman or senator.

Among those are about two-dozen Mainers who are trading a cool Maine summer for the sticky Washington heat to work -- mostly for free -- for one of the four members of the state's congressional delegation. (Portland Press Herald, Jonathan E. Kaplan)

Link:  http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=196549&ac=PHnws

With the PolitickerME.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Maine's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.