Wake-Up Call: Wednesday, August 6, 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.

Carpenters endorse Pingree

Chellie Pingree, Democratic candidate for the First Congressional District, was endorsed by the Maine Carpenters Union this week.

The group represents more than 1,000 carpenters in Maine. (PolitickerME.com, Jessica Alaimo)

Link: http://www.politickerme.com/jessicaalaimo/2120/carpenters-endorse-pingre...

Hallowell councilor to step down

HALLOWELL -- Voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on one additional city council seat when they visit the polls in November. (Maine Today, Matthew Stone)

Link: http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/031150.html

Baldacci taps McKee for Ethics Commission

Gov. John Baldacci has recommended Hallowell attorney Walter McKee to fill a vacancy on the Maine Ethics Commission. He has also recommended that sitting commissioner Ed Youngblood be reappointed.

Baldacci chose McKee from names provided by Maine Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings. Youngblood was recommended by Senate Republican Leader Carol Weston. (PolitickerME.com, Jessica Alaimo)

Link: http://www.politickerme.com/jessicaalaimo/2121/baldacci-taps-mckee-ethic...

Winslow school vote raises questions

Winslow's rejection of a proposed consolidation between School Union 52 and School Administrative District 47 communities has left the other prospective members scrambling, SU 52 Superintendent Hugh Riordan said Tuesday. (Maine Today, Larry Grard)

Link: http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/031148.html

Maine GOP wants special legislative session

AUGUSTA—Leaders of the Republican legislative minorities say Maine lawmakers should be called back to Augusta for a special session to deal solely with increasing funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Senate Republican leader Carol Weston of Montville and Republican House leader Josh Tardy of Newport propose a $10 million dollar increase in LIHEAP funding. (Boston Globe, AP)

Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2008/08/05/maine_gop_wan...

'Let's Wake it Up' rally to draw young voters in York

YORK — Last spring, York resident Victoria Simon went to York High School to conduct a voter registration drive. She said she was surprised and disheartened by the response she received.

"They'd say, 'This has nothing to do with me,' or 'I don't know enough about this.' 'I don't know who to vote for.' 'I don't know where to get information,'" she said. "They did not seem to be very involved politically at all." (Seacoast Online, Deborah McDermott)

Link: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/NEWS/8...

Publisher: closing of newspaper not likely

The publisher of the Portland Press Herald on Tuesday criticized as inaccurate media reports suggesting that Maine's largest newspaper company is about to go out of business. (Portland Press Herald, Noel Gallagher)

Link: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=203297&ac=PHnws

Absentee Ballot Request 

Residents in Portland can start registering for absentee ballots for the November election on Wednesday. Voters can request the ballots, but that doesn't mean people can send in their votes tomorrow. The ballots won't actually be sent out until 45 days before the election. (WGME)

Link: http://www.wgme.com/News/story_detail/story_detail_12.shtml?readmore

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.