Hoffman may bring case to federal court

the federal courts leave interpretation of the state constitution up to the state. It's highly unlikely that any federal statutes or the US Constitution have anything to say about how a state may make its own rules about what constitutes a valid petition.

He will probably be bankrolled by Republicans to appeal anyway, just to keep this in the news.

Hoffman's making a serious charge here:

"We gathered our nomination signatures honestly and fairly," Hoffman said in a statement, "operating under the same set procedures as those used by the party candidates over many election cycles."

He broke the rules. Is he saying other campaigns also broke the rules?
I think a reporter's next question should be "Where's your evidence?"

I gathered petition signatures at the caucuses for a Democratic candidate, and I was given explicit instructions that the petition should never be out of my sight, and that no one else should gather sigs with it. That way, unlike Hoffman, I wasn't lying when I signed the thing.

He needs to let it go and stop accusing people of making the same mistakes he made.

Dunlap was on WLOB stating that it is fairly common practice for petitions to be left on a table during caucus meetings. He stated those days are over. So, link, Hoffman is just agreeing with Dunlap. Have a problem with what Hoffman is saying, take it up with Dunlap since he said it first.

....Marc Bright be allowed to speak in public. That's certainly a travesty of journalism, trying to get all sides in a story.

The GOP has nothing to do with this, by the way. Democrats are ruining democracy all on their own. Saying the GOP is bankrolling him is crazy tinfoil-hat talk.

"He will probably be bankrolled by Republicans to appeal anyway, just to keep this in the news."

Democrat propaganda. You're a liar.

"..and I was given explicit instructions that the petition should never be out of my sight..." - posted by Link

No doubt you know PRECISELY how out of range he actually was? Please tell us from what Democratic source you have gathered this information.

Ok, how about the petitions withheld and not turned in on time by various clerks for another independent candidate Laurie Dobson? All the troubles she's having and the other independents across the country including Ralph Nader just getting a chance to run.

These independents just won't follow the rules? Those corrupt s.o.b's! Who do they think they are!

Hahaha

Matthew Dunlap was in the Bangor 4th of July parade wearing a Tom Allen sticker.

Why has this gone unnoticed in this whole process?

Dunlap is a HUGE Democrat, he served as one, he was appointed by Democrats, now he has made a determination against a third party candidate that would draw more votes from...you guessed it a Democrat.

Conspiracy theory? Yeah I am not 100% sold on it either, but really, how can the Secretary of State wear a Tom Allen sticker in a very visible situation without anyone mentioning it while discussing an issue that has a lot to do with his staff and his ultimate decision.

are you talking about, Link?

"As for the GOP bankrolling Hoffman, I haven't heard anything like that. I mean, the guy doesn't have any money, so that argument doesn't hold water."

What argument doesn't hold water? That he was or was not bankrolled by the GOP? That's not just a dangling modifier, that's like a free-range modifier. Go corral your modifiers and report back to us.

Dunlap is correct. It was standard practice to leave petitions on the table to be circulated. If you're in the room and can see them, you're following the letter of the law, it seems to me. The Law Court's interpretation is a dramatic narrowing of the law outside precedent that changes the essential nature of how ballot circulating operates in the state.

Seems to me the reason the Maine Democratic Party has been so relentless in attempting to kick Herb Hoffman off the ballot has a lot to do with the fact that Hoffman supports impeaching Bush and Cheney, while Congressman Tom Allen has repeatedly said he thinks impeachment is a "distraction."

How upholding the Constitution and removing the most criminal president our nation has ever seen is in any way a "distraction" is beyond me. Even Maine's Congressman Mike Michaud supports Cheney's impeachment.

It's a shame Allen and the Dems feel they have to remove Herb from the ballot rather than engage with him in a substantive debate on the issue of impeachment.

This is just the latest example of how the Democratic Party has sold-out, and placed politics over the Constitution and democracy. The line that once differentiated them from the Republicans is rapidly disappearing.