AJ Higgins

Of course, it is ridiculous that the State's top law enforcement job is settled behind the scenes by a few politicians with no ability for the public to weigh-in.  There are no public hearings, no checks and balances -- just 100 or so folks sitting around a room picking their friends or acquaintances.  With the exception of AJ Higgins at Maine Public Radio, there has been very little in the way vetting or any real review of the qualifications for the job.  Mike Tipping, in his Downeast Magazine column, Tipping Point, was one of the few in the print media that provided any real analysis of the three candidate's qualifications or plans for the job of Attorney General.  However, as noted by Adam Cote in his PolitickerME column, Representative Mike Carey did a substantial survey on each of the candidates. You can view those answers here.

Finally, we have a little action in the sleepy race for Congress in Maine's Second Congressional District!

Thanks to AJ Higgins at Maine Public Radio, we learn that Professor Frary, the republican candidate for Congress wants to end the war on drugs. Mr. Frary revealed his intentions during an hour long interview and call-in program on Maine Public Radio.

I missed the actual program, but the ever vigilant folks from the Maine Christian Civic League sent out an email alerting me to the Frary drug revelation. The email also points out that Mr. Frary, "also gives a dishwater tepid response to legalizing prostitution, saying only that prostitution "bothers" him."

State House reporter Victoria Wallack is leaving to become the director of communications at the Maine School Management Association, Downeast Magazine’s media critic Al Diamon noted in his column today.

Wallack is a freelance writer, running Statehouse News Service, a one-person bureau covering the State House for several weeklies, Village Soup publications and the Brunswick Times-Record.

Ellsworth American Publisher Alan Baker, who urged Wallack to begin Statehouse News Service in the first place, does plan to replace her.