Dwayne Bickford

The Ethics Commission received two independent expenditure reports today and one yesterday, indicating last-minute expenses by outside groups.

The Maine Prosperity PAC, run by the Alliance for Maine’s Future, spent $1,610 on a Portland Press Herald ad warning against 23 Cumberland and York county legislators up for reelection who voted for the beer, wine and soda taxes passed at the end of the last session. The report was filed yesterday.

“They voted to raise your taxes by $70 million. Please don’t give them a chance to do it again,” the ad reads.

The Vote for Maine PAC sprung $6,883 for phone banking for 10 Republican state House candidates, all of whom are in close races.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The two Republican National Convention delegates from Topsham had quick reactions to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's speech Wednesday.

"That girl rocks," said Dwayne Bickford, a Republican activist.

"Absolutely amazing," said state Rep. Kerri Prescott (R-Topsham.)

Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, gave a highly praised speech last night, painting herself as a reformer, a family woman, but also took jabs at Democratic opponents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.