Joe Lieberman

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.

Both Democrats and Republicans this year are trying to create a perception of bipartisanship – by showing that members of the opposing party support them.

This was evident at the national level, when Jim Leach, a former Republican congressman from Iowa, spoke at the Democratic National Convention for Barack Obama, and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), a former Democrat, spoke at the Republican National Convention for John McCain.

Barack Obama’s Maine campaign formed the group “Maine Republicans for Obama” this week, chaired by Robert Monks and former state Rep. Sherry Huber.

MINNEAPOLIS -- On CNN last night, Democratic strategist James Carville appeared on Larry King Live, and noted that he thought Sen. Olympia Snowe would have been a better choice for John McCain’s vice president.

He said the following, after another panelist remarked that she had sold the previous Alaska governor’s airplane on eBay and put the money back toward the state.

“If they’re going to nominate a woman, they ought to have Sen. Olympia Snowe,” Carville said...

Scott Kauffman, vice chairman of the Maine Republican Party and delegate to the Republican National Convention, said he doesn’t think it is likely that John McCain will pick a pro-choice running mate.

“He’s going through the motions and putting out information,” Kauffman said. “From what I can see, Republicans don’t think it would be a good idea.”

Several pro-choice running mate choices have materialized in the press, including Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and former Gov. Tom Ridge (R-Pa.). Media reports conflict on whether Ridge is still in the running.

Obama, on the other hand, is a fairly reliable liberal. His speeches, however, clearly connect well with the voters -- and not just liberals. If the Rasmussen numbers are to be believed, then it means that Obama's rhetoric of "Hope, change and turn the page" is working with Maine's middle of the road voters.

It is worth noting, that twenty-two points is not an impossible number to reach, Ronald Reagan won Maine in 1984 with 61 to 39 trouncing of Walter Mondale.

Is Barack Obama the next Ronald Reagan? Is John McCain the next Walter Mondale?

Arizona Senator John McCain is not the only Republican that Connecticut Democrat Joe Lieberman is supporting. He’s also standing behind Republican Susan Collins, who is facing a fight to reclaim her Senate seat in 2008, as the AP reports in a must-read.  read more »