MAINE, USA — The National Rifle Association has decided not to endorse a candidate in the race for U.S. House in Maine's Second Congressional District. Former Rep. Republican Bruce Poliquin received an "A" grade from the NRA, but unlike his previous campaigns, no NRA endorsement.
The incumbent, Democrat Rep. Jared Golden, got a "B" from the advocacy group. And this summer, he also received the endorsement of the Maine chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Ken Altshuler thinks that's problematic for Poliquin, saying Golden is very popular, and "a 'B' grade for a Democrat in the second district is pretty good."
"I went to public school and the University of Florida," Ray Richardson said. "But I always thought that A's came before B's." And he added, "I think the NRA has made a mistake, but will this matter? I don't think so."
Reporting by The Portland Press Herald illustrated something many Maine political observers have always known— that the campaign for governor is personal for Janet Mills and Paul LePage.
Richardson is not convinced of that. "I think this is not personal," he said. "This is about public policy issues."
He added, "I know Paul LePage well. I know that he does not have personal animosity toward her, but he vehemently disagrees with how she governs."
But to Altshuler, it's clear. "I think Janet does not like Paul personally. She thinks he's a bully. I think Paul doesn't like her because when she was the [Maine] Attorney General, she did not support him in many important issues."
And Altshuler thinks that animosity is on display in the campaign ads the Mills and LePage campaigns are currently airing.
Large numbers of immigrants continue to enter the United States through southern borders. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been sending busloads of people to New York City and Washington, D.C. This past week, he had groups of immigrants dropped off in front of the vice president's official residence. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis upped the stakes by sending two planes carrying mostly Venezuelan immigrants to Martha's Vineyard without notifying Massachusetts officials.
Ray Richardson said, "We've got to remember, first of all, these are human beings. These are God's creatures, and we should not be treating them like pawns."
But Richardson added he also says the governors "are frustrated because they're not getting any help from the federal government, which is charged through the Constitution to deal with our border issue and immigration."
Ken Altshuler pointed out that "Those immigrants were not here illegally. They're asylum-seekers." He agreed with Richardson that the immigration system has been broken for 40 years, and both parties share the blame.
But Altshuler called out DeSantis for "showboating." He said, "You're using people as pawns to make a political point. That's wrong no matter who does it."
Our analysts also discuss South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham's proposal to impose national limits on abortion rights, the party primaries in New Hampshire, in which right-wing candidates for Congress and Senate defeated moderate Republicans, and the decision by backers of a cruise ship referendum in Portland to urge people to vote no.
Political Brew airs Sundays on NEWS CENTER Maine's Morning Report.