The state of Maine is going to miss Olympia Snowe’s presence in the
U.S. Senate. For 18 years she has been a voice of intelligence,
principle and political astuteness — a Margaret Chase Smith-style
Republican with an ability to be bipartisan when bipartisanship is
sorely needed. Improvements in health care coverage, sustainable energy
policies and economy recovery are just a few critical areas where we
need statesmanship and leadership as well as bipartisanship; Snowe has
been a pillar of all of these things during her three terms,
representing Maine as a U.S. Senator, which begs the question of who is
up to the task of filling her shoes.
Of the three candidates seeking her seat — Republican candidate
Charlie Summers, Democratic candidate Cynthia Dill and and Independent
candidate Angus King — King will be the most worthwhile replacement.
King’s experience as Maine’s governor, elected as an Independent for
two terms, renders him more prepared for the demands of political office
than are his opponents. At a time when bipartisanship is at a premium,
he has a record of being able to work with people on both sides of the
aisle.
King will likely be the most effective advocate for solutions to the
problems that college students confront. He understands that affordable
post-secondary education is essential for a better quality of life in
the state of Maine. It would be misguided to assume that a college
education should necessarily be pursued by every Mainer; King
understands this and supports investment in both traditional college
degree programs and post-secondary technical training.
King also supports programs that invest in young entrepreneurs who
want to establish and grow businesses in the state. He recognizes that
crushing student debt is hampering and hindering our state and country’s
economic recovery. He knows that a student facing crippling student
loans cannot start a business. He knows that heavy student debt renders
young graduates unable to stimulate Maine’s economy by buying houses,
starting families or making financial investments — even staying in the
State of Maine at all — and has crafted specific, substantive proposals
for reform.
King believes the student loan industry must be reformed and has
proposed specific, substantive ideas to that end, including the idea
that the federal government should generate plans to control interest
rates on student loans.
Both Summers and Dill have strengths, and an endorsement of King is
not to say that either of the other two candidates has no redeeming
qualities. However, neither is moderate. Rather, both tend to be
confrontational and polarizing. At a time when those are the qualities
that have caused Snowe to refer to Congress as broken, ultimately
leading to her departure from the Senate, it hardly seems advisable to
elect people who would tend to escalate that dynamic.
Additionally, Summers in particular has proven himself to be no
friend to university students: As Governor LePage’s Secretary of State,
he led the Joe McCarthy-esque investigation into a nonexistent problem
of voter fraud among college students a year ago; he has staunchly
opposed Maine’s tradition of same-day voter registration on Election
Day, in no small part because of his concerns about the integrity of
student voting; and he has pledged to repeal President Obama’s
Affordable Health Care Act, a repeal that would prevent those of us
under the age of 26 from being insured under their parents’ health care
policies.
Angus King’s appreciation for the diversity of problems that Mainers
encounter, as well as his understanding of legislative processes and
accountability for leadership responsibilities, make him an ideal
candidate to assume Snowe’s Senate seat — particularly in the interests
of students.
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