Al Diamon: John Frary to Challenge Michaud?

This reminds me of a lodge brother who ran for the Maine House recently. In addition to being a former mayor, part-time police officer and firefighter, he was once the town's animal control officer. When someone joked that they wouldn't vote him in as dogcatcher, he replied, "Hell, I've already done that! I'm looking for a promotion."

Oh, by the way, he's a Democrat. :D

Electing another politician from a field full of Rhino's is not what its going to take to change things. You want to see a bar raised?? Pass it to Mr. Frary.

Flammenwerfer would be a breath of fresh air in Washington. He is intelligent, extremely well informed, conservative, and has a very capable pen. Michaud does not impress me. No matter what the outcome of an election with Flammenwerfer as a candidate, I think it would be a fun race. His chief obstacle would be the crowd of "numb as cod leads" voters out there who vote Democrat no matter what the evidence is. He also has a sense of when enough is enough, when to but out of taking legislative action.

PETER, no disrespect detected. There should certainly be a satisfactory medium between a well-known, handsome, independently wealthy war hero with a smiling wife, two smiling children and smiling dog who tames lions as a hobby on the one hand; and an obscure, blimpish, pensioned-off professor with four cats on the other.

But there is no one at present. although we can both think of a number of more plausible candidates in the district.

If it cheers you up, I have assurances of endorsements form both Chandler Woodcock and Peter Mills if I choose to run.

Flammenwerfer would be a great name for a micro-brew. Better yet, a rallying cry for a campaign gimmick...

I'd probably vote for the guy if he didn't insist on wearing a vase on his suit.

If it cheers you up, I have assurances of endorsements form both Chandler Woodcock and Peter Mills if I choose to run.
---

Do you think Peter Mills would endorse Michaud?

Peter -

1. Have you ever met, spent time with, Mr. Frary?

2. When you speak of raising the bar - who do you have in mind?

skf

Am I wrong but didn't Diamon's column come as close to an endorsement as you could get from the Bearded One?

Diamon has been getting real strange lately. This endorsement tops it all.

DAN, I could not hope for a better column from the Great Beard of Carrabassett Valley nor could any living politician that comes readily to mind. It suits his style and my purpose both.

LAMAINE, It must have escaped your notice that Al has always been strange---a libertine/libertarian/contrarian is not so very common. I bid your vote good-bye with regret, but the posy pin stays.

Could you at least enlarge it and attach it with duct tape? Maybe stick a Stinkin Benjamin in it? Now that would garner votes.....

Dang! I knew I was going to be bombarded with unsolicited advice. Kindly refrain from talking baseball caps, red galluses and LL Bean boots.

FOUR cats?

Sheesh.

That almost makes up for the posy pin.
:D

I can get you a deal on LL Bean boots as a seasonal employee. But we aren't selling any of those ugly posy shirts....

1. Have you ever met, spent time with, Mr. Frary?

2. When you speak of raising the bar - who do you have in mind?

skf[/quoute]

Let me preface my answer this way. The Democrats have a strangle hold on State Gvt (gov/house/senate), raise significantly more money than the GOP. and have a lively primary going on in the 1st CD. They have a strong grass roots organization that continues to grow.

On the GOP side- We find excuses to justify why we don't act. If its fund raising, candidate recruitment, or speaking out against issues like the one with the Portland schools- we excel at excuses. Classic play not to lose approach when we need to start playing to win like the DEMS do.

1. I dont recall ever meeting Mr Frary.
2. Any State Senator or Rep.

La, better still, Flammenwerfer would be a good name for a brand of hot pepper sauce.

Four cats, eh? Lovely little creatures they are. My wife and I (and our four cats) will surely vote for you.

Al

Peter: An incumbent Republican State Rep or Senator should stay where they are or we'll wind up losing more seats in 2008. IMHO, state legislataive elections should be the party's No. 1 priority next year. Otherwise, we'll be stuck in the same tax-and-spend mode until hell freezes over.

Flamm concedes that he probably won't win. But he'll be articulate and convey the party's message brilliantly. There will be little, if any, political correctness in his stump speeches. He'll dice and slice Michaud in debates. And he'll do surprisingly well, should he decide to run.

I like Mike Michaud personally, but his voting record is dismal. He's like a blue-collar version of Bernie Sanders.

Who said incumbent?

And why in the world shoud the leg be the number one priority? We got crushed there, didnt make any changes in leadeship or approach, and blamed the grass roots.
The priority should be local council and school races and allow a ground up rebuilding.

The very fact the people are expecting to lose the 2nd CD race is why the 2nd CD needs to raise its expectations,

Peter, despite the humorous approach taken here, I'd take a Frary candidacy very seriously. I can't vote for him down here in Yarmouth, but I'd love to see him run, and I'd expect the state GOP to pull out all the stops to assist him in any way he asks.

Like others, I anticipate with glee a debate between flammenwerfer and Michaud.
Do it on 207 with Rob and Kathleen.

Bill Buckley, in the 1960s, when asked what his first act in office would be should he actually win the New York mayoralty race, responded with a smile: "Demand a recount."

One can easily imagine Frary responding in similar fashion should he throw in his fedora. But, as with the Buckley race and those of other nonpopulist, serious thinkers that appear from time to time to do their duty ("If not us, who? If not now, when"), it would at once be a hoot and a most welcome gesture. In addition to the self-contained animation that such a race would entail, keep this thought in the back of your mind as you watch it play out on the festering progressive, multicultural fields of the Pine Tree State: False heavens, built over real hells, are tottering.

Do you plan on being photographed kissing babies, by the way?

PHOENIX: There's a photo that accompanies my "Target Rich Environment" column in the Daily Bulldog showing my favorite Siamese crawling up my shoulder. That should do.

I have nothing against babies in theory, but the last time a kissed a baby it promptly turned and upchucked on my necktie---very tactless, I thought.

So my position now is that if a proud mother points her infant at me I am prepared to bestow a stately buss only if I receive a written guarantee of good behavior.

Retirement is turning out to be far more time-consuming than I had ever imagined, but also more interesting. Yesterday I had lunch with Michael Heath, to0day I drive up to Carrabassett Valley to see Al Diamon.

Mike and I had a meeting of minds on a number of points: 1) the he will pick up the tab; 2) that the absolute total of heterosexual sin vastly exceeds the sum total of homosexual sins; 3) that hatred of homosexuals, irrespective of behavior, may be a greater sin than homosexual acts; 4) that the casual abandonment of long-standing cultural traditions and beliefs will have consequences that no on can foresee.

I took the position, held by a number of notable pro-abortion liberal legal scholars, that Roe v Wade was constitutionally idiotic, but that an anti-abortion amendment to the Constitution would lead nowhere, because a majority of the population would never support measures needed to enforce it. Mike did not oppose this argument, but I cannot say for certain that he accepted it.

We parted on friendly terms. I offered him no advice; he offered me none.

Mike is the proud father of two Marines, one of them in Iraq. There is a conjunction there between his beliefs and his life that his bitterest critics ought to respect.

Today Al and I will be studying the chemical properties and other qualities of Bruichladdich, Delamaine, and Tomintoul single malt scotch---some of the finest achievements of Celtic culture.

Thank you for the update, Flamm. As others have stated, a debate between you and Michaud would be very interesting to hear, but frankly, given the attributes you each posses, for you to debate him will be somewhat like him challenging you to a fork-lift driving contest. :lol:
Enjoy your day up in the Valley. It's a nice blustery sort of day for a sip or two. :)

And, from the looks of today's program, I hope you have arranged for a designated driver. Rt. 27 can get a bit icy at this time of November.

SiGN ME UP FOR THE FRARY TEAM!

No Glenturret?

CLAUDE: I don't believe I've ever tried Glenturret---life is so short. Do you recommend it?

BOB: No fear. I'll take an overnight bag. If weather conditions are threatening, I'll invite myself to stay the night. I'm bringint the scotch. Al will be unable to decline the invitation.

GWR: I've noted the offer. You may hear from me after Nov. 17. Coyness prevalls in the meantime.

PHOENIX: Remember, no evasions. My brother-in-law (brevet rank), a master machinist with an encyclopedic knowledge of all matters mechanical, is of the opinion that I should never be allowed near a tool more complicated than a screw-driver. His opinion is not to be taken lightly.

BLUEJAY: My thanks for the kindly thought. And I concur (see above).