Posted on 12/02/2013 1:00:15 PM PST by cotton1706
Erick Bennett, a Portland political consultant and founder of the conservative Maine Equal Rights Center, announced Monday that he’ll run as a primary challenger to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.
But in an interview, Bennett seemed pretty ho-hum about whether or not he really wants to serve in the Senate. He said the primary challenge is not about him, but about facilitating a conversation among Republicans about Collins’ voting record.
Bennett said he’d asked several prominent Republicans — he hinted at CD2 contenders Kevin Raye and Bruce Poliquin — to run against Collins, but no one was interested.
So the mantle has fallen on him, he said.
“We have primaries because we need to engage the public,” he said. “It’s a marketplace of ideas. If we don’t have a primary challenger, we’ll never get to have those discussions. … We have to hold people accountable for their votes, and if we don’t have a challenger, we never get to do that.”
Bennett and the Maine Equal Rights Center, which opposed same-sex marriage in 2012, have criticized many of Collins’ votes, including authorization of force in Iraq and Afghanistan, and her positions on everything from gun rights, to energy and civil rights.
His campaign will focus on civil rights, Bennett said, and an effort to get back to what he calls “Constitutional government.”
“The federal government can’t do anything right,” he said. “We’re clearly not following the Constitutional form of government. If we just return to that, 99 percent of our problems would just disappear.”
Despite his focus on small government, Bennett said he’d resist efforts to pigeonhole him as part of any one political movement or another.
(Excerpt) Read more at stateandcapitol.bangordailynews.com ...
No more republican senators running unopposed!
We sure do need to get rid of Collins.
She votes with the Dems half of the time.
She certainly is not a trusted vote for Republicans.
Well, he just lost before he even went in.
Nobody likes squishes.
“Bennett seemed pretty ho-hum about whether or not he really wants to serve in the Senate.
Well, he just lost before he even went in.
Nobody likes squishes.”
Well, at least the conservatives of Maine will have an option, and can send her a message. She’s a democrat, and should be taken out by a real democrat in November. She votes with the conservatives on nothing and just artificially hikes up the republican numbers in the senate by one.
Oh dear. I don't know these people.
Am I supposed to?
“Oh dear. I don’t know these people.
Am I supposed to?”
I don’t know. Do you live in Maine. I’m in MA and am happy to see her have ANY challenger!
Did Bennett SAY that, or did the writer of the article throw that in there, to create some doubt among potential supporters?
I don't live in Maine. But if you are happy to see her have a challenger, then I'm with you, O fellowFReeper!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.