The Olympia Games Part one

 I’ve always been a big fan of the Olympic Games, both the summer and the winter versions. Every four years I would be the first one camped in front of the TV to watch the gymnastics and high diving or bobsledding and skating, depending on the season.
A few weeks ago, our longtime U.S. Senator from Maine Olympia Snowe made a surprise announcement that she had decided to retire from the Senate and not run for reelection next year. You’ll note that Snowe announced that she was done with the Senate, not done with politics, but we’ll talk more about that in a minute.
In any case this was big news for our little state. You can say what you like about Snowe, and over the years I’ve said plenty, but there is no denying the impact that she has had on the political climate both in Washington and here at home.
My biggest issue with the Senator has always been that she seemed to be firmly stuck in the middle on any issue you could think of. You simply can’t please all of the people all of the time, but that never stopped her from trying. Maybe this obsession with being all things to all people is what led Olympia to the cast the deciding vote that eventually led to the unmitigated disaster we now call ObamaCare. It certainly contributed to her well-deserved reputation as being a R.I.N.O. (Republican In Name Only). Snowe’s decision not to seek reelection set off what I like to call the “Olympia Games” as Maine political figures, particularly the Democrats immediately began to jump over hurdles and tie themselves into knots that would put any gymnast to shame, all for the possibility of taking over Snowe’s Senate seat.
The first thing to come out of the rumor mill was that Congresswoman Chellie “The Princess” Pingree was going to make a run. She had the name recognition and certainly had the financial backing, being married to financier Donald Sussman. B the way, isn’t it funny how liberals are all about redistribution of wealth as long as no one touches theirs? Just a thought.
Next we heard that former Governor John Baldacci was not only considering a run but had already started gathering the needed signatures to get on the ballot. Former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap had already been planning on running before the Snowe announcement and he at least is still in, unlike some others.
Then came the next surprise: former Maine Independent Governor Angus King landed in the race like Bill Clinton landing at a Playboy bunny convention; that is to say, he turned everything upside down. No sooner did he make his decision known, Princess Pingree decided that maybe being in the U.S. Senate didn’t sound so good after all, saying that she had come to the conclusion that she needed to focus her attention on the First Congressional District.
Oh come on, Chellie; even you can do better than that. We all know that you dropped out because another candidate came along who has at least as much money as you do and who has more popularity and name recognition. In short, you rightly figured out that Angus King was going beat you like the proverbial red-headed step child and that discretion is indeed the better part of valor.
This is all OK, but like Judge Judy says, “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me that it’s raining.” We know all why you dropped out of the race, so let’s not try and pass it off as doing the right thing for your district.