Bombshell: Olympia Snowe to retire; Update: The plot thickens

Hotair ^ | 02/28/2012 | Allahpundit

[WellyP]

My bet is a big YES! She’s sold her sorry a$$ all of her life. Why would she change now?

[kcvl]

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/02/will-olympia-snowe-join-americans-elect.html

[kcvl]

Possible Snowe replacement has media ties

Senator Olympia Snowe’s decision to not seek reelection has given Democrats an opportunity to regain her seat, and thus set off a round of speculation over who might run to replace her (the filing deadline is in just over two weeks, on March 15.)

One of the names already being thrown around is Chellie Pingree, a two-term Democratic House member from Maine’s 1st district. Pingree is married to Donald Sussman, a wealthy philanthropist and political donor, who gave over $1 million to Democratic causes during the 2010 elections. More recently, Sussman paid $3 to 4 million for a minority stake in MaineToday Media, according to a recent report by the Portland Press Herald (a MaineToday Media property). 

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/02/possible-snowe-replacement-has-media-ties-115868.html

[WellyP]

American Elect is Soros backed. Wouldn't surprise me.

[Postman]

A true leftwing nutcase when she lost the run for Collin’s seat...then she want off to Common Cause, got cleaned up a bit and secured the House seat. I can hear her salivating.

Snowe’s handling of her decision was despicable and I suspect she purposely got even with her critics by handing her seat to the Democrats at the last minute. She owed some allegiance to the Party, her Republican constituents and to Republicans throughout the country. She would have kept the seat in Republican hands and could have quit in a few months. Governor LePage could have appointed a less centrist Republican who might have had the edge of incumbency. What a vicious and despicable thing to do!!!!
May she never have one happy or healthy day henceforth.

[Talisker]

What a vicious and despicable thing to do!!!!

Yep. She was vile traitor and liar all these years, and now she's vile traitor and liar right out the door. The woman is hatred incarnate.

[HHFi]

To all the people harumphing, “Who cares? So a RINO gets traded for a Democrat! What difference does it make?”... I feel like Clark Gable in “Gone With The Wind,” ruining everyone’s “cigars and brandy and dreams of victory” by pointing out that it’s going to make a great deal of difference.

Just a few seats flipped would mean getting rid of Harry Reid, who is the living dam preventing anything the House passes from proceeding. Not every state is conservative enough to elect your perfect candidate. Maine is very liberal, but they kept reelecting someone who at least called herself a Republican. Like her or hate her, as long as her seat had an (R) next to it, she kept us one vote closer to a majority. Maybe you’re frustrated that that’s all you ever got out of her, but it was a damn site better than losing an (R), adding a (D), and giving Harry Reid a little more job security. And that’s almost a certainty now.

[George Varnum]

Here in Maine we have had a conservative Republican trying to run against Snowe in the primary for years, although the ME GOP establishment and state wide media have fallen all over each other ignoring him and pretending that he never even existed.

To say that Scott D’Amboise is an “underdog” might be an under-statement, although he is starting to pick up national support from many Republicans who have been fed up with our “moderate” establishment elite Duchess of Prenatal Infanticide for many years now.

I’ve met Scott, and he is a regular family guy / working man, devoted to God, Country and Family. Pro Life... wouldn’t that be a novelty in Maine politics?

NOT a Lawyer... Not a career politician by any means.
You know; kind of like what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they set the US Senate up in the first place.

http://www.damboiseforsenate.com

[rhinohunter]

There is very obviously something going on here behind the scenes

Hmmm...taking Biden's place???

[funfan]

Well I don’t know about that but interesting the White House already made a formal announcement of her resignation
or retirement if you will:

Statement by the President on the Retirement of Senator Olympia Snowe

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/28/statement-president-retirement-senator-olympia-snowe

[maine-iac7]

Who is challenging her seat?

So far, on our side, no one that could win.

At this late date, with no one in the chute that voters know - the only one I can think of that could hold onto that seat for us - the PRIMARY goal is to get control of the senate - might be Jock...

After a term in Congress, he served two terms as Maine's governor - held his own against Rat-controlled house and senate.

He was popular, he has name recognition and charisma. Time is short for a new person to jump in. We'll need someone the voters know.

John (Jock) McKernan on right

[George Varnum]

Jaques McKernan??

Oh; PUH-LEEEaze!!!

Just when we thought that no Maine Governor could possibly be any worse than Brennan (D), along came McKernan...

....and....

SUR-PRIIIiiiZe!!!; {8^Q

We were wrong. {B^P~

[metesky]

I was aiming for 45...

68 and still working.

[maine-iac7]

Why would anybody give up an easy seat, with a Senator’s income and perks unless there was a better deal somewhere?

She says because it's nearly impossible to get anything done with the present situation in DC - and that is true.

She said she feels she may be able to make more of a difference - not quoting exact words here - as a private citizen.

Sometimes people can achieve more when unfettered by the restriction of elected office where you have to watch every word, every action.

I think "Sarah" has proved that - and before you all jump on me - I am NOT comparing Olympia to Sarah - just making a general observation...so take a deep breath and chill

[maine-iac7]

You ssay: “I find it strange that everyone is getting out, like rats leaving the sinking ship. I have a bad feeling about this........like a trap is about to spring on the American people.”

That’s the feeling I got this morning when I read this about Wyoming. Considering we in FR are pretty aware of how dangerously close to collapse our beloved country is - those in government have access to information we will never have -

When you see a STATE getting prepared to be able to provide for and defend itself like a country unto itself - it hits home - and you think: “time to put in some more supplies?”

http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Wyoming-Lawmakers-Introduce-Doomsday-Bill-140772183.html

[49erDweet]

Oh, no. Now we have to worry over the next ‘supremes’ vacancy.

[9YearLurker]

If she keeps the Senate in Democrat hands, she will certainly have made a difference.

[maddog55]

Per Michelle Malkin website: A primary challenger to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe and a self-proclaimed tea partier has unenrolled from the Republican party in the wake of the state GOP’s recent caucuses.

Andrew Ian Dodge of Harpswell announced on Tuesday that he was severing ties with his party but said he plans to remain in the Senate race as an independent. With Dodge out of the Republican race, Scott D’Amboise of Lisbon Falls is the sole GOP challenger to Snowe.

[ScottinVA]

The big deal is the likelihood of Harry Reid`s remaining Majority leader and thus controlling the agenda is much greater now. It`s huge.