Redstate

By Ralph Kettell Posted in 2008 — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Maine Democrat Tom Allen's quest to unseat incumbent Senator Susan
Collins has run aground already. It seems the people of Maine aren't
too excited about his little issue with missing votes.

The AP ran a story (link -
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/politics/general/view.bg?artic...
) that featured Allen whining about the criticism he was taking from
the Collins camp over missed votes. Allen gets smacked by his own
record though, in particular about his trip to the 1999 All Star Game
in Boston, when he ditched three votes about Maine issues to go see
the ballgame at Fenway.

" Rep. Tom Allen played hooky from Congress Tuesday night– and
missed three votes — so he could attend the final All-Star Game of the
century at Fenway Park in Boston.

The Democratic congressman said he couldn't resist the chance to
see the baseball game with an old friend from high school. Allen
landed the tickets with the help of Rep. Joe Moakley of Massachusetts,
who contacted officials from Major League Baseball.

Allen said he 'hardly ever' misses a vote, and tried not to miss
any Tuesday night. He caught the last flight to Boston, but even so,
he missed three votes that dealt with the funding of parklands and
fish and wildlife programs. Both issues are important to Maine, but
Allen noted that his absence didn't affect the outcome of the issues."

The best part of this story is that Allen was given the tickets by the
late Joe Moakley, who was a Congressman from Massachusetts at the
time. Moakley couldn't go to the game because he, and the entire
Massachusetts delegation, stayed in Washington to....(wait for
it...)....

VOTE!

Yes, Maine's Tom Allen decided that the Massachusetts work ethic was a
bit too rigorous for him. I can imagine the conversation between Allen
and Moakley:
"Darn Tom, I can't make the game. We have votes tonight. Do you know
anyone who might want to go?"
"Heck yes Joe, me!"
"Well what about the votes? Won't your constituents be upset that you
skipped out on your job to watch a ball game?"
"Ppppthhh! Are you kidding? Don't make me laugh. They don't care if I
vote. You really don't know anything about Maine, do you Joe?"
"I guess not, Tom. Here you go, have a ball."

Maine voters will have fun hearing about this over and over again from
now until November. Allen's record of non-accomplishment is another
issue he's trying to run from- he hasn't passed a single bill into law
since he landed in DC 12 years ago. I don't think Maine people will
have much difficulty seeing why that's the case. Hard to get things
done when you don't show up.