George Mitchell

Former U.S. Senate majority leader George Mitchell has been actively campaigning for Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama and U.S. Senate nominee and current Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland).

Tuesday he campaigned with Allen, who hopes to unseat U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Bangor), and PolitickerME.com had a chance to ask Mitchell about this year's election.

PolitickerME.com is on the trail with U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland) and former Sen. George Mitchell as they make four stops in Waterville, Skowhegan, Portland and Lewiston. Allen is challenging U.S. Sen. Susan Collins for her seat this year.

LEWISTON – People crowded into the basement of the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston Tuesday evening, lining up for hot dogs and baked beans, and filling every table to hear former Sen. George Mitchell and U.S. Reps. Tom Allen and Mike Michaud speak.

This was one of a number of “conversation for change” community suppers Allen’s campaign has hosted. This year he is challenging U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Bangor) for her seat.

Mitchell was the first to speak, and reminisced about his first run for office in the 1980s.

PolitickerME.com is on the trail with U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland) and former Sen. George Mitchell as they make four stops in Waterville, Skowhegan, Portland and Lewiston. Allen is challenging U.S. Sen. Susan Collins for her seat this year.

WATERVILLE – Despite being down in the polls, U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland) said he thinks he’s ahead right now when it comes to early voting because of a strong push from the Democratic Party.

Allen spoke to about 50 people at the Waterville Democratic Party’s office Tuesday morning.

“We’re doing good right now,” Allen said.

PolitickerME.com is on the trail with U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland) and former Sen. George Mitchell as they make four stops in Waterville, Skowhegan, Portland and Lewiston. Allen is challenging U.S. Sen. Susan Collins for her seat this year.

WATERVILE -- Video: U.S. Sen. George Mitchell explains why Democrats should not be worried about U.S. Rep. Tom Allen being down in the polls. Allen is challenging U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

I attended my first political "house party" in 1994 when I was a senior in college. It was hosted by one of former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell's brothers for would-be Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Brennan (Brennan eventually lost the general election to Independent Angus King).  I was invited because I was a member of the Colby Democrats and the Brennan campaign was trying to recruit volunteers in the Waterville area.

I was interested in going because, up until that point, the closest contact I'd had to a political house party was eating lunch every Sunday at my uncle's house in Sanford; he was a local Selectman, hardly a mover and shaker in the political world, to say the least.

LEWISTON -- Former Gov. Angus King, an independent, said that he will not be picking sides in the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sen. Susan Collin (R-Bangor) and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland).

“I know and like both of them,” King said.

On the other hand, former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, a Democrat, said he expects it to be a close race.

“I think that Allen will win,” Mitchell said, “But it’s always difficult running against an incumbent.”

Both King and Mitchell were in Lewiston this morning to endorse Barack Obama for President.

Angus King: Former Gov. Angus King endorses Barack Obama in Lewiston Friday. Politicker photo.LEWISTON -- Playing on the message that Barack Obama has appeal beyond the party base, former Gov. Angus King, an independent, endorsed the Democratic Presidential candidate this morning.

Also endorsing was state Rep. Richard Woodbury, an independent from Yarmouth.

King, who served two terms as Governor from 1995 to 2002, said that he has traditionally voted for both Democrats and Republicans.

Friday morning “a prominent figure in Maine” will endorse Barack Obama for President. Any guesses as to who this might be?

The announcement will take place at the University of Maine’s Lewiston/Auburn Campus at 9:30 Friday morning.

Possible clues:

Gwethalyn Phillips, a delegate for Barack Obama, said she was reminded of why she got into politics when she saw Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) address the Democratic National Convention last night.

“I remember when John Kennedy decided to put us on the moon, and challenged Americans to do that,” Phillips said. “Ted Kennedy brought a lot of that back to us last night.”

Of Michelle Obama’s speech, Phillips said that she was “so human, and so incredible.”

Phillips got into politics during the 1960s women’s movement and protesting the Vietnam War.

In January, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) will have two years under his belt as Senate majority leader. There's no particular reason to suspect that his reign is nearing an end, but recent majority leaders have served short terms, and sometimes hit dead ends in their political careers.

U.S. Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) served for four years as majority leader and then walked away from the Senate. U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) was majority leader for two years before being defeated during his next re-election campaign. It's not a major concern yet, but like South Dakota, the Nevada media market is not terribly expensive, and could present a similar opportunity for Republicans under the right conditions.

After a total of five years, U.S. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) resigned from the leadership post in the wake of a Strom Thurmond controversy. After less than two years as majority leader (the second time), U.S. Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) left the Senate to run for president. After leading the Senate for six years, U.S. Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine) chose not to run for re-election.