Campaign blog

Some press coverage of yesterday's fundraising numbers release:

Bangor Daily- Senate race fundraising breaks state records

Politicker Maine - Collins, Allen release fundraising figures

Kennebec Journal- GOP touts Collins lead

From today's BDN editorial:

Despite tough questions and grim assessments, it remains unclear if Congress can muster support for a change in direction for continued U.S. involvement in Iraq. Requiring Iraq to pay for more of this work ends the era of blank U.S. checks and puts needed pressure on Baghdad to play a larger role in securing and building the country’s future.
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"Isn’t it time for the Iraqis to start bearing more of those expenses, particularly in light of the windfall in revenues due to the high price of oil?" Sen. Susan Collins asked Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq during Tuesday’s Armed Services Committee hearing.

from Roll Call:

Business Coalition Polls 3 Senate Battlegrounds

In releasing polling Tuesday that sought to bolster its argument that Americans oppose “card-check” legislation for unionized workers, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace also released polls on three of the most hotly contested Senate races of the cycle.

In Colorado, the Republican polling firm McLaughlin & Associates found Rep. Mark Udall (D) leading former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R), 44 percent to 32 percent. The survey of 400 likely general election voters taken March 6-9 had a 4.9-point margin of error.

In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins (R) had a solid lead over Rep. Tom Allen (D), 54 percent to 31 percent. The poll of 400 likely voters March 6-9 had a 4.9-point error margin.

Senator Collins was at the Bangor Auditorium recently for the Caribou - Lincoln basketball game:

Senator Collins toured Geiger Brothers in Lewiston last week.

Geiger Brothers is the largest family-owned and family managed distributor in their industry, and has a unique heritage spanning 4 generations and 3 centuries.

They employ over 350 people in Lewiston, and have 450 independent sales consultants throughout the country.

Senator Collins was in Orono recently to watch the University of Maine women's basketball team defeat UMBC in their America East opener. Susan met with UMaine coach Cindy Blodgett, and got to speak to the team. Blodgett is very proud of her team, and said that their victory was the result of tremendous improvement and hard work over the last month. The Black Bears won 67-55, and improved their record to 4-10 on the season.

Senator Collins took part in the grand opening of VingTech in Biddeford recently:

Senator Susan Collins recently took part in the grand opening ceremonies at the new VingTech facility in Biddeford. Senator Collins was joined by officials from VingTech and the City of Biddeford in addressing the assembled audience before the cutting of the ceremonial ribbon. VingTech, is a subsidiary of Simrad Optronics, a Norwegian electro-optical manufacturer headquartered in Oslo . Founded in 1948, the company manufactures military electro-optics and supplies defense and security sighting and infrared systems to the United States military, NATO, and over 40 other nations. The Biddeford location is expected to initially create 30 new jobs in the area.

Video after the break.