By proclamation of President Clinton, Oct. 18-26 is — brace yourself — National Character Counts Week. It’s also National Forest Products Week. No, Mr. Clinton doesn’t know anything about trees, either.

This may not be the most scintillating campaign season in Maine history, but there is a certain reserve, a dignity, that other states must envy. Here’s an example of the way politics should not be: In South Carolina, Sen. Fritz Hollings, incumbent Democrat, called his Republican challenger a “goddamn skunk” the other day. Then he apologized, lest he offend skunks. Early this month, Hollings responded to his opponent’s call for a courteous campaign with a curt “Kiss my fanny.” And he didn’t even say please.

Another, from Missouri: Republican Sen. Christopher Bond, criticized by his opponent for lapses in American intelligence regarding terrorism, proposes assassinating troublemakers such as Saddam, bin Laden, Milosevec. A splendid idea from Bond … Kit Bond … Senator 007.

From North Carolina: The top aide for Republican Sen. Lauch Faircloth told a trade association group the other day that negative campaign ads are necessary because, “The average person watching television does not have your intellect, doesn’t know what’s going on in the real world. They are sitting there watching Oprah, and what they see on television they believe.” Faircloth stood by his guy, swearing the remarks were not meant to imply that Tarheel State voters are ignorant dolts who will swallow anything. Unless they’re ignorant enough to swallow that.

Massachusetts: State Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, Democrat for governor, has made quite a name for himself as a civil libertarian, banning Christmas decorations in his office and threatening to prosecute Christian groups who protested public witch gatherings in Salem. The incumbent Republican, Gov. Paul Cellucci, elevated the debate a notch or two with TV ads featuring a handcuffed Santa and a cackling, wart-nosed witch. Sounds like Massachusetts voters are the ones with something to curse about.