Baldacci energizes Democrats Upbeat convention ends

AUGUSTA – John Baldacci luxuriated in the collective embrace of nearly 1,000 loyal Democrats on Saturday to close out the party’s two-day state convention on an exhilarating note.

As a mob of supporters surged the stage at the Augusta Civic Center, the first several rows of seats were obscured by red, white and blue Baldacci signs held by supporters chanting, “John-ny, John-ny, John-ny.” It was the big moment of the weekend for Baldacci, who is leaving his 2nd Congressional District seat behind in an unopposed bid to become the party’s nominee for governor.

Holding an outstretched hand over the multitudes in a manner not completely unlike Pope John Paul II in his younger days, Baldacci soaked up the adulation with a broad smile and expressive brown eyes that reflected just a touch of humility.

“Sixteen years has been long enough,” he shouted as the crowd roared its agreement.

The reference to the Blaine House drought was not lost upon Democrats, who have not held the governorship since Gov. Joe Brennan left office in 1987. They know Baldacci faces stiff opposition from one of two Republican candidates squaring off in the June 11 primary.

The Bangor Democrat is also threatened by Green Independent Party candidate Jonathan Carter, who qualified for nearly $1 million in public funding under the state’s Clean Elections Act. He has been favored as an alternative candidate by some segments of the Democratic Party in past election outings.

If that’s not enough, David Flanagan, a Manchester independent, is aggressively seeking the governor’s office. Flanagan, a multimillionaire who has largely self-funded his campaign, is the former president of Central Maine Power Co. and the one-time chief counsel to Democratic Gov. Joseph E. Brennan. He is expected to appeal to conservative Democrats and some Republicans, as well as to independents who may vote for him on the strength of little more than his designation as an independent candidate.

And later today, the Secretary of State’s Office and the state’s ethics commission will determine whether two independent candidates, John Jenkins of Lewiston and state Rep. John Michael of Auburn, will qualify as independent gubernatorial candidates.

Baldacci made it clear to the party faithful Saturday that the stakes are high.

“I know that the road to the Blaine House will be long and difficult,” he said. “I take nothing for granted. I’m going to do everything I can to see that Democrats win up and down the ticket in November from the State House to the Blaine House to the U.S. House and Senate. I hope you will join me in that effort.”

In addition to hearing high-profile presentations from top-of-the-ticket candidates like Baldacci and U.S. Senate hopeful Chellie Pingree, Democrats also dealt with a number of routine party housekeeping chores, including electing members of the Democratic State Committee and receiving reports from the party’s national committeeman and committeewoman.

The delegates also approved a 12-page platform that included unqualified support for a national single-payer health insurance plan. An amendment advocating a strong stand against any further weakening of the Workers’ Compensation system was withdrawn and a floor amendment urging greater and more meaningful involvement in the Middle East peace process was approved after some brief debate.

House Majority Leader Patrick Colwell of Gardiner said delegates he had spoken with enjoyed this year’s convention speakers. A Friday evening presentation from U.S. House Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi was particularly significant for Colwell, who is well aware of the need to bring more women into party leadership positions. At the state level, he and other Democratic leaders sought to guarantee that at least half of this year’s House candidates were women.

“I’m pleased to say that we’ve exceeded our goal,” Colwell said Sunday. “We’re a little over 53 percent. So, I think we saw the relevance of [Pelosi’s] speech. I think this year’s convention showed that people are focused on making positive changes in terms of access to health care. I think the party is unified and I think the grass roots have been energized.”

In prepared remarks that were occasionally deviated to include an element of improvisation, Baldacci talked about growing up as one of eight children and the work ethic he acquired in the family’s Bangor restaurants. In various incarnations, those establishments included The Baltimore, Baldacci’s, The Old Balt and Momma Baldacci’s.

Moving quickly to the goal ahead, Baldacci said he was running for governor because he wanted Maine to become “a haven of opportunity” for every citizen. The state needs to promote programs that will provide better job opportunities with increased pay and benefits for Maine workers, he said.

“We need to provide businesses with the opportunities to expand and grow and to do business around the world,” he said. “We need to provide every person with the opportunity to be safe and healthy and live in a healthy environment. We need to guarantee the opportunity that every single child starts school ready to learn and graduate to succeed here in Maine. With strong leadership in the Blaine House, Maine’s best days are in front of her.”

Baldacci promised to be an inclusive governor who would seek out a “wide network of talented people” to help make Maine grow and prosper. He also pledged to introduce a $100 million bond proposal to purchase more public land for preservation under the Land for Maine’s Future program.

The candidate included in his prepared remarks, but omitted from his presentation, a reference to his belief that taxes in the state are “just too high,” and that Maine is in need of tax relief. Baldacci said the omission was unintentional and that he inadvertently skipped over the section during the partially improvised reading.