AUGUSTA – Nearly 2,000 Democrats from across the state gathered Friday night in Maine’s capital city to celebrate their party affiliation and to begin a three-day schedule of political speeches and delegate selection.

Augusta Civic Center, both inside and out, was plastered Friday with political signs of nine Democrats who hope to be sent by voters to Washington this fall and others who want to represent Maine Democrats on the national committee and at the Democratic National Convention in Denver at the end of August.

Six Democrats are vying for the nomination for the 1st District congressional seat, which currently is held by Tom Allen, while Allen and Sanford educator Tom Ledue are vying for the party’s nomination in the U.S. Senate race. U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud is unopposed in his bid for the Democratic nomination for his seat.

Inside the building, party officials and elected politicians made speeches to whip up their constituents into an enthusiastic throng that they hope can help result in wins for Democrats at all levels of government this fall.

Gov. John Baldacci, Allen and Michaud were the main speakers Friday night. They each expounded on economic and foreign policy themes as they made the case for Democratic wins at the polls this November.

Baldacci, making reference to the effects of energy prices on the announced shutdown of the Katahdin Paper Co. mill in Millinocket, said that the administration of President George Bush has spent too much time and money fighting the wrong fight. It’s not Iraq that should be getting so much attention, he said. It’s the effect of soaring oil prices on average Mainers and Americans.

“Millinocket used to have 4,000 people working [in the paper industry],” he said. “Now we’re struggling to get up to 400. We’ve got to say ‘Enough.’ It’s hurting everybody.”

Baldacci made references to the two remaining candidates in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He mentioned Sen. Hillary Clinton first, saying he thinks she is best qualified to be president, but said he’s also spoken with Sen. Barack Obama. Clinton’s supporters in the hall cheered at the mention of her name, but Obama’s supporters made a point of cheering louder and longer when Baldacci referred to their preferred candidate.

“I feel like I’m at one of my family dinners,” Baldacci said, drawing laughter from the audience. Paraphrasing his father, he said that such a difference in opinion will matter little when it comes time to vote in November.

“You can have those disagreements in this house, but outside this hall we’re all Democrats,” he said. “We only want what is good for this country.”

Michaud received the most visible display of support at the convention Friday night, perhaps because he is the only Democrat at the convention who is running unopposed for his party’s nomination for public office. When Michaud was introduced by Maine Senate President Beth Edmonds, a swarm of supporters walked forward toward the podium waving his political signs in the air and cheering as he walked onstage.

Michaud started off on the issue of fair trade, which other convention speakers said is a topic that he has become a leader on in Washington. He praised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her opposition to the proposed Colombian Free Trade Agreement and said he is opposed to the war in Iraq. An equally important issue that must be addressed, he added, is health care for veterans.

“What about supporting these men and women when they take off their uniforms?” Michaud said, the crowd breaking out in applause. “I will continue to speak out until our troops are brought home.”

Michaud got the crowd to boo when he mentioned John McCain, the Arizona senator and apparent Republican nominee for president whom he said would amount to a “third Bush term” if elected in November.

“Let’s make sure it never happens in the first place,” Michaud said.

Repeating a phrase he used throughout his 15 minute speech, Michaud predicted a Democratic victory in the presidential election.

“Our time is now,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen took the stage promising to give a different speech today when he is scheduled to address conventioneers as a candidate for the U.S. Senate. But he spoke of issues he has mentioned at his campaign appearances, such as bringing troops home from Iraq and affordable health care. Earlier Friday, Allen held a press conference in Bangor at which he said he has come up with a plan to provide Americans with universal access to health care.

“People are fed up,” Allen said. “Every day, I have independents and Republicans come up to me and say ‘I’m voting Democratic in 2008.'”

Allen said he can tell that Republicans don’t like government because of the way it is run whenever they run it.

“The people who don’t believe in government don’t run it well, and when we gain control we will,” he said.

Edmonds and Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, were among the other speakers at the convention Friday night. Edmonds had some of the most pointed comments at the convention Friday night about the Democrats’ usual political opponents.

“Our Republican friends are full of gloom and doom,” she said. “You would be too if you had their sorry record.”

Edmonds credited Democrats with having helped make health care more affordable in Maine and criticized Republicans for what she referred to as their efforts to prevent it from happening.

“They want to throw 40,000 people off health care,” Edmonds said. “That’s not leadership. That’s retreat.”

Attempts late Friday evening to contact officials with the Maine Republican Party were unsuccessful.

Wallach, who Allen called a “rock star” among fair trade supporters in Washington, praised Michaud for his strong opposition to the free trade agreements that have been proposed in Washington.

“The man’s got guts,” she said.

Wallach said Michaud has worked hard to protect working families in Maine from economic policies that result in jobs being exported to other countries.

“NAFTA actually is a four-letter word,” she said about the North American Free Trade Agreement.

According to the Maine Democratic Party’s Rebecca Pollard, nearly 2,000 people were at the convention Friday night. She said that’s a good sign that the turnout today will be high.

“I think it’s going to be good,” she said.

Convention events today are expected to include speeches by U.S. Senate candidates Allen and Ledue and a keynote address by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois. The six Democrats hoping to win Allen’s seat – Michael Brennan, Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Stephen Meister, Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling – also are scheduled to address the convention today.

Pollard said that Maine’s 24 elected Democratic delegates for the national convention are expected to be picked on Sunday, when the convention ends.