Most Maine voters recognize that the Bush presidency has been a disaster for America. It is time we recognized how much Susan Collins has done to facilitate that disaster. Look at how she backed up Bush on the economy. Bush took a federal budget in surplus and turned it into a huge deficit. He has added $4 trillion to the national debt. He accomplished this through leading us into an unnecessary war in Iraq, costing us $10 billion a month, and pushing through three rounds of tax cuts, mostly for the rich, costing even more. He appointed regulators who were ideologically opposed to regulation, leading to the collapse of the mortgage market and into the present recession.

Susan Collins supported Bush in all these blunders. She voted for the war in Iraq, and continues to support it. She voted for the tax cuts, enabling the rich to get even richer. And she voted to confirm the lobbyists Bush appointed as regulators. In the House, Tom Allen was voting almost the opposite. He voted against the war in Iraq and against the irresponsible tax cuts. The House does not vote to confirm appointments.

But this election is not just about ending the Bush policies. Tom Allen has definite plans for getting us out of Iraq, improving our health care system, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and aiding small business.

If you want a change from the Bush policies, why not vote for the man who has already voted for change? Vote for Tom Allen.

Rufus Wanning

Orland