Last weekend, I was glad to see that the Bangor Daily News was running what seemed to be lengthy articles about the candidates for Senate.

In the midst of the high drama and conflict of the presidential race, it’s good to see how the issues on the forefront of the national stage are interpreted by our own politicians here in Maine.

But as I flipped through the pages I just could not find where the piece about Herbert Hoffman was, letting me conclude that the BDN staff had taken a hard stance against his candidacy. Therefore, I am writing to remind readers (and staff), that according to the Maine secretary of state and the Federal Elections Commission, Hoffman is still a qualified write-in candidate. If they wish to find out about the true complexity of the Maine political landscape, they may have to find out for themselves by visiting hoffmanforsenate.us .

I find this omission especially bothersome since neither Susan Collins nor Tom Allen seem willing to stand firmly along their party lines, Collins is claiming “bipartisanship” (a new code word for lack of party integrity) and Allen voted twice for the Patriot Act, the act of Congress which now allows law enforcement to search your home without your knowledge and hold foreign nationals indefinitely without trial.

In sharp contrast, Herbert Hoffman’s agenda stands for real change: single-payer universal health care, ending the war, bringing jobs back to America, energy sustainability and campaign finance reform.

Orson Horchler

Ellsworth