When the Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, Newt Gingrich, touting the Contract with America, famously said we should kick them out if they failed to fulfill those promises.

It is long past time to take him at his word: a clear-eyed, honest look at the performance of the Republican Congress during Bush’s reign shows that, by any measure, they have failed to keep their word to serve the American people.

They have been a “rubber-stamp” for Bush’s policies, including the occupation of Iraq, his disastrous tax and fiscal agendas, and his rollbacks of environmental regulations. And they have been lapdogs for the corporate world in passing the bankruptcy bill and the Medicare drug legislation.

But the people of Maine have an opportunity in November to finally act on Newt’s word: we can replace Olympia Snowe, who has repeatedly cast her votes with her party and against the interests of her constituents.

Jean Hay Bright is running for that Senate seat; I urge you to check out her positions on the issues that are of importance to us, such as health care, job creation, global warming and the occupation of Iraq. Her Web site is www.jeanhaybright/compare.

Tom Prescott

Belfast