State Senate candidate John Nutting showed up at Lewiston-Auburn College’s candidate forum Thursday sporting a Red Sox cap. Nutting, a Democrat from Leeds, was the last to present. Instead of talking issues, he started with: “How about those Red Sox!,” to which the audience responded with cheers and applause.

For a brief moment, all the politicians were in agreement.

Nutting said he and his wife have been busy running a dairy farm and campaigning, so staying up late to watch the Red Sox challenged their schedules. “We can all get some sleep now,” he said with a grin.

On a more serious note, Nutting described himself as a “frustrated candidate.” After working years ago to pass laws to improve the water quality of the Androscoggin River by reducing dioxin, color, odor and foam discharges, Nutting watched what happened last year. “The Legislature voted to clean up all the rivers, except the Androscoggin, because, It’s just the Androscoggin,'” he said, vowing to change that if elected.

LaMarche joins Marines, laments misuse of troops

Green Party vice presidential candidate Pat LaMarche of Maine and a “Green Marine” said Friday politicians are unnecessarily putting American troops at risk.

On Friday LaMarche completed her second day of training at the Marine Corps Boot Camp in Parris Island, S.C. She had accepted an invitation to participate in a program designed to inform community leaders about boot camp.

After spending two days at boot camp, LaMarche said she now has more military experience than most of the upper echelon of the Bush administration.

“The dedication of these young people in boot camp is incredible. They love their country, and their pursuit of growth and excellence is amazing,” LaMarche said. “It is just so incredibly sad that they can be dispatched at the whims of an out-of-touch and misguided president,” she said.

Joining her criticism was Mark Wilson, a former Marine running as a Green candidate for the U.S. Senate from Washington state. Wilson, the father and son of military veterans, said the United States would be better off with a renewable domestic energy policy than going to war for oil.

While at boot camp, LaMarche interviewed Marine recruits for a radio program she’s producing for broadcast in Maine. She spoke with youngsters from Maine and called their parents and grandparents to let them know of the broadcast and that their offspring were well. It will run after the election.

Democrats getting more money

Publicly financed Democratic candidates for Senate will receive last-minute money from taxpayers estimated at between $60,000 to $80,000, the result of a decision by a state elections panel Thursday.

Democrats complained Thursday that Maine Republican Party mailings in Senate races should leverage matching funds for Democrats under the Clean Elections law, said ethics commission Executive Director Jonathan Wayne.

Members of the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices ruled in the Democrats’ favor, saying the GOP mailings depicted three candidates, not a slate of candidates. The law allows exemptions from matching funds in cases where “a slate” of candidates is shown in the ad, Wayne said. “The mailing was perfectly legitimate. The only issue was matching funds.”

Twelve Democrats ended up qualifying for more money because of the GOP ads. Those races include District 15, where Republican Lois A. Snowe-Mello of Poland is running against Democrat Neria Douglass of Auburn; District 24, where Republican Rep. Julie Ann O’Brien of Augusta is running against Democrat Elizabeth Mitchell of Vassalboro; and Senate District 26, where Democrat Pamela Hatch of Skowhegan is running against Republican Peter Mills of Cornville.

Douglass said Friday she received nearly $10,000 more because of the mailing. “I can’t possibly spend that,” she said, adding she’ll be returning some to the public fund. “I need to stay competitive, but I don’t want to waste taxpayers’ money.”

— By State House writer Bonnie Washuk

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