This time of year, hearing a politician on the radio is common.

Tune into WVOM, the Voice of Maine, or Scott Garrett over at CNN 1240, and there’s going to be a fresh rotation of candidates and pundits just about every day.

Listen to WCLZ-98.9 FM in Portland and the expectations are different. Local musicians. Sure. John Hiatt. You bet. Ray Lamontagne? Until you’re sick of him. The Dead. The Boss. John Prine. That you expect.

But Patrick McGowan, the commissioner of the state’s Department of Conservation? Bush pilot, fisherman, small businessman, he is. Rock star, alternative or otherwise, he ain’t.

On Thursday, McGowan was a guest on the show, “Reverb,” which is hosted by Adam Gardner, a member of the band Guster. Gardner hosts the weekly show, which airs at 6 p.m. on Thursdays. The show is an offshoot of a nonprofit started by his wife, Lauren Sullivan, “that seeks to raise awareness and support for the environment through building upon the powerful connection between musicians and their fans.”

Gardner interviewed McGowan by telephone from Los Angeles, where he’s on tour with his band. Atypical of many interviews on TV or radio, music played in the background during the talking. And there was a song break, where McGowan requested the Guster song, “I Spy,” for his daughter.

What did listeners learn? That Maine is the most heavily forested state in the country, that Gov. John Baldacci has conserved thousands of acres of it and the details of sustainable forest management practices. They also heard that there’s an election in just a few weeks and that the state has beautiful state parks.

And that McGowan spent the weekend on the Allagash fishing for salmon, pilots a pontoon boat and his daughter goes to York High School and loves Guster.

All over the place

SurveyUSA has changed the questions it’s asking in Maine concerning November’s election, creating a better representation of the race for governor.

In a poll released last week and conducted exclusively for WCSH-TV in Portland, SurveyUSA included Green independent Pat LaMarche and independents Barbara Merrill and Phillip NaPier by name. The polling outfit also changed the way it asks its question on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

The SurveyUSA numbers now come much closer to what insiders on several campaigns have said they are seeing with their internal polls.

Baldacci gets 44 percent, Woodcock gets 39 percent, Merrill 7 percent and LaMarche 6 percent. Three percent are undecided. NaPier gets zero.

On TABOR, the poll shifted dramatically with the question. Instead of 70 percent saying they support the measure as before, 54 percent now say they are not certain how they will vote. Twenty-three percent say they are certain they will vote yes and 22 percent say they are certain they will vote no.

That’s a big difference.

What’s it mean? The race is far from over and how you ask the question makes a huge difference on how it is answered.

The latest survey was taken Sept. 24-26 and talked to 900 Maine voters. Of those, 805 were registered to vote and 544 were defined as likely voters. The margin of error is put at 4.3 percent.

Mills still in the race

Republican state Sen. Peter Mills unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for governor earlier this year. The moderate from Skowhegan was bested in the primary by state Sen. Chandler Woodcock in a tough three-way race.

Despite being out of the race, Mills name is still being thrown around a lot, but in unexpected places.

Independent candidate Barbara Merrill often gives Mills credit for derailing a Democratic budget plan that would have relied upon borrowing and the selling of lottery proceeds to balance the books. Mills, she often says, used the threat of a people’s veto to force Democrats to reconsider and to pass a budget balanced by an increase in the cigarette tax and more than $100 million in cuts.

One point for Mills.

Green independent Pat LaMarche, speaking to the Sun Journal’s editorial board last week, bemoaned the shape of state government and the need for accountability.

LaMarche said that, if elected, she would try to convince Mills to take over as commissioner of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS has been plagued by a series of serious problems, and is still struggling with the effects of a bungled computer system installation that has cost the state millions, hurt service providers and got the state in hock with the federal government.

Why Mills would want the job is another question.

LaMarche also gave Mills a second tip of the hat last week, although perhaps not purposefully.

On Tuesday night, LaMarche held an online town hall meeting in what she called a “Fireside Chat,” recalling the radio addresses of FDR.

During the primary, Mills did something similar and called it a “Wireside Chat.” He streamed audio of his answers live and then left the recording on his Web site so the curious could download and listen at will.

LaMarche’s next chat will begin at 7 a.m. Tuesday at www.pat2006.com.

Lefties in love

Two traditionally liberal leaning groups have endorsed Gov. John Baldacci for re-election.

On Friday, both the Maine Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Action Fund – Maine PAC, a political action committee, endorsed Baldacci.

The Sierra Club cited Baldacci’s work on global warming, conservation and sustainable forest practices in its endorsement. The Planned Parenthood PAC cited Baldacci’s support for comprehensive sex education, access to emergency contraception and family planning programs – read abortion rights.

Baldacci also received the endorsement last week of the Professional Firefighters of Maine. Baldacci and the Legislature delivered firefighters a huge victory during the last session by allowing them to join the state’s retiree pension and health care system.

Raising cash

Congressman and former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich will be in Maine Oct. 9 for a fundraiser for Jean Hay Bright, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.

The event will be at 5:30 p.m. at Portland High School.

Hay Bright is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe and independent William Slavick.