Most of the US Senators quoted in this recent Politico piece were more than happy to sign their name to a desk in the Senate chamber, but not Susan Collins.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she thought it was presumptuous for a two-term senator such as herself to sign the three different desks she’s occupied since arriving in the Senate.

"It seems a pity to be carving my name in one of those fine old desks," she said.

The Portland Press Herald had this interesting note today about Chellie Pingree's congressional orientation:

She attended orientations run by the House, as well as by private advocacy groups, including The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Pingree said she believes she was one of only two Democrats who attended the foundation's event, which attracted about 15 Republicans who are more closely allied with the organization's political philosophy.

"I found it really very interesting and actually think there will be places where we can agree and work together," she said.

Governor Baldacci previews his next budget and his State of the State Address later this month.

The Maine Association of Realtors PAC was fined $10,000 earlier this week by the Maine Ethics Commission for failing to report two mailings sent in support of Republican state senate candidates until 20 days after the expenditures were made.

The PAC's executive director blamed an administrative error, but the timing of the expenditures and the reporting led the ethics commission staff to recommend the maximum fine. The commission agreed.

Here is one of the pieces sent - this one in support of former Senator Lois Snowe-Mello, who lost to Democrat Deborah Simpson by 108 votes.

Turn Maine Blue has a post and a diary today noting a Politico story with a quote from Maine GOP Chair Mark Ellis. Ellis expressed his approval of RNC Chair candidate Chip Saltsman's decision to distribute a CD to RNC members that included the song Barack the Magic Negro. Gerald uses the quote as proof that the GOP is "the party of white people".

While the GOP does have a problem with endemic racism, this particular incident isn't nearly so cut and dry. Ellis wrote more about the subject on his own blog, and explains that he came to his view of the song after comparing it to his own personal experiences with racism.

I listened to the entire CD and, aside from fueling my growing disdain for "conservative" talk radio (many of these tracks have found their way onto Rush Limbaugh’s show), I didn’t find anything offensive. In fact, Shanklin strikes me as a gifted parodist[...]

Blackwell points to the "hypersensitivity" of the press on racial issues as the cause of the controversy and I agree. Relative to experiences with racism, I’ll go toe to toe with anyone who wishes to engage in the game of one-upmanship; I’ve got five decades of personal experience with the beast and this ain’t it. There isn’t even a hint of it here.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza gives Susan Collins an honorable mention for best senate campaign of 2008.

In an election cycle where Republican senators in blue states were an endangered species (John Sununu in New Hampshire, Gordon Smith in Oregon, Norm Coleman -- maybe -- in Minnesota), Collins was never seriously challenged by Rep. Tom Allen.

Allen did everything a challenger should do in an anti-incumbent year -- try to tie Collins to Bush, hammer her for past votes -- but nothing stuck. The simple fact was that Maine voters liked and trusted Collins and saw no reason to fire her. Her campaign deftly took advantage of her high personal and job approval numbers by using their campaign ads to remind voters of why the liked Collins.

Her 23-point victory in a year where Republicans across the country were scrambling for their political lives speaks to the kind of candidate Collins is (wildly underestimated) and the quality of campaign she ran.

This week at Down East, I take a look at how PETA gets press coverage in Maine. Here's a hint:

Former Green state representative John Eder posted an interesting comment to my Down East post on Lynne Williams, the Green Party chair and Maine's first announced gubernatorial candidate for 2010.

I'm not sure where Lynn heard I was not in the running. She and I have never discussed her candidacy or mine. I don't know if we've ever spoken two words to each other on that topic or any other.

-John Eder

Sounds like someone's running for governor.

The legislature's committee assignments have been announced. Here's the lineup for the powerful appropriations committee, which will soon be making some difficult budget decisions.

Senator G. William Diamond (D-Cumberland), Chair
Senator Margaret M. Craven (D-Androscoggin)
Senator Richard W. Rosen (R-Hancock)
Representative Emily Ann Cain (D-Orono), Chair
Representative John L. Martin (D-Eagle Lake)
Representative David Webster (D-Freeport)
Representative Margaret R. Rotundo (D-Lewiston)
Representative Elizabeth S. Miller (D-Somerville)
Representative Gary A. Connor (D-Kennebunk)
Representative H. Sawin Millett, Jr. (R-Waterford), Ranking Member
Representative Robert W. Nutting (R-Oakland)
Representative Patrick S. A. Flood (R-Winthrop)
Representative John C. Robinson (R-Raymond)

Outgoing congressman Tom Allen appeared on WLBZ/WCSH yesterday to discuss the recent election and his future plans.

Allen says he plans to seek a job in the Obama administration and ruled out running for governor in 2010, saying "I'm not running for governor and I doubt very very much that I'll run for office again."

On Monday, Maine's members of the electoral college gathered in Augusta to cast their votes for Barack Obama. Maine Public Radio's A.J. Higgins recorded the entire proceedings, which you can listen to here.

Governor Baldacci will be proposing his 2009 supplemental budget at 2pm today. WABI has a preview:

Update: The budget has been released. Here's a summary and here's the full document.

Former Representative Elaine Makas has been appointed to fill the seat of former Androscoggin County Commissioner Helen Poulin, who moved out of her district in August. Makas received 66.2% of votes cast at a recent caucus of the Lewiston City Democratic Committee.

Makas is social and behavioral sciences professor at the L-A campus of USM and represented Lewiston in the state House before running, unsuccessfully, for a state Senate seat earlier this year. She is a strong, progressive Democrat, is friends with that guy from Sha Na Na and hosts a show on recycling on local access TV.

Poulin is still refusing to acknowledge that she no longer holds the seat, which may lead to a very awkward county commission meeting in the near future.

The governor's office has announced that the special election for District 89 will be held on February 3rd. The district, which includes Farmington and Industry, was left without a representative when Janet Mills was appointed Attorney General.

Candidates must be selected by local party committees by January 5th. One Democrat, Dennis Haszko, and one Republican, Lance Harvell, have declared their intentions to seek the seat.

For this week's Down East column, I spoke with the first official candidate for governor in 2010, Lynne Williams of the Green Party.

Williams sent out an official announcement of her candidacy last week, which you can download here.