Forgive my recent silence. I've been occupied with the presentation by Maine State Representative Heidi Sampson of our Clean Elections Bill to the Legislative Council. This took place last Thursday, and it would have been the first step in the journey of the bill from draft bill to law in that state, had the Council voted to endorse it. Instead, after a spirited presentation of the bill by Rep Sampson, the Council voted, incredibly enough, not to endorse it; meaning, our Clean Elections Bill, which would, recall, ensure paper ballots, same-day voting, Voter ID, no ballot harvesting, proactive requests for absentee ballots, the ouster of NGOs from the voting process, same-day voting and public counting — is now dead in Maine.

The vote tally was shocking: a straight party-line vote, Democrats, six opposed, to Republicans, four supporting. I am stunned that any elected official in America wanted to go on the record as having stood between a voter in Maine, and his or her vote being counted accurately; but six have done so, mortifyingly, all Democrats; this has really happened.