Maine Democratic Party Convention a Huge Hit
June 1, 2006
Thanks go out to everyone who made the MDP convention this weekend a huge hit. My speech Saturday was well-received, people loved our booth with the long and contantly growing list of supporters, and our hospitality suite both Friday and Saturday nights at the Holiday Inn, featuring Maine grown and organic food and drink, was a great success.

My speech generated applause in all the right places. The media picked up different parts of it to highlight in their news reports:

Portsmouth Herald, June 4, '06 - Maine candidates address Democratic convention
Jean Hay Bright declared herself to be the Democrats' best hope to remove Republican Olympia Snowe from the U.S. Senate as she addressed the Democratic State Convention on its closing day Saturday...."Olympia Snowe is not a moderate," Hay Bright, an organic farmer and writer from Dixmont, told the delegates. "She is now a Bush-enabler."

Read More >

Maine Sunday Telegram, June 4, '06 - Hay Bright, Mehnert take turns tying Snowe to Bush
"Hay Bright reiterated her call for impeachment proceedings against the Republican president and said that if nominated June 13 she'll be Snowe's first woman opponent in the senator's 28 years of congressional campaigns...."This is our only chance this year to make a difference in the U.S. Senate. Now is the time. And I am the person in this particular race," Hay Bright said.

Read More >

Morning Sentinel, June 4, '06 - Living, breathing Democracy a spectator at the convention
"She's a big supporter of Jean Hay Bright, U.S. Senate candidate. She likes Jean because she treats her like a real person."

Read More >

Bangor Daily News, June 5, '06 - Feingold calls for Bush censure
"Promising to help Democrats "take our country back," Hay Bright said it was time to ensure the domestic tranquility with a healthy environment, harmonious communities and a Department of Peace. "No more regime changes, no more pre-emptive strikes -- bring our troops home now," she said as the audience roared its approval. "Stop them from being targets for the snipers and the roadside bombs. But also, get them out of the way, so they won't be there if Iran decides to call George Bush's bluff and send its huge army across the border into Iraq, headed right for the Green Zone."

Read More >

The Booth
Our information booth in the lobby of the Civic Center was buzzing with activity all weekend long. Campaign brochures and pamphlets, copies of my book, bumper stickers, pins, and lawn signs disappeared at a good clip.

The long and constantly growing list of supporters that appears on our web page, which we printed out and posted, took up most of the 16-foot wide wall behind the booth's tables. It was a real draw -- and it was great to see the list getting longer over the weekend as people added their names.

Thanks go to the many volunteers who helped design, set up and staff the booth during the two-day convention, including Jon Laitin, Tom Muradian, Cynthia Strout, Rick McLennan, Hazel and Bruce Littlefield, John Forsyth, and others who stopped by to help and then disappeared into the crowd.

The Hospitality Suite
And our Hospitality Suite at the Holiday Inn by the Civic Center was a great hit. Cudos go to Shlomit Auciello of Warren, who did a terrific job of finding sources for all the Maine food and drink we served.

And many thanks to the Ground Round Restaurant staff, who went the extra mile, preparing and grilling the 100 lbs of live lobster from Lee Kressbach of Maine Lobster Direct, and barbequing the Maine-ly Poultry chicken using 'Cue Culture barbeque sauce.

Revelers also delighted to find, among other treats, State of Maine cheese, Fox Potato Chips, hydroponic beefsteak tomatoes from Les Teed's Green Arrow Farms, baguettes from Jim Amaral at Borealis Breads. Those goodies were washed down by Blueberry Cream Soda, Summit Spring Water, WinterGreen Herbal teas, Rock City Roasters' fine organic coffee with Horizon organic half and half, and Beyond Coffee roasted grain and root beverage.

We also appreciate the Ground Round crew taking the time to work with Shlomit to abide by all the Maine liquor laws, so we could serve Peak Organic Pale Ale and a variety of other Maine beers, Cold River Vodka, Bartlett Maine Estate Wine, and Shalom Orchards organic wines and Maple Mead.

(Shlomit also took it upon herself to perfect the development of the Maine Martini. Her recipe -- Start with Freeport's Cold River Vodka, add a vermouth's worth of Bartlett Maine Estate Winery's Pear French Oak dry, garnish with your choice of dried cranberry, pickled garlic, or pickled fiddlehead donated by Ellis Percy at Spruce Bush Farm. Sip and smile. Delicious!)

As they say in the newspaper business, a good time was had by all.