a maine congressional race up close...

Just shook hands with Adam Cote. He seems likable enough: Iraq vet, emphasis on cleaner environment and lower healthcare costs, and he's endorsed Barack Obama for president -- all plusses in my book. All of which, however, could mean he is merely good at reading the writing on the wall. Moreover, it remains to be seen what his response to this progressive criticism could be:

Adam Cote in Maine's first district is basically a Republican in waiting, and he's using progressive infrastructure to try to get elected in an open seat that should go to a progressive. He's against opposes (sic) raising the minimum wage in Maine, and was endorsed by the hard-right business lobbying group BIPAC, which favors tax cuts for the wealthy, tort reform, subsidies for oil companies, and free trade. Cote is the only Democrat running for Congress endorsed by the group, and it is funded by, among other companies, Halliburton.

Cote is also an Iraq veteran, and is backed by VoteVets. So here we have someone who is basically a Republican - opposing the minimum wage is pretty bad stuff - running in an open seat backed by Wall Street and defense contractor money. Conservatives like Cote should be understood as ideological warriors for the right-wing and the business community who are enwombing themselves in the Democratic Party because that is where power is going to flow.

This should be a seat going to a real Democrat. Cote isn't even that, he was apparently a registered Republican until 2006. I'm sure if he got into Congress, Cote would be a mediocre member of the Democratic caucus. He would vote for the GI Bill, and he would follow along and vote for timelines when it was safe to do so. He would be a Blue Dog, or a New Democrat.

In the meantime, if you're a Mainer, watch out for Adam Cote.

I asked Cote if he was associated with the DLC, Hillary's Republican infiltrators. He chuckled and shook his head no. But after reading Open Left's assessment, I gotta think membership isn't a requisite for getting ahead with that lot. I'll need to find out more from Mr. Cote before I'd kick him to the curb -- his service duty affords him that much in my book.

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe says Ethan Strimling is the Progressives' choice.