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Phil: With Thanksgiving upon us, I thought maybe we could share what we are thankful for in politics in 2022.
Ethan: You mean like how thankful I am for the Republicans in the Maine House?
Phil: Not what I was expecting. Please explain.
Ethan For the 24th time out of 25 tries, they have shown Mainers how not to win the majority. Literally, since 1974, Republicans have held the House only once. I am very thankful for that.
Phil: Well that’s kind of like how thankful I am for Democrats in the Maine Legislature.
Ethan: Do tell.
Phil: They accepted three times as much special interest money compared with Republicans to convince Mainers how they don’t want special interest money in politics. Maybe my team will finally learn a lesson.
Ethan: I should really thank Susan Collins for endorsing Paul LePage and Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania. It reminded all of us how shallow her commitment is to protecting the right to abortion for Maine women.
Phil: Speaking of Sen. Collins, let me thank Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden for invoking the good senator’s name at every opportunity. One would think they were actually bipartisan. Did they ever even mention Angus King?
Ethan: On that note, let me thank Bill Green for not endorsing any Republicans in the final month of 2022. It may not have had the impact of his 2020 endorsement, but I’m glad we didn’t find out.
Phil: I must thank Janet Mills. I didn’t think it was possible for a politician known to be so “my way or the highway” behind closed doors to come across so smiley and sweet in her ads. A lesson in marketing for Republicans everywhere.
Ethan: Thank you Paul LePage – for simply not saying anything racist. And thank you Donald Trump for endorsing a herd of nut jobs so Democrats held the U.S. Senate and for running again, so we can hold the White House in 2024.
Phil: I kind of agree with that assessment. But let me join your graciousness toward the chief executive and thank Joe Biden for failing to stifle inflation, control immigration and further reduce crime so Republicans could win back the U.S. House. And for pledging to run again, so we can take back the White House (as long as Donald Trump isn’t the nominee).
Ethan: Back home here in Portland, let me thank “Enough is Enough” and their GOP operatives for making Maine DSA and me the faces of why Portlanders should vote against all our initiatives. Now that the people rejected their message and passed seven of the 11 we pushed, clearly people have had enough of them, not us.
Phil: As long as we are talking Portland, may I thank Hillary Clinton, Berne Sanders, and Jane Fonda for endorsing the minimum wage hike in Portland that went down in flames. A good reminder that Mainers don’t like out-of-state celebrities telling us how to vote.
Ethan: Let me also take a moment to thank Susan Young, our editor of this column, for always insisting you find a link to back up the nonsense stuff you repeat from watching too much Tucker Carlson.
Phil: If they only knew how much she made you take out because there is no link to back up your socialist claims. But in that vein, let me thank the retiring moderator of Political Brew Pat Callaghan, for not allowing you to drone on every Sunday.
Ethan: Wait a minute, I wanted to thank him for doing the same to you! That guy is good.
Phil: Finally, a shout-out to our readers, viewers and listeners for being our therapists each week as you and I try to work out our political differences in public.
Ethan: We have been in this therapy for over 15 years now. Do you think we can ever work it out?
Phil: I hope not! How boring would that be? Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving my friend! Wait a minute is that still PC to say?
Ethan: Yeah, it’s cool. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.
