 Friday, May 30th at 12:17 pm
At the Convention
by Marc Malon
The Lawrence team is all here at the Maine Democratic Party Convention in Augusta! The delegates are starting to file in, and you can feel excitement in the air.
Mark will speak tomorrow, but for now check out Mark's performance in last night's debate on MPBN. He did great! Monday, May 19th at 11:58 am
Debate tonight on Channel 13!
by Marc Malon
Mark and his primary opponents will be debating live tonight on Newschannel 13 at 5 PM! We hope you can tune in and give us plenty of feedback! Monday, May 12th at 11:18 pm
Join us in Kennebunk
by Marc Malon
Our campaign will have a reception at the Kennebunk Inn on Main Street in Kennebunk at 5:30 on Tuesday, May 13, hosted by State Representatives Chris Babbidge and Gary Connor.
We hope you can join us!
Monday, May 12th at 11:14 pm
Check us out on YouTube!
by Marc Malon
On Thursday Mark was honored to receive the endorsement of Dennis "Duke" Dutremble of Biddeford, a former President of the Maine State Senate. They had an excellent conversation about what is needed down in Washington.
Check out the video here!Monday, April 21st at 11:42 am
Mark's Schedule: April 21-30
by Marc Malon
For more information on any of these appearances, e-mail us at info@marklawrence.org or call us at 490-6275.
April 24: 7 P.M. Candidates' Forum in Biddeford at the J. Richard Martin Community Center. 189 Alfred St.
April 25: 6:30 P.M. House Party in Kennebunk at the home of Kate Jones, 79 Mill St.
April 26: 4:00 P.M. House Party in Portland at the home of Richard Farnsworth, 55 Old Mast Road.
April 29: Noon. Mark will be interviewed live on Maine Public Radio, 90.1 FM.
April 29: 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. Candidates' Forum in Scarborough, at the Municipal Building, 259 U.S. Route 1.
April 30: 7:15 P.M. Limerick Democrats Panel, Limerick Municipal Building, 55 Washington St (Highway 11)
Tuesday, April 1st at 5:22 pm
Schedule Updates, April 1 - April 12
by Marc Malon
We're all back in full swing here at the Lawrence campaign. Here are some of Mark's upcoming appearances:
April 6: 1 P.M. Berwick Democrats Democracy & Dessert, at the Noble 5th & 6th Grade School on Route 9 Berwick.
April 7: 7 P.M. Candidate's Forum at the Augusta Armory, Room 209.
April 8: 8:30 A.M. Mark will speak to the Heart of Biddeford Donut Club at Reilly's Bakery, 232 Main St. in Biddeford. Afterwards he will tour downtown businesses.
April 10: 6:30 P.M. House Party in Georgetown at the home of Greg Brown, 9 Wood Island Lane (next the Grey Havens Inn). RSVP is not required but helpful to 490-6275 or info@marklawrence.org.
April 12:
12:30 P.M. Meet & Greet for all candidates at the Bowdoinham Town Hall, 13 School St.
3:00 P.M. House Party in Biddeford at the home of Bob Malbon, 40 Graham St. To RSVP or receive more information, please contact us at 490-6275 or info@marklawrence.org.
6:00 P.M. House Party in Cape Elizabeth at the home of Anne Carney, 21 Angell Point Road.
April 13: 2:00 P.M. House Party in North Berwick at the home of Barry Abbott, 186 Oak Woods Road. RSVP is helpful though not required to 490-6275 or info@marklawrence.org.
 Tuesday, April 1st at 5:18 pm
Introduction to Greg Brown
by Greg Brown
Hi, I'm Greg Brown, the new field organizer here at the Lawrence campaign.
Having long been familiar with Mark's track record as a state senator and his sterling reputation as the York County District Attorney, I am very pleased to say the least to now be officially part of the Mark Lawrence for Congress team. I know my energy, enthusiasm and experience will be crucial as we seek to put Mark in Washington, a prospect I take very seriously.
In a crowded field of qualified candidates, Mark Lawrence stands out as the progressive voice for Maine's future. His commitment to Maine and Maine's people is unparalleled. His experience and integrity combine for a potent mix of ideas and aspirations for a better future, a vision of a better, stronger Maine and nation.
I look forward to meeting you out on the campaign trail. Tuesday, March 25th at 11:49 am
Irving Lawrence, 1919-2008
by Marc Malon
I have some sad news. Mark's father, Irving Lawrence, passed away this weekend at the age of 88. Below is a statement from Tina. ~Marc
Mark’s father, Irving Lawrence, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep this Easter weekend. He was 88 years old. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Evelyn Lawrence, my husband Mark’s three brothers, and seven grandchildren.
When talking about his own commitment to community and public service, Mark credits his parents with instilling in him the desire to work for the common good and for supporting his choice of a career in public service.
Irving Lawrence was born in a hardscrabble rural farming community in upstate New York, the 5th of six children. The great depression devastated many families in that community. Shortly after graduating high school, Irving came to New England to look for work in the Quincy shipyard and later at the United States Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine as a welder.
During World War II, he served in the US Navy and married Mark’s mother Evelyn. After the war, he returned to the Kittery shipyard where he worked for nearly 40 years.
Irving and Evelyn Lawrence built their life together with a strong focus on family, church and community. While both were people of modest means who never attended college, they succeeded in giving that opportunity to their four children and instilling in them the value of hard work and giving back to community.
I know that my husband, Mark, holds dear the memory of this loving gift from parent to child.
With best wishes,
Tina Cunningham
P.S. You may click here for information about memorial arrangements. Friday, March 21st at 11:20 am
Events, UPDATED
by Marc Malon
Due to the passing of Mark's father, we have postponed the events on his public schedule for the next few days. Thank you for understanding. ~Marc
Sunday, March 30: 6:30-9:00 P.M. Lakes Region Candidates Forum, at the Friends Church in Windham (located on Route 202 across the street from the Windham Public Safety Building).
For more information on any of these appearances, feel free to call us at 207-490-6275. We hope to see you out on the trail!
Wednesday, March 12th at 3:04 pm
It's Official!
by Marc Malon
Mark Lawrence is officially on the Democratic ballot for Congress! Today the campaign submitted well over the 1,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot.
We're fired up and ready for June 10th!  Friday, February 15th at 1:13 pm
The House Stands Strong
by Mark Lawrence
Good for the House of Representatives, especially Maine Congressmen Tom Allen & Mike Michaud.
Despite increasingly loud threats from the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives has stood strong by not passing a new Intelligence bill that would provide retroactive immunity to telecom companies that helped the government engage in illegal surveillance.
With the old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) due to expire at midnight tonight, the Bush Administration has regaled us with the potential horrors that might come.
Silvestre Reyes, the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, had the best response: “Things will be fine.”
I commend the House for standing strong for the rule of law, and hope they will continue to oppose this administration’s attempts to disregard the Constitution. Tuesday, January 29th at 12:53 pm
The State of the Union
by Mark Lawrence
I found President Bush’s State of the Union address to be uninspiring, but one section captured my attention:
“To protect America, we need to know who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying, and what they're planning. Last year, Congress passed legislation to help us do that. Unfortunately, Congress set the legislation to expire on February the 1st. That means if you don't act by Friday, our ability to track terrorist threats would be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger. Congress must ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America.” [Emphasis added]
While he couches it in the language of patriotism and keeping America safe, this part of the speech calls for Congress to ignore the rule of law. I have spoken out against warrantless wiretapping frequently; it is a blatant violation of the rights laid out in the Constitution. The telecom companies who assisted the President are now subject to lawsuits for their role in the violation of these constitutional rights. What the President wants to do is retroactively grant them immunity.
This is a fundamental subversion of the rule of law. Congress needs to stand strong and block any attempt at granting this immunity.
Warrantless wiretapping does not protect America; it only weakens our legal system. Congress needs to step up to prevent further warrantless wiretaps, and the next President needs to have a better understanding of our Constitution than our current one does. Thursday, January 10th at 11:23 am
Weekend Events!
by Marc Malon
I just wanted to update you on some events we have coming up this weekend.
At noon on Saturday (January 12), join us a for a free lunch! The Seacoast Democrats are hosting a question & answer session with Mark at their office in York. The address is Meadowbrook Plaza, 647 U.S. Route One, Unit 14-121.
Mark will be arriving at the Seacoast Dems office early to show his support for Bobbi Beavers, a candidate for State Representative from South Berwick. She is having a strategy session from 9:30 - 11:30; I encourage you to attend that, as Bobbi is a great candidate and it is imperative that we keep the Maine House blue!
On Sunday (January 13), you are invited to attend a House Party for Mark in Wells from 1-3pm. The party is at the home of Jim Greenleaf, 26 Whippoorwill Trail, in Wells. This event is free as well.
For both of these events, you can feel free to call me at 490-6275 with any questions.
Hope to see you there!
Friday, January 4th at 3:16 pm
Press Coverage on Michaud Letter
by Marc Malon
Just a quick notice to tell you that MaineToday.com has ran our comments on Congressman Michaud's letter regarding impeachment.
Check it out! Thursday, December 27th/07 at 1:26 pm
Join Congressman Wexler in the Fight for Hearings
by Mark Lawrence
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) recently co-authored an op-ed with fellow Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in support impeachment hearings against Vice-President Cheney. When no newspaper (initially) would print it, Wexler decided to follow the Paul Wellstone model; he organized. He started a website called Wexler Wants Hearings, and circulated online petitions.
His reasoning is similar to the reasoning in my op-ed on impeachment: everybody should be accountable for their actions.
I hope everyone reading this goes to Representative Wexler’s website and signs his petition.
Also recently, the Forward, a great daily newspaper in New York, came out in favor of Rep. Wexler’s action and in support of impeachment hearings. I’ve included a quote from their very well-written editorial:
“What happens next? That’s up to the Democratic leadership. They could hold firm, bury the Kucinich-Wexler initiative and spend the next year passing good laws, most of which will be vetoed, confirming the public’s worst images of Democratic fecklessness. They might ultimately take next year’s slam-dunk election and blow it, leaving us with four more Republican years.
Or they could choose courage over caution and begin impeachment proceedings. No, nobody will be removed from office. There’s neither time nor national will for that. But the nation will be served notice that not all impeachments are frivolous or nakedly partisan, and that there are limits to executive power in a democracy. That’s a principle worth fighting for.” Wednesday, December 19th/07 at 11:11 am
Health Care
by Marc Malon
Per Mark's most recent blog post, I encourage everyone to check out our Issues page; we've added Mark's position on health care.
In short, we need to cover everybody and get for-profit industry out of the system. Mark stood up to lobbyist pressure to pass the Patients' Bill of Rights in Maine; you can be sure that he will do the same to achieve Universal Health Care for our country.
Wednesday, December 5th/07 at 5:43 pm
Why Are Europeans Taller?
by Mark Lawrence
An interesting small article in this December’s National Geographic attracted my attention this week. Economists at the University of Ohio and the University of Munich have found that the height advantage Americans once had over Europeans has reversed itself.
While Americans once had a ½ inch height advantage over Europeans at the beginning of the 20th Century, we are now 2 inches shorter than our European counterparts.
While both Europe and America benefited from advances in health care during the first part of the 20th Century, height increases among Americans stagnated in the 1950s while Europeans moved ahead.
The reason: European nations have universal health care.
From the article’s author, Andrew Curry: “Height stems from genetics, diet, and health; good prenatal care and nutrition in early childhood yielded taller, healthier adults.”
In other words, America’s failing health care distribution system has left a significant number of children in our country without adequate prenatal care and nutrition, resulting in a less healthy adulthood than their European counterparts.
It is time to abandon our failed health care distribution system and develop a new system, choosing the best elements from Europe and other industrialized nations. One that is non-profit, covers everybody, and brings the decision-making power back to doctors and patients. And we must not allow hyped-up scare tactics to deter us from the advantages of a single-payer health care system. We need bold leadership now. Monday, November 19th/07 at 12:43 pm
Come see Mark at the Law School!
by Marc Malon
Mark will be speaking at the University of Maine Law School in Portland Tuesday, November 20th at 5:30 PM. All are welcome to attend and ask questions!
| Date: |
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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| Time: |
5:30pm - 6:30pm
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| Location: |
1L Room
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The Law School is located on 246 Deering Ave in Portland. Click on the link to see a map.
As a Maine Law alum, Mark is very excited for this event!
Friday, November 16th/07 at 1:57 pm
Torture is wrong. Period.
by Mark Lawrence
I just read today that New York Times Bestselling Author Vince Flynn argued in favor of torturing detainees. The new Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, has stated that he does not believe waterboarding is torture. Running for re-election last year, Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland bragged that he “voted for torture.”
The fact that there is even a debate about whether or not torture is justified and whether or not waterboarding (which is simulated drowning) is torture is a depressing indicator of how far the Bush administration has pushed this country to extremes.
Torture puts our troops at risk. One of the many reasons why the Geneva Convention is so important is that it protects American soldiers from being tortured if they are captured. Additionally, intelligence experts have shown that torture is an ineffective tactic for gathering necessary information.
I oppose the use of torture in all circumstances. It runs against the moral fiber of our country. And waterboarding is clearly a kind of torture. Torture is abhorrent in every way, shape, and form. Congress needs to make it clear that they will not tolerate this sort of betrayal of American values. Friday, November 9th/07 at 5:05 pm
The Responsibility of Government
by Mark Lawrence
I spoke with my niece this week. She is working in New Orleans as part of the Teach for America program. She described her work at a school in the 9th Ward teaching high school students who are returning to the city after their families had been displaced, many of them for two years. A good number of these returning students have not had a consistent education curriculum in two years as they have been moved from place to place around the country.
Our conversation reminded me what a great tragedy the Bush Administration’s response to hurricane Katrina was, and how it exposed this administration’s misplaced priorities and philosophy.
From the earliest settlement of this country, it has been a principle of our culture that people and communities pulled together to help each other respond to natural disasters. This is the very essence of what popular government is: an extension of our communities that works to meet challenges that no one individual can meet alone.
Yet the Bush administration seemed incapable or unwilling of understanding and accepting this fundamental principle of our society. Hurricane Katrina, and its aftermath which is still being felt, exposed decades of failed ideology that rejects our government’s responsibility to provide for the general welfare of the people it represents.
Let us hope that never again will our government fail so dramatically in its fundamental responsibility to its citizenry. Tuesday, November 6th/07 at 2:29 pm
Upcoming Events
by Marc Malon
I just wanted to let everyone know about two free events taking place this Thursday.
1) Meet & Greet for Mark in Saco. 4-6 PM, at the home of Peter & Mary Nasse, 403 Seaside Ave.
2) Meet & Greet for Mark in Sanford. 6:30-8:30 PM, at the home of Joe Hanslip, 424 School Street.
For more info, either call us at 490-6275 or email at info@marklawrence.org.
Thanks! Wednesday, October 31st/07 at 10:38 pm
Campaigning for the Constitution
by Marc Malon
Mark's op-ed on impeachment is getting noticed. Bob Fertik of Democrats.com posted about it on his blog.
The post is titled "Mark Lawrence Campaigns for the Constitution."
Frankly, the Constitution should not be something we have to campaign for, but the past few years have shown us that it is necessary.
Luckily, Mark understands it's importance. And if we help him, the Constitution will have a new ally in the halls of Congress.
Thursday, October 25th/07 at 1:04 pm
Investing in Maine's future
by Mark Lawrence
Two nights ago at the MPBN annual meeting I met a Doctor from Lewiston who was working in Maine on a research project. He talked about his children who were working out of state and longed to come back to Maine; however the lack of career opportunities prevented them from doing this.
It brought me back to my days when I had just became President of the Maine Senate. Late one afternoon, a professor from the University of Maine, George Jacobson, appeared in my office. He told me how Maine was ranked 50th for state investment in research and development. He went on to say how with as little as a $20 million dollar annual invest Maine could bring over $100 million dollars annually of federal investment in Maine to stimulate its economy.
This brief conversation lead to a bill I introduced, called Jump Start 2000, designed to access these federal funds. This small start has lead to a major effort by the state of Maine to create jobs through investment in R&D.
Each year the federal government spends tens of billions of dollars in matching funds for R&D. For over thirty years these funds have been going to states other than Maine and has stimulated substantial economic development in those states.
It is time for Maine to bring some of those dollars back to our state to stimulate growth here so that Maine will become a place where young people will come to find the careers of tomorrow. Sunday, October 7th/07 at 8:21 am
Press Herald Tomorrow
by Marc Malon
FYI:
Anyone interested in Mark Lawrence's campaign should be sure to check out tomorrow's (Monday's) Portland Press Herald. Specifically the editorial section. You can also view it online here at the Herald's site, too.
I think you'll like what you see. Thursday, October 4th/07 at 2:07 pm
An Immoral Veto
by Mark Lawrence
Yesterday was a doctor day at our house. My daughter Céline had her 6-year-old annual check-up. Tina and I have always tried to schedule our daughters' appointments so that we both can be there. It makes being healthy a family matter and gives our girls a message for their lifetimes about the importance of taking care of their health. Also, it is wonderful to see them interact with Dr. Westinghouse. They respond to her questions with quiet smiles - loving the attention she gives to them.
Céline came through with flying colors. She got her chickenpox booster and both she and her three year old sister Hayley got their flu shots. Neither of them cried. We have been very lucky with them. We have good health insurance and we have had to go to the emergency room once. (Hayley tried to put a tic-tac in Céline's mouth, missed and lodged it in Céline's nose!)
Yesterday was also the day that George Bush vetoed health care coverage for over 3 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance. It is outrageous that we are even debating providing health care insurance for children in this, the wealthiest country on earth. One only needs to look to Canada and to Europe to find systems where healthcare is available for everyone at a fraction of the cost compared to what we pay as a nation for healthcare. It is immoral that there are families in this country that are one healthcare disaster away from poverty, and President Bush's action has pushed them closer to the brink.
We can no longer try to provide coverage one increment at a time. It is time for a national solution that covers everyone. Tuesday, September 25th/07 at 11:45 am
Welcome to our blog
by Mark Lawrence
Welcome to our congressional campaign blog. I hope what you find here will win your support and encourage you to become more involved if you are already a supporter. I intend to use this blog to share my thoughts and ideas with you but also to go beyond the issue papers and give you a personal glimpse into what motivates me and what I value most.
I have been where you are, choosing between candidates that can sometimes appear very similar on paper. What I found that made a difference for me is getting to know the candidates personally so that I could understand what they were going to devote their energy and passion to when they weren't casting a vote.
I also believe strongly that leadership starts with listening. You can't possibly be a good representative until you listen to what is on peoples' minds and in their hearts. When I was a state legislator, I walked to over 35,000 homes to listen to my constituents in their living rooms, on their porches, and in their kitchens. It made me a better representative of the people.
So I don't want this to be a one-way conversation. Running for congress, I can't walk to each home in the district, but technology allows us to share our thoughts. Feel free to email me at mark@marklawrence.org. I look forward to hearing from you and I would sincerely appreciate your vote.
Best wishes, Mark |
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