Pingree raises money; Webster bashes Alfond bill

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, has already begun raising money for the 2010 election. In a letter to supporters, Pingree wrote that "first-term Democrats like myself are being carefully watched by Republican operatives here in Washington who may want to mount a campaign to win back my seat." She goes on to ask for a $25 donation by today (March 31) so she can show strength in her latest campaign finance report. "Over the next few weeks, they will be assessing my political operation and my work in Congress in an attempt to determine whether my reelection is vulnerable," she wrote. "If they think I can be beat, they'll do whatever it takes -- from recruiting candidates to funding and staffing campaigns--to win it." Pingree was first elected to the seat in November, replacing Democrat Tom Allen. Webster calls Alfond bill 'lame-brained' Charlie Webster, head of the Maine GOP, called on all Maine citizens to urge lawmakers to reject a bill sponsored by Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, that would allow non-citizen residents to vote in municipal elections. "It's no wonder people across Maine are so disgusted with politics as usual," Webster wrote. "This lame-brained proposal is an affront not only to any person who has gone through the process of attaining American citizenship so that they could have the right to vote, but to anyone who voted for legislators that pledged to act with their constituents' best interests at heart." The bill, which supporters say would help immigrants feel connected to their community, has been referred to the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee.