Democrat - Challenger
Endorsed for U.S. Senate by Council for a Livable World Candidate Fund

Tom Allen wants to withdraw American troops from Iraq.

When the Senate and House voted on bringing American troops home from Iraq, the difference between incumbent Senator Susan Collins and challenger U.S. Representative Tom Allen came into sharp focus.

Collins typically tried to have it both ways on this touchy and difficult issue for loyal Republicans. On July 18, she voted to have the Senate consider a Democratic amendment to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. But when the amendment came up for a vote in September, she voted "no."

Representative Allen did not temporize. On July 12, once again, he voted for a bill to withdraw most American troops from Iraq by April 1, 2008.

When General David Petraeus testified before Congress in September, Collins once again refused to commit to bringing the troops home.

After listening to the same Petraeus testimony, Allen stated: "Our best and perhaps only way to drive the Iraqis to resolve their differences is to set a deadline to end our military involvement in Iraq and start to bring our troops home."

Maine voters have a clear choice in one of the most significant races of the 2008 elections. Tom Allen of Maine is a bold and courageous progressive who opposed the Iraq war from the start. Collins, who voted for the war in 2002, tries to have it both ways in order to attract independents and Democrats without alienating Republicans.

A ten-year veteran of Congress representing Maine's first congressional district, Allen has been a consistent champion of thoughtful and responsible national security policy. In Council for a Livable World's two most recent PeacePAC voting scorecards, Allen received a stellar 83% and 100%. This year, he voted to cut funds for the wasteful, unproven, and unnecessary missile defense system and supported measures to prohibit an attack against Iran without Congressional approval. He also opposes the so-called Reliable Replacement Warhead program which seeks to build a new generation of nuclear weapons,

Rep. Allen has opposed the Iraq war in both word and deed. He voted against authorizing the Iraq war in 2002 and proposed an alternative at that time that would have required a broader international coalition and prior United Nations approval before the U.S. could launch an invasion. Opposing a long-term American occupation in Iraq, he has co-authored amendments enacted into law to ban permanent American military bases in Iraq.

Allen's own words best describe his differences with Collins: "From the beginning, when President Bush rushed to invade Iraq, Susan Collins has supported his misguided policy. I fought to stop it. She voted for the Iraq war. I voted against it. Susan Collins continues to vote with the Republicans against a timetable to end the war in Iraq."

Although Collins calls for a more limited American mission in Iraq and has voiced concern over President Bush's escalation of the war, she has repeatedly voted in lock-step with the administration. Collins has opposed repeately efforts to rein in President Bush's war policies and has routinely voted against the important timetables for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Over her 11 years in the U.S. Senate, Collins has voted both for and against the Bush Administration plans to build a new generation of nuclear weapons and for and against high levels of funding for national missile defense. She supported the extremely controversial nomination of John Bolton to be American Ambassador to the United Nations. Her average on Council for a Livable World's Senate scorecard stands at a dismal 22%, including a 0% from 2001-2004.

It is noteworthy that Collins has secured the support of one former Democrat: Pro-war Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman not only endorsed Collins for re-election but has helped her raise funds to defeat Allen.

Born in Portland, Maine in 1945, Tom Allen was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford after graduating from Bowdoin College in his home state. He worked on the staff of the late Senator Edmund Muskie, then graduated from Harvard Law School in 1974. After practicing law for nearly twenty years, he was elected mayor of his home town of Portland. In 1994, Allen finished a strong second in a five-way gubernatorial primary. Two years later, he won his current House seat and has been re-elected easily ever since.

The contest between Allen and Collins will be close. Although Maine has voted Democratic in House races the past few years and has supported Democratic presidential candidates in four successive elections, Republicans have controlled the Maine U.S. Senate seats in recent history. But the political trend throughout New England has been moving strongly Democratic.

Fearing a national repeat of its 2006 electoral disaster, the Republican National Senatorial Committee began attacking Allen in hopes of "killing Allen's candidacy in the crib" while singing the praises of Collins. After the second quarter of 2007, Collins had $2.3 million cash-on-hand while Allen had $1.7million available, making him financially competitive. Early polling has incumbent Collins ahead of Allen, but the margin will evaporate as the challenger becomes better known in the rest of the state.

This race is one of the most gripping in the nation, pitting a forthright progressive with a proven track record against an incumbent who claims to be a moderate but votes regularly with the Bush administration. Allen is the strongest possible challenger to face Collins, but will need all the help he can get in this very close race. If you agree, please make your check payable to: