Mike Michaud

Latest Articles

White House pans SOPA

Online Freedom
Maine's congressional delegation appears to be in a holding pattern while attempting to form positions on two bills that address widespread copyright and trademark violations via the Internet.
By JEFF INGLIS | January 18, 2012

Twenty years on

Looking back on two decades of columns
There are topics that are even more boring than a columnist writing about how long he's been a columnist.
By AL DIAMON | November 16, 2011

Maine sneaker-maker could provide military footwear

Born in the USA
As the only remaining manufacturer of athletic shoes in the United States — with three factories in Maine and two in Massachusetts — New Balance wants government assurance that military servicemembers wear American-made sneakers, not ones that are made overseas.
By DEIRDRE FULTON | September 21, 2011

Marriage madness

The homophobe agenda
Around 300 BC, the Greek dramatist Menander wrote something that, roughly translated, reads, "Marriage, to tell the truth, is an evil, but it is a necessary evil."
By AL DIAMON | July 20, 2011

Flotsam and jetsam

LePage’s temper
The list of young Maine politicians with serious prospects of someday being elected to higher office is shorter than Governor Paul LePage's temper.
By AL DIAMON | March 02, 2011

Out of ideas

Lending a hand to the Maine Democratic Party
I'm trying to help the Maine Democratic Party by coming up with a slogan for its big comeback attempt in the 2012 election.
By AL DIAMON | February 09, 2011

Celebrity gossip

Candidates in their final, desperate moments
In the final days of a tight gubernatorial race, the campaigns tend to get desperate, then frantic, then crazy. That progression leads to increasingly wacky attacks on the opposition, few of which turn out to be true, although many of them ought to be.
By AL DIAMON | October 27, 2010

Quick reminders for last-minute voters

Endorsements
Last week, we issued our endorsements for several races and ballot issues. If you just want a quick handy refresher, here's a list of the Portland Phoenix 's endorsements.
By JEFF INGLIS | October 27, 2010

Cutler for Governor

Endorsements
We've said before that it's time for change in Augusta.
By PORTLAND PHOENIX STAFF | October 20, 2010

Over before it started

Cancel the campaigns
It's finished. The gubernatorial candidates can cancel all remaining campaign appearances.
By AL DIAMON | September 29, 2010

What the health-care bill really means

Reforming the System
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed the new health-care bill into law.
By DEIRDRE FULTON | March 24, 2010

Don't make promises

Paul LePage's disastrous mistake
In writing a weekly political column, you learn not to use the first paragraph to make extravagant claims you can't possibly deliver on.
By AL DIAMON | February 24, 2010

Call for health-care reform

Letters to the Portland Editor, December 25, 2009
The November 7 passage of health-care reform, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, in the House of Representatives was a very important and exciting moment for everyone who is dedicated to the idea that all Americans need and deserve access to high quality, affordable health care.
By PORTLAND PHOENIX LETTERS | December 22, 2009

Hey, hey, we're the Monkees

Politics and other mistakes
The law of averages says if you put 100 monkeys in a room with 100 computers, they'll eventually write a workable national health-care bill. Apparently, that rule doesn't apply to 100 US senators.
By AL DIAMON | September 02, 2009

Acid tongue

Politics and other mistakes
Watch your mouth.
By AL DIAMON | February 04, 2009

Here come the bugs

Politics and other mistakes
I'm not one of those people who assumes that just because somebody casually mentions they're thinking about running for governor of Maine in 2010, that they should be restrained, subjected to electro-shock therapy, and deported to someplace where they can't do any harm.
By AL DIAMON | November 19, 2008

All the ugly people

Politics and other mistakes
Why did Maine voters give overwhelming approval to a tax-repeal referendum on Nov. 4, while simultaneously returning to office even more of the Democratic legislators who passed the unpopular tax in the first place?
By AL DIAMON | November 12, 2008

Endorsements, or lack thereof

The Phoenix ’s picks for this election
The Phoenix makes no endorsement for the United States Senate. Neither Republican Susan Collins, the incumbent, nor Democratic challenger Tom Allen would agree to talk with this paper.
By PHOENIX EDITORIAL STAFF | October 31, 2008