It was theirs to lose, and they figured out a way to lose it.

The casino promoters hired virtually every political consultant in Maine to get Question 2 passed, and several top consultants in Washington. Millions of dollars, a 6-1 spending advantage over their opponents, weeks of incessant TV ads, kids going door-to-door armed with the latest iPad technology, online ads that would pop up on top sites like MSNBC, direct mail up the wazoo, newspaper ads, a website and Facebook page, robo calls to targeted likely voter households. They used every tool available to them.

And they lost. Big time.

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Dear Friends,

As the election draws near, I am proud to have the endorsement and financial support of OneMaine, a new political action committee dedicated to finding areas of compromise and common-sense solutions to the most vital issues facing us today.

As members of OneMaine, we reject the tired notion that our elected officials must commit to clearly defined positions and ideals, strive to educate and influence voters, and build coalitions to ultimately pressure our government into action.

No, that’s not leadership. Besides, it's hard work.

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The sudden and unceremonious resignation this week of the Commissioner of Department of Marine Resources gave the Democrats and the news media a golden opportunity to pig pile on Gov. LePage. He was quickly accused of everything from bad management to sucking up to “special interests.”

But it was a golden opportunity for everyone else to realize that most of these critics have no idea what they’re talking about. All they know, apparently, is how to kick a guy when he’s down to score cheap partisan points.

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I tweeted about this yesterday, but I’m still amazed by this whole episode. If anyone needs proof that Rupert Murdoch runs an evil empire, here it is.

As we all know, Murchoch’s now-defunct News of the World has been accused of gaining access to confidential information, including medical and financial records, from thousands of individuals by hiring private investigators for hacking and “blagging” into mobile phones. The company is also accused of paying bribes to police officers, perhaps to block or delay criminal investigations into the company’s activities, and paying hush money to victims of their activities in the form of out-of-court settlements.

This is a huge story, Britain’s Watergate. But that’s not the proof I’m talking about.

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Before I started Savvy, Inc. more than 10 years ago, I spent a lot of time researching the competition and figuring out where a new PR firm would fit into the current market. I was a little surprised to discover that in Maine, there really was no competition. No one was doing the kind of PR that I envisioned.

The reason was that none of the so-called PR professionals in those days had ever been in the news business or worked as a reporter. They had almost no understanding of what makes a real news story, or the needs of the news media. << MORE >>

Whenever a client complains to me about getting the Al Diamon treatment (and sooner or later everyone gets the Al Diamon treatment – the man respects nothing and no one), I always counsel the same thing: who cares? The man is a joke, a cartoon, an aging, overweight, beer-swilling cynical curmudgeon who hasn’t had a decent political insight in 30 years. He’s good for a few laughs, but does anyone really take him seriously? I mean, just look at him. His wife once confessed to me that even she doesn’t know what he looks like without that ratty Rip Van Winkle beard. I think she also told me the last time he combed it, 25 Rheingold beer caps fell to the floor. (I wonder if she also knows that he’s bald under that baseball hat?)

Here’s why Al’s smart-alecky barbs are so easy to dismiss: he’s an equal opportunity antagonist. If you disagree with the latest acid assessment from his hovel in Carrabassett Valley, don’t worry. There will be another one coming along any minute that you probably will agree with. To Al, everybody and everything is just a punch line.

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It's hot. Really hot. But the enthusiasm of the tweeps awaiting tomorrow's launch is even hotter. Off the scale. This is one fired up group, charged to be here. I'd say that most people here are enjoying their second childhood, but I suspect it's really their third. Or fourth. Or they never really grew up.

It's an eclectic bunch too. Besides the stars like Seth Green and LeVar Burton, there is the guy who does the music for American Idol; a Jeopardy champ; the author of the book "E-Bay for Dummies;" a few astrophysicists; and a healthy contingent from Twitter itself, the company. << MORE >>

I'm down at Cape Canaveral for the big NASA Tweetup. Today was just a travel day, and after arriving in Orlando, I drove to the Cape to pick up my credentials. The gals behind the desk were very excited that my badge number was 007. Yeah, shaken not stirred. It'll be that kind of weekend.

There's a reason why they call this the Space Coast. Everything is themed to the space program. Even a McDonald's I drove by had a big Space Shuttle playground out front, and several of the gas stations and convenience stores displayed signs saying, "Godspeed Endeavour," and "Welcome Gabby Giffords and Friends." It makes you wonder what the place will be like when the Shuttle program comes to and end.

I've never really liked Florida. Flat. << MORE >>

This week I'll be traveling to Cape Canaveral to witness the final launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. In fact, it may be the final launch for the entire Space Shuttle program if Congress cuts off funding for the next flight tentatively scheduled for June. Either way, I was lucky enough to be selected as one of 150 people to attend NASA's ultimate Tweetup.

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This week I received an official invitation from NASA to attend a Tweetup on April 18-19 to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The event brings together 150 users of the popular social networking site for a two-day tour of Cape Canaveral in Florida, meetings with NASA astronauts and engineers, and a close-up view of the launch from the press section just a few miles from the pad, the closest you can get without being on the rocket itself.

The final flight of Endeavour (and the penultimate voyage in the Shuttle program) is scheduled to blast off at 7:48 p.m. on Monday, April 19 and will be commanded by Mark Kelly, wife of Arizona Congrsswomen Gabrielle Giffords, who may attend the launch.

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