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.

In today’s complex political climate, what’s needed is a willingness to listen to those who disagree with us, to reach across the aisle – even to those who are batshit crazy like Michelle Bachmann – and show a willingness to compromise. It’s time to end the partisan bickering and special interest fueled gridlock that is tearing our state and our nation apart. It’s time to meet each other somewhere in the middle – or at a nice deli or coffee shop of your choice – to achieve moderate, practical solutions to our vexing political and economic problems.

Therefore, as your candidate, I believe it’s very important for you to know exactly how I intend to meet my opponents half-way and address the major issues that all of us are so concerned about should I earn your vote – and the votes of those who disagree with me.

First, we need to reduce our budget deficit. I think we can all agree that government spending is out of control and needs to be reined in. However, I am certainly willing to listen to those who believe that the government must continue to make investments in needed infrastructure improvements and I look forward to working with them to enact sound economic stimulus programs that provide good-paying, shovel-ready jobs – the budget deficit be damned.

Taxes. They’re too high and they’re going higher. If I am elected to office, I pledge to you today that I will not raise your taxes, or the taxes of the nation’s job creators – unless, after meeting in the middle with those who believe the wealthy are being coddled and protected by an unfair tax code, I’m convinced that jacking up the tax rates higher than Finland’s makes perfect economic sense.

On health care, can anyone disagree with the fact that this nation’s health care system is badly broken and needs major overhaul? Oh, you can? Well, let’s leave this one to someone else. It’s too complicated.

After a decade of extreme temperatures, floods, famines and wildfires, there is no longer any question that global warming is a major threat to our very existence and we must find ways to drastically lower our use of fossil fuels.  But I do want to listen to those who believe that global warming is an outright fraud perpetrated by government-funded scientists and find a way to make sure that no one pays a higher price for their energy or that the oil companies are in any way inconvenienced by new regulations. Like we're ever going to drive our cars with vegetable oil, get real.

I know many of my female supporters are keenly interested in the issue of abortion and strongly believe that the government should not be making decisions that are best left up to them in consultation with their doctors. I want them to know that I am firmly pro-choice. But I am also firmly pro-multiple-choice. Can’t we come together with those who believe that abortion is tantamount to murder and find common ground? Do we really have to kill a baby in the womb just because its mother was raped or someone’s rubber broke? Can’t we just kill some of the babies? I think you can see the pragmatism in this approach.

On gay marriage, I just can’t understand why the government should prohibit two people, regardless of their gender, from entering into a committed relationship with all the legal benefits that marriage entails. Those whack-jobs on the other side who believe that same-sex marriage is an affront to their Christian beliefs and represents the moral decay of society, well, maybe they have a point, and we should listen and welcome their ideas on how we can convince these homosexual crybabies from demanding the same rights that you and I have.

In conclusion, I think you can see that not only do you know exactly where I stand on the issues today, you know where I may stand on them tomorrow. As a OneMaine candidate, I hope I’ve earned your vote. And if I haven’t, I’d like to meet with you and listen to your views. Perhaps you can convince me that I should vote for my opponent.

Thank you.