“My opponents are squabbling over personal attacks, while the political parties have once again left the State of Maine, its teachers and its children by the side of the road,” said Cutler. “Paul LePage is making inappropriate comments about Libby Mitchell’s age, when we should be focused on how she used her power in the Maine Senate to block charter schools and other reforms that would have put Maine in a position to receive millions of dollars in Race to the Top funding. This is what Maine people can expect from the political parties in this campaign – more petty bickering while real issues like improving the education of our children go unchallenged.”

Last March, Cutler wrote to the chairs of the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee urging them to defeat LD 1810, An Act to Promote the Establishment of Innovative Schools. The law, which ultimately passed, “doesn’t respond to the Race to the Top challenge, doesn’t make possible innovative and autonomous schools and doesn’t promote reform,” Cutler said in his letter.

At the time he also strongly criticized Democratic leadership in the Legislature and the Baldacci Administration for bowing to the teachers union and defeating legislation that would have allowed charter schools in Maine. “By not authorizing charter schools, Maine stands to lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars under President Obama’s ‘Race to the Top’ education initiative,” he warned.

Cutler, who has made education reform a major platform of his campaign, has repeatedly noted that Maine has one of the most expensive public school systems in the nation and that too few young people are graduating from high school prepared for either college or skilled employment.

“Paul LePage is struggling to defend teaching creationism in schools, Libby Mitchell continues to do the bidding of the teachers union in blocking reforms, and, as many of us predicted, Maine has now been shut out of funding from the most important education initiative in a generation,” Cutler said. “What a sad commentary on the current state of political leadership in Maine.”

Cutler pledged that as governor he will make education reform, including charter schools and linking teacher pay to student achievement, a top priority. “I will be a governor with the courage and independence to put kids first, a governor who will be a champion for innovation, and a governor who understands that economic activity, jobs and incomes require an educated and skilled workforce.”

Last week I met with John Ready, one of the two Ready brothers who started Catch a Piece of Maine (www.catchapieceofmaine.com), a company that allows people from all over the world to buy fresh Maine lobster direct from the trap to the table. Brendan and John Ready began lobstering when they were only 9 years old and have used their knowledge of the industry to develop a prosperous and growing business.

Eliot listens as John Ready talks about dealing lobster all over the world.

I also visited with folks at the headquarters of the Lamey Wellehan Shoe Company in Auburn, another successful family business. I listened to ideas about how to improve Maine’s economy from company president and community leader Jim Wellehan, his wife Kathy, Mayor Dick Gleason of Auburn, and LW employees. Lamey Wellehan employs approximately 100 people at its stores and headquarters, and Jim and Kathy have made important and lasting contributions to Maine. I am grateful to have their support.

Kicking off this week, I toured several businesses in Saco and Biddeford, including Patriot Subaru, Precision Screw Products, Volk Packaging, and Soleras. I met a lot of hard working people and talked with them about a range of issues, from attracting investment capital to the high cost of health care.

Eliot chats with employees at Volk Packaging.

Later this week I will be campaigning in Augusta, Hallowell, the Greater Portland area, and Westbrook.

Have a great week and I’ll see you on the campaign trail!

P.S. Please help us spread the word of my Independent candidacy by forwarding this email to your friends and family!

Help Us Keep Eliot’s New TV ad on the Air! Donate Now!

The response to Eliot’s 60-second TV ad, ”Independent. Just like Maine,” was so great we’re back up on TV today with a new 30-second version. Help us keep it on the air.

http://www.youtube.com/user/EliotCutler#p/u/12/Bz49N1_N4tk

Please contributeonline today or mail your check to Cutler 2010, P.O. Box 15277, Portland, ME 04112. The maximum contribution is $750 — per individual or business — but every contribution helps.

Our website allows you to make contributions automatically every month. Some of Eliot’s most loyal supporters have chosen this as the best way for them to support the campaign, with contributions of just $10 or $20 month. That’s a great way to help!

Thank you.

Know of Local Events in Your Town? Email us.

We are working around the clock to make sure that Eliot visits nearly every community in Maine, and we need your help! Please let us know about upcoming events in your area so that we can develop an all-inclusive calendar of events around the state from now until November. Community calendars in the local papers are a great place to look.

Know of an event? Please send the details to Matt@Cutler2010.com.

The Rockland Lobster Festival Parade: Join us on August 7th!

Eliot and the Cutler 2010 Team will be walking in the Rockland Lobster Festival Parade on Saturday, August 7th. Supporters will be lining up to walk with us around 9:00 am and the parade starts at 10:00 am.

We need supporters (that’s you!) to walk in the parade. If you can participate, please email Kaitlin@Cutler2010.com for additional details. We hope to see you there!

More Media Coverage

Eliot got more great coverage this week. The Bangor Daily News covered the opening of Eliot’s Bangor headquarters, as well as his surge in the polls.

Eliot told his hometown friends that Bangor “is a city of profound and important memories for me.”

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/149174.html

Maine Public Broadcasting Network also ran a profile on Eliot by state house reporter A.J. Higgins. To read the article and listen to the interview, click here:

http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/12972/Default.aspx

The Barefoot Contessa’s Visit on July 30th

Eliot is excited to be hosting his long-time friend Ina Garten for lunch and conversation this Friday, July 30th. We’re already expecting a sizeable turnout, but we can probably squeeze a few more in for the lunch. Call or register online right away if you want to attend.

http://cutler2010.com/2010/07/join-eliot-for-lunch-with-the-barefoot-contessa-on-july-30th/

Stay in Touch with the Campaign

You can follow Eliot’s campaign on our website, www.Cutler2010.com and on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

If you want to get in touch with the campaign, please give us a call at 207-699-4401 (toll free, 877-213-5112) or email us at campaign@cutler2010.com.

[Cutler] believes he has some answers about how to rein in the high cost of health insurance in the state. The health care reform package passed by the U.S. Congress provides an opportunity to set up an insurance co-op for small businesses, he said. If small businesses could be bundled together and purchase insurance in a group, Cutler said, he believes costs would become more manageable.

You can read the full article here.

I want to thank Senator Elizabeth Schneider of Orono for her endorsement. Sen. Schneider is seeking her fourth term in the Senate, where she chairs the important Business, Research and Economic Development Committee. She joins Senator Dennis Damon and Representative Leila Percy in publicly supporting my candidacy. I thank all three for their courage and leadership. I know it isn’t easy to go against your party’s nominee, but these legislators (along with the list of prominent Republicans whose support we announced recently), are putting Maine’s future ahead of partisan politics. That’s what Maine people want.

Like we say, we have the biggest tent in this race and all are welcome!

Sen. Schneider greets supporters at the Bangor office opening.

I kicked off my trip to The County with a visit to the McCrum family farm, where Darrell McCrum brought together a group of local farmers to talk about agricultural issues. From there we went on to Easton for a tour of the McCain’s potato processing plant. Most of the McDonald’s restaurants in New England are made from good, Maine potatoes at the McCain’s facility, which is spotless, and the fries are delicious! Later that afternoon, I toured the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle which will be on the 2011 Biathlon World Cup schedule.

Friday evening we went to the Maine Potato Board Industry dinner, where we were served a delicious steak and potato dinner and saw lots of wonderful people. The highlight of the evening was the harmonica duet from the Farm Family of the Year.

On Saturday, we drove to the St. John Valley for a breakfast meeting at Rock’s Family Diner in Fort Kent, before returning to Fort Fairfield to march with supporters in the huge Potato Blossom Festival parade. After the parade, Melanie and I were treated to a family BBQ at the home of new friends and supporters Janet and Chip Beckwith.

It’s always a good time in The County, and thanks to everyone who gave Melanie and me such a warm welcome.

We had a wonderful time at Chip Beckwith’s BBQ.

I was thrilled to have the grand opening of my hometown headquarters in Bangor Tuesday. Many old family friends, along with lots of great new supporters, were there. My good friend and supporter Richard Stone joined me for the official ribbon cutting – thanks Richard!

Richard Stone prepares to cut the ribbon on Bangor!

This week, I am campaigning in Auburn, the Greater Portland area, Hollis, Gardiner, and Augusta.

Have a great week and I’ll see you on the campaign trail!

P.S. Please help us spread the word of my Independent Candidacy by forwarding this email to your friends and family!

Eliot Surges in Latest Poll

A new poll released Monday showed that Eliot has more than doubled his support in the state while support for both Mitchell and LePage is slipping. This is exactly the kind of momentum we want at this stage of the campaign.

The Portland Press Herald article reported “declines for the two major-party candidates and a surge for independent Eliot Cutler.” Cutler campaign manager Ted O’Meara is quoted:

“After the primary, we went up on TV with a modest ad buy, and to double support while Mitchell and LePage are trending downward is exactly where we want to be.”

http://www.pressherald.com/news/cutler-surges-in-poll-as-lepage-mitchell-decline_2010-07-20.html

The Barefoot Contessa’s Visit on July 30th

By now, I hope you have received an electronic invitation to the lunch with Ina Garten on July 30th. We are getting a great response, and I hope you can join us.

The private reception is already sold out, but there is plenty of room left for the buffet lunch and conversation with Eliot and Ina.

You can register at the below link and please make sure to send the invitation along to your foodie friends:

http://cutler2010.com/2010/07/join-eliot-for-lunch-with-the-barefoot-contessa-on-july-30th/

Additional Media Coverage

Eliot continued to receive excellent media coverage this past week, in addition to the press on the released poll.

Eliot is quoted in prominent National blog, Politico, in an article titled, “2010: The Year of the Independent?”

“The [Democrats and Republicans] nominated very extreme candidates, at the far end of both parties,” he said of Democratic nominee Libby Mitchell and GOP standard-bearer Paul LePage. “[F]or a candidate like me … it’s really liberating, because I say what I think; I don’t sugarcoat anything, and I don’t have to balance what one group wants against what another group wants.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39758.html

Every Donation Counts

As a privately funded campaign, we are depending on you to help us raise the funds we need to be successful. Please contribute online today or mail your check to Cutler 2010, P.O. Box 15277, Portland, ME 04112. The maximum contribution is $750 — per individual or business — but every contribution helps.

Our website allows you to make contributions automatically every month. Some of Eliot’s most loyal supporters have chosen this as the best way for them to support the campaign, with contributions of just $10 or $20 a month. That’s a great way to help the campaign!

Thank you.

Stay in Touch with the Campaign

You can follow Eliot’s campaign on our website, www.Cutler2010.com and on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

If you want to get in touch with the campaign, please give us a call at 207-699-4401 (toll free, 877-213-5112) or email us at campaign@cutler2010.com.

Cutler’s support more than doubled, from seven percent to 15 percent. LePage dropped four percentage points, from 43 to 39 percent, while Mitchell dropped 5 percentage points, from 36 percent to 31 percent.

You can read the full article at MPBN here.

To listen to the full interview, please click on the link below:

Or click here to read the full article online at MPBN.

A poll conducted earlier this month by Rasmussen Reports showed Cutler nearly doubling his support in the last month. Among 500 likely voters polled on July 14, Cutler had 15 percent support, up from 7 percent in the same poll conducted in June. His challengers — Republican Paul LePage and Democrat Libby Mitchell — both have seen their support decrease.

“I am moving and they know it,” Cutler said in an interview shortly after the grand opening in Bangor. “I think they are scared stiff.”

You can read the full article here.

Cutler’s campaign manager, Ted O’Meara, said his candidate is moving in the right direction.

“After the primary, we went up on TV with a modest ad buy, and to double support while Mitchell and LePage are trending downward is exactly where we want to be,” O’Meara said.

You can read the full article here.

The Bangor Daily News reports that independent Eliot Cutler’s poll numbers are “jumping” at the expense of the party candidates.

The Portland Press Herald notes that polls show a “surge” for independent Eliot Cutler and declines for the two major-party candidates.