Red Lines Crossed: China and Iran

Senate Pursuits

Jon Reisman Janet Mills, Graham Platner, and Susan Collins are all campaigning hard for the U.S. Senate. The June Democratic primary and the November general election will likely set Maine expenditure records. All that money and attention is going to produce a lot of friction and heat, but illuminating

Freedom Studies - Secretary Grima Wormtongue Speaks to the Minions

Jon Reisman Secretary of State and Democratic Gubernatorial hopeful Shenna Bellows was in the news recently for her decision to change a longstanding policy and forbid the issuance of undercover license plates to undercover law enforcement (e.g., ICE) because there was no “guarantee” they were engaged in lawful (i.

Freedom Studies: January Thaw Reflections: RIP Kathy Javner

Jon Reisman Representative Kathy Javner (R-Chester) passed away in early January. Kathy was a 52-year-old wife, mother, public servant, and advocate and defender of rural Maine and freedom.  When she was first elected in 2020, her district (141) included a wide swath of rural Maine, including the Penobscot County towns

Freedom Studies - Hobgoblins and Division

Jon Reisman The new year opened with a roar — Mamdani, Trump, Venezuela, Minnesota, Collins, Mills, Platner, Lewiston, and Fraud all bombarded my inbox before 2026 was 10 days old. Widespread gaslighting, misdirection, hypocrisy, and propagandizing immediately ensued, highlighting both our divisions and dilemmas.  Mayor Mamdani’s inaugural pledge and the

Freedom Studies - Affordability vs. Fraud

Jon Reisman Two different complaints/problems are vying for political, media, and narrative dominance: affordability and fraud. Affordability is favored by the Democrats and the legacy media. Fraud is favored by the Republicans and the upstart internet-based media like the Mainewire. As usual, neither side has much incentive to carefully

Freedom Studies - 2026 Ruminations

Jon Reisman 2026 looks to be a year of consequence for Maine, the U.S., and me personally — elections, weddings, and migrations. Elections The Gubernatorial and Senate elections are going to be loud, expensive, and divisive. The division will be generational, geographic, and ideological/partisan. I don’t see a