A few days ago, I blogged about the 2008 Senate elections. Today, I'm making the following endorsement in the 2008 election: Congressman Tom Allen of Maine against Republican Senator Susan Collins. This isn't the first time that Maine, Tom Allen, and Susan Collins have been discussed at this blog. And it won't be the last.

The state of Maine was the first to reject the REAL ID Act, followed by states like Idaho, Arizona, and Montana. As Maine goes, well, you know the rest.

And as the state legislature took a stand against REAL ID, Congressman Tom Allen was right alongside them in advocating the law's change at the national level.

"It's not enough merely to delay" provisions slated for May 2008, Allen said, urging the establishment of a process for rewriting security safeguards.

Allen, a 1st District Democrat, said legislation he filed last week was aimed at setting up "negotiated rulemaking" to replace the law, which he said constituted an unfunded financial mandate on states that could leave personal information at risk.

Congressman Allen is the House sponsor of H.R. 1117, which would repeal the REAL ID Act. In contrast, Senator Susan Collins has been a consistent supporter of the REAL ID Act and its invasions of privacy. Cato's Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies and author of "Identity Crisis: How Identification Is Overused and Misunderstood", has been tracking the many problems of REAL ID and Senator Collins's support for the program. He wrote in March of 2007:

Senator Susan Collins Supports National ID

I wrote here previously about Senator Susan Collins’ odd move to protect the REAL ID Act from a nationwide rebellion that began in her own state of Maine. She had introduced a bill to extend the deadline for implementation of the REAL ID Act by two years.

Followers of REAL ID know that delaying implementation helps a national ID go forward by giving the companies and organizations that sustain themselves on these kinds of projects time to shake the federal money tree and get this $11 billion surveillance mandate funded.

It is now clear that the bill is intended to provide a key piece of support to proponents of a national ID, as shown by a press release on her Web site this morning touting a statement from the National Governors Association. Collins has gone native, attending more carefully to the interests of national political organizations than to the interests of her constituents in Maine.

REAL ID is a serious issue that has changed elections elsewhere in the United Stats, especially New England. Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, an underdog and REAL ID opponent, defeated Republican Congressman Jeb Bradley, a REAL ID supporter who was out of step with residents of the state that believes in "Live Free or Die." The first member of the Free State Project who was elected to the New Hampshire legislature ran as a Democrat because the Democrats were united in opposition to the REAL ID Act. Here is Joel Winters speaking at an anti-REAL ID Act rally along with Carol Shea-Porter.

Tom Allen is well positioned to appeal to Maine's independent voters, who display a libertarian-leaning streak to them. In 1992, President George H. W. Bush finished third in Maine behind Ross Perot. In 1994, Maine elected Independent Angus King as Governor, a fiscal conservative who once said "sometimes the best thing the government can do is get out of the way." It reelected him in 1998 with 59% of the vote. Maine's opposition to the REAL ID Act is just one sign of its independent nature. A nature that Tom Allen is part of.

The REAL ID Act is not the only issue that defines Tom Allen as a defender of civil liberties. He supports medical marijuana, voted against reauthorization of the Patriot Act, and supported an effort to block funding for electronic surveillance programs not approved by FISA. On our relations with Cuba, an issue that has been brought up a lot, he favors more open relations with Cuba. On economic issues, Tom Allen has a very admirable record for a Democrat. He supported the Private Property Rights Protection Act following Kelo. On issues of agricultural subsidies, an issue you know I've been following, he voted for the reform measure known as Farm 21, voted to cut sugar subsidies, voted to cut cotton subsidies, and voted for reform of the crop insurance program.

Tom Allen understands the role of a member of Congress. In explaining his vote against the resolution condemning an ad from MoveOn.org, he said:

"I voted against this resolution today because I believe it is the job of the Congress to bring our troops home, not legislate free speech."

That's what Tom Allen will do in the Senate. He will be a leading voice to end the War in Iraq and protect our civil liberties. Many of his votes above display a pragmatic approach to economics that would be worth having in the chamber, although I will be the first to admit that he is a Democrat to the core and is not going to be voting like Ron Paul on economic issues. That's not the point, if you want someone like Ron Paul you should be supporting Ron Paul. As for Tom Allen, he's a solid and appealing choice for libertarian Democrats looking for a candidate to support in 2008.