Last night's candidate forum

I was able to catch the city council at-large candidate portion of last night's League forum, at which Tina Smith, Ed Suslovic, and Dory Waxman faced off about issues such as local taxes, public transportation, and city diversity. There weren't too many surprises; both Smith and Waxman seem a bit inexperienced next to Suslovic, who happens to be the current mayor of Portland. But it became clear that in running against incumbent Suslovic, they'll both play the ousider card -- Waxman as the earth-motherly, disgruntled Democrat (she garnered the evening's only round of applause when she criticized the Maine State Pier process and called for renegotiating the contract with the public interest more in mind); and Smith as the fiesty Green who wants to bring increased diversity to the council (she criticized Suslovic and the sitting councilors for not attending a recent press conference about a Portland hate crime -- but, in a habit shell need to drop, couched it with a "no offense").

Here they are watching forum moderator and outgoing Speaker of Maine's House of Representatives, Glenn Cummings:

  If you missed the forum, check the Community Television Network's Web site for re-broadcasting times and dates.