Listen, everyone. We'll have more on the budget moving forward, I'm sure. I'm heading up to Augusta on Wednesday to attend the Maine People's Alliances lobby day and learn more about what various organizations are most concerned (and others are most pleased) about. There have been protests and rallies of various sizes several times over the past few days, with more to come.

Based on the platform approved over the weekend at the state's Republican convention, believers in the national GOP principles - including many of those espoused by the Tea Party - are thick on the ground here in Maine. Which is weird, because Maine has always been a state where Republicans have been less beholden to the national diatribe dialogue and more able to think for themselves.

Thanks to Mike Tipping over at Maine Politics for posting some audio of the gov's press conference about the budget (click to listen), and for name-checking Portland Phoenix contributing writer Lance Tapley for asking interesting questions. (Some of the questions were along the lines of "Hey Guv: Stop Slashing!" from the January 2 issue.