Mitt Romney has had a rough time explaining how he would maintain a social safety net for the poor. His recent remarks have suggested callousness. But amid the kerfuffle, he offered one good idea: specifically, he told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he backs indexing the federal minimum wage to inflation, just as he did when running for governor of Massachusetts a decade ago.

Let us say the outset that we have nothing against politics. In fact, we find it the best way to translate the will of the people into policy. Some aspects of government, however, work best outside the election cycle free-for-all.

As the Giants and Patriots face off tonight in Indianapolis, fans will see and hear things that would have never been part of the football past.

Gov. Paul LePage held two meetings with southern Maine Democrats this week, and he’s not talking about what went on. But the governor can’t be happy about what he heard.

Imagine an industry on a roll. Its profits surpassed the $100 billion mark last year for the first time. On top of these riches, those in the business got an additional $25 billion or so in federal handouts.

The announcement that supporters of same-sex marriage have delivered enough signatures to the secretary of Sstate’s office to put the issue on the November ballot was followed by a predictable follow-up story: National groups on both sides of the issue say they will come back to Maine to fight the latest battle in what they see as a national war on our home turf.

Unlike their counterparts in Washington, members of the Maine Legislature will usually choose to solve a problem instead of create one.

Gov. LePage gave people plenty to argue about in his State of the State speech Tuesday, but his decision to target domestic violence was something that everyone can get behind.

Gov. LePage gave people plenty to argue about in his State of the State speech Tuesday, but his decision to target domestic violence was something that everyone can get behind.