Les Otten has gotten hammered recently, by myself and others (and others) [and others] for his donations over the years to Democratic politicians.  News of these donations has set off a good deal of conservative anger, with many GOP voters now very skeptical of Otten’s Republican bona fides.

Otten, to his credit, has decided to respond to the criticism.

He kind of had to, because this was a poison pill that was likely to hound him through the rest of the campaign if he didn’t deal with it.

He sent a letter to The Republican Project, responding specifically to their previous article on the subject.

From The Republican Project:

There’s been some discussion lately about my past contributions to political candidates and I want to make sure everyone has all the facts.

By any measure, I’ve been the most generous of any of the declared Republican candidates for Governor in terms of working to raise money and financially supporting Republicans.

In the past 15 years alone I have donated over $50,000 to the Maine Republican Party and its candidates.  I served on Governor Jock McKernan’s finance team – at the core of the group, along with Steve Dunlap, Bud Cianchette and Ken Burrill, that helped Governor McKernan gain Republican control of the State Senate.

I also hosted a fundraiser for President George W. Bush in the 2000 Presidential election at Sugarbush that brought in close to $100,000.

I’ve been in business in Maine for 37 years and you cannot create jobs in the business world – the real world – by being completely partisan.

Businessmen often contribute to different political campaigns to get the attention of all legislators because important legislation affecting our companies and our employees is created in a bipartisan manner.

As Governor, I will bring real world experience to reform Augusta.  My priorities will be to create jobs, reform our tax system and reduce wasteful spending.  I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.

While it is good that he responded to the criticism, his logic leaves a few things to be desired.

First, the good.  He noted that he has donated more than $50,000 to the GOP and its candidates over the years.  This is of course both true, and a major positive for him.  Additionally, pointing out that he worked on the McKernan campaign is also a major plus.

But that’s where he goes off the rails.  Otten then makes the rationale that being a businessman means he can not be completely partisan.

Why is that?  Is Otten arguing that one needs government favors to create jobs?  Is he arguing that giving money to Democrats means somehow he is in a more advantageous position to create jobs? Giving money to politicians to “get their attention”?  Isn’t that essentially a bribe?

Does that not reek of favor trading, and an inappropriately incestous relationship between a business leader and public officials?  I don’t understand that logic – but hey, I guess I must not live in the “real world”.

Then again, my real world is one where Mitt Romney created thousands of jobs and built long term, sustainable, businesses that succeeded – and he did so without ever giving to Joe Biden, or any other Federal level Democrats.  I wonder how he was so successful without being “bi-partisan” in his giving?  My real world is one where Bruce Poliquin, another “business candidate” has never given a penny to a Democrat at ANY level.  Wonder how he did that, and was able to afford dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into his own campaign.

Otten also fails to address one of the bigger concerns that many of us expressed – that he specifically gave money to two sides of the same race, hedging his bet.  He failed to address how giving money to an intensely liberal politician helps him, or Maine create jobs.  He failed to explain even what kind of legislation he was attempting to “get the lawmakers attention” for.

I actually find this rationale far more troubling than the initial news that he gave money to Democrats.  Now he is hinting at the fact that horse trading, favors, and buying attention are the pathway to creating jobs in the state.

Show me one conservative who thinks that the legislature, or any government entity, actually creates wealth, opportunity and private sector job growth, and I will show you a liar.  If that is his argument, he can kiss any hope of a GOP primary victory goodbye.

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