Sen. Susan Collins declined the opportunity to attend four town hall meetings with opponent Tom Allen this August, citing the lateness of his invitation.

In a letter to Allen she said her schedule is already full.

“I agree with your point about the importance of campaigning in Maine's smaller communities. I was reminded of how important that is when I joined Olympia Snowe and Mike Michaud at the Potato Blossom Festival in Fort Fairfield over the weekend,” Collins wrote in her response, listing all the towns and cities she has attended events in this year.

U.S. Senate candidate and current Rep. Tom Allen, D-Portland, will call for a series of town hall meetings in August with opponent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Bangor.

Allen will make the request publically at a press conference Tuesday.

"As I continue to travel to towns all across Maine, people ask how we can solve the big problems challenging them each day - the high costs of food and fuel, our health care crisis, Maine's economic struggles and how we bring our troops home safely from Iraq," Allen said in a prepared statement. "There is no better way for voters to have a candid discussion of the issues than in traditional town hall settings."

Maine’s Supreme Court will hear the final appeal of the Maine Democratic Party in their effort to remove independent U.S. Senate candidate Herb Hoffman from the ballot Thursday at 11 a.m.

In a brief conversation this weekend, Hoffman said the appeal was a pain but is confident in his case. In a short statement Monday, titled ‘Dems are still at it,” he urged spectators to attend.

The Democrats have been trying to remove Hoffman from the ballot since June 9, when Chairman John Knutson first filed a petition with the Secretary of State’s Office contesting Hoffman’s candidacy.

Gov. John BaldacciGranted, it’s little. Given all the budget woes the state went through this year, however, a small budget surplus was something for Gov. John Baldacci to brag about Monday.

According to a release from Baldacci’s office, the state finished the 2008 fiscal year with a General Fund surplus of $56 million, and a Highway Fund surplus of $2.5 million.

Of the General Fund surplus, $47.4 million was surplus revenue, $7.1 million resulted from lapsed account balances, and $1.5 million came from other adjustments.

“The year-end surplus is the result of a disciplined budget approach,” Governor John E. Baldacci said. “Maine faced a grim economic picture earlier this year that required the State to make many difficult decisions. That hard work has allowed us to finish the year in a good position. Unfortunately, high energy prices and a still-struggling national economy could further erode revenues in the next fiscal year.”

John McCain’s trip to South Portland Monday yielded a mention on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show as part of a spoof on the media’s obsession with Barack Obama.

In the segment, Host Jon Stewart introduced two correspondents, one to cover Obama overseas, the other to cover McCain, “and this is true, at a picnic at the military museum in South Portland, Maine,” Stewart said. The crowd laughed. Five correspondents showed up at Obama’s site, giddy about Obama.

Presidential nominee John McCain said Monday that he plans to be competitive in Maine.

McCain spent the day in the state. After attending three fundraisers in Kennebunkport, he made a public appearance at the Maine Military Museum.

During John McCain’s speech Monday, loud yells and boos could be heard from outside the gates. They came from small groups with representatives from Planned Parenthood, the AFL-CIO and the Maine Fair Trade Campaign. Check out the video below to see what members of these groups had to say.

After John McCain finished speaking Monday, PolitickerME asked U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, Congressional candidate Charlie Summers, and American Legion Post 66 Commander John Schlaack what they thought. See their responses on video below.