Syndicated conservative columnist Cal Thomas has written a piece about the Maine Republican Convention. He interviews Sen. Susan Collins and Party Chairman Mark Ellis about the party’s shift to the left.

Thomas spoke to convention-goers this weekend.

He writes:

"If the state GOP platform is any indication, it appears the party is moving rightward. A large majority of delegates defeated amendments to the platform that would have defined marriage as something other than a contract between a man and a woman and also defeated one that would have liberalized the party’s pro-life position. This was a reflection of the conservative activists who dominated the convention rather than a sign that the thinking of a majority of Maine residents, who consistently elect center-left politicians to state and national office, has changed.

"To be a conservative Republican in Maine takes a lot of stamina; something like enduring winter up here. Many at the state convention wished that as the nation has gone for conservatives in several recent elections, so would go Maine. But that may take a little longer than the always-late arrival of spring."