Maine News by James Pindell

In his ranking of U.S. Senate races most likely to change parties, the WashingtonPost.com political blogger/reporter Chris Cillizza moved Maine out the top 10 this week.

This race -- between incumbent Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Tom Allen -- has been creeping to become more uninteresting to Cillizza. Last month the race ranked 10th. The month before that it was 9th. And in March he ranked it 8th.

PORTLAND -- Dean Scontras, the businessman seeking the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District tonight, said in an interview that he "feels good" about his chances tonight even though early returns show him behind 10 percentage points.

"We took some losses early, but we are really watching York County right now," said Scontras.

A political newcomer, Scontras said that no matter what happens tonight he is proud of the campaign he ran and that he will go back to being a family man. That said, he is not conceding anything yet.

PORTLAND -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick launched a verbal assault on Hillary Clinton just minutes before voters entered their precinct caucuses.

Speaking to nearly 3,000 people at Portland High School either in the same room or others watching on television, Patrick, an Obama supporter, went after Clinton on her experience, her vote on Iraq and health-care in a way that Patrick has not done before.

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BIDDEFORD --  The caucus here was moved from a community center to the high school gymnasium today where two seperate lines of voters waiting to check-in extend to the parking lot.

It is a scene playing out in over 200 caucus locations in the state as the Democratic race nation-wide is toss-up. These caucuses will start at different times this afternoon, the last starting at 6pm.