Republican Party members from Knox County caucused in the room of eighth-grade social studies teacher Paul Clifford.

Afterwards, some Republicans complained about the “anti-American” items they saw there. One was a collaged poster of the U.S. labor movement. The poster was taken down and replaced with a bumper sticker that read, “Working People Vote Republican.”

A closed box that contained copies of the Constitution published by the American Civil Liberties Union was opened. A note left behind stated, “A Republican was here. What gives you the right to propagandize impressionable kids?”

Upon returning to the class, Clifford discovered that the classroom had been searched, including both the teacher’s personal items and classroom materials.

The Republican Party apologized for the illegal search, destruction and removal of property.  However, Knox County Republican Party, William Chapman said that he was disturbed by the presence of material that was anti-American, anti-free enterprise and anti-religion.

In response, school Principal Mike McCarthy said, “What you saw was a snapshot after school of what was up in the room on that day. You haven’t been privy to all of the different ideas that have been talked about in that classroom.”

Still, when did the labor movement and a copy of the Constitution become “anti-American?”

Hopefully, Clifford used the opportunity to teach his students other anti-American ideas like tolerance for different opinions and respect for personal and public property.

“It’s not a march,” Ty MacDowell, the organizer, said. “We’re just going to take a casual stroll down Congress Street and see what happens.”

See what happens. Let’s just say the Portland police had their hands full keeping the roads safe.

Since the women did not have a parade permit, they proceeded with their march along the sidewalk. There were no arrests because it is legal for a woman to be topless in Maine. Nudity laws only forbid the showing of genitals.

Actually, the law is even-handed and fair. Society’s expectations are another thing. As the two dozen women walked on the side of the street, hundreds of loud men, snapping pictures of the women, crowded around them. For this much commotion, it appears that quite a few men in Maine have never seen the naked chest of a woman.

On a side note, early April still seems a little chilly to be topless in Maine.

The protesters were not happy with all the wide-eyed men. They promised to be more “aggressive” the next time they march. That may lead to some disorderly conduct charges and undermines the purpose of the march which is to normalize this type of scene.

However, these protesters intended for a forceful protest all along. Their Facebook statement reads:

“This event is for female-bodies and allies who think it’s fucking stupid that male-bodies or folks without feminine breasts are allowed to rip off their tops in public without a second thought while the rest of us are socially conditioned to be ashamed and hide our naked backs from the sun.”

If it was about naked backs, none of this would matter. By the way, who are the “folks without feminine breasts” that are not male-bodies? I can’t make sense out of this even if it is a reference to the transgendered or children.

That is true if you are Ralph Nader or one of his supporters.

Nader has filed a lawsuit against the Democratic Party and the Kerry-Edwards campaign in a rural courthouse in small Washington County in Maine.

The suit alleges that the Democratic Party tried to keep Nader off the ballot by illegal and malicious tactics.

You may ask why Nader has filed this in Maine and in a rural community in the state.

Originally, Nader filed a similar complaint in 2007 in Washington, D.C., federal court but the three-year federal statute of limitations had expired and the case was thrown out. Maine has a six-year state statute. Washington County appears to have been chosen because two of Nader’s electors were from that area.

Here is the 55-page complaint.

The owner of the Oak Hill General Store, Steve Collins, has been away last week on a hunting trip. Coincidentally, his hunting trip coincided as the story broke the national news. Locals do say it is not unusual for him to close down for a hunting or fishing trip. Still, it sounds like a good excuse to me.

The local Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Secret Service investigated, but no charges will be filed.

”It doesn’t appear that it was constituting a criminal threat or a terrorizing incident,” Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion said. That is probably best, as there is no crime against bad taste and stupidity.

Collins never admitted to the sign to Sheriff’s deputies, but Dion said the circumstances and Collins’ body language made it relatively easy to draw a conclusion. Dion said someone only needed “to connect a few dots.”

The incident has riled up locals and people throughout the state. As the Portland Press Herald reported:

State lawmakers from the Standish area plan to introduce a legislative resolution condemning it and other post-election incidents around the state. The Standish Town Council, faced with angry e-mails from around the country, passed a resolution Thursday calling the alleged activity at the store reprehensible. And Friday evening, Gov. John Baldacci and other state and local leaders addressed the incident at an anti-hate rally at the University of Southern Maine campus in Portland.

Even the Standish Town Council took action. It held a special meeting and issued a resolution calling the sign and betting pool “reprehensible” and condemned “any such alleged activity calling for violence against any individual no matter their position, race or ethnicity.”

Collins just might want to extend his hunting trip a bit longer.  It is a good bet that some people are not going down to the Oak Hills General Store to get a gallon of milk or loaf of bread for a while.

For $1, a bettor can enter “The Osama Obama Shotgun Pool.” The person who picked the date closest to when an attack occurs gets all the money.

A sign read, “Let’s hope we have a winner.”

Let’s hope the Secret Service shuts them down.