The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released new poll numbers today that show U.S. Rep. Tom Allen gaining on Sen. Susan Collins in the race for her Senate seat.

Collins had been ahead by 15 points or more, but the committee says Allen's work on the campaign trail is paying off. It now shows Collins ahead 49 percent to 41 percent, with 10 percent undecided.

The same poll gives Democrat Barack Obama a commanding lead over Sen. John McCain with 52 percent to 35 percent.

The poll of 600 likely voters was taken September 30 to October 2 by the Mellman Group and has a 4% margin of error.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, spoke late this afternoon on the floor of the Senate to express her support for the retooled $700 billion bailout.

Collins said it is worth supporting "to prevent catastrophic consequences for our entire economy."

Collins, who is facing a challenge from U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine on Nov. 4, said she pushed for changes to the proposal so it would include taxpayer protections, limitations on CEO pay, and oversight.

She talked about small business owners, young couples, auto dealers and older workers who have watched their retirement savings lose value.

"I share the anger of many of my constituents over this crisis," she said. "I subscribe to many of the principles they invoke."

Earlier this week, Allen voted to support the House version that failed.

I sat down with Gov. John Baldacci this morning to talk about a few different topics. You'll see the results of that interview in the paper sometime over the weekend (or maybe Monday).

And, of course, I couldn't resist asking him about his political future. He's consistently said for the last year or more that he isn't running for another office. But I figured I'd ask him specifically about taking a shot at the U.S. Senate in 2012, when Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican, is up for reelection -- if she chooses to run again.

Baldacci's spent his entire adult life in office, whether it was Bangor City Council, state Senate, Congress or the Blaine House. His term as governor is up in January 2011.

Here's what Baldacci had to say about Snowe's seat:

"Right now I love Maine. I was in Washington for eight years. I loved and was honored by the work I did in Washington, but my heart is here.

"My wife and I bought a place in Holden and we're gradually getting ready to move on, get Jack (their teenage son) in college, trying to encourage my wife to look at kindergarten teaching.

"There's an easy chair out there that has my name all over it.

"In terms of any other politics, I've told people I'm not running again. There's enough challenges right here in Maine."

Poll results released recently by the lefty Web site Daily Kos give Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a comfortable lead in her race against U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine.

The interviews of 600 likely voters gave Collins a 57 percent to 38 percent lead. The phone survey took place Sept. 8 through Sept. 10. The margin for error is 4 percent.

On the campaign trail today, Collins continues her bus tour with stops in Pittsfield and Scarborough. Allen is scheduled to visit senior citizen centers in Portland and South Portland.

The two unenrolled candidates trying to get a place on the November ballot in the U.S. Senate race announced different tactics on Tuesday.

After numerous court challenges, Herbert Hoffman of Ogunquit said he will run as a write-in. He blasted incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and her challenger U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, in a statement released today.

Independent U.S. Senate candidate Herbert Hoffman of Ogunquit and 13 co-plaintiffs went back to federal District Court Thursday in another attempt to have Hoffman's name appear on the November general election ballot, according to his campaign.

Hoffman has been trying for months to get his name on the ballot alongside incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine.

Here's the text of the speech U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, delivered to the Democratic National Convention.

Also late Wednesday, his opponent, Sen. Susan Collins, released a video. It can be found here: www.SusanCollins.com.

Here's Allen's speech (as prepared):

I'm Tom Allen.

Everyday, the first rays of sunlight in America shine on Maine. This year, Maine can help lead our nation to a brighter path.

Diana and I welcomed our first grandchild, Charlie, six months ago. If he lives to be 92, Charlie will see the dawn of the 22nd Century.

What kind of country are we building for him, and for your children and grandchildren?

To meet our moral responsibility to them, we need bold leadership for change in Washington.

Great challenges lie ahead. Skyrocketing health care costs are crippling small businesses and bankrupting families. Mainers are struggling to pay their home heating oil bills this winter. The Bush economic policies have undermined the promise of America that here everyone has a reasonable chance to get ahead in life.

Barack Obama will make the right choices to deliver real change for our generation and for Charlie's.

We'll solve our energy crisis . . . provide affordable, quality health care to all Americans . . . and bring our troops home from Iraq so we can address problems here at home.

Decades from now, I want Charlie and his generation to know that together, we delivered the change that America needs. Thank you.

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, will talk about jobs, trade and manufacturing at 1 p.m. Thursday in Waterville.

Allen is expected to talk about his economic plan at the corner of Front and Temple streets, where a "shuttered mill" will serve as his backdrop, according to his campaign.

This is the latest in a series of events in which Allen has announced various ideas for improvements in education, small businesses and rural development.

Allen is running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

An analysis recently published on the politico.com Web site lists the Maine Senate contest as the 10th out of 10 "competitive Senate races."

The premise of the story is that the November election is likely to be bad for Senate Republicans, and that the question isn't whether they will lose seats, but how many.

The RealClearPolitics/Politico Scorecard analyzes the Maine race, which features Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine versus U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine. They say Allen "could make the race close, but he hasn't yet."

Here's what else politico.com had to say:

"Polls show this race may be a blowout for Collins. It shouldn't be, because Maine is a left-leaning state and this is a Democratic year, and Obama is polling well ahead of John McCain there.

But Collins has defined herself as an independent in a state with a predilection toward independence."

So, I'll ask again: blowout or barn burner?

A $100 per person fundraiser set for August in Gardiner to support the reelection campaign of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, features a list of influential central Mainers.

An invitation to the event lists hosts Peter Prescott and Steven Prescott, and local businessmen including: Paul Blouin, Mark Johnston, Richard O'Connor, Charles Shuman, Peter Vigue and Harry Wolfington.

Federal campaign finance rules say individual donors may give up to $2,300 between now and the November election.

Collins will face U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, on the ballot. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court will decide today whether independent candidate Herbert Hoffman of Ogunquit will also have his name on the ballot.

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, today proposed a series of four town hall meetings in August with his opponent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Allen says he wants the meetings to focus on the economy, energy prices, health care and Iraq, according to a statement from his campaign.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, released their second quarter fundraising totals today, showing both have raised about $1 million in the last three months.

Allen is challenging Collins for her Senate seat.

That brings Collins' cash on hand to more than $5.1 million and Allen's to $3.1 million, according to information provided by both campaigns.

"This strong fundraising quarter not only shows that those of us who live in Maine appreciate Senator Collins' continued hard work and dedication to our state, but it also helps to ensure that her campaign will have the resources that it will need to communicate Senator Collins' long record of bipartisan accomplishments in the U.S. Senate," said Kevin Kelley, spokesman for the Collins campaign.

Allen's spokeswoman, Carol Andrews, had this to say: "Contributors recognize Tom Allen's record of accomplishments and sound judgment in opposing the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration. They are hungry for change for Maine and America and know that with Tom Allen, they will get it."

A judge will hear arguments Thursday in the court challenge filed by Democrats alleging Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap should not have certified petitions submitted by Herbert Hoffman.

Hoffman, of Ogunquit, wants to have his name on the November ballot in race for the U.S. Senate. An unenrolled candidate, he needed to gather 4,000 signatures to qualify.

If the court agrees with Dunlap, Hoffman will have his name alongside Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat.

Judge Donald Marden will hear the case at 2 p.m. in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta. A decision is expected by the end of the day on Monday.

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said today he is determined unenrolled U.S. Senate candidate Herbert Hoffman does, in fact, have enough signatures to have his name appear on the November ballot.

The Maine Democratic Party challenged Hoffman’s signatures on a number of grounds. Dunlap said after reviewing all of the material over the weekend, he agrees with his deputy that Hoffman has more than 4,000 valid signatures.

“I took all of the stuff home and went over all of it in pretty excruciating detail,” he said.

The major question was whether Hoffman violated the circulator’s oath by not being right at the table at all times when people signed his petition. Dunlap said the law is unclear as to whether it’s OK for him to be a few feet away talking to someone else while a different person signs the petition.

“Hoffman believed he was complying by being in the vicinity,” he said. “It’s not like he was trying to openly bilk people.”

If the decision holds — it can be challenged in court — Hoffman’s name will be on the ballot along with incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Democrat U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat.

The Maine Democratic Party isn’t giving up yet.

Despite a recommendation from Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn that unenrolled U.S. Senate candidate Herbert Hoffman does have enough signatures to be on the November ballot, the party said Friday they are “confident” that he does not.

The statement from party spokeswoman Rebecca Pollard said entire petitions — not just a few signatures — must be voided because they believe Hoffman did not honor the circulator’s oath.

“We have detailed this one flaw in a memo to Secretary of State Matt Dunlap and are confident that once corrected, it will become clear that Mr. Hoffman does not have the required 4,000 signatures to be on November’s ballot,” she said in the statement.

The debate — at least this phase of it — will be settled on Monday when Dunlap issues his ruling. It could be challenged in court.

Hoffman, of Ogunquit, is seeking a place on the ballot alongside U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat.

A Rasmussen Reports telephone survey released this week shows Republican Sen. Susan Collins leads Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Allen by seven points in the U.S. Senate race.

Her lead was 16 percentage points two months ago.

So, can we expect a barn burner or a blowout?

John Knutson, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, is challenging the signatures filed last week by unenrolled candidate Herbert Hoffman, of Ogunquit, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

The move, if successful, could get Hoffman’s name removed from the November ballot.

The Secretary of State’s Office ruled last week that Hoffman filed a sufficient number of valid signatures — more than 4,000 — to earn a spot on the ballot. However, Knutson contends that several defects should void some of the forms, according to paperwork filed with the state.

Among the allegations:

• Circulators said signatures were written in their presence when they were not.

• Hoffman circulated petitions before he unenrolled from the Democratic Party.

• Signatures were certified even though they were duplicates, from unregistered voters, illegible or in the wrong year.

The challenge triggers a public hearing, which will likely be held sometime early next week, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

For his part, Hoffman said it’s all an attempt by the party to protect U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, who wants a clear path while challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

“It’s frivolous,” Hoffman said. “It’s not well founded. I’m confident my signatures will hold up.”

After months of working to be a candidate for U.S. Senate, Laurie Dobson of Kennebunk couldn’t clear the final hurdle to get her name on the ballot.

She needed 4,000 signatures, but turned in 3,840 certified signatures by Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

That leaves Herbert Hoffman of Ogunquit as the only unenrolled candidate in the race.

Next week, Democrats will choose between U.S. Rep. Tom Allen and Tom Ledue of Sanford in their primary contest.

All are hoping to knock off incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

When it comes to the state Legislature, here are the unenrolled candidates who met the Monday deadline to get on the November ballot:

Senate 29: Dana W. Kadey of Princeton.

House 8: Stanley L. Ginish of Houlton.

House 14: Edward S. Spencer of Old Town.

House 18: Thomas Mooney of Bangor.

House 69: Belinda A. Gerry of Auburn.

House 69: Richard Ness of Auburn.

House 90: Thomas Saviello of Wilton.

House 93: William C. Hine II of Peru.

House 135: Clairma Matherne of Biddeford.

A note about House 69, which covers part of Auburn: There are four people who have filed for that seat. The two unenrolled candidates listed above, plus Democrat Brian Bolduc and Republican Dana Coffin.

It’s a wide open seat this year because Rep. Deborah Simpson, a Democrat facing term limits, is running for the Senate.

Laurie Dobson, of Kennebunk, was scheduled to file her signatures with the Secretary of State’s Office by today’s 5 p.m. deadline.

But it’s 6:10 p.m., and there’s been no word from Dobson or the secretary of state.

If she got 4,000 signatures, she would be the second person to file as an unenrolled candidate in the U.S. Senate race. Last week, Herbert Hoffman, of Ogunquit, qualified for the ballot, as well.

That means there could be four names to choose from in November: incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, either U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, or Tom Ledue, of Sanford, both Democrats; Hoffman; and possibly Dobson.

The Cook Political Report puts the race in the “lean Republican” column, which means the race is “considered competitive but one party has an advantage.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat, said today he will denounce TV or radio ads paid for by third parties that negatively portray Sen. Susan Collins, his Republican opponent in the Senate race.

Allen’s campaign says that because he can’t coordinate with these third party groups, he wanted to publicly ask them not to put out nasty ads.

“If you plan to attack Sen. Collins — don’t,” he said in a statement. “That won’t help your cause and it has no place in the conversation I intend to have with the voters of Maine.”

Allen said he’d like third parties to spend their money on “positive messages about their favorite candidate.”

The Collins camp responded by saying this is a new position for Allen.

“This would be a welcome departure from Congressman Allen’s position last summer when his 3rd party allies ran nearly a million dollars worth of negative ads against Senator Collins,” said Felicia Knight, deputy campaign manager for Collins.

The Republicans also say they will ask the national party not to attack Allen and challenged him to do the same.

“An arrangement such as that would be a huge step toward ensuring that the campaigns control the tone and the content of the television ads in this campaign,” Knight said.