Exciting Announcement: Augusta Insider To Merge With Pine Tree Politics

We have kept this one under wraps for more than a month now, but the time has come to announce the news.

Augusta Insider, the fine Maine political news, opinion and analysis site that has been covering “the corridors of power in Maine’s capital” since June of 2009 and has cornered the market on everything from education policy to quality statewide analysis, will be joining the Pine Tree Politics family after the primary election next week.

The merger will bring together Pine Tree Politics – already Maine’s most read political news and commentary site – with what is often times the second most read site on Maine politics, to create the state’s preeminent site covering the political intrigue in the state.  They will bring their expertise on the inner channels of power in Augusta, detailed understanding of education and local policy issues, and a burgeoning cadre of editorial writers.  They will add to the experience of reading Pine Tree Politics a great deal, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming them aboard.

What does this mean for Pine Tree Politics?  To begin with, you will see more writers.  Up to this point, PTP has survived largely on my own ability to write.  When I have a crazy week, or otherwise have a difficult time blocking off the time to devote to providing quality news and analysis, we often see a brief hiccup in coverage.  By adding 3 editor level writers, as well as numerous contributors from AI, we hope to expand our coverage and provide you with much more frequent, quality stories.

Editorially, Pine Tree Politics will remain a center-right oriented site.  The incoming editors are all either centrists, or right leaning, so the content of what this site promotes will remain unchanged.  However, while this will be a center-right site, we also want to make it a home for lively debate, rival opinion, and comprehensive coverage from a multitude of political points of view.  As such, we will continue to accept submissions from readers and formal contributors who write from a left of center perspective, and will be devoting a segment of our site to a “point-counterpoint” style left/right commentary that will give a voice to more than just our editors.

We will announce our new policies, formal lineup of writers, etc as soon as the merger is complete.  But we wanted to prepare you, the reader, for the upcoming additions.  I hope you join me in welcoming the newest members of our Maine political family.  We are very much looking forward to moving forward as a team.