The Maine Wire: BREAKING: Ron Paul to Speak at Maine GOP Convention

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is scheduled as a keynote speaker at the Maine Republican Party convention in May, sparking questions of favoritism in a caucus process that has already seen its share of controversy. The virtual photo-finish between Paul and Mitt Romney in the state GOP straw poll means Maine’s delegates, awarded at the convention, are up for grabs, and the potential advantage derived from Paul’s speaking spot has been noted by the Romney campaign.

According to sources, Ron Paul will be the featured speaker on Saturday, May 5, at the Augusta Civic Center. The state GOP convention is a two-day affair, May 5 and 6, and will be the final accounting of an unusually contentious presidential campaign in Maine. Though Romney narrowly won the unofficial straw poll earlier this year, Maine’s delegates have not been apportioned yet, and this means votes can still be swayed.

Insiders have expressed concern about the reaction of the Romney campaign, and sources tell The Maine Wire that Paul’s speaking engagement has led to some contentious exchanges behind the scenes. State Republican Party chairman Charlie Webster, however, said he hadn’t received pushback from the Romney campaign, and that he was “reasonably optimistic” that Romney or a family member would be able to speak at the convention as well.

“We reached out to all the campaigns early and said ‘If you want to come, come.’” Webster said that Ron Paul’s son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, was originally planning to speak at the convention, and was surprised when the campaign called and said the presidential candidate himself would be coming.

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