The Maine Sunday Telegram
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Dexter J. Kamilewicz has no qualms about participating in a peace protest even though he is a candidate for the U.S. Congress.
His passionate views about military spending and the war in Iraq have played an integral role in shaping his independent campaign for the 1st Congressional District against incumbent Democrat Tom Allen and Republican state Rep. Darlene Curley of Scarborough.
Kamilewicz was among a group of demonstrators who gathered outside Bath Iron Works Saturday to protest the christening of the Navy destroyer USS Sampson. Inside the shipyard’s gates, Kamilewicz’s Democratic opponent appeared as an invited guest.
For Kamilewicz, from Orrs Island in Harpswell, the juxtaposition could not have worked out better.
Kamilewicz supports an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and does not hesitate to criticize Allen, who opposes the war but continues to support federal spending that prolongs the fight.
“The war in Iraq is wrong,” Kamilewicz said during a recent interview. “If the number of soldiers who have died over there doesn’t move your soul, then just think about all the money that we have spent on the military.
“We as a country have committed ourselves to a level of obligation to the military that is well beyond what I would call reasonable.”
Kamilewicz said he was a lifelong Democrat until about a year ago, when he became an independent.
“Dexter is not a politician,” said Stan Lofchie, a retired psychologist who met Kamilewicz at an anti-war rally and encouraged him to run for office. “He is a guy who is not afraid to stand up for peace.”
The 62-year-old father of five also has not been afraid to criticize President Bush. In a recent statement issued by Kamilewicz’s campaign, the candidate called for the president’s impeachment, accusing the president of luring Americans into an “illegal, immoral and cruel invasion and occupation of Iraq.”
Kamilewicz’s son, Ben, served in Iraq for about a year, returning in June.
“Dexter really suffered when Ben was in Iraq,” said Bruce Gagnon, a Vietnam War veteran and peace activist. Gagnon believes that Kamilewicz has a chance to defeat Allen, especially as more and more people get to know him and learn his views on the war. “Once people get to know Dexter, they really like him,” Gagnon said. “In Maine, there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq. I feel it is very much an open race.”
Kamilewicz’s campaign, according to his Web site, has been endorsed by Ralph Nader; Kathy Kelly, founder of Voices in the Wilderness; and Chris Miller, a Maine Democratic primary candidate.
In the upcoming weeks, Kamilewicz, who works full time as a senior vice president of facilities management for Boulos Property Management in Portland, will campaign across the region.
During September he plans to campaign at the Common Ground Fair and speak at a forum on issues of concern to Maine’s disabled community. In October, he will participate in a candidates’ forum with homeless people at the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland.
Kamilewicz, a graduate of South Portland High School, takes issue with those who describe him as a single-issue candidate.
He supports a single-payer national health care plan and development of a sustainable energy policy.
“I think being a peace activist is different than being an anti-war activist. The difference is that I am looking for a positive outcome,” Kamilewicz said.
“I want to see a new vision of hope for this country and not one that is subordinate to the needs of the military.”
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be reached at 725-8795 or at
dhoey@pressherald.com