Sun Journal - On the Offensive: Levesque Shows He's a Quick Study

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By Steve Mistler

Jason Levesque takes an unexpected turn as he leaves Dube's Flower-Gift Shop on Lisbon Street.

He strides toward two men talking outside the Democratic Party's Lewiston headquarters. Levesque, the 36-year-old Republican challenger for the 2nd Congressional District seat, recognizes one of them: Greg Olsen, the campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, Levesque's Democratic opponent.

"Hi, Jason Levesque," Levesque says, thrusting his hand toward a startled Olsen. "I think you've heard of me."

"Have I? Oh, right, I think I have," Olsen says wryly.

The ensuing verbal exchange appears good-natured, but there's an undercurrent of hostility.

It makes sense. Levesque, an Edward Little High School graduate with no political experience, is giving Michaud what some political analysts have described as the fight of his political career.

In September, a poll showed Levesque within seven points of Michaud. Subsequent surveys have given Michaud a double-digit lead.

Levesque remains confident, despite latest campaign finance reports showing him with one-seventh of Michaud's spending power. To this point, he's received little support from the Republican National Committee.

"We're not getting help from the (RNC) yet," Levesque said. "We're hopeful that we will in the closing days of the campaign."

The strategy has been an aggressive, relentless and, at times, contemptuous offensive against Michaud's reputation as a fiscally conservative Democrat.

Levesque has attacked Michaud for supporting the apparent trinity of voter discontent: The automotive industry bailout, the stimulus bill and the national health care bill.

He has also attempted to align the four-term congressman with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who this year is to incumbent Democrats what President George W. Bush was to sitting Republicans in 2008: kryptonite.

"Congressman Michaud rubber stamps everything that comes down the pike, period," Levesque said. "Ninety-six percent of the time he votes with Nancy Pelosi. He should save us all the money and just mail in his vote."

Such comments are consistent with Levesque's campaign. It recently launched a TV adshowing Pelosi whispering instructions into Michaud's cartoon-enlarged ear.

The strategy is not unique to the 2nd District race. A recent "CBS Sunday Morning" segment featuring a montage of anti-Pelosi ads showed it being deployed nationally.

Michaud's camp has responded by calling Levesque's statements a recitation of RNC talking points. During a recent debate in Bangor, Michaud shed his typically placid demeanor to compare Levesque's campaign to Levesque's career in direct marketing, or infomercials.

"When he gets off the talking points from Washington Republicans, there's not much there," said Michaud, according to a report in the Waterville Sentinel.

But Levesque, the CEO of Argo Marketing Group, a direct-marketing firm in Auburn, insists he is more than just an opposition candidate.

"I say it's OK to say "no' to bad things; it's OK to stand up for what the people want or don't want," he said.

Watching Levesque campaign, debate or handle media questioning, one quickly forgets that he has no prior political experience. He's confident, energetic and quick-witted.

The traits have served him well during a grueling campaign that has revealed some self-inflicted wounds.

He dismissed as irrelevant a report showing his license was suspended earlier this month, the result of three speeding convictions within the past year. It was his third suspension and his 18th driving infraction since 1991.

During a recent event in Lewiston, he invited a pair of reporters to ride in his campaign RV. He joked that he wouldn't be driving (his license is suspended until Nov. 6).

Recently, the Bangor Daily News reported that between 2004 and 2005, Levesque had four liens totaling $4,168 against his former residence at 1 Chicoine Ave. Levesque said the experience was proof that he was just like other struggling Mainers.

"I was building a business and my family," he said. "Like a lot of Mainers, I fell back on some bills. But I paid them as soon as I could."

Throughout the race, Levesque has used his background to connect with voters.

After graduating from Edward Little, he enrolled in West Virginia Wesleyan University. He left after a few semesters because he couldn't afford tuition. The $2,761 lien filed against him was for a student loan he took to attend the college

Levesque soon enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving for four years of active duty in the 1st Infantry Division and another six as a drill sergeant after discharge.

He said he started Argo Marketing in 2003 in his living room. Seven years later, he said the company employs 35 people and has become an industry leader.

He describes his business as "logistics marketing" that helps someone with a product get it to market by developing websites, marketing strategy and media buys for infomercials.

Levesque claims he "invented the genre" because unlike other firms, he doesn't own the products.

Such items include The Rug Doctor carpet cleaner, IDGuard and products Levesque calls "nutraceuticals," herbal supplements like Paravol, a male enhancement pill.

Levesque's success with Argo hasn't just benefited him, but his congressional bid, too. The most recent campaign finance reports show Levesque has received at least $52,900 in individual contributions with ties to the direct-marketing industry.

Levesque's stance on issues such as health care, energy and business regulation is in step with his GOP colleagues.

He wants to repeal the health care bill. He'd allow Mainers to purchase insurance in other states and businesses to pool enrollment to obtain lower rates.

Levesque, an advocate of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, was highly critical of the Obama administration's recent moratorium on offshore drilling.

"You don't punish an entire economy," he said. "… If a plane crashes, you don't ground every plane in the country."

Asked whether he favored drilling off the Maine coast, Levesque said, "I honestly don't know if there's oil there. We have to do some research."

And if the research showed oil was abundant in the Gulf of Maine?

"I don't speculate," he said. "There's too many what-ifs out there."

Levesque has repeatedly blasted the stimulus bill, calling it a failure that's added to the national debt and done nothing to lower unemployment.

"We were sold a bill of goods, basically lied to," he said. "We need to take the remaining (stimulus money) and pay down the debt."

Levesque acknowledged that Maine needs money for infrastructure, but asked whether he would have supported the stimulus bill if it had been weighted more toward those kinds of projects, he said, "It's hard to go back and say what-if. Hindsight is always 20-20."

Levesque said he would vote against another spending bill for infrastructure, but he didn't rule out accepting future federal dollars.

"To say the government is not going to fund anything is ridiculous," he said.

Levesque is critical of the Obama administration's Afghanistan war strategy, particularly the troop withdrawal timeline.

"We have to execute the mission," he said. "The mission is to build a stable government that is an ally to freedom and the United States. We've seen the surge work in Iraq. We need to have that happen in Afghanistan."

Levesque believes there should be fewer business regulations.

"I believe in a cooperation between the people and government, a mutual respect," said. "I believe it goes both ways. I believe in letting the individual make individual decisions."

And, despite his forceful rhetoric on the campaign trail, Levesque said the country needs to rid itself of an "us-versus-them mentality."

"I mean, everything is about splitting us apart and pitting us against each other," he said.

Back on Lisbon Street, Levesque continues his encounter with Olsen, Michaud's campaign manager. He thanks Olsen for "calling him a nobody" -- a comment Olsen said he never made.

"It's worked wonders for me," Levesque says. "I'll remember that when we win."

He reaches into his jacket pocket and removes a "Levesque for Congress" bumper sticker. He hands it to Olsen.

"Thanks," Olsen says. "Do you have any more of these?"

"No, no, I'm sorry," Levesque responds. "We're running out pretty fast."

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