* BYE-BYE BEAN: The political saga of...
* BYE-BYE BEAN: The political saga of Linda Lorraine Bean came to an end this week, at least for a while. The granddaughter of the founder of the L.L. Bean mail-order firm lost a bid to unseat freshman U.S. Rep. Tom Andrews (D-Maine), despite spending $1 million of her personal fortune.
Bean, an outspoken opponent of abortion rights and gay rights, captured 35% of the vote in the Maine congressional district that includes Kennebunkport, where President Bush summers, and Freeport, where the L.L. Bean company purveys waterproof boots and outdoor wear suitable for Antarctica--or just being out in the cold politically.
Bean’s candidacy proved something of an embarrassment for the company, which had to augment and train its telephone order staff to handle hundreds of angry customer phone calls after national news stories appeared on Bean’s conservative views.
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