Press release from House GOP:
House Republicans Blast Democrats' Plan to Abolish OPEGA
Say politics, not budget savings, is the real agenda

AUGUSTA - As the budget debate moves to center stage in the Legislature, House Republican leaders today urged the Democrats to strip out a provision that would abolish the independent agency that investigates and exposes government waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. The watchdog group - the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) - has been targeted for shutdown as part of the majority party's plan to reduce the state budget by $190 million.

"It seems clear that the Democrats trying to kill OPEGA don't like independent investigators exposing wasteful spending and shoddy management," said Rep. Bob Crosthwaite (R-Ellsworth), the assistant leader of House Republicans. "If I were a liberal Democrat, I'd like to get rid of OPEGA, too."

Press release from Maine Senate GOP, h/t to AMG:

For Immediate Release
March 25, 2008

Democratic Leaders’ Flip-Flop Baffles Senate Republican Leaders

AUGUSTA – Elizabeth Mitchell, Senate Democratic Leader and Chair of the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, recently and unexpectedly joined the opposition to the government oversight committee she chairs and has Senate Republican Leaders scratching their heads.