Rush follows family political roots

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    The Rush family of Houlton isn’t a stranger to the political scene, and it has carried down through the generations.
    “Looking back, I was influenced to get into the political field by the stories and experiences of my grandfather, Bob Rush,” said Max Rush, son of Matthew and Alane Rush of Houlton. “He was one of few Democrats in the town of Houlton in the 1940s and ‘50s when he got involved in local politics.”
    Rush’s grandfather met several political figures, including Ed Muskie.
Max Rush
    “He became friends with him when he ran for governor,” Rush added. “Through the years, my grandfather was also able to meet George Mitchell, former Gov. Baldacci and many others including, Mike Michaud.”
    Following in his grandfather’s steps, Rush recently sat down with Rep. Michael Michaud to discuss a few issues.
    “Through our meeting, I was able to gain a better understanding of how our representative viewed some important political issues of the day,” said Rush.
    “During my interview, I asked him if he remembered my grandfather,” Rush related. “He said, ‘Yes.’ In fact, he remembers staying at [my grandfather’s] house a few times when passing through Houlton.”
    Rush attended the Houlton Democratic Convention with his parents and grandfather in 2008 where he volunteered to be a delegate from Houlton to the state convention in Augusta. A double history and political science major at the University of Maine at Orono, Rush was able to connect with Michaud through a program with the Washington Center called Public Policy Dialogues on Capitol Hill.
    Rush chose three questions to ask Rep. Michaud to get a better understanding of his viewpoint.
    “One was about recent free trade agreements with South Korea, Columbia and Panama,” said Rush. “One was about the ‘Occupy’ Movement with relation to financial institutions and health care reform in relation to Medicare costs.”
    Rush completed a Peace Corps internship, but wants to be involved in politics in the future.
    “Either through teaching, as a college professor, or in some political organization that relates to my field,” he said.
    Rush gained valuable insight by meeting with Rep. Michaud.
    “This meeting helped me to get a first-hand grasp on the workings of Capitol Hill,” he said.