Maine's U.S. senators Monday lauded the service of departing Secretary of State Colin Powell, saying he was respected around the world and a consensus-builder at home.

"A true statesman, Colin Powell's diplomatic and steady voice will be truly missed both at home and, indeed, around the world," Sen. Olympia Snowe said.

Fellow Republican Sen. Susan Collins said that Powell "has always shown a willingness to work across party lines and to bring together people of different ideologies."

Others in Maine expressed respect for Powell, but said his views and influence ultimately diminished in favor of other presidential advisers.

The turnover following President George W. Bush's victory in this month's elections is not unusual.

In his second term, President Clinton shuffled most of the 14 top administration posts in his Cabinet. Only four members of President Reagan's original Cabinet remained a year into his second term.

President Nixon replaced every member of his Cabinet at least once in the five years of his administration, and only three of Jimmy Carter's Cabinet members served the entire four years of his presidency.

There tends to be a significant difference between a president's original appointees and those who come in the second term, said Richard Maiman, head of the political science department at the University of Southern Maine.

"A Cabinet is as much an exercise in public relations as it is an exercise in administration," Maiman said. "Very often the people in the first Cabinet are what are called Washington outsiders. . . to basically satisfy various constituencies and kind of establish a tone for the administration."

"In the second term, presidents tend to support more experienced insiders to replace the original appointments," he said.

Even though his influence was diminished, Powell's resignation will cost the Cabinet one of its most respected members here and abroad, Maiman said. Powell chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Clinton and the first President Bush and, Maiman says, might have won the presidential nomination in either party in 2000.

"There is not any likelihood a similar figure will be appointed in the second term. I don't even know of any similar figures."

Powell could have been more effective, but he was undermined by others in the administration, said Winston McGill, president of the NAACP in Portland.

"I don't see his stature diminished. If anything, it may be enhanced."

With the departure of Powell and Paige, McGill looks for more African-Americans in a second term.

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com