About 200 ME residents have gathered to rally for decency and to call for civil discourse following Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s obscenity-laced tirade against a Democratic legislator. On Tuesday, he told a ME radio station “maybe it’s time to move on”.
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LePage left the message for Democratic state Rep.
ME state Rep. Drew Gattine.
LePage last week left a lawmaker an obscene voicemail and then said he wished it were 1825 so they could duel and LePage could point a gun at him.
The Republican governor doubled back on a suggestion that he would resign, stating, “I will not resign” on Wednesday.
Thibodeau said he’s struggling with whether LePage is taking enough responsibility. “I think the House is behind me. Again, it’s up to the individual (senators) to decide if he has met that expectation and if they are comfortable with the fact that this is not going to continue”. We want to see him be OK.
“The Republican senate caucus has clearly stated that we need an acceptable plan for corrective action before the determination of whether the Legislature should convene is made”, state Senate Majority Leader Michael Thibodeau said in a statement.
LePage later tweeted, “Regarding rumors of resignation, to paraphrase Mark Twain: ‘The reports of my political demise are greatly exaggerated.’ #mepolitics”.
“I’m not an alcoholic and I’m not a drug addict and I don’t have mental issues,”LePage said”.
Despite apologizing to Gattine, LePage denied using “racially charged language” and issued no apology for his remarks that started the controversy. Things definitely appear to be out of control. Everything will be put in writing.
Otherwise, she said the outbursts “are hindering our ability to get things done”. LePage sent the fiery message after apparently being incorrectly told that Gattine had said the governor was racist. “He’s crossed a line and we are questioning his well-being at this time”.
LePage has blamed liberals for inserting race into his comments and distorting his meaning. “I don’t have mental issues”, he said.
“I may not supposed to be that sensitive to these things, but I am”, LePage confessed. “And all I am simply saying is we are not going to be doing that”. To ask a critical question, I would have to write down a softball and go off script once I was presented with the microphone. “I have never met a person who’s been flawless and not made a mistake and, ah, hopefully the people of Maine will say, ‘OK, we’ll forgive you this time and you clean up your act and let’s move forward, ‘” he said in a radio broadcast on Tuesday (30 August). The Press Herald reported on the remark.
And during a ceremony at Baileyville, in Washington County, he told WCSH-TV in an afternoon interview he was exaggerating about resigning but it was an option.
“I will be seeking spiritual guidance with my wife and my children”.
“After speaking with Gattine on Wednesday, “the reporter that put a mic on my face owes the people of ME an apology”, said LePage”.
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In 2014, according to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Service, 1,211 people were arrested for selling or making drugs in ME and 170 were black.
