His comments drew a sharp rebuke at the Hynes Convention Center from Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, who rattled off incarceration statistics that appeared to contradict LePage’s race-based claims. But, he said, if he has lost his ability to convince the ME people thats what we need and thats the type of people we need in Augusta, you know, maybe it is the time to move on..
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Since he was elected in 2010, LePage has established a reputation for his refusal to compromise with Democrats and a history of divisive remarks. He backed away from it, via Twitter, shortly afterward. He blasted the ME governor for opposing efforts to increase treatment and resources for addicts in his state and then widened the terms of the debate, noting that Maine’s “weak gun laws” allow for “an easy flow of guns” out of the state.
State Sen. Justin Alfond, a Portland Democrat who serves as the Senate minority leader, said LePage is entirely wrong in his assessment. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
There are signs of exasperation with LePage’s conduct among Republicans and Democrats alike.
He’s also “joked” about blowing up a ME newspaper and admits that he threatened to cut off a charter school’s funding if the parent organization hired the current House speaker, Mark Eves. Last week, comments that drug-dealing “guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie and Shifty” were coming to ME to impregnate “young white” women landed him in national hot water, but LePage has a long history of offending, often with allegedly racist remarks. “In Maine, our entire legislature, like in many states, turns over every two years, so I think people will be running primarily whether they’re with LePage or against him, similar to the referendum on Trump”.
So this is like LePage’s last stand with his party. LePage, who’s white, says he’s not racist.
“There are many sensible people in ME of all parties now asking the question: Should we break up with our abuser?” I said: “Your opponents are saying you’re emotionally unstable and you can’t govern”.
Betsy Sweet organized the event and said the next step is to take the rally’s message and the protesters disapproval of the comments directly to state legislators. “Do you have a grip?”
He says he’s going to meet with family and close advisers to decide what to do next.
He said: “I’m not going to say I’m not going to finish it”.
“I got all of my information in my book from the press”.
FIX: So what are Republicans’ options right now?
“I just feel like we really need to see a change in communication, and the outbursts are really inappropriate”, she said Tuesday. And he did not walk back his comments on drugs and race, saying, “I spoke fact”, and adding, “All lives matter”. Majority are black and Hispanic, he says. “We are all scared we are not going to come up, that we are going to come up short”.
“A half-hearted, partial apology on a radio show does not get remotely close to addressing the core issue: ME faces serious issues and its government is not functioning”, the state’s Democratic House leadership said in a statement on Tuesday.
FIX: Maine residents are no stranger to controversy from their governor. In a later press conference he called, LePage said he wished he could challenge Gattine to a duel. [Drew] Gattine [D] kinda put it in a different place for people.
Even in the more solidly Republican districts, people are calling their lawmakers and saying: What are you going to do about this guy? “When it comes to the heroin epidemic, it’s just the opposite”.
LePage has repeatedly described himself as a less-than-polished, plain-speaking politician.
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Gov. Paul LePage, addresses Senate members in 2011. “I think it’s time he consider stepping aside, but I don’t think he actually will”. Barbara L’Italien this election, called LePage’s comments “reckless and irresponsible”.
