Gov Paul LePage Writes New Book: How to Make Enemies and Alienate Voters
Maine GOP Senators To Tea Partying Governor: Tone It Down
Maine Gov. Paul LePage is quickly cultivating a combative reputation, feuding with labor groups in recent weeks by removing a mural from the state Department of Labor building that he deemed too pro-union and taunting critics who protested the move. But his aggressive tack is generating a backlash from his own party as a group of eight Republican senators publicly call on him to tone it down.
In an op-ed Monday authored by Maine state Sens. Roger Katz and Brian Langley and co-signed by six other lawmakers, the group wrote that they "feel compelled to express our discomfort and dismay with the tone and spirit of some of the remarks he has made."
"Were these isolated incidents, we would bite our collective tongues, because we are all human and make mistakes," the piece reads. "But, unfortunately, they are not isolated but frequent. Therefore, we feel we must speak out."
The senators, who represent a large chunk of the GOP's 20-14 majority over Democrats in the Senate, singled out LePage's handling of the Department of Labor mural for criticism, decrying the governor's unnecessary provocation of union supporters. LePage ordered a mural depicting a history of labor in Maine taken down last month in response to alleged complaints that it made business leaders uncomfortable and resembled North Korean propaganda. The move drew protests around the region and LePage said that he would "laugh at the idiots" who tried to prevent the mural being taken down through civil disobedience.
"Belittling comments, whether they come from the governor or his opponents, have no place in Maine public life," the lawmakers wrote. "By demeaning others, the governor also discourages people from taking part in debating the issues of the day - worrying if not only their ideas, but they themselves as people, will be the subject of scorn."
They added: "We are not the enemy of labor and labor is certainly not an enemy to us."
Maine has a tradition of electing moderate Republicans and the authors of the op-ed cited current GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins as well as former Sen. Margaret Chase Smith and former senator and defense secretary under President Clinton, William Cohen, as models for LePage to follow.
In a nod to bipartisanship, they also paid tribute in the piece to Maine's Democratic leaders, including former Gov. Edmund Muskie.
Maine Voices: LePage rhetoric interferes with goals, say GOP senators
Fellow Republicans believe he will rein in personal criticism of opponents for the sake of comity.
As Republican senators, we all want Gov. Le-Page and his administration to succeed.
Yet, we feel compelled to express our discomfort and dismay with the tone and spirit of some of the remarks he has made.
Were these isolated incidents, we would bite our collective tongues, because we are all human and make mistakes.
But, unfortunately, they are not isolated but frequent. Therefore, we feel we must speak out.
We ran for office as proud Republicans, inspired and energized by the campaign themes of the governor to make Maine a more business-friendly state and attract the capital investment we need to create jobs and ensure that our children and grandchildren will have the kind of opportunity and prosperity we all want for them.
We should be focused like a laser on the agenda the governor laid out - reducing our tax burden, getting rid of unnecessary government regulation that stifles innovation and entrepreneurship, and putting into place thoughtful welfare reform.
Instead, we find ourselves continually diverted, responding to yet another example of our chief executive picking a personal fight not worth fighting. "Government by disrespect" should have no place in Augusta, and when it happens, we should all reject it.
People sent us here to work together - to find common ground whenever we can. But there can, will and should be those occasions when our honestly held positions lead us to disagree and to vigorously debate the issues of the day.
It is how we manage that conflict that matters. And "how" you do something is often as important as "what" you do.
Last week, the subject was the artwork in the Department of Labor. One could argue that the chief executive's position was right or wrong.
But for him to announce that he would "laugh at the idiots" should they choose to engage in our honored tradition of civil disobedience is another personal attack that only serves to further lower the bar of our public discourse.
We may disagree with civil disobedience in this particular instance, but it is a fundamental right each and every one of us might engage in if we found the issue important enough.
Belittling comments, whether they come from the governor or his opponents, have no place in Maine public life. By demeaning others, the governor also discourages people from taking part in debating the issues of the day - worrying if not only their ideas, but they themselves as people, will be the subject of scorn.
The issue of the day behind the artwork removal is a legitimate disagreement between the governor and labor.
When running for office, some of us did not have the support of organized labor. We may find ourselves on opposite sides of an issue or vote, but we are all working to achieve what we feel is best for our great state.
We are not the enemy of labor and labor is certainly not an enemy to us.
We observe that our Senate president, Kevin Raye, travels home each weekend to Washington County, where he and his wife work long hours running their third-generation family business.
We recognize that there are Washington County folks with good jobs due to their entrepreneurship.
We also watch our friend and colleague from the other side of the aisle, Sen. John Patrick, return home to Oxford County, where he works the third shift, often until 3 a.m., in the Rumford Mill. We recognize his dedication as he returns to Augusta, often after little rest.
They sometimes disagree, but both of them - businessman and union leader - respect each other and treat each other accordingly.
As Republican senators, we refuse to question the motivation, intelligence or humanity of those with whom we disagree. We pledge to treat our fellow legislators with dignity and respect, even as we engage in vigorous and passionate debate. We extend this pledge to all our fellow Maine citizens.
That is the proud tradition of our party - the party of Margaret Chase Smith, William Cohen, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, as well as Raye.
We are equally confident the same will be true for our colleagues on the other side of the aisle - proud descendants of the party of Edmund Muskie, Kenneth Curtis, George Mitchell and Barry Hobbins, our minority leader.
Based upon our recent positive conversations with the governor, we have every reason to believe that he will join us in that spirit.
We are joined in this message by state Sens. Thomas B. Saviello (Wilton), Chris Rector (Thomaston), Nichi S. Farnham (Bangor), Earle L. McCormick (Gardiner), Roger L. Sherman (Houlton) and Thomas H. Martin (Benton).
Maine Gov. Paul LePage is quickly cultivating a combative reputation, feuding with labor groups in recent weeks by removing a mural from the state Department of Labor building that he deemed too pro-union and taunting critics who protested the move. But his aggressive tack is generating a backlash from his own party as a group of eight Republican senators publicly call on him to tone it down.
In an op-ed Monday authored by Maine state Sens. Roger Katz and Brian Langley and co-signed by six other lawmakers, the group wrote that they "feel compelled to express our discomfort and dismay with the tone and spirit of some of the remarks he has made."
"Were these isolated incidents, we would bite our collective tongues, because we are all human and make mistakes," the piece reads. "But, unfortunately, they are not isolated but frequent. Therefore, we feel we must speak out."
The senators, who represent a large chunk of the GOP's 20-14 majority over Democrats in the Senate, singled out LePage's handling of the Department of Labor mural for criticism, decrying the governor's unnecessary provocation of union supporters. LePage ordered a mural depicting a history of labor in Maine taken down last month in response to alleged complaints that it made business leaders uncomfortable and resembled North Korean propaganda. The move drew protests around the region and LePage said that he would "laugh at the idiots" who tried to prevent the mural being taken down through civil disobedience.
"Belittling comments, whether they come from the governor or his opponents, have no place in Maine public life," the lawmakers wrote. "By demeaning others, the governor also discourages people from taking part in debating the issues of the day - worrying if not only their ideas, but they themselves as people, will be the subject of scorn."
They added: "We are not the enemy of labor and labor is certainly not an enemy to us."
Maine has a tradition of electing moderate Republicans and the authors of the op-ed cited current GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins as well as former Sen. Margaret Chase Smith and former senator and defense secretary under President Clinton, William Cohen, as models for LePage to follow.
In a nod to bipartisanship, they also paid tribute in the piece to Maine's Democratic leaders, including former Gov. Edmund Muskie.
Maine Voices: LePage rhetoric interferes with goals, say GOP senators
Fellow Republicans believe he will rein in personal criticism of opponents for the sake of comity.
As Republican senators, we all want Gov. Le-Page and his administration to succeed.
Yet, we feel compelled to express our discomfort and dismay with the tone and spirit of some of the remarks he has made.
Were these isolated incidents, we would bite our collective tongues, because we are all human and make mistakes.
But, unfortunately, they are not isolated but frequent. Therefore, we feel we must speak out.
We ran for office as proud Republicans, inspired and energized by the campaign themes of the governor to make Maine a more business-friendly state and attract the capital investment we need to create jobs and ensure that our children and grandchildren will have the kind of opportunity and prosperity we all want for them.
We should be focused like a laser on the agenda the governor laid out - reducing our tax burden, getting rid of unnecessary government regulation that stifles innovation and entrepreneurship, and putting into place thoughtful welfare reform.
Instead, we find ourselves continually diverted, responding to yet another example of our chief executive picking a personal fight not worth fighting. "Government by disrespect" should have no place in Augusta, and when it happens, we should all reject it.
People sent us here to work together - to find common ground whenever we can. But there can, will and should be those occasions when our honestly held positions lead us to disagree and to vigorously debate the issues of the day.
It is how we manage that conflict that matters. And "how" you do something is often as important as "what" you do.
Last week, the subject was the artwork in the Department of Labor. One could argue that the chief executive's position was right or wrong.
But for him to announce that he would "laugh at the idiots" should they choose to engage in our honored tradition of civil disobedience is another personal attack that only serves to further lower the bar of our public discourse.
We may disagree with civil disobedience in this particular instance, but it is a fundamental right each and every one of us might engage in if we found the issue important enough.
Belittling comments, whether they come from the governor or his opponents, have no place in Maine public life. By demeaning others, the governor also discourages people from taking part in debating the issues of the day - worrying if not only their ideas, but they themselves as people, will be the subject of scorn.
The issue of the day behind the artwork removal is a legitimate disagreement between the governor and labor.
When running for office, some of us did not have the support of organized labor. We may find ourselves on opposite sides of an issue or vote, but we are all working to achieve what we feel is best for our great state.
We are not the enemy of labor and labor is certainly not an enemy to us.
We observe that our Senate president, Kevin Raye, travels home each weekend to Washington County, where he and his wife work long hours running their third-generation family business.
We recognize that there are Washington County folks with good jobs due to their entrepreneurship.
We also watch our friend and colleague from the other side of the aisle, Sen. John Patrick, return home to Oxford County, where he works the third shift, often until 3 a.m., in the Rumford Mill. We recognize his dedication as he returns to Augusta, often after little rest.
They sometimes disagree, but both of them - businessman and union leader - respect each other and treat each other accordingly.
As Republican senators, we refuse to question the motivation, intelligence or humanity of those with whom we disagree. We pledge to treat our fellow legislators with dignity and respect, even as we engage in vigorous and passionate debate. We extend this pledge to all our fellow Maine citizens.
That is the proud tradition of our party - the party of Margaret Chase Smith, William Cohen, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, as well as Raye.
We are equally confident the same will be true for our colleagues on the other side of the aisle - proud descendants of the party of Edmund Muskie, Kenneth Curtis, George Mitchell and Barry Hobbins, our minority leader.
Based upon our recent positive conversations with the governor, we have every reason to believe that he will join us in that spirit.
We are joined in this message by state Sens. Thomas B. Saviello (Wilton), Chris Rector (Thomaston), Nichi S. Farnham (Bangor), Earle L. McCormick (Gardiner), Roger L. Sherman (Houlton) and Thomas H. Martin (Benton).