The Idiot Thug Running Maine

[n2doc]

Luke O’Neil


Last week, members of the Maine legislature’s Government Oversight Committee unanimously called for an investigation into Tea Party Governor Paul LePage. At question is whether or not he inappropriately—and potentially illegally—abused his control over the state’s budget to force a charter school to fire a political opponent.

The “combative" governor, as The New York Times called him—which is New England shorthand for “asshole”—hasn’t so much protested his innocence as he has thumbed his nose at the bipartisan committee’s authority.

In a letter to Beth Ashcroft, the director of the oversight group, his counsel cited the legally-binding “You’re Not the Boss of Me” doctrine.

“The Governor and the exercise of his discretionary executive power are simply not subject to OPEGA’s jurisdiction and/or oversight,” the letter explained. “If members of the Legislature wish to ‘investigate’ the Governor, they should look to the Constitution for the authority to do so.”

They might do just that. Six state lawmakers recently said they would begin looking into the process of impeachment over the imbroglio, in which LePage has been accused of withholding more than $500,000 in state money from Good Will-Hinckley—which, sadly, isn’t a straight-to-DVD sequel, but rather a charter school for disadvantaged children.

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/06/the-idiot-thug-running-maine.html

[HassleCat]

1. This is the kind of crap to impeach over

Remember the Whitewater "investigation?" Ken Starr and his pals spent over $40 million and came up empty so they impeached a resident over a blow job. This stuff with LePage is what they were looking for with Clinton, but failed to find. It's bad enough when a public servant uses the power of government to reward his friends, but it's much worse when some governor or senator makes some phone calls and has somebody fired. I say some jail time is the right thing here, assuming the allegations are true.

[DirkGently]

2. You couldn't make up a more loathesome character than LePage.

And I say this as someone living under the regime of Florida's Rick Scott.

But seriously, how does this person get elected? He doesn't make any effort to hide that he's a) not very bright and b) extremely unpleasant to deal with.

I can't imagine for a second that he DIDN'T commit an abuse of his office.

[sharp_stick]

3. The non-pukes

in Maine have been badly split between the Democratic nominee and independant Eliot Cutler both in 2010 and 2014.

[Gothmog]

4. I would love to see LaPage impeached

[malaise]

5. Laws don't apply to ReTHUGs

Impeach this lunatic scumbag