AUGUSTA — Several hundred people took to Capitol Park on Tuesday evening to ask Gov. Paul LePage to resign, or at least get the help they said he needs to avoid making more of what they described as racist, threatening and homophobic outbursts.
Prompted by recent statements in which LePage said most opiate drug dealers in Maine are people of color or Hispanic, and an obscenity-filled voicemail he left for a state legislator from Westbrook, organizers and participants of the Save Our State (from LePage) Rally said the governor should resign or get help to control himself.
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The day's developments
Gov. Paul LePage apologizes for his threatening statements about Rep. Drew Gattine and says in a radio interview that he’s not sure he’ll complete his second term – then issues a tweet downplaying the idea of resignation.
LePage repeats his statements about Maine heroin dealers being overwhelmingly black and Hispanic, yet still doesn’t address why race matters.
In Massachusetts and Connecticut, LePage’s comments about the race of drug dealers earn condemnation from municipal and state officials, who say they’re a distraction from the challenge of fighting drug addiction.
After a two-hour closed-door caucus, House Republicans decide not to take any action to address concerns about the governor’s inflammatory comments and the threatening voice mail.
The governor’s statements have attracted national attention and portrayed Maine in an unflattering light that could have consequences for tourism and other business sectors.
If LePage were to resign or be forced out of office by the Legislature, the state Constitution lays out the steps for succession, with Senate President Mike Thibodeau being first in line.
Gov. LePage has made a habit of making controversial statements, including the infamous Vaseline comment.
“Paul, you are our brother, and you need help. Get it,” said Leslie Manning of Bath, to cheers. “As our governor, you’ve irrevocably broken the compact between us. You must leave. Now.”
Rachel Talbot Ross, president of the Portland chapter of the NAACP, said the people of Maine are in pain and need the governor to get help and step aside. She said she is a ninth-generation Mainer of African-American descent.
“Goodbye, Paul,” she said, which prompted that chant from the crowd.
Participants, at the conclusion to the rally, joined hands in a circle that extended to nearly all four sides of Capitol Park, in what organizer, lobbyist and Hallowell therapist Betsy Sweet described as a circle of healing. Sweet urged people to write to the Legislature, to LePage and to newspapers to say how they feel about LePage.
She asked participants to turn to toward the Blaine House, LePage’s residence, which is diagonally across the street from the park, to ask LePage and others in government leadership to come together to do the right thing to save Maine from disaster.
Signs at the rally included those saying “Time to Turn The Page on LePage,” “Insane in the Blaine,” “Showing up for Racial Justice,” “Your Words Hurt People,” “Impeach LePage,” “Resign!” “Enough!” “Impeach the Bully,” and repeating an obscenity LePage left on a voicemail for Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, last week.
Rally participants were joined by at least a half-dozen sign-carrying supporters of LePage, one of whom engaged in multiple heated discussions with participants in the rally. Other LePage supporters, such as David Merrill and Connie Smith of Farmingdale, didn’t engage in arguments with participants.
“I’m just going to stand here and be peaceful, I’m here to show support for Governor LePage” said Merrill, who wore a T-shirt with “Support Gov. LePage” written on it, and carried a “Trump: Make America Great Again,” banner.
“What (LePage) said wasn’t nice. But everyone is human. He deserves to be forgiven,” said Merrill.
Deqa Dhalac said she is a black woman, an immigrant and a Muslim, and said all those identities have been attacked by the governor. She said that as the mother of two sons and a daughter, she fears for their lives every day, and LePage’s statements about people of color dealing drugs and being the enemy make it more likely they could be attacked.
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