Gov. Paul LePage likes to spend a lot of time out of Maine, doesn’t he? Whether Washington, D.C., Asia or Europe, he’s always doing “the people’s business” from a luxury hotel somewhere far from the people.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see him in Augusta and answering questions from a local news reporter with his usual level of civility and maturity.

Who am I kidding?

The bizarre encounter between LePage and a reporter from the exceedingly pro-Donald Trump Sinclair Broadcasting-owned local station was the last eight years in a microcosm.

The reporter, doing her job as defined by the First Amendment, asked LePage about his recent comments at a private function calling for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills to step down as attorney general.

LePage looked the woman in the eye and denied ever saying that. He then stomped out the door – but not before turning to call the woman “one bad lady.” Of course, he actually did say those things, and several days later publicly denied he said them. So he lied on camera for the world to see.

All that aside, demanding someone quit their job to run for election is absurd. Did Reagan quit being president to run for re-election in 1984? Did LePage do the same in 2014? Did Rep. Paul Ryan resign from Congress to run for vice president in 2012? The list is endless.

Why does this recently invented rule apply only to Janet Mills? Could it be LePage and his circle of sycophants are losing confidence in Shawn Moody? Time will tell.

Jeremy Smith

Old Orchard Beach