After a history of petty spats, Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) and his state legislators appeared to have mended fences and are maintaining a functioning relationship.
April Fools!
This week’s show of political immaturity featured the tea party governor blowing off the swearing-in ceremony of a senator-elect—and her family members who traveled to Augusta for the event—because he was angry that Democratic lawmakers had blocked one of his nominees to an executive position.
According to a report published Friday in the Portland Press Herald, Sen.-elect Susan Deschambault and her family were left hanging at LePage’s office, told only that morning that the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 8:50 a.m. had been canceled.
Deschambault, a Democrat, had won a special election this week.
There was no mystery as to why LePage canceled the event. His spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett explained his reasoning to the Press Herald. It was a response to the party-line vote in the legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee to block LePage’s nominee to the Maine Unemployment Insurance Commission, Steve Webster.
“Democrats treated Steve Webster despicably and it’s unfortunate that good people get caught up in political games,” Bennett said in the statement to the Press Herald. “Governor LePage has not sworn Ms. Deschambault in yet. The governor has five days to do so.”
Republican legislators had accused their Democratic counterparts of blocking Webster, a detective sergeant and head of a police union, for partisan reasons. Democrats, meanwhile, criticized appearances Webster made on a conservative radio show, his social media postings and his record as the union president, according to the Press Herald.
The newspaper reported that if LePage refuses to swear in Deschambault in the five days he has to do so, the chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court may also be able administer the oath.
TPM’s commenting system is a joke
LePage is a joke, too…and being even more childish than I’m being in complaining about the commenting system here at TPM.
““it’s unfortunate that good people get caught up in political games””"
When do we start telling people that say things like that to STFU?
It was a party line vote. Which party was not “playing political games” and since when have political games been inappropriate in politics? The Gov. is brat and seems to be under the impression that if he doesn’t like how folks are actually doing their jobs he can refuse to do his. The people in Maine voted for that…twice.
“…his social media postings…”
Anytime some public official or public official wannabe gets into trouble for his social media postings I am sure he is not posting recipes and family pics.
Petty, venal, childish…oh wait, he’s a Republiscum! That explains everything!