Maine Governor Paul LePage generated controversy this week with racist remarks about a binder in which he has been keeping mugshots of alleged Black and Hispanic drug dealers.
“Let me tell you this, explain to you, I made the comment that black people are trafficking in our state, now ever since I said that comment I’ve been collecting every single drug dealer who has been arrested in our state,” LePage said. “I don’t ask them to come to Maine and sell their poison, but they come and I will tell you that 90-plus percent of those pictures in my book, and it’s a three-ringed binder, are black and Hispanic people from Waterbury, Conn., the Bronx and Brooklyn.”
This follows up on his earlier comments this year using the same racist theme.
Now Paul LePage, a sitting Governor has gone over the top, leaving an obscenity laced voicemail for State Representative Drew Gattine of Westbrook, Maine.
“Mr. Gattine, this is Gov. Paul Richard LePage. I would like to talk to you about your comments about my being a racist, you cocksucker. I want to talk to you. I want you to prove that I’m a racist. I’ve spent my life helping black people and you little son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocksucker. You … I need you to, just friggin. I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you. Thank you.”
Like Trump, when confronted about the entire episode, Governor LePage doubled down on his remarks directed toward Representative Gattine by talking about dueling with him and shooting him.
“When a snot-nosed little guy from Westbrook calls me a racist, now I’d like him to come up here because, tell you right now, I wish it were 1825. And we would have a duel, that’s how angry I am, and I would not put my gun in the air, I guarantee you, I would not be Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes, because he is a snot-nosed little runt and he has not done a damn thing since he’s been in this Legislature to help move the state forward.”
Paul LePage’s rants are legendary in Maine and he has managed to hang onto office despite not governing effectively. It is time to hold Governor LePage and the politics of violent racist hate speech in Maine and the United States accountable.|
Listen here: Governor Paul LePage's Voicemail
Update: The Governor has decided to go with the ‘political correctness for obscenity use and metaphor for threatening violence dodge.’