By John Celock
The nation’s top Democratic governor has blasted Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) for campaigning with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) Wednesday, claiming both were known for “absurd tirades.”
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, used a Wednesday afternoon conference call with reporters to blast LePage’s record in Maine, with little focus on Christie. Christie, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, is scheduled to appear at a Wednesday evening fundraiser in Portland alongside LePage. Shumlin was joined in the call by Maine state Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland), one of LePage’s leading critics.
“From my perspective it makes perfect sense, they have a lot in common. Both claim to be straight talkers,” Shumlin said of Christie campaigning for LePage. “We have learned the hard way that they are masters of the absurd tirade. Paul LePage’s antics and tirades have become a distraction for the people of Maine instead of the problem solver he promised to be when he was elected.”
The Maine gubernatorial race between LePage, Democratic nominee Mike Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler is considered one of the most competitive in the country. LePage was narrowly elected in 2010 in five-way race with 38 percent of the vote, with Cutler one of those on the ballot. Democrats have targeted LePage, one of the most conservative governors in the country, for defeat this year.
Shumlin used the call to describe LePage as “an embarrassment to the moderate, thoughtful people of Maine” and cited a list of explanations. Among the examples cited by Shumlin were comments by LePage comparing the Affordable Care Act the Holocaust, comparing the IRS to a Gestapo and joking that he wanted to blow up the state’s largest newspaper.
Alfond used his part of the conference call to attack LePage’s leadership style.
“Since Governor LePage took office he has been a bully from day one. He has tried to take the state to the lowest common denominator,” Alfond said. “We have seen name calling and behavior that would not be tolerated in the school yard by teenagers. He calls legislators names, he calls the people of Maine names, he calls workers lazy, he calls the NAACP names. He makes the state look its worst.”
Alfond connected LePage to Christie by calling both “bad CEOs” and cited again that LePage does not work closely with him or others Democratic legislative leaders.
Alfond’s comments come as Christie regularly touts his long time working relationship with leaders of the Democratic-controlled Legislature in New Jersey, who have approved some of Christie’s biggest platform items. In addition, Christie received backing from over 60 Democratic elected officials during his 2013 reelection bid against Democrat Barbara Buono.
LePage’s campaign office referred calls to an offsite spokesman at a number that went unanswered.
Shumlin declined to say how much the DGA was committed to spending on Michaud’s behalf, just stressing the importance of the race. He also stressed the need for Maine voters to vote for Michaud and recognize that a vote for Cutler could help reelect LePage.
“This is the most erratic, divisive governor in America right now,” Shumlin said of LePage.