PORTLAND, Maine — A spokeswoman for Gov. Paul LePage says he missed a White House meeting on the final day of the National Governors Association conference to get back to work in his home state.
Spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett says LePage left Washington on Monday ahead of the final event of the association’s winter meeting to get home before the end of the business day.
LePage attended Sunday night’s dinner hosted by President Barack Obama; Monday’s session focused on policy discussion with the president. The president urged governors Monday to boost funding for education, something LePage has done with his budget in Maine.
On his proposed welfare cuts, Bennett says LePage isn’t optimistic based on the federal government’s track record that it will go along with some of his proposed Medicaid changes.
I don’t wonder why, do you?
Let’s imagine what Governor LePage would say if any state employee or teacher went to the national conference of her or his profession and just did not bother to go to all the available critical sessions, refused to network with persons who might be vital resources, and skipped out early after getting fed at the big banquet with her or his spouse.
Why is this newsworthy? Lepage probably did not want to expose himself to Democratic ridicule when he can get tons of it here.
A real man can take it!
he gets it because he deserves it. Even his own party don’t know what to do with him. He continous to destroy his own party, the reputation of the Blaine House and the people of this state’
Interesting how he finally admits how the feds are not going to approve his cuts on Mainecare. Then he decides he can’t stay for the entire conference.
exactly maybe he is tired of the democratic sandbox
he better get used to it, he deserves it totally!!!
plays to the children on the left.Got to keep the slime attack going. thats what happens when you take away there corruption they attack.
You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
You can please some of the people some of the time, but you
can`t please all the people all of the time….
you can not please people that do not have the guts to come out of their basement and do something.They hide behind a computer and insult real working men like mr lepage.
So, you drink lotsa beer too? Is that what you mean? Is that what makes him a man?
What a blow hard, looks like we paid to send him to dinner. Eat and run. What an insult to the state of Maine to have someone like this represent us. Shameful.
What a Blow Hard is Correct!
The Chicken cut and ran instead of telling Obama where to go like he promised!
The only Match for Lepage is Little Children on Halloween!
Let’s face it, unless it has something to do with getting his way on something (Like harming the poor or giving tax brakes for the wealthy who donate to his party) there’s really no reason to speculate on anything Paul does. You’re never going to make sense of it. Why did Paul waste our tax money traveling to Washington just to skip out early? You might as well ask, why did the chicken/TURKEY cross the road? That’s really the level of thinking you’re dealing with here.
Yawn!!!!!!
good thing the governor doesn’t do that “yawn” thing in public…….he would be caught with his foot in his mouth, again! OH WAIT, he’s already done that numerous times without yawning, he just opens it to speak.
Good luck in November. GO LEPAGE!!
Better to be Go!,Go! GONE! LePage!
Going, going, gone for a penny!
The Federal Gov’t WILL NOT let LePage get away with his poor/elderly “cuts” anyway….so all he is doing is making himself look stupid….as always.
Again the liberals controled Maine for the past 40 years!!! They are the ones who drove the large busniess out of the state. They are responcible for the extreme welfare state we live in. How many years would you let them continue to do what they where doing knowing it will continue to fail. O wait thats what liberlas do ignore facts and continue on.
What large business was driven from the state of Maine?
Incredibly, at least he had the courtesy to leave rather than eat at the home of someone he disdains. This is the only polite thing I’ve ever heard of LePaige doing. One less soiled plate setting at the White House.
You mean democrats.there no match for Mr lepage but they are little children.
Tim, come November, kiss your dirty little tea baggers good bye. The Dems will come back and make this govenor sqirm for every peiece of legislation that he wants to veto.
Hopefully the people in Maine have had enough of the past thirty years of pocket filling democrats .Can not wait to see the response here when the rest of those left leaning crooks are gone.
It ain’t polite to tell a man to “Go to hell.” in his own dining room. Maybe LePage has better manners than he has common sense.
maybe lepage will invite obama to augusta for a “beer summit”
Maybe Le Page should not have said what he told everyone he was going to say, and then bolt like he did? Obama would have chewed him up.
Maybe obama would apologize to him.No thats right lepage is an american obama would not to an american.
LePage is a big bag of wind…
Yes, he has plenty of unprofound words.
It’s not polite to EAT, cut and run!
Who ever said he was polite?
hopefully he never does anything to satify you. look where that got us.
What in the world is “satfy”? I’m sure that you meant satisfy, but Tim, the thing is when you say look where that got us……….take a look? What is it that you see him doing? I don’t think that you see what you wish you could.
What is it that you see that he is not doing? What is it that he IS doing? He’s kissing business butt, and playing all of us. 2/3rds of us on here are smarter than he is (and I include you in that) What IS he doing?
Saving the taxpayers $120 million in just one battle. Can’t wait to see what’s next. GO LEPAGE!!
A victory over the poor, disabled, and elderly is a victory for Mainers……. Very classy.
A victory over unfunded programs that the dems started and as usual can not finish.
I’m not interested in ending all of those programs though. Let’s figure out a way to make them sustainable. I enjoy helping people, even if they don’t fully appreciate it. I’m amazed at how many ‘Christians’ want to let their ‘neighbors’ go without. I don’t believe in ‘The Jesus’, but I do believe in helping anyone that needs it.
Other than cleanup the corruption in every department his admin has looked into.Helped put millinocket back to work.Start discussion on cleaning up the nanny state.I will agree one thing he has not done is a complete overhaul in augusta.He should have made everyone reapply right down to the janitors.Time to flush augusta out.
You support LePage well….almost like a smelly jockstrap…..take a BIG whiff up the Guvnah’s butt timjy….ain’t gonna help YOUR bank acct any…..sucker !
My mom always advised me that it’s a waste of time and energy to argue with the ignorant, so I won’t argue with you. But I will say that you are clearly a victim of baseless radical-conservative propaganda and tea party rhetoric.
Looks like Mr lepage listened to your mother.Maybe you should have listened more.
Maybe he should stay home from the Gov’s conference next year? He can stay home and “work in his home state” the entire time. Save the state of Maine the costs of the entire conference.
And then the media will accuse him of being a racist because he boycotted the NAACP and a conference hosted by a African American President! Better to get the free dinner and fart at the table.
Careful. The BDN will cut fart comments.
I was wondering WHEN he’s gonna start working here ? Sitting at a desk cutting everyone with no way to fight back isn’t work….it’s bullying.
He would collapse and need another vacation. We don’t want his little brain to get hurt by thinking.
You are soooo right on target. Yes, an insult to the state of Maine to say the least! Maine is trying to put out the welcome mat to business and that is good. But LePage is cutting off his own (you name the appendage) by being such an a – – .
He probably wanted a Big Mac… So off he went to McDonald’s…
Well now……Maybe what he ate gave him the runs and he just had to get up and go……
he is a run
run of the mouth
What’s it really matter what Obama had to say to the Governors? Obama is a lame duck president and will be out of office soon!
One can only hope. We voted for hope and change. So far the only change we have received is what LePage has promised. Good luck on your future endeavors. Mr. governor. GO LEPAGE!
bite lepages big but
Typical liberal. Don’t have a good argument, so you resort to personal attacks. To think we have seven more years to listen to you whine. GO LEPAGE!
I don’t argue with fools, fool.
That’s what I said, You can only resort to name calling. GO LEPAGE!!
RECALL LePage…..!!!! Signed….the 61 %
Shouldn’t you be in your tent?
I thought they kicked the 61% brain less out of the park in Augusta.
61%? You only have one person agreeing with you. GO LEPAGE!!
lol, good luck with that. The republicans can’t even come up with an electable candidate. They’re all more concerned about birth control, abortions, religion and gays….again, they’re not getting the message. It’s the economy they need to be focusing on.
They can’t concentrate on the economy because they don’t have a plan. Well, I guess they do, they want to make sure it stays in the tank so they can get elected. They are so easily distracted by their social agenda which they really feel is more important than helping this country economy by voting for anything that might improve the job market. They are the party of NO,NOTHING! They really don’t want more people employed. They want just to be reelected and to win the White House .Nothing else really matters.
wait until the primary is over you will see all the economy battles you want.I guarantee
Not with the idots you repugs have running for President.
Plus Nobama would just be reading from a teleprompter anyway.
ya the leftys from the past did such a great job.thats why we are in this mess.
You mean a couple of trillion dollar wars, foolish tax-breaks for the rich, shipping all our jobs overseas, deregulation of the banking industry and other stuff like that? Damn lefties!!
Funny the real mess started when Fatboy got in office….
Yep! finally someone outed the crooks.Go Lepage.
I’d rather have Penguin eat and run than say something obnoxious at the White House. Sadly, I think Maine is better represented when he is absent then we are when he’s in the room.
What are you talking about I think Michelle Obama is trying to kill the governors with her 2,000 calorie dinner: Garden salad, Bread and butter, Ribeye steak 12 oz, Creamed spinach, Crab mac and cheese, Pear tart with ice cream, White wine
can you blame her
he is archie bunker but we like him less
Yes, her true side is actually coming out, she wants to eliminate anyone who opposes her husband. The plot thickens behind the fake smiling face.
Honestly, if the attack dogs are so desperate as to go after the wife of a political candidate, then they are certainly a sorry bunch.
In life you need either inspiration or desperation.
Tony Robbins
Hmmm…light snack for our OBESE Governor…..maybe he was scared the First Lady would put him on a diet ? Maybe Maine will get lucky and the fat sow will have a coronary….Bring him more red meat !!!
Look what we have representing the United States? And you complain about LePage? yea right
yes we do, follower of napolean
tell me that when you are paying $5.00- $6.00 a gallon of gas.
Another moron….Tell me numnuts….if Obama could raise and lower gas prices…why would he raise them before an election ? Your Republican masters that run BIG oil are responsible and it’s for one reason,,,,Keystone XL pipeline. Once the Republicans get their way we’ll see how it effects YOUR gas prices….fool…price will go up to pay for the pipeline. Mark my words.
My Liberal Democrats get testy. What I read prizes will rise in the Mid-West. Obama is the one that paid 1 billion to Brazil to drill. The U.S. has some of the biggest oil reserves. Why, probably to pasify his Arab friends. IF a Republican was in office and this was going on, you would be all over them. Maybe Obama and Michelle are due for another vacation in Hawaii.
I know like everything else he’s over his head.
Obama is not for the average citizen, however, LePage even less so.
you can touch, you can play, can say am always yours. But you can’t make me bow to a dictator the bangor news must be happy with your responses, sheep.
Worst Governor in the history of America….and we’re stuck with him.
Wait until you hear about the fund raiser Maine’s 1% and PPH owners are throwing for Obama in Portland’s ART MUSEUM. Tix are $2,500
If you supported the themes of OCCUPY MAINE, then get ready for a major protest. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Governor showed up with free P.J.’s for protesters.
Lepage found time to meet with the prime minister of Quebec when he went to Canada but he doesn’t have the integrity to sit down with the president and state Governors of the USA .
The man is simply out of his league–I doubt he would have had any idea as to what to say. It’s good he didn’t show up, as we don’t need anything else foolish to lump the rest of us with the same mentality
He was looking for someone to buy the section of the state that starts north of Waterville.
hopefully so up north can get rid of 3/4 of the entitlement payments
can we auction off lewiston and points south? Assachusetts is drooling over Portlands pretentious progressivism.
27 likes for that one!
I give VeazieDavid 5 stars for comment of the day.
I give you minus 100 for being what you prove you are.
wrong….most welfare recipients live up north. i am not agreeing that we should split the state but i think a lot of people up here don’t realize a lot about their neighbors.
http://www.fixwelfare.com/
link to map of welfare recipients brought to you by the republican leaning Maine Heritage Policy Center
“most welfare recipients live up north”
Technically you are wrong by a large margin. The percentage of people on welfare may be higher in the rural counties BUT total number of persons is much higher in the southern more populated counties. For example, Cumberland county has almost as many people on welfare as Aroostook, Washington, and Piscataquis counties. Do the math. Population by county times the percentage on welfare.
Now see….MOST people that really wanted to “fix” welfare would start there wouldn’t they ? I live in Piscataquis and the job market is non-existent. Gas prices make it impossible to commute more than a few miles and as a result everyone is poor and needy. Instead of looking at the problem LePage has taken the first step to Civil War in Maine as most of his cuts will take effect there. The Governor ignores my area HOWEVER, he is more than happy to stick his fat hand out for my property tax each year. I wonder what the budget gap would be if everyone North of Waterville stopped paying property tax ? Is he gonna come take our land ? I wanna see that…..I really, really do…..
Do the right thing!
Dont be a Hypocrite,
Turn in Your Social Security Card!
What good is an SS card.The lefty’s are going to just give everything free.Until of course they run out of everyone Else’s money.
I thought you said in an earlier comment that he “put Millinocket back to work” ? Which is it ? You know where you’re talking out of right ?
The president isn’t even in Washington today , he ate and ran last night !
Whats your best guess as to why Lepage left early. Don’t you think Lepage owes us an explanation?
I think he had to hurry home to make sure the mural was still under lock and key.
Thank God it still is. Hopefully the mice have been nibbling at it.
Hope they leave enough for the 4th of july bonfire.
My first thought was that he left to take care of something more important than exchanging niceities with a bunch of politicians who really don’t give a crap about Maine ! If you want to nail someone for leaving his post early check out the voting records of our politicians in Washington. I believe Susan Collins is the only one that actually does what we pay her to do.
I think Lepage was told to leave by the Republican party leadership. Not only did Lepage insult all the current nominees he doesn’t even seem to understand that a floor fight would only lead to a Romney/Santorum ticket which would cost the Republicans Florida.
Wow ! now there’s a thought I had overlooked ” a Romney/Santorum ticket”, how sad after all this infighting. I guess I’ll have to reconsider backing Ron Paul !
In a floor fight the top two delegate winners would share the ticket.
Lepage seems to think it would lead to a completely new candidate coming in and sweeping the floor. That would only happen is the delegates where evenly split and the top two agreed to give their votes to a third person… They only other way that might happen is if Fox news had pictures of Romney and Santorum naked in bed together with Castro.
Be careful what you ask for , I believe everyone has a skeleton or two in the closet.
Tell that to Poliquin and Lepage. haha……………. I don’t think anything scandalous will come out about Romney or Santorum I was just using that as an example of what it would take for the GOP to nominate someone completely new at the convention.
I could vote for that.
He’s afraid of Obama is why….he ran his mouth and can’t back it up !
What you said is probably true but Lepage meet with Obama last year. Unlike that sadistic lair Paul Lepage,Obama is a very gracious man who understands he is everyone’s president even those people who don’t support him.
Not mine ,has done nothing but divide this country.Hopefully we can elect a real occupant to the whitehouse.
Is he hiding under Mrs Clinton skirt again.
Why would “ANYONE’ give mr obama any respect when it is clear of his discust for America is clear..
discust?, what kind of word is discust?
He may not speil korectly, but he gut the piont across.
Obama got Bin Laden and Gaddafi. That alone makes him a better man than anyone running for the Republican side.
WRONG! Our S.E.A.L.S Got Bin Laden & they were on the job long before the “Empty Suit” got elected. When at a time he his Mrs had and still do detest the MILITARY. The suit was only their because now its the “nature of the beast”…merely there at the time the wheel went around.
Great job SEALS but, GO ARMY!
Obama deserves some of the credit. He took a huge risk when he gave to green light to attack Bin Laden inside Pakistan. If the mission had failed it would have defined his presidency.
Obama also deserves credit for taking our Gaddafy. Most Republicans opposed even trying and yet Obama got Gaddafy without having to invade North Africa.
He ran his mouth about Obama and is AFRAID to face him now. Even LePage knows himself enough to know he’s an idiot.
Because he’s afraid of Obama after bad-mouthing him….
Who does he think he is? Tim Thomas.
No, his identical twin governor, Chris Christie
Lepage isn’t the kind of guy who would miss out on a free meal and a chance to play the class clown on the national stage. Lepage must have done something beyond the pail and got booted off the guest list. Since no one is complaining it must have been a bi-partisan decision. I suppose Bennett will have some lame excuse to give us in the next day or so.
“beyond the pail” , huh? My, my, such a witty remark from someone with such profound mastery of the English language. Is that like “Thinking outside the bucket”?
Thanks for reading my post. Why do you think Lepage left the conference early, hermit.
Beat the traffic
I’ll bet their is more to this story then Lepage wants us to know. I could be innocent but with Lepage that would be a first.
Hey Hoss, check out tim timjy’s grammar, spelling etc. Just saying.
Critical sessions when it comes to listening to this president? I think not. Governor LePage had been to other sessions which most likely had more meaning.
lapudge is a waste of time
Well, maybe he will get in the Presidential race. They need someone just like him to keep the ta baggers happy.
That is the answer! He run off to become another “lame runner” for the GOP…
You fools voted for this? Another Maine stain…
You fools voted for this? Another American stain….
obamas stain is bigger than lepages
LePage is Not the dictator of Maine. He might want to think about working with the people he needs to work with and use a few Qtips before hand.
Nothing worth hearing from nobama.
That was deep.
Sigh.
And he even refused to meet with the DHHS head to talk about what Maine could legally do to rein in Maine Care costs. According the article in the Kennebec Journal, he said he would makethe cuts and then worry about what will happen!!! Maybe an impeachable act like breaking the law. One can only hope…….
http://www.kjonline.com/news/LePage-skipping-meeting-with-Obama.html
Oh yes, the fed is where I would go so they could help teach me save money, get a dam clue, go to the biggest spending administration America has ever had to learn where to save.
We always knew this guy was a buffoon, this just confirms it. This guy has no conception of what a real leader is.
Which one? Obama or LePage?
Obama of course
Neither of them particularly impress me.
Is your real leader the one that said there’s 57 states….. Your leader has no concept.
I guess he didn’t have anything to talk about, just like the Secretary of Human Services. It’s his way or nothing. Period.
Joke of a story, but hey –you gotta try to catch him doing SOMETHING wrong every day, right AP, “doing your job”….LOL
He had to come home to address a state of emergency.
The Dunkin Donuts near the Blaine House is having a thirteen-to-the-dozen sale!
Remember 61% did not vote for LePage. He continues to act like a stubborn fool and king of the world…but his time is coming. No second term for this man.
Your useless and often repeated fact {61%} is only valid if 100 % of the population voted.Which did not happen.
LePage won the others did not. Get over it.
just like Mr baldacci
To add Angus King only got 35% of the vote in 1994. Liberals like to claim that King , Baldacci , Brennan and Ken Curtis were Maine’s best Governors.
lets make a deal, I will drop the obama birth certificate issue if you drop the 61% nonsense.
capeesh?
Not until we see Lepage’s US citizenship papers and birth certificate.
61% didn’t vote for Clinton either.
Haven’t seen any poll lately on his approval rating, must be high or else it would be in the paper daily.
61% did not vote for Baldacci either.
Simple facts for relgious conservatives………..the most religous states are also the most conservative, have the lowest IQ, most health issues, the highest crime rates and the highest unemployment. See the connection? FYI, I am not some left wing liberal. Just a concerned American who hates the roll that religion plays in politics within this country!
Hey UV, I hear you. This fact escapes a lot of ‘patriots’. God help us! hehe
Patriots dems are not, did you catch them on 5 news last night, only one person was showing the Pledge and out Flag the respect it deserves, if you are not going to do it right, then do not do it at all.
And where do you get your info CNN
Better CNN than Fox News or the chain of made-up crazy emails.
I’ve done and said some dumb things, but I believe you just beat me for first place. Man I feel better.
And you don’t think it’s true? If I could post the graph that shows this I would. Let me see if I can dig up the link.
This map shows where the government benifit checks go.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2
http://i.imgur.com/xyH3n.png
Why don’t you try to learn how to spell RELIGIOUS.
Perhaps he was scared of embarrassing Maine if he stayed so he just left and embarrassed Maine anyway.
Heckuva job Penguin!
There is nothing moral about the moral majority in this country!
what does that have to do with this story?
This Clown Represents Maine? Afraid to see the President? Guess LePage is getting ready to secede from the United States. Forget Canada LePage, they want American Dollars, NOT YOU and Maine’s Welfare State.
What’s with this the Fed’s “track record” hooha. I thought all this time he was confident that his “welfare” cutting plan was so air tight the Fed would grant him a waiver. It’s only now that he’s familiarizing himself with their “track record”.
I’m sorry but at first I thought he had some spine backing up all of his actions and comments, however audacious. But in recent weeks he’s really shown how little support there is holding up that loud melon resting on his pressed collar. He crows about veto, then says it’s the media forcing the megaphone to his lips when he feels the pressure. He talks about the importance of job growth and networking, then bails on one of the most prized networking events of the year for someone in his position. I don’t care how many stale dinner rolls you have to wolf down, if only to save face, army up and finish out what you committed to.
His integrity and commitment should be featured on, Where Are They Now?
I think the Republicans probably threw him out of D.C. after his presidential comments. In addition, it looks like we paid for him to go to D.C. to get national coverage and to attend a dinner at the White House. It probably makes him feel important.
The entire get together was a dog and pony show, a waste of everyone’s time – The governor recognized this and left. Some people workers. Some people are professional meeting attenders. Good Job.
49 Govenors stayed. Who left. omg it was LePage.
46 attended to begin with. Lepage did attend some of the events, therefore, he would be included in that 46. Gov. Cuomo from NY did not go at all, neither did Gov. Rick Perry from Texas. Many skipped out on the social events.
State funds paid for him to go, and he doesn’t attend? Maybe it was “like” the NAACP moment!
I’ll try again. penguin is bone dumb and proud of it.
What a great man LePage is! He missed the opportunity to tell the president of the United States to kiss his butt in person. I am sure it was just a scheduling conflict. Ms. Bennet will “clarify” what the governor was thinking.
good thanks for not wasting your time
Since most of these meetings are a colossal waste of time I think he was right to come home and get back to work. We sure have enough problems for him to fix. Let’s give the guy credit for not sitting on his butt listening to a bunch of blowhards take up air space. I, for one,applaud him for getting back here to try to get the job done.
Seems to me that attending meetings is 99% of a politician’s job. But you are right, LePage is not up to the other 1% of the job either.
Where did you read that? Does Obama meet with the voters other then to talk down to them? It’s his job to talk to the public Right??
I would look for ANY excuse to get out of a meeting with the prez.
“Uh, I ate too much cretons and poutine, I need to get back to the gubernatorial washroom in Augusta like RIGHT NOW”
thank you Bennett for explaining:)
LePage is a nut job who reflects very poorly on our state. A total embarassment.
Other states envy us, we elected a governor who could careless about what the so called liberal/progressives think.
The good thing is, that by him not going he didn’t have the chance to make comments that would have embarrassed the State further. Its only 11 more months until the next legislature is sworn in. The Republicans will lose the Senate and probably the House in the State Legislature, with much of the credit attributed to him, and he will be a lame duck for the next two years. Survey says he will resign before the end of the term.
If only….
Ya, the dems have run Maine so well for the last 40 years
The last Dems state budget was 5.8 billion. Lepage and the Republican budget is 6.3 billion and it still isn’t balanced.
been a great 40 years for me. Made me rich
Another miss by the BDN editors who could have inserted the subject of the meeting. If all the blowhards in the commentary below knew that, perhaps we would have some light and less heat. The Gov. probably made a good decision.
Ya, snubbing the president of the usa is a good decision.
Dumb comment, any schooling:)
ummm, I’m not sure what you are saying. Could you clarify?
Snubbing socialism is always a good decision
According to Ms Bennett — Mr LePage wanted …. ” …. to get home before the end of the business day. ” Question for Ms Bennett — Since when has the governor’s job been 9 to 5 ? I work in a management position and I can tell you my time is 24/7 if needed.
Question for Mr LePage — What part of …. ” the State of Maine is not going to get a waiver for that ” — did you not understand ?
Many of the other governors went to Washington early or stayed late to meet with the Secretary’s of differrent departments to discuss issues they had. Perhaps you should have extended yourself to meet with the Secretary of DHHS to discuss our issues. If I remember correctly she offered her and her staff’s assistance with our issues.
Remember they play by the golden rule — He who has the money makes the rules — perhaps it would be benefical to the state for you to sit down and work with these people because we do not have the gold so we can not make the rules.
they don’t have the gold either.
Him not wanting to meet with Kathleen Sebalius is a further symptom of fedphobia that seems to exist in rural Maine…that’s any phobia of what they perceive as control but certainly not phobia of any money they can get their hands on from the feds. He wants to see what he can get away with before meeting with her. And anyone knows that if you stay and go to the meetings it would be to learn something and he LePage is insecure about his intellect and afraid it will show.
How does that have any thing to do with my comment?
Oh good another made up phobia, to label the right comming from the lets all sing together left
Aren’t you a snob towards rural folks.
Exactly. I being in managment get those 2am phone calls now and then. In leadership, there is no such thing as 9-5.
To give LePage benefit of the doubt, perhaps there was a cashier at the Waterville Mardens who called in sick and nobody else could cover…
The Governor goes your mad he leaves your mad. Get a life and watch what happens. Given Hell Paul
It sounds better if you say, “Give ’em hell, Paul.”
Too bad they could not keep him there or maybe send him to Canada if he is able to get across the border:)
Good for the Gov, who wants to waste time listening to a lame duck blabbering idiot like Obama!
If he skipped the dinner he would have been called racist..
Sounds like he didn’t miss much at the Monday mtg, hearing
Obama’s policy rhetoric.
The whole proscess is a waste of time, why would he stay just to be talked down to by Mr. Obama.. Obama cost every State in the union tons more money with mandates then States can afford….
The easiest people to ignore are the ones who are not in the room.
So Mr Lepage went back to Florida?
The best argument all you guys have is to insult, which I see comes from the left way more then it comes from the right. Looking from the outside in, this is easy to see the double standard.
Registered Veteran’s Party
Now tell me Maine republicans, a few of you must have enough sense to be ashamed by this? Mr. Obama is the President of the United States. When you are invited to the white house to represent your state, you go. Once again he makes all Mainers look bad. If he isn’t shooting his mouth off about something, or skipping important meetings, he is offending his own citizens. Someone with some power needs to put him in place. We all know who that is. At least we know that a second term for Lepage is not going to come easy!
Governor LePage is not the only Governor who did not attend. There were a total of 46 governors at this convention. Two of the 4 governors which did not attend included Gov. Cuomo from NY, and Gov. Rick Perry from Texas. Gov. Brewer from Arizona did not attend the dinner on Sunday . There were probably others as well.
That’s certain a foursome you want to be a part of. Rick Perry, another mental giant, and Jan Brewer, who wagged her finger at the President when he visited her state.
What about Democrat Gov. Cuomo from NY? HOw about Boston Bruins goal tender Tim Thomas who refused the President’s invitation, or various NASCAR drivers?
I didn’t single out Cuomo because I am not that familiar with him. But, because of the debates I know what an intellectual lightweight Perry is. And because of the picture of Brewer wagging her finger, I know about her. If I remember Thomas took heat for not going to the White House. I don’t keep up with NASCAR, so I can’t comment on that.
Before I start digging (and that’s a lot of work), could some of you LePage supporters provide specifics about Governor LePage’s “boost” for funding education? My school district saw its state aid for education cut by, well, a boatload.
If Mr. Lepage had any respect for the people of the State of Maine, he would not have cut and run. He would of stayed and represented us, but this proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he has no desire to work with anybody that might have a different view than his. He lacks the ability to work with anyone. His leadership is showing some serious signs of a mental problem, in fact his mode of operation is more dictatorship than leadership.
he will flush himself out as time moves on.
Oh Pleeeze. These events are beauty contests and a waste of time and taxpayer funds. I’m glad he didn’t go.
Well, Security wouldn’t have let him in. Afraid he’d drop his trousers and tell the Prez to kiss it . . .
I’d make a huge campaign contribution to see that!
So many comments, so few intelligent things to say. Tomorrow’s BDN headline “Sun Rises in the East” Disqus commenters: “Penguin is an idiot” This board needs an enema.
So many comments, so few intelligent comments. Tomorrow’s BDN Headline : “Sun Rises in the East” Discus commenter’s response: “Penguin is fat.”
what else is NEW!!!!!!
The only place in the world where Paul could find a liberal more deranged than here in Maine would probably be in our White House, so I dont blame him one bit for not going. No sense showing up to listen to Oblamer tell you that an ATM or kiosk is responsible for his foolish mistakes, its just a broken record. “_________ did it..not ahhhh..my fault” is permanently labeled on the teleprompter that currently runs our nation. Along with something about algae and inflating your tires.
Let the air out of your tires and tell us how that helped your mileage please.
What a class act…again. Thanks, Mr. Webster.
Another couple hundred of jobs lost this month, what can the President offer to help? The same as he has in the past three years…..NOTHING!
Ignorant!
Is their any better picture of Lepage – he looks like such a fruit in this picture
That toupe thing does not help his appearance at all.
So the BDN is OK with “fruit” (when applied to Lepage,) but f@g is a no no?
Stay Classy, Paulie!
This creep obviously has severe opositional defiance disorder!!! I can understand why his mother gave him away at birth!!!!!
Nice post. My posts get yanked if I have the gall to suggest, that a mother of some reprehensible cretin, get an abortion, but giving babies away at birth passes muster.
No real comment, just thinking online, and trying to get the BDN’s byzantine rules straight.
I don’t like the man and I disagree with him on many fronts. Maybe you can edit your comment and leave out the last sentence? You can make your point without such hurtful insults.
Bad call.
It isn’t like Lepage to miss a free meal and an opportunity to play the clown on a national stage. There is more to this story then Bennett is telling us. Did Lepage over stay his welcome with the Republican leadership he publicly insulted on Saturday?
LePage Timmy Thomas.
I’m sure he wasn’t missed.
I would leave too, rather than listen to more hallow bs from obama. GO GET EM PAUL
Tough thing to do, “go get ‘ em” when you run away.
He wasn’t running, maybe he simply realized it was a waste of time to sit there and listen to rhetoric. Maybe he chose to use his time more productively.
Thanks. Your postulations are so insightful. Their depth is astounding. Truly astounding. God bless you.
According to the morning news there is the potential for an asteroid to hit earth in 28 years. LePage went home to Waterville to start digging a hole. Everyone knows there are no cellars in Florida.
His idea of policy discussion is to push his own ideas, whether half-baked or not, by bullying and invective. We Mainers may have dodged even more embarrassment by his departure.
BDN does not even come close to following their own rules, when it comes to this article.Keep it civil and stay on topicNo vulgarity, racial slurs, name-calling or personal attacks.People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
finally a governor that does not waste tax payer money listening to idiots.
A bunch of “idiots” and he knows it all!!!! I find what he did in leaving early is just another show of his arrogance and insulting attitude!
Doesn’t waste taxpayer money? How do you think he got to Washington?
Fat slob sticks around for dinner then skips the business end of everything. Why should he stick around and listen to a Democratic President right ? This is the attitude that causes the class war problems and it’s a direct result of the Tea Party’s radical agenda, of which LePage is so loyal to. Maine will be stuck in a worse rut than before until this loser is recalled or forced out in the next election. I think we should send LePage a message an RECALL him before our name is ruined any further.
So much for sticking to the rules again, no Personal attacks, or name calling, BDN DO YOUR DAM JOB.
When the Governor of California, Jerry Brown(D) and Pat Quinn(D) of Illinois both come to Sebelius looking for the same waivers for their financially strapped health care systems as Le Page and get stonewalled; were I governor I would have this reaction:
>>Not only would I have to wait in line behind the Democratic governors; but if they aren’t getting their’s what chance do I have?
>>Obama desperately needs the votes from these two big states to win re-election and still hold the line for his core of socialized health care backers; so it’s ‘let’s make a deal’ in private….you help me win and I find money to pay for your expanded coverage or we make the problem go away or ‘kick the can up the street’ until after I’m re-elected.
Sebelius is doing a ‘bob & weave’ denial, but the dead give away is her ‘there are other ways beside the waiver’ …..huh?
Here’s the ‘other side’ of this story:
“January 9, 2012
Huelskamp: Sebelius Gives Unions Waivers, Ignores Kansas
(DODGE CITY, KAN.) – Since ObamaCare became law in 2010, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius has issued 1,231 compliance waivers to select unions and businesses as well as to politically-connected states. These waivers provide exemptions from having to comply with the burdensome requirements of ObamaCare. When Kansas Congressman Huelskamp gave his first speech on the House floor last January, he decried the favoritism being shown to labor unions and businesses with the resources to receive special “Annual Limit” exemptions from the law that is supposed to apply to everyone. Later in 2011, Congressman Huelskamp led the effort on Capitol Hill to force HHS to reveal the factors that go into the waiver process.
In addition to the waivers for labor unions and businesses, HHS has issued waivers to states, exempting them from having to meet the 80/20 Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Standard. This rule states that insurance companies must spend 80% or 85% of premium dollars on medical procedures. The State of Kansas was denied its MLR waiver last week. It is the eighth state to be denied; six states have been awarded their requested waivers.”
KUDOS LePage for avoiding this total waste of your time!!
It’s beginning to be revealed that Maine State Housing squandered a lot of money that ‘could’ have been applied to tightening up the safety net; i.e. free clinics in public housing projects could have been started but were ignored in favor of huge advertising contracts, etc.
Great for him. Why bother to show and be called names by the pres. Look at what he did to scotus at the state of the union. I am pround to see our state leader ignore the liberal and get back here to Maine and cut more spending.
Birds of a feather: You do realize it is people like you fueling his ego. That isn’t a huge percent thank goodness. Just the same though, don’t help him make us all look poorly.
This guy wants to cut people off of MaineCare, but he won’t meet with the President or the Secretary of Health to find out what they say.
It would be nice to think he was in a hurry to get back to stop the bleeding of jobs here, since Maine is among the worst states for per capita job loss this past year. I doubt it, though. So little attention has been paid to jobs and so much to red meat culture war issues. Perhaps the governor needs a reminder that social service demand decreases when jobs are created.
Perhaps you should send that message to D.C.
Truthfully, we took a half educated red neck out of the woods and put him in a suit. Republicans new what they were doing. Or did they?
No more shameful than the blowhard in the White House.
Always shows his class.