AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage said Wednesday he has no plans to endorse any of the six Republican Senate candidates vying for their party’s nod in the June 12 primary. The statement came a day after Republican voters received a campaign mailing from candidate Bruce Poliquin that puts his photo next to Gov. Paul LePage’s and says the men are “two conservatives fighting for Maine’s future.”
“Republicans have six well-qualified candidates to choose from,” LePage said in a statement released by his office. “May the best person win.”
The governor’s office didn’t confirm that the statement was a response to the mailing from Poliquin, Maine’s state treasurer, though the mailing quickly drew criticism from Poliquin’s rivals in the GOP Senate race.
“I don’t think anybody should be putting the governor in the position he was put in, where he was forced to go out and issue a statement saying he wasn’t supporting anybody,” said Charlie Summers, Maine’s secretary of state. “All of us have pictures of ourselves with Gov. LePage, but we don’t use them to fool people into thinking we’re being supported by him.”
Brent Littlefield, who works separately as a LePage political adviser and a consultant to Republican Rick Bennett’s Senate campaign, said the LePage administration appreciates Poliquin’s support for its agenda.
But Poliquin is “taking a lot of credit for these things and trying to imply an endorsement,” Littlefield said.
Attorney General William Schneider, another Poliquin rival in the Senate race, released a statement criticizing Poliquin for what he characterized as an attempt to mislead voters.
“Throughout this campaign, Bruce Poliquin has attempted to ride the governor’s coattails and claims as his own the successes of the Republican administration and Legislature,” Schneider said. “Poliquin’s recent mailing is remarkable in its bold attempt to imply an endorsement by the Governor.”
Asked if he was implying a LePage endorsement, Poliquin said he was stating information that is “public record.”
“What I am saying is just what is: that I have been working with Gov. LePage from the beginning,” he said. “I have been working side by side with the governor since the beginning, and I’m very proud of our achievements.”
“At no time, in any of our voter contact, have we ever asserted that we have Gov. LePage’s endorsement,” Poliquin’s campaign manager, Tyler Harber, added in an email.
The mailing isn’t the first piece of campaign publicity from Poliquin that closely associates the treasurer with LePage.
A television ad produced earlier this month shows a number of images of Poliquin with LePage and says, “Gov. LePage is enacting conservative reforms, and Bruce Poliquin has been at his side the whole way.”
Poliquin was one of six LePage opponents in a seven-way Republican primary for governor in 2010 that LePage won with 37 percent of the vote. Shortly after his election as governor in 2010, LePage endorsed Poliquin for the state treasurer’s job.
The state treasurer is one of Maine’s three constitutional officers, all of whom are chosen by the Legislature.
While Poliquin has been a vocal supporter of LePage initiatives and appeared by the governor’s side at many public events, LePage has connections to other candidates in the GOP primary race. Bennett, for example, served on LePage’s transition team.
ahahahhahah Needed a good chuckle this morning. :)
Why would anyone even want LePage’s endorsement…? Maybe Poliquin read the book, “How Not to Win Elections, and Influence People”
Because he is counting on the 30 % of the Republican party that affilitates with the tea party to win it for him in a six way race. From a purely political stategy standpoint, it is a good play.
Well for the primaries, maybe. But not for the actual election, where 30% won’t get you a win in a 3 person race. So while it may be a “good play” now, I would wager, it won’t be in his best interest for the long haul.
I don’t disagree, but you can’t win the general election if you don’t prevail at the primary level.
That, is true. I do still question if Bruce would get all 30% of LePage supporters. I think that Summers is going to take the primary. After that, I don’t know.
Poliquin doing something shady. Nothing new about this news.
I’m wondering which of these chuckleheads to believe, Poliquin who says he was endorsed or LePage who says he wasn’t.
Somebody’s pants are on fire….again.
In the R rabbit hole,they’re both lying even though they’re on opposite sides here.Calling Lewis Carroll.
They’re going to have to do some contorting of logic to get where they of course want to be: it’s the fault of liberals. They’re probably just go with the classic “liberal media” complaint though.
They’ve honed that contorting to an art form. Now they just have to keep courting the ill-educated teapartiers and making them feel valued, while they continue to use them to further their unAmerican agenda.
Well said.Scary that that gang can breed.
Ever notice that in that gang, conception always occurs at low tide in the gene pool?
That’s why they have a dozen kids that you and I have to pay for.They keep hoping they’ll get it right.Hasn’t happened yet.
True enough.Now if there just WAS a liberal media instead of RW conglomerates.
Hmm…decisions, decisions. Should we believe Lepage, LePoliquin or LePinocchio?
Penguin won’t endorse Poliquin?
Penquin ? Peliquin?
Whats the differance?
Birds of a Feather Flock Together!
I love Penguins they are recognised as having these important characteristics:
Loyalty – penguins partner for life, benefit from group co-operation and nurture their offspring carefully.
Adaptability – penguins have adapted to life under the waves or on land, in many different environments.
Resilience – penguins are supremely resilient, able to withstand the long Antarctic winters, enduring months without food. not sure on the food?
ROFLMAO! That’s the first intelligent stance LePage has taken since he was sworn in.
O-M-G, as they say.
This is worth paying for. When Atty General Schneider was asked to make a ruling in his official capacity in regards to Poliquins business activities he weasel worded his way out of an actual ruling. It seems Schneider isn’t having any trouble coming to a definite conclusion now about Poliquin. I think all republicans should all run on LePage’s coattails. Pass the popcorn please.
I like mine with butter, curry powder, AND parmesan cheese, please.
I’ll bet Schneider is happy he covered Poliquin’s butt with the whole running his business while he was State Treasurer issue was going on. It should be fun to watch all these guys tear each other apart. There is no mercy when you are seeking that power.
Didn’t take a genius to see this coming way back then. When you have this many egotistical, self-centered members of the “Cojones ‘R Us” crowd, they were doomed to self-destruct. Good riddance!
Schneider can’t be serious about Poliquin “attempting to mislead voters.” Republican voters have been misled for so long that they cannot get lost any further.
Baldacci…Is that really.you?
No, Tom, it is not.
I am sure you will vote for Angus King rather than any one of the confederacy of dunces running for the Republican nomination.
In your private moments, I know you must weep for your party that people like Paul LePage and Donald Trump are taken seriously by some of its members.
—–
Go to Houlton.There are Poliquin signs everywhere.This is after Paulie screwed them with the ins. co. jacking up.They deserve what they get.
My interpretation of the ads/mailings is simply what Bruce stated: that he has been working with the Governor from day 1, not that Governor LePage was endorsing him. Schneider and Littlefield(for Rick Bennett) are simply being politically expedient in their criticism.
Put them all in a paper bag, shake it up, and they all come out smelling the same.
Poop does smell like poop, doesn’t it?
Reptile. Reptilian.
Poliquin is too stupid to be our senator. Having the endorsement of LePage amounts to receiving the kiss of death. If he had anything going for him, he would run on his own merits and differentiate himself from LePage. But alas, he’s just a lackey and, regardless of what the AG says, a crook.
Is there any lie Poliquin will not try to sell?
And why would you want to sell this one?!
We haven’t heard one yet. Of course, we can’t see the forest for the trees, either, any more than he, himself can.
Sorry, this post ended up out of order.
Surprised?
Poliquin connecting himself to LePage should ensure a last place primary vote.
Will the Teabillies bring Poliquin a victory ? It would be fun to watch Angus trample him.
They both deserve each other. Let the poison of LePage take Poliquin out, as if Poliquin has a snowballs chance at the Senate anyway… can you say delusion?
They are both stains on Maines history, and they are both examples of the worst politicians in Maine’s history. They both need to just go away.
Who cares? It may be a liability to have his pudgy face associated with yours. Why isn’t Poliquin in jail?
Chenard,
Shall we make a small wager whether the Democrat candidate, or Republican candidate for US Senate generates the most votes?
I’d be far more distressed over Libby Mitchell’s crushing defeat to Paul LePage during the last election, and fearful that, once again, the Democrat candidate for US Senate will come in dead last! While I like and respect Matt, as I did Dan before him, he doesn’t stand a chance this fall.
After having served with Rick Bennett in the State Senate, I found him intelligent, honorable, and a very good Senate President. While I also like Mike, Rick never ran an odious bill down the minority’s throats in the wee hours of the morning as Mike did with “Walk With The One You Love Day”.
I’m uncertain over just who the True Angus King is these days, so will hold judgement until more updated information is known. As Governor, he did try to attract the best staff and Commissions available; but rolled over for (King) John most of the time with the important exception of Workers Compensation Reform. Today, I’m worried just how wedded Angus is to Wind Power investors….
Apparantly the free club membership to good old bruces club didnt matter the gov dropped him like a hot potatoe or maybe the govs endorsement would not help him win anything.Maybe some of the taxpayers that benifited from bruces tax laws will help him out
This is just another perfect example of the complete lack of integrity these bozos have. Each one is in it for himself and will turn on a fellow republican at the drop of a hat. Snakes, slimey, slithering opportunistic snakes, one and all.
When the going gets tough, the rats jump ship!
So, are they saying the Gov didn’t sign off on that mailer? I kind of doubt that.
“I don’t think anybody should be putting the governor in the position he was put in, where he was forced to go out and issue a statement saying he wasn’t supporting anybody,” said Charlie Summers, Maine’s secretary of state. “All of us have pictures of ourselves with Gov. LePage, but we don’t use them to fool people into thinking we’re being supported by him.”Tell you anything about Poliquin’s character?
Character? Haven’t heard that word used in ages for any republican candidate I know. Most of the party has been corrupted by “all about me” teapartiers.
Why would ANYBODY claim to be associated with Lepage?
I personally like Poliquin as the Republican candidate for Senate. Some of the others appear too moderate and won’t even try to change Washington, DC into a more fiscally conservative place. Is he aggressive? Yes! Will he do what it takes to win? Yes! I fear that the other Republicans will merely run weak, lackluster campaigns that won’t even make a dent into the Angus King armor.
This planned kerfuffle allows front runner Charlie Summers to show some distance from Lepage while at the same time he is acting like a jealous lover over the Poliquin/Lepage bro-mance.
I don’t think anyone in the Maine GOP is smart enough to plan such a nuanced scheme. They must have gotten some help from the national party wonks.
It shows just how much of a liability, Lepage is to the Republican party bosses.