There are probably not many Republicans who won’t be delighted in a couple of weeks to flip their wall calendars and bury the gloomy page of November deep beneath the rest of 2012.
Let’s face it, there are not a lot of things going right for the Republican Party at this particular moment.
But here in Maine some may see even a greater ray of relief looming on the horizon with the emergence of December, for it signifies the end of Charlie Webster’s term as state chairman of the GOP.
It must be worthy of at least a moment of gratitude by even the most battle-worn Republicans.
Much like Gov. Paul LePage, Webster refers to himself as a sort of truth-telling, plain-speaking, politically incorrect, true blue Mainer when he says something foolish.
Like he did this week when he revealed to longtime TV journalist Don Carrigan that “in some parts of Maine, there were dozens, dozens of black people who came in and voted on Election Day.”
And of course, with the camera rolling, he continued.
“Everybody has a right to vote but nobody in [these] towns knows anyone who’s black. How did that happen? I don’t know, but we’re going to find out,” he warned ominously.
Well, perhaps ominously is the wrong word. It’s pretty hard to look at or listen to Charlie Webster and be too fearful of anything, but it’s not for lack of trying on his part.
Just two years ago he marched into the Secretary of State’s Office with a list of 200 names of out-of-state Maine college students who he alleged committed voter fraud during the 2010 election.
Of course, he immediately gathered the press before him in the State House to deliver his oh-so keen observances and allegations.
“I am convinced that my research proves that [voter] fraud is a problem, and I’ve only found the tip of the iceberg,” he proclaimed at the time.
Secretary of State Charlie Summers, a gentleman of Webster’s own political party, found the 2010 allegations were unsubstantiated and earlier this week announced that his office had no complaints of alleged voter fraud from any precincts in the Nov. 6 election and seemingly brushed off Webster’s latest tirade.
Anyway, Webster has since apologized, kind of, and said any accusation that his allegation that black people were brought into Maine to vote was racist is offensive to him.
“I play basketball every Sunday with a black guy,” he said in his defense.
Enough, said Mr. Webster. Enjoy your retirement.
•••
Now, moving on to what I really wanted to write about for the past two weeks.
I’ve wanted to ask Bangor Schools Superintendent Betsy Webb the status of the investigation into her assistant Robert Lucy.
Lucy, you may recall, was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 19 after the Bangor Daily News published a story stating that the Maine Department of Education had investigated claims of “testing irregularities” at Orono Middle School while Lucy was the principal there in 2011.
At least two teachers claimed to have felt pushed and intimidated by Lucy into readministering the test to some students, a clear violation of standardized testing regulations.
The department found “incontrovertible evidence” that some students did revisit the New England Common Assessment Program after the permitted time.
Webb said she had no knowledge of the investigation into Lucy’s actions when she hired him in May 2012 as her assistant, and the superintendent of the Orono school system agreed that he never mentioned the investigation to Webb during Lucy’s hiring process.
The Bangor School Department is using attorney Daniel Stockford of Lewiston to conduct its investigation into the matter.
We’re nearly at the two-month mark and apparently Lucy remains on paid administrative leave, perhaps for good reason. A few people I know had asked how the investigation was coming along. It’s not an unreasonable or tough question. I thought I’d call and ask.
I called Dr. Webb’s office last Thursday but she was on the phone and would have to call me back. The next day I received an email indicating they had misplaced my phone number. I called the office again and left my number again.
The day went by and this week went by and no return call.
Perhaps some of you will have better luck.
Renee Ordway can be reached at reneeordway@gmail.com.
Charlie Webster is the face of the GOP.
No prominent Republican has condemned him.
While he maybe leaving the GOP status quo is what it is.
Because these comments are so incredibly stupid most of us take them for slips of the tongue. And there’s much to be said for a reaction of ‘pity not scorn’. But a troubling pattern is running through the Republican Party that’s worth noting.
Mr. Webster’s fabrication of black lawbreakers traveling through rural Maine on election day is racist and is designed to inflame racist feelings. Days after his remarks he remains Maine’s Republican Chairman.
Mr. Romney’s secretly recorded statement that, as President, he would not concern himself with the poorer 47% of Americans was taken by many as a politician’s typical pandering to campaign donors…that is until after the election when he blamed that 47% for is opponent’s win.
At noon on Election Day Republican public relations organ FOX News trained cameras on a black poll watcher in Philadelphia dressed in black jacket, black pants and black cap suggesting he was intimidating voters at the polls. The very agitated person showing me the FOX News report in his laptop was a Maine Tea Party poll watcher wearing black jacket, pants and hat. My Tea Party friend couldn’t understand why his Negro twin in Philadelphia wasn’t being arrested for doing the same thing he himself was doing here in Maine.
Elements, including leaders, of the Republican Party here in Maine and nationally are blatantly racist in their beliefs and need to be called out on it.
whats worse…that someone would notice a group of african americans arriving on a bus into a district that doesn’t have a noticiable population of african americans and say ‘thats out of place, I should look into that’……OR….that someone would bus in african americans to bolster voting in any particular district…..discredit, distract, show outrage, cry racist all you want…the basic question still stands…
Even crazy Charlie never claimed the African Americans arrived on buses. Your straw man is so weak it falls over on it’s own and you don’t even have to knock it down1
.
The 2010 census shows thousands of African Americans living in rural Maine. Why are you so shocked and concerned that a few hundred of them may have had the audacity to vote?
chnage the argument much….just reviewing…oh yes…al the time…
How is making a comment that is in direct response to your comment and does nothing but address the content of your comment an attempt to “chnage(sic) the argument”?
What buses?
No one bused in African Americans. You don’t even know what you are talking about. But keep watching that Fox news or whatever other extremist right wing thing you read or watch, with all their histrionics.
should not have used the term ‘bus’……but the discussion doesnt change…..many town officials have said many people of color ‘that were not known to town officials and local officials who stood at the polls shaking hands, etc….these are people who have lived in these communities for many many years….doesnt mean people dont move into rural maine….just means mr. websters observations warrent further review…no more, no less….remember, african american population is at about .001% ….its not racist science….i mean rocket….
Your post demonstrates , so clearly, why your side lost.
You might educate yourself some time.
DUDE you don’t see everyone that lives in your town, not even close. I don’t care if you live in brooks, monmouth etc, you don’t even no or see half the people who live in your town. Not everyone lives on main street. I lived in monmouth on 3 acres, no one knew me, i would commute out of town for all my shopping. I never ever saw those town officials before i voted. I don’t blame black people for not wanting to associate with the locals, most of them sound a little crazy, like you. Also if these people saw african american vote then so what? guess what they had there names listed in the town or they were able to register to vote, how did that happen?
It’s funny how last year it was college student’s and now this year it’s black people, ironically both are who republicans loath. Next year it will be woman?
No need to deflate the number to bolster your argument. It’s already a tiny percentage (1.3% – per census data.)
No “many town officials” said no such thing. Our Maine Secretary of State, Republcian Charlie Summers, issued a statement that not even one town has filed paperwork indicating the slightest irregularity. NOT. ONE. TOWN.
Webster claims that “friends of his” told him this and he was too dishonest and too lazy to even bother to check with officials of the towns.
The GOP loved him when he was cheating the Ron Paul supporters, now not so much.
What goes around.. comes around.. The adage proved true. Another first in the purifing rebuild of the republican party from the fire ash. Webster was pure poison for the GOP and many real Maine republicans sat out the election after Webster decided the “eat your own” tactic” when purging Libertarians from his little corrupt fiefdom.
yes because that is what the democratic party does when IT loses….they rebuild from the ‘chaff’….no…no they dont…..they double down on thier agenda against the rich and working class….put new people in place and march forward….just like the republicans will do….
Not exactly. There is no populist movement on the left that matches (matched) what the tea party did on the right. Though I don’t admire tp politics, I admired their drive and ability to leverage it. The occupy folks truly could learn a few things from them on how to get something done vs just making noise.
That said, despite all the suggestions that the Democrats are dragging us down into socialism, they really haven’t changed a whole lot. No doubling down, no jumps to extremes. Steady as she goes. The Republicans have generally done the same thing. Though 2010 marked a dramatic shift. That’s the difference.
Someone in the working class that voted Republican is just plain stupid. They cast their votes against their own best interests unless you actually believe in Reaganomics. We’re still waiting for the “trickle down.” The Republicans have only shown themselves to favor the wealthy and not the working class or poor.
It reminds me of the GOP’s sudden embrace of Romney and, now, how swiftly they have abandoned him. Their affection has less to do with integrity than power-hunger.
Same as keeping their support for Akin and Mourdock. Pathetic and disgusting abuse of power.
It is amazing how that is happening. Poor Mitt is going to be left all alone with his garage elevators at this rate…..going up and down…..up and down……
Everyone will breath a sigh of relief when the only ones who will have to listen to Mr. Webster ‘s disturbing thoughts will be his family dog or cat. It’s too early in the morning for an actual drink but I’ll give ya a toast with my coffee, everyone raise your cups and say, Happy retirement Charlie!
“Republicans will breathe sigh of relief upon Webster’s exit”
Yeah but what about the comic relief that the rest of us relied on coming out of the ,racist but not racist party. Now we are left to rely on Mr proven foot in mouth LiarPage, he is good but Chuckles was gaining on him.
We have all had some time to view Republican extremists and their mindless bluster…it drives people away…moderation, centrism, restraint: that’s appealing politics for the masses!..By the way, as a former Marine (old guy) I’d like to say that, if any Republican had ok’d the Bin Laden operation, it would have been the absolute focus of the election!
You are right. The Republicans would have never stopped talking about it….freedom, making this country safe,etc. But they had nothing. They did not even win over enough voters with any talking points about the economy either.
Betsy couldn’t dial a phone to get back to you because her hand was sore from patting herself on the back after receiving that joke of an award. How dare you rain on her parade, Ms. Ordway?
Hurray Ms Webb call Ms Ordway back. Obviously you were to be her target this week but Mr Webster stole your limelight (for not calling back). Ms Ordway can get herself into a real snit if you don’t return her calls. Just ask retired Police Chief Gastia.
Charlie isn’t a bad guy. He was paid to do a job, he gave the GOP what they paid him to do. He did and said WHAT THEY DARED NOT.
The GOP leadership hid in the shadows, rubbing their hands in excitement for his junk yard dog tactics.Having felt the loss of votes however, the COWARDs threw Charlie from the bus. I mean for cripe sakes, they even got him to apologize for throwing himself under his own bus?
He was part of the reason why the TeaPubs suffered their political SUICIDE in this last election, and your mode of thinking is why they will continue to do so as they sink every deeper into radical FAKE NEW Rush LimpMind non-reality world.
They thought going extreme tea party style was the wave of the future, so let the “junk yard dogs” take over. They were wrong. It was a fad, a flash in the pan…and they’ve paid the price. Hopefully lesson learned.
just because no precincts complained of fraud , doesn’t mean it wasn’t there……
Thanks for your effort to learn the status of Robert Lucy as he continues his paid leave. Bangor taxpayers familiar with the painful process of cutting public school budgets every year are troubled by this waste of money. How long can it take before a decision is made on Lucy’s continued employment in Bangor? The state provided ample evidence of some interference by someone while Lucy was in charge of testing for the Orono Middle School. Betsy Webb’s refusal to discuss the matter with someone as respected as Ordway is disgraceful. Maybe she was too busy planning the celebration of her Supt. of the Year Award.
“Evidence of some interference by someone” is sufficient cause for a public hanging?
What “public hanging”? The evidence, of course, pinpointed Lucy, and I was only giving the possibility that it was someone else. The bigger point is the waste of good taxpayer money by a school system that is too arrogant to respond to a highly respected newspaper writer’s quite reasonable question. Meanwhile Lucy enjoys his paid vacation and has his UMaine football broadcasting duties.
Pretty sure it is illegal to discuss personal matters with reporters …
Am not a lawyer, but I’d think that it would not violate the sanctity of “personal matters” to give the taxpayers some sense of when our precious dollars would no longer be paying Lucy’s handsome salary for doing nothing save broadcasting UME football (for which, of course, he gets free admission to all games). It’s always so convenient for those who want to hide things to use the cover of “personal matters.” It’s also very much a public matter as a reflection of Webb’s hiring policy once a decision is made. If he’s terminated, he ought to return his full salary but obviously won’t.
Until the investigation is done the man is facing nothing more than allegations and it is purely a personal matter. After the investigation is complete then, and only then, findings should be made public.
I did not suggest that the investigation be made public before it is concluded. But investigations of far more weighty matters at the highest levels can be characterized as close to conclusion or far from conclusion or something else without compromising the person’s legal status/reputation. Or does the Bangor School System have a “higher standard”? Meanwhile Webb’s refusal to contact Ordway for even this kind of response makes many of us suspicious. You seem to ignore the fact that the state has already investigated the situation even if it didn’t “name names.” It’s not as if this is all beginning just now–or just two months ago. The Republicans who run the School System and who hired Mr. Republican Lucy are hardly free from suspicion.
Your original comment certainly seems to be calling for an immediate conclusion and public disclosure.
Glad you changed your mind.
How do claim you know whom he votes for and what his political views are?? Oh, wait,… I forgot, you work at the digital news desk at the BDN and Bunyan1 is just one of the many personas of newspaper employees that sit there and make comments online in an effort to generate posts from readers. Because each click that is made is something you can show your advertisers that you are still relevant. It is very sad that you have to stoop that low to try to keep the BDN on its already very fragile life support. The Bangor Daily News used to be fairly well respected now it is just a joke. Sleazy journalism!!
The Lucy family includes a lawyer recently named a Maine judge by Gov. LePage and a successful businessman. The three brothers and their father are well known Republicans. It’s not exactly a secret, save perhaps to you. Webb also comes from a solid Republican family. Again not exactly a secret. End of story.
After a long time Republican, I have to say that Webster is not the issue. The issue is that the R party has morphed into the party of Tim McViegh, Randy Weaver, and Donald Trump. They are anti-worker, anti union, and except for a few tokens, anti minority.
I’m done. Next month I will be an Independent, leaving my membership in the Klan party behind. Please be advised the R’s were not always the party they are today. back when I first joined they were the libertarians, the reform party, and the party opposed to the Vietnam conflict.
No one’s going to blame you one bit. The introspective nature of your comment here is likely what’s separating you from the current GOP/Tea Party leadership. They falsely believe that most folks are dumb enough to believe anything (if told it enough times) or follow any path no matter how revolting it is to the society as a whole. They have been and are wrong. Welcome to independence!
If any good can come out of this 2012 Republican debacle, I hope it is that reasonable people everywhere will turn off FauxNoise and rejoin the human race. We are all Americans. Don’t let the hate flourish.
He has made Maine the laughing stock of the national media (I don’t watch Fox so I assume he is a hero there) even eclipsing our genius of a governor (for the moment anyway)
So where were Raye, Nutting, LePage and other prominent Maine Republicans. They apparently didn’t find Charlie’s racism as odious as the rest of the people in the state and country. Their silence on this issue is deafening.
This does not look like the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln. At the beginning of the Republican party, the blue states were in the south and the red states were in the north. Looking at the red/blue divide in the most recent election, one sees almost a complete reversal. The Republican party has appealed to the Bible thumpers of the South and Midwest, but in so doing have jumped on the wrong side of social and moral issues. They have made the distinction between church and state very hazy.
They are so self absorbed in their pouting over the trouncing they took, they probably have no idea what is going on in the world.
At last, here’s something both Republicans and Democrats will both embrace.
The best way to spot a racist is to focus on what they say when they are trying to argue that they aren’t racist. You play basketball with a black guy, do you Charlie?
Some of my best friends are …
According to the US Census there are thousands of African Americans in rural Maine. In fact there are 500 just in Aroostook County!
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23/23003.html