Maine Gov LePage will not attend convention over dispute about Paul delegates

[tsai3904]

Gov. Paul LePage said Friday that he will not attend the Republican National Convention, citing the ongoing dispute between Maine delegates who support Ron Paul and national party leaders.

LePage announced his plan to skp the GOP convention on Friday, the same day that the pro-Paul delegates lost their official appeal of a decision to replace 10 of their 20 members with delegates likely to support Mitt Romney.

“I made it clear, when the challenge was issued, that I felt the Maine delegates selected at the Maine convention should be seated in Tampa,” LePage said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that not all of these delegates will be seated.”

Instead, LePage said he would spend the time focusing on “state business and spending some time with family.”

More at link:
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/LePage-skipping-GOP-convention-due-to-flap-over-Ron-Paul-delegates.html

[wgadget]

Wow, someone who actually keeps his word. Impressive.

[FSP-Rebel]

I honestly hope this guy runs for Senator in the near future. He definitely has a pair and would be a nice addition to club Rand.

[nobody's_hero]

A respectable decision. Seems like he realizes that the GOP establishment is shi**ing all over young people and new members.

[Lightweis]

+Rep for Lepage!

[Carehn]

Whats his record like. He seems to have integrity. but whats his record like???

[ClydeCoulter]

Whats his record like. He seems to have integrity. but whats his record like???

It is worth looking in to. If his record and his common sense match his integrity, he just might be persuaded toward the message.

[sailingaway]

We have got to work like hell for this guy. I will forget. PLEASE someone in Maine post his campaign page here when he is running!

(SEE GOP? That's the way to do it. we love our guy and go to the ends of the earth for those who go to the extra mile for Ron -- and in this case -- for integrity of the process.)

Also, I can't see this doing anything but help him in the election in Maine.

[sailingaway]

It is worth looking in to. If his record and his common sense match his integrity, he just might be persuaded toward the message.

I understand he is what they call 'tea party' and not liked by establishment and Ron met with him. His wife is one of our delegates. I don't know details and we need them, but not as much for Governor as for federal office on some points.

[CPUd]

LePage 2016 !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_LePage

Although it says his parents are French-Canadian, those type details don't seem to matter these days...

[twomp]

The RNC deserves some blow back for this. I wish the Democrats and Obama find their way to this somehow and use it against Romney. Look at how the GOP and Romney cheats and treats their own. That would make for a great 30 second commerical imo.

[sailingaway]

LePage 2016 !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_LePage



Let's look into it. Some details don't matter as much at the state as at the federal level, and we'd need to know where he stands. He's up for election 2014 isn't he? I thought I saw that somewhere.

[Agorism]

Awesome, random governor is protesting the Romney sham convention.

So this means Rand Paul is protesting the convention to right?

[Kodaddy]

Integrity...you can't buy it...

[LibertyEagle]

Good for him!

[Paulistinian]

Would love to see his record. I like his integrity.

[Dissent]

During his time as mayor, LePage reorganized city hall, lowered taxes, and increased the city's rainy day fund balance from $1 million to $10 million.[10]

[Dissent]

In his victory speech, LePage promised he would shrink government, lower taxes, decrease business regulation, and put "Maine people ahead of politics."[3]

Economy
LePage has said that the permitting process to start a business in Maine is too cumbersome and expensive and he will look for ways to make it cheaper and easier.[40][41][42] LePage opposes raising any taxes during his term as governor and supports the creation of a 5% flat tax on all households earning more than $30,000. During the gubernatorial campaign, he also wanted to reduce the auto registration tax by 20% and use the actual sale price rather than MSRP as the tax basis.[40][42]
[edit]Education
LePage supports a school voucher system and structuring pay to reward teachers for performance. He has stated that curriculum should be determined by local school boards, but that he does not object to teaching creationism in public schools.[41]
[edit]Energy and environment
LePage supports not only the development of hydroelectric, nuclear, wind, solar, and tidal power within Maine, but also tax incentives for energy conservation initiatives. He has said he would support shallow-water offshore drilling in Maine waters, but not deep-water drilling, which he considers more hazardous. He believes that government policies should consider the effect of greenhouse gases, but opposes regulation, saying he is not convinced that greenhouse gases from human activities are a significant contributor to climate change.[41][42] He has stated that some requirements for environmental impact studies should be reduced or weakened because they frequently impose undue burden on economic activity.[43]
In February 2011, LePage drew criticism from environmentalists when he proposed zoning 10 million acres (40,000 km2) of northern Maine for development, repealing laws that require manufacturers to take back recyclable goods for disposal, and other sweeping changes to environmental laws. In a statement LePage said, "Job creation and investment opportunities are being lost because we do not have a fair balance between our economic interests and the need to protect the environment."[44][45][46] Lisa Pohlmann, executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine — one of the state's largest and oldest environmental advocacy groups — replied to his proposed changes saying, "We are shocked and stunned."[44] Maureen Drouin, executive director of the Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund, said, "A dirty environment is no way to bring new jobs to Maine."[47][48]
In June 2012, LePage criticized the removal of the Great Works dam on the Penobscot River in Old Town to enhance the migration of fish in the river, despite the project leading to no loss of electricity generation, calling the removal of hydroelectric dams in general "irresponsible".[49] In August 2012, he was reported saying that he supported efforts to invest in renewable energy, though only ones he thought were both economically feasible and effective: “There are renewables that work,” he said. “Like hydro, hydro and more hydro.”[50]
In the same report,[50] he said that wind could not support the baseload energy needs of the state, calling it a “boutique energy source.”
[edit]Government reform
LePage expressed an intent to reform welfare eligibility requirements, though he did not specify how he would do so. He also supports lifetime limits on welfare support, requiring recipients to perform work in the community, and a tiered payment system that gradually removes benefits as recipients earn more money working, rather than cutting them off entirely at a certain income level.[41] He has stated that the size of state government is likely too large and that he would probably seek to reduce the number of state employees.[41]
[edit]Health care
He has called for repeal of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, saying he believes it is unconstitutional, and had encouraged Maine's attorney general William Schneider to join the federal lawsuit by other state attorneys general challenging the bill. Upon the United States Supreme Court's ruling upholding the majority of the act, LePage stated that the law was an "enormous tax" and that "Washington, D.C., now has the power to dictate how we, as Americans, live our lives." [51] He later referred to the Internal Revenue Service, who is charged with enforcing the insurance mandate, as "the new Gestapo" and that the "decision has made America less free".[52] He has also compared the ACA with Canada's health care system, stating that Canada rations care and that many Canadians come to the U.S. to get treatment because of it, and that similar rationing here would result in deaths.[53]
He has said that coverage mandates for Maine insurance policies should be pared back because they make insurance policies too expensive. He believes that MaineCare, the state Medicaid program, has too many enrollees and is too easy to qualify for.[41]
[edit]LGBT issues
LePage opposes allowing same-sex couples to marry; however, in a 2009 interview with right-of-center Maine political blog Pine Tree Politics, he voiced support for civil unions, saying, "if you're going to get married by the State, it's a civil union, period. Whether you're a homosexual, lesbian, heterosexual. Everybody. That way everybody gets the same legal standing."[54] LePage was critical of the Maine Education Associations' support of the 2012 same-sex marriage initiative, feeling that the union's taking of political positions hurt the education of Maine students.[55]
On the topic of transgender students in grades K-12, he said he did not understand "how people, at least sane people, would want to allow transgender in our primary schools and our high schools."[56] LePage then pledged to oppose legislation for transgendered students, saying, "I think it's gone too far and we have to push back. As governor, I would never allow that to be signed into law."[56]

[robert9712000]

The title should be changed from a dispute with Paul delegates too a dispute about Paul delegates.When i first saw it i thought it was about issues he had with the Paul people,

[Tod]

That is great! A man who keeps his word.


As an aside, notice the pic of the woman with the stupid do-dad on her face? Why do some of these Ron Paul supporters go out of their way to look like crazy dingbats? Are they trying to hurt the movement?

[sailingaway]

That is great! A man who keeps his word.


As an aside, notice the pic of the woman with the stupid do-dad on her face? Why do some of these Ron Paul supporters go out of their way to look like crazy dingbats? Are they trying to hurt the movement?

to be fair, that is a convention tradition for some women of a certain age.

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/amgov/3234/week_2/06122012_conventionhats_jpg_600.jpg

And for some men, as well....

http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/wp-content/blogs.dir/1931/files/texas-republican-convention-2012/19812940-2012-texas-gop-convention-5-06-07-2012.jpg

[Paulistinian]

I'm liking LePage... Could he be the RPRevolution standard bearer and not Rand?

[RickyJ]

Awesome, random governor is protesting the Romney sham convention.

So this means Rand Paul is protesting the convention to right?

Apparently LePage didn't get the memo that he HAD to endorse Romney like Rand did.

[tsai3904]

Apparently LePage didn't get the memo that he HAD to endorse Romney like Rand did.

This was part of the Governor's statement:


I am hopeful that we can put this behind us and focus on the real issues affecting our nation. Our nation’s economy is struggling to recover and Governor Romney has put forward an agenda that will help us turn it around

[BSU kid]

This Article (http://www.wabi.tv/news/32844/governor-lepage-will-not-attend-republican-national-convention) conveniently leaves out why LePage decided not to go.