SHUMLIN: LePage & Christie Are "Masters of the Absurd Tirade," "Embarrass" Their States

This afternoon, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Chair of the Democratic Governors Association, hosted a conference call with Maine Senate President Justin Alfond to discuss Governor Paul LePage’s “divisive, reckless, and ideological” tenure in office, which has proven to be an embarrassment to the people of Maine. While RGA Chair Chris Christie campaigned with LePage today, Shumlin pledged to do whatever it takes to ensure Mike Michaud is elected Maine’s next governor, and praised him for his bipartisan leadership on healthcare, education, the environment, and job creation.
As Governor Shumlin said: “LePage and Christie are free to campaign together all they want up in Maine – it’s merely a reminder to Mainers of the embarrassments of the LePage years and why Maine needs to turn the page on LePage.” Mainers need a governor who they can be proud of, which is why defeating Governor LePage and electing Mike Michaud is a top priority for the DGA.
Listen to the audio of Governor Shumlin’s remarks here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK4a-FpCD_4
TRANSCRIPT:
SHUMLIN: As many of you know today RGA Chair Christie, my counterpart, is visiting Maine to campaign for Governor LePage and from my perspective its makes perfect sense – they have a lot in common. Both Christie and LePage claim to be straight talkers who tell it like they see it.  But the truth is, as we’ve all learned the hard way, is they’re masters of the absurd tirade, which of often embarrasses the people of their perspective states.
Paul LePage’s antics and tirades have become a real distraction for the people of Maine, instead of the problem solver he promised to be when he was elected.  I’ll never forget when he came over to the state of Vermont, when I was running for reelection – don’t forget in Vermont we run every two years – and he came over to campaign for my opponent at the time and he compared the IRS to the Gestapo and the Affordable Care Act to the Holocaust. As you know he’s claimed that President Obama hates white people and stated that he wishes he could blow up Maine’s biggest newspaper and other tirades that have been embarrassment to the moderate and thoughtful people of the state of Maine.
Mainers need a governor they can be proud of, someone who will work with Democrats, Republicans, Independents in a civil way, to deliver jobs, opportunities and real solutions for the middle class.  That’s what the people of Maine expect and that’s what they want from a governor and that’s why Paul LePage has been such an embarrassment.  We all know that Paul LePage is simply too divisive, reckless and ideological to deliver the kind of governing that Mainers have come to expect. So that’s why Mike Michaud will be the next governor of the state of Maine and why we are going to work hard to do everything we can to make that happen.
We know and Mainers know, from his long service to the people in the state of Maine, that Mike Michaud works across the aisle to expand access to healthcare, he’s moved and worked hard to improve education so that every child in Maine can have a bright future, to protect the environment and most importantly to strengthen the middle class, and he’s fought for veterans every day of his elected life. LePage and Christie are free to campaign together all they want up in Maine, it’s merely a reminder to Mainers of the embarrassments of the LePage years and why Maine needs to turn the page on LePage.
 

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