Maine’s new governor, Paul Lepage, nearly blew his election bid with his direct sometimes crass style. Now that he has moved into the Blaine House he continues to rankle his opponents by living up to his campaign promises and speaking his mind regardless of PC considerations or political consequences.
On his first day in office Governor Lepage signed an executive order allowing state officials to question the immigration status of individuals requesting state services. This would most significantly impact offices of the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Health and Human Services. This policy reversed eight years of illegal alien friendly policies in the state. In his final days in office the outgoing governor pardoned several legal resident aliens who were facing deportation as a result of their crimes, and was in general soft on immigration issues. The new governor’s policies are a breath of fresh air to conservatives around the state.
Despite a planned protest of this policy in Portland over the weekend, a city that had a question on the November ballot that would have given resident aliens the right to vote in municipal elections, this decision hasn’t brought the loudest complaints of his first two weeks in office. Last week Governor Lepage declined to participate in NAACP events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Later in the week when asked how people might perceive his decision he responded “tell them to kiss my butt”. This answer has brought the new governor national attention. Now I will freely admit that the Governor’s choice of words was questionable, but he holds the opinion that no special interest is more important than the needs of all Mainers, and during these difficult times he only wants to deal with issues that affect the entire state. The NAACP of course took exception to this referring to themselves as a “public interest” rather than a special interest.
Conservatives around the nation should look to Governor Lepage as an example. This is no time to be worrying about people’s feelings. It is time to focus on the issues that affect all citizens, and stop worrying about the interests of a select few. The ridiculous amount of time spent by a lame duck congress on don’t ask don’t tell, or the endless referendums around the country on gay marriage come to mind as recent examples of misplaced energies. As much as the NAACP my resent it, they too are a special interest group. Their very name identifies them as such. As a white, male, middle income taxpayer I fail to see how they serve the “public interest”, and could write and entire commentary on how they and their liberal allies have failed the special interests they do represent.
New Republican leaders around the country have come to power in towns, cities, states, and a country in crisis. It is time for bold action, not tiptoeing around trying not to offend people. The Governor could have used more sophisticated language in expressing his view, but that is not his style. Whatever the language chosen his intentions were right on. In these trying times we need effective leadership and effective leaders rarely have the love of all they serve, but it that really the goal? We need results not adoration. I urge Republican and conservative leaders around the country to take a page from Governor Lepage’s playbook. Say what must be said and do what must be done. Stand tall and lead us from the mess we find ourselves in.
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