More craziness from one of America's favorite crazy Governors:
https://bangordailynews.com/...
He insisted on calling them illegal aliens and explained that “what most people in Maine don’t want to acknowledge is that the ‘il’ makes it unlawful,” referring to the spelling of the word “illegal.”
“They are going to our schools, and that’s a real problem for me,” said LePage, who is running against Democrat Mike Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler.
“If we can’t build a fence high enough … we ought to go to China and see how they built a wall,” he said, which got laughs. - Bangor Daily News, 9/3/14
Now here's the reality of the situation:
http://thinkprogress.org/...
But in reality, Americans don’t need to spend 2,000 years mimicking China’s impressive accomplishment; the U.S. border is currently more secure than ever before.
Border agents already patrol every single mile of the border every day and run checkpoints as far away as 100 miles of any U.S. “external boundary.” Federal funding on border expenditures has tripled since 2002, with the country spending $18 billion on immigration enforcement in the 2012 fiscal year, more than every other federal law enforcement agency combined. As a result, the vast majority of the border already meets one of Homeland Security’s top three certifications for security and overall, the number of immigrants caught sneaking into the country “remains at near historic low levels.” - Think Progress, 9/4/14
It's crazy, stupid shit like this that might make the GOP nervous about LePage's chances, hence why they're resorting to this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
The Democratic governor of Colorado is soft on a convicted killer and the Democrats' hopeful in Maine would dole out millions in tax dollars to immigrants in the country illegally, the Republican Governors Association tells voters in ads that started running Tuesday.
The emotionally charged spots are just the latest examples of unflinching ads from the GOP governors' political arm, which is run by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The highly critical ads come as polls show both Colorado and Maine to be tight races — and the latest finance reports show the Republicans' committee with more than $70 million saved to help GOP candidates.
The ads are against Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a first-term Democrat who is in a tight race against former Rep. Bob Beauprez, and Democratic Rep. Mike Michaud, who is challenging deeply unpopular first-term Gov. Paul LePage in Maine.
The RGA was already advertising in those races and the new ads will take the place of earlier ones. In Colorado, that means $700,000 in Denver and Colorado Springs will be spent on the ad; in Maine, it's a $500,000 buy in Portland.
Maine, whose population of 1.3 million is about 94 percent white, is home to an estimated 55,000 immigrants and relies heavily on migrant workers for its blueberry harvest every August.
For months, LePage has hammered Michaud on immigration — in a state almost 2,500 miles from the U.S.-Mexican border. LePage touts his directive that cities and towns not provide welfare benefits to those who can't prove they are living in the country legally.
In Congress, Michaud supported the 2010 DREAM Act, which would have granted legal status to hundreds of thousands of immigrant students. Michaud also opposed the 2006 Border Security Bill, which would have built a 700-mile fence along the United States' southern border.
Republicans said Michaud favored immigrants over Maine residents.
"Do you think Maine's cities and towns should continue to use your tax dollars to pay welfare benefits to illegal immigrants?" the 30-second ad's narrator asks. "Mike Michaud does."
Michaud's campaign said the RGA is an attack rooted in politics, not facts.
"It is a distortion of the congressman's record and it's untrue," said David Farmer, a senior adviser to the Michaud campaign. - Huffington Post, 9/2/14
And this:
http://bangordailynews.com/...
The Maine Republican Party sent out three ads in the mail deceitfully attacking Michaud in the last few weeks, but one in particular caught my eye: an ad attacking Michaud for a decades-old bill he sponsored while a state senator. The ad calls then-Sen. Michaud’s bill a “job-killer” for those employed at Great Northern Paper Co. This is blatantly false. Michaud’s bill, which passed with unanimous support, actually saved jobs and helped the mill stay in business.
What’s even more disheartening is Republican Party Chair Rick Bennett allowed this mailer to be sent to homes across the state, even though he also voted in favor of the same bill when he was in the state Senate. The ad fails to mention Michaud’s bill had the full support of the mill’s owners and workers at the time. In fact, the bill received strong unanimous support from both Republicans and Democrats and was signed into law by independent Gov. Angus King.
How do I know this? I had the privilege of representing this area of Maine in the state Senate for nine terms. I grew up seeing firsthand the expansion of the Great Northern Paper Co.’s hydroelectric system with my father working in the system. Throughout my legislative career, I paid close attention to protecting the water resources and the abundance of low-cost electricity first identified in the late 1860s that created the economic foundation for the Great Northern Paper Co. and I wrote the original statute that tied the hydro system to the mills. That law was amended by then- Sen. Michaud’s bill a decade later.
I also know there were no easy decisions being made during that trying time. But, thanks to the help of then-Sen. Michaud, a law was enacted that protects jobs at the mill, allowing the owners to sell the hydropower dams. It was no secret the sale allowed Great Northern to pay for upgrades to their paper machine. It gave owners needed capital to invest in the mills, to rebuild its operation to remain viable in a changing market. The entire local delegation — Michaud, Reps. Joseph Clark and Steve Stanley — and the Maine Legislature listened to the needs and wants of the owners of the mill, and with the support of its workers, allowed the sale of the hydro system because it was best option available at that point in time. - Bangor Daily News, 9/3/14
Luckily Michaud has been getting some big names out on the campaign trail for him like this guy:
http://www.wcsh6.com/...
The race for governor has received a jolt of energy, as Democrat Mike Michaud gets support from former President Bill Clinton.
A crowd of 1,600 attended a rally at the Portland Expo Tuesday night.
"I believe he will make an unbelievable Governor," said President Clinton, to an energized crowd holding "We Like Mike" signs.
"Like you, I like Mike," said Clinton. "I like Mike because he has a philosophy, but not an ideology. He fights for what he believes in. But he's not going to tell you he's got all the answers and doesn't care what you think." - WCSH, 9/3/14
And this guy:
https://bangordailynews.com/...
Vice President Joe Biden addressed a crowd of more than 1,000 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery on Wednesday morning, throwing political star power behind a slate of Democratic candidates in both Maine and New Hampshire.
Biden was accompanied on the stage by Maine gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud and 1st District U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, as well as two members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
The visit may have aimed to boost Biden’s own political ambitions as well, as his boss, President Barack Obama, is serving his second and final term in office and nearby New Hampshire will hold the first of the 2016 presidential primaries in about 16 months.
Biden offered a bombastic condemnation of the Islamic State — often known by the acronym ISIS — which on Tuesday released video of its second purported beheading of an American journalist. He also talked about what he called the U.S. resurgence as a manufacturing leader and energy producer, and the need to grow the American middle class. - Bangor Daily News, 9/3/14
We can and will beat LePage, we just have to make sure our base comes out to the polls. Click here to donate and get involved with Michaud's campaign:
http://www.michaud2014.com/