Press Releases
For
Immediate Release:
July 13, 2010
Contact:
Mary Erin Casale
mecasale@mainedems.org
(207) 622-6233
Dems Call on LePage to Explain Controversial Statements
PORTLAND- Tuesday, Maine Democrats called on Paul LePage to clarify his
controversial statements on human rights and to reject his Party's
ultraconservative platform. Following the GOP convention in May, LePage was one
of only two Republican Candidates for Governor who refused to even reject
planks of the platform. Mayor Paul LePage, has openly called for the repeal of
the Maine Human Rights Act. The Act prohibits discrimination based on one's
race, color, sex, sexual orientation and religion. The sexual orientation
clause was an amendment to the Act that passed with broad support from Maine
voters in 2005. Yet Mr. LePage has said, "My thinking would be it clearly
needs to be brought back and reformed. It should be challenged and brought back
to the legislature."(http://recordings.talkshoe.com/rss52956.xml)
Mr. LePage's viewpoints seem to be falling in line with the recent Tea Party
takeover of the Maine GOP. During the May convention, a radical platform was passed
that espoused far right philosophies and conspiracy theories. The document
calls for the abolition of the Department of Education, makes the nonsensical
claim that 'freedom of religion is not freedom from religion' and demands that
the United States be removed from United Nations treaties. The platform
specifically rejects the 'Convention on the Rights of the Child'. This
important document spells out basic human rights for children, and insists that
governments must work to ensure basic human rights for children (http://www.unicef.org/crc/).
"The idea that human rights need to be 'challenged' and 'reformed' is
completely out of the mainstream," said Arden Manning, campaign manager
for Victory 2010. "These fringe views show that LePage is too extreme for
Maine. Mayor LePage says he doesn't want to run on social issues, yet he
continually campaigns on this very platform-at least when he is talking to
fringe media groups like the Aroostook Watchmen. If he really wants to stop
focusing on social issues, LePage needs to explain these controversial comments
and reject his Party's far right platform."
###
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