In yesterday’s Maine Sunday Telegram, editorial page editor Greg Kesich called Paul LePage out on his claims that he’s changed, saying “if that sounds like a new Paul LePage, it’s only because memories are short.”
In the column, Kesich points out that LePage’s newest plank of his campaign stump speech neatly resembles his 2010 campaign, where he promised an expansion of free public education by adding another year to high-school. According to Kesich, LePage’s plan failed miserably because, while he tried to talk a big game, LePage was never willing to put his money where his mouth was and fund the policy. As Kesich said, “LePage was pretty successful at calling people names or threatening them. He could veto bills, hold discretionary funds hostage or even shut down the government to get his way. But if it took getting a large number of people with different interests to work together on a long-term plan to transform a long-established system, he was not your guy.”
“Paul LePage can claim all he wants about how much he’s changed—it’s clear that Maine people aren’t buying it,” said Gaetan Davis, Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party. “We know that he’s just the same old snake oil salesman who made sweeping promises but for eight years, delivered nothing but failure. We won’t let LePage drag us backward again."
Read the full op-ed here.