In the wake of revelations that Paul LePage threatened to “deck” a Maine Democratic Party staffer and has been spreading lies about Maine’s election systems, Paul LePage once again spent the week under fire. According to letter writers from around the state, the incidents show he’s the same old Paul LePage, who can’t be trusted to govern our state again:

Luanne Napoli, South Portland: Paul LePage has put Maine into the national headlines again, for all the wrong reasons. The national media picked up on his threat to “deck” a Democratic Party staffer, who was filming an event, on Aug. 14…Maine has survived a pandemic and more under Janet Mills’ steady hand without the violent, cruel rhetoric and policies of Paul LePage. And yet, he feels entitled to a third term as governor. The state is so over Paul LePage. We’ve moved on. It’s time he did, too.

Robert Klose, Orono: Whether it’s referring to student protesters at the University of Maine at Farmington as “idiots,” criticizing the accents of immigrants from India, saying President Barack Obama can “go to hell,” describing the IRS in terms of the Holocaust or leaving a profanity-laced voice message on the phone of an opposition legislator, he has reflected an alarming level of immaturity…Most recently, he threatened to “deck” a Democratic tracker in Madawaska (thus putting to rest any argument about the “new” LePage who had learned his lesson).

David Basley, Ashland: “Six feet away, or I’m going to deck you.” The “new” Paul LePage, Republican candidate for governor still sounds like the “old” former Gov. Paul LePage. A tiger can’t change his stripes.

Craig Kesselheim, Southwest Harbor: Embedded in the Aug. 17 story titled “False LePage claim shows GOP balancing act on voting,” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows offers a quote that I might just tape to our refrigerator. “To suggest otherwise is a lie.” She is directly addressing Paul LePage’s false assertion that some Mainers might be voting fraudulently. That quote pretty much applies to a whole lot of GOP statements and stances both locally and across our country, and it represents a willingness to deceive in pursuit of power. I think LePage will come up with a lot more deception and fear-mongering between now and November. Count on it.