Gov. Paul LePage will not attend the Republican National Convention next week after a GOP committee Friday overwhelmingly rejected Maine’s delegates to the convention in Tampa, Fla. The ousted delegates supported Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who long ago gave up his presidential bid but who had enthusiastic followers in Maine and several other states.
Most of Maine delegates chosen at the state convention were Paul supporters. The RNC instead has chosen a slate of delegates split between the libertarian congressman and Mitt Romney. Under the compromise, 10 delegates from Maine who support Paul will be seated, along with 10 Mitt Romney supporters.
Mark Willis, one of the Ron Paul delegates elected at the state convention, said Friday that the RNC credentialing committee decided at about noontime to uphold a recommendation released by the larger RNC Committee on Contests on Wednesday.
LePage’s decision not to attend the convention mirrored what he has said in the past he would do if all Maine’s delegates chosen at the state convention were not seated.
“I have decided not to attend the 2012 Republican National Convention and instead focus on state business and spending some time with family,” said LePage in the statement distributed at midday Friday. “I made it clear, when the challenge was issued, that I felt the Maine delegates selected at the Maine Convention should be seated in Tampa. It is unfortunate that not all of these delegates will be seated.”
LePage concluded his statement by saying Mitt Romney has an agenda that will help turn the nation’s economy around.
“I am hopeful that we can put this behind us and focus on the real issues affecting our nation,” he said.
Friday’s meeting was the last chance for the Paul delegates to make their case.
Earlier in the week, the RNC Committee on Contests issued a report that documented serious problems at the Maine GOP convention in May.
“The convention was riddled with serious credentialing, ballot and floor security issues affecting the election … of delegates,” the 26-page report concluded. The problems started, the report said, when the convention doors opened at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 5 and a line of people waiting to check in stretched a quarter mile across the parking lot.
Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party, said at around noon that he hadn’t heard officially the outcome of the deliberations, but expected the committee to follow the other RNC decisions in the case.
“I’ve tried to explain to the Ron Paul activists that they were not going to win because the RNC Contest Committee believes that Maine was the worst case in the country and the most likely one to lose,” he said. “Once they refused to accept compromise, it became impossible for them all to be seated. Everything changed when they refused compromise.”
Willis, who on Friday was driving to Tampa and the Republican National Convention despite the fact he has been stripped of his role as a delegate, said he and the other Ron Paul supporters who were named delegates at the state convention would gather in Florida to “show solidarity” for Paul.
“We still believe that we were the duly elected delegation,” said Willis. “Both the Paul and Romney campaigns put forward their people to be elected, and we won. If the Romney campaign really though that the convention was so bad, the worst convention in the history of mankind, they should have never elected any delegates. They should have filed a formal protest and walked out, but they didn’t. We won and they lost.”
Brent Tweed, who was elected chairman of the state convention, said Friday that he and the other Paul delegates who have been ousted “were disappointed but not shocked.”
“The deck was stacked against us,” he said. “Our lawyers made an excellent case but the credentialing committee had made up their minds. Basically it was a political decision that was made.”
Willis said he was pleased with LePage’s decision to back up his threat to boycott the national convention if Maine’s delegates were not seated.
“The governor is a man of his word,” said Willis. “It’s nice to know that he’s a man of principle.”
Bangor Daily News writer Robert Long contributed to this report.
Bad golfing weather, huh Paulie ?
Possible hurricanes will do that to you.
i’m sure he’ll be missed.
LOL
Yeah, like I miss my appendix!
Now I’ve heard it all! LePage now seems out to offend his own party. Shouldn’t he be out there showing support and team spirit? If he wants to spend time with his family, take them along.
88888
Well,at least we can all relax,and not worry about him saying anything to cause us any more shame
The Republican Party is in utter disarray. Letting these conflicted folks run our government would be a horrible mistake. They can’t even stand each other.
Just imagine how we feel about the liberals then.
Castro was a liberal compared to these people.
Hey,genius,liberals strive to be like castro. you should study the political spectrum before you try to make a point,no matter how incorrect.
I know. You’re full of ill-will for everybody except your own, it seems.
Nothing worse than what is in the White House and the mess we are in, and the deficit. Not to mention inching closer to a war with Syria and Iran.
Credit George Dubya Cheney-Bush, then.
Ryan/Romney would be more of the same made up, unconstitutional, self-appointed 4th branch of government clamming executive power zealots – except on steroids.
If you want out of the ditch, get rid of the right wing, religious, conservative, bat-crap crazy Teapublicans.
Are you going to keep crying about them until Obame gets out of office?
You mean instead of digging a deeper ditch then we are going. No way with Obama back in there will we get out of it, Obama Care will ruin the country. Biden is just a puppet. Oh do not forget who Signed NAFTA. And Barny Franks mess with the Savings and Loans.
I wonder who Obama will blame for the past 4 years IF he gets re-elected? We all know he isn’t capable of taking responsibility for his failures.
Did you miss 2001 to 2008?
people talking about it like this really don’t understand the depth of this. This has happened on both sides. Look at Carter and Kennedy, or Obama and Hilliary if you want something more recent. Our voting has nothing to do with how this country is run. It is going to the highest bidder, not who we want. With technology it is getting easier to do. If Romney was such a shoe in why do they need to cheat to make sure that Paul doesn’t have little old Maine. This is disgusting and people need to start waking up to how much these people are destroying this nation.
Political positions go to the highest bidder. Money buys the presidency; not necessarily to the best person to serve the people. It is a complete farce. Sooner or later our democracy will just crumble under lack of trust and the will of the people. Politicians just don’t listen to us anymore and are in it for the money. A corrupt system has been established over time.
Look at the one Lepage uses on the Maince.gov web page. It look like it was taken about 30 years ago and he still looks like a dufus.
let’s not forget what website we are on and what newspaper this is. of course they will try to find all the bad photo’s they can to use for Governor LePage. This is as liberal of a website/newspaper as it gets.
Three cheers for the guv. He put conviction ahead of politics!
Your comment here is the only comment of intelligence. The other comments reflect the dumming down in America. The Gov. does indeed stand tall.
He stands tall alright… as long as there is a bar there to prop him up.
I would lean up against a bar with our govna any-day. Especially if he brought along one of those Maine State EBT cards to cover the tab. That’s my liberal thought for the day. God Bless.
He stands round
Apparently many think comedy is in line. Actually it is part of the dumBing of America.
“Dumbing.”
I didn’t realize spellcheck was a real person, It must keep you busy..
Hammy and Bucket
Its been a long day but that is funny!!!!!
Thank you so very much for noting my spelling error. A broken wrist is not easy to type with.
The Repubs are probably breathing a sigh of relief that he won’t be there.
Yes we will feel much more comfortable knowing the our Governor will be staying in Maine forging ahead focusing on cleaning up Baldy’s mess
Thanks to Frank Perdue of the political world (Ron Paul) Maine looks pretty foolish-
*WeRLosingCivility- your name fits.
I know your not speaking for the ME GOP, the vote fully supported Romney, not Chicken Little..!
Maine doesn’t look foolish! We sent a strong message that we don’t have to follow your warped sense of what is right for some people and wrong for the majority. One thing Maine has always had is a clear and councious voice. We are tired and struggling because of the dysfunction of our politicians. We want positive change instead of spoonfed jargon.
Whew! That’s one less public embarrassment for Maine on the national stage.
Pride is a sin. I won’t worry about what others think.
Nah. You’ll just judge.
(see Matthew 7:1)
since when has speaking the truth, judging?
I am not a Paul LePage fan and I make no secret about it. I find the man to be rude, obnoxious, untrustworthy and a bully. Having said that I have to commend LePage taking this stance on the Republican National Convention. Most of us who grew up in Maine are familiar with how wood is split. You take a chunk of wood, place it upright, place a wedge into the center of the top and hit the wedge as hard as you can with a maul. The hoped for result is several sticks of wood. Watching what is happening in the Republican Party today is a lot like watching the wood spliting process. The Maine Republican Party has been at odds with itself for over 10 years now. It in no way resembles the party I joined way back in 1967. This party is so fractured that it was willing to sacrifice a sure thing in this falls election, Olympia Snowe, because the radical right factions of the party decided she wasn’t radical enough for their taste. Of course the only thing the far right of the party will accept is someone who marches in lockstep to their massively flawed ideology. The end result will probably be Angus King heading to Washington in January as Maine’s junior Senator. The nutcases have taken over our party. Last week we had Missouri’s nutcase Representative Akin with his “Legitimate Rape” (God only knows what that is) foolishness, but it doesn’t end there. Right next door in New Hampshire there is a Nutcase Tea Party Republican running for Sheriff who has said that if he were elected he would use deadly force to stop a legally licensed physician from performing an abortion. This insanity has to end. The Republican Party has to return to being the party of Lincoln, Ike, Smith and yes, Reagan. Next week The Republican Party will nominate Mitt Romney as it’s Candidate for President of the United States of America. The man reminds me of a recently caught fish who after being taken off the hook is tossed into the bottom of the boat and flip-flops all around before it dies. This insanity within the Republican Party has to end. Perhaps LePage by taking the stand he has will help.
I agree, most of the time I find the Penguin to be an embarrassment to Maine but he has put the dart in the bullseye on this one.
Do you really have to resort to childish name calling to make your point?
Sadly the way LePage carries himself in conversation warrants nothing less than your mentioned name-calling.
A Penguin is beautiful creature with an unrelenting loyalty to it’s cause. You may have something there by calling our Govna a penguin? Good work !!!
You have got to see the Batman Movie with Danny Devito as the Penquin to get the Penguin analogy.
He played a Misfit, abandoned by his parents ,turned Mayor of the City with Lies and deception to get elected, only to become a tyrant trying to control the city.
Loud applause in the background. Well thought out and logical dialouge. I will not be visiting the polls in November for the 1st time since 1968. I cannot bring myself to vote for either of the idiots. I am a Republican, don’t always vote that way, always have for president with the exception of Ross Perot which most likely was a vote for Clinton by proxy. I back LePage on this one, you have to fall for something, or you will fall for anything.
I was there too awhile back. I’m fairly young being under 30yo but never miss an opportunity to vote as I’ve always thought it was my duty. For the first time I’ve been considering not showing up in Nov to make my choice. Then a friend told me about Gary Johnson and after some research I’ve found a candidate I can definitely get behind. I know most people won’t vote for 3rd party because they hear that it’s a vote for such and such a candidate but what if all of us stopped listening and voted our conscience? Good luck and I will I understand your reasons, I certainly hope you find a reason to vote between now and the election.
You are absolutrly right! The last Honorable Republican President, in my opinion, was Eisenhower. He and his predicessers realized that government existed at the will and for the benefit of all the people, not just the ones with the money.
So Gov. Lepage is choosing to stand on principle rather than his political party’s foolishness…..kudos to Mr. Lepage….with a little reservation though, just in case…..
Mr. Lepage has notched up several points in my book for NOT attending the RNC in Tampa after they, literally, kicked out his State’s republican delegates. If only Lepage would tend to the “people’s” business in his staying in his home state, instead of overly focusing on his re-election. Being from the Lewiston area, I would think he would have lot’s more guts, instead of being an obvious sellout and shill for big money, big industry and big insurance. Don’t forget the people on lower Lincoln Street, Paul. They’re “people too”. Perhaps your staying away from Tampa in protest to the way the RNC treated our people can be the step in the “right direction” we all hope you can now head toward. Don’t just defend and save face for the ousted Ron Paul delegates from Maine, defend all Mainers, including both republican and democrat. After you got elected, you became a Governor for the benefit of all. Right? So, again, you did good. Keep it up. As a republican, myself, I voted for you, but I also voted for President Obama. Mainers are that way. In my book, you blew it when you put budget ahead of people, and your attempts to preserve you sacred funding cows, the previously mentioned big industry and big insurance types, etc… and, when you insulted labor, especially your brainless ordering of the removal of the sacred wall mural in Augusta (you just couldn’t let sleeping dogs lay), and by not being all too swift far too many times, but, I believe, once you find it again, your heart is in the right place and your decision to stay back with our delegates seems to indicate it.
I know you had a lot to in your post – but I just have one question, not meant to offend at all, but why is the wall mural he had removed considered “sacred”?
Just a “figure of speech”, Sara. Me thinks, due to the reaction of so many people when it happened, that they thought it so. I’m glad you didn’t question my use of the word “brainless”, seven words before the word “sacred” in my post.
…because it celebrated the American worker’s right to organize….Mr. LePage apparently does not like that American workers have a right to to organize, due to the fact that it leads to fair employment practices.
So, Charlie Webster, who was responsible for setting up the convention, is using the argument that the convention was not done properly, to disqualify the Ron Paul delegates. Unbelievable.
Thank you Gov Lepage for taking a stand against this corruption.
The snake is eating itself…
but it’s the snake oil that is worrisome. It’s a rightly unpleasant order that is the cause of extreme conditions.
I agree. There is probably much more, by way of background discussions, as to the reasons why Lepage will not be going to the RNC convention in Tampa. It is probably true that the “Maine delegate” boondoggle is a real sore issue with the RNC kingmakers that only serves to highlight the deep divisions in the republican party nationally. I mean, most republicans don’t like Romney, his background or his politics, but that is what they’re left with as the “presumptive” republican presidential nominee. For the second time, I am refusing to “hold my nose” to vote blindly for the republican candidate. I didn’t do it for McCain / Palin and I won’t for Romney / Ryan. It seems like Lepage may not either. In this instance, Lepage will not be the one looking or acting like a fool. Yet, the Romney campaign will most definately look like the fools they are. In my view, Lepage has nothing to be sour about, and we can be somewhat thankful that he won’t, by staying home, be played like the fools Romney will be parading around with in Tampa.
Lepage has already said he supports Romny. Not going to the convention and embarasing himself yet again is one of his few smart moves.
Inappropriate. I don’t like his politics, to date, either, but let’s not be too, too stupid ourselves when writing about him publicly. He deserves, as a minimum, respect for the office he holds as our representative to the world. I admit that I’ve slipped, too, but that was always unacceptable and I now try to catch myself these days. I urge that we all try to do the same in these debates. After all, freedom of speech, which we thoroughly enjoy, is a wonderful right, but it also requires, even if we have to police ourselves, so to speak, exercising it responsibly and gently. Don’t we? I’m just going to shut up now as an act of “self policing”.
I am not a fan of our governor but I believe in credit where credit is due. He gets another check on the positive side of my list. Mind you, there are only two there. His position on domestic abuse and on this issue I can fully support.
.2.3.4.
As if his not showing up would make one tiny particle of difference … hahahaha!
As Maine goes so goes the nation. Like the tiny little leak in the dam it shall grow to a rushing river
This hasn’t been true since 1932.
There is no way the Republicans want national attention on this matter as other states may follow in the future. I think he was advised not to go to the convention. There is no way he supports the Ron Paul delegates! What a crock.
the entire system is rigged.
Ok, So Mike Duncan chairperson of the “Rules Commitee” is responsible for this decision. He is in bed with Romney and Karl Rove to try and outspend, outmanuever and to make sure that this convention goes off as smooth as possible for the party.
It’s not about LePage, it’s more about Webster trying to save face.
Too bad Charlie, you lost that battle back in February.
No mercy, it’s not about the man, Paul. It is about the revolution.
The problems didn’t start when the convention doors opened in Augusta, they started when Webster decared Mitt the winner before all the votes were cast.
26 pages…I’d love to see it, more liars telling lies to people that will lie for them.
It is time to vote Charlie Webster out of politics.
Peter Cianchette with the advice of Charlie Webster, thought that morals and politics don’t mix.. Well the Ron Paul supporters who should have been seated are standing on moral ground and I commend them for that. as a Tea Party Democratic I hope all goes well.. It’s sad that I have to vote against a sitting president rather then for a new one I like.
Ron Paul has not dropped out of the race as this article inaccurately says.
These conventions are alot of ballons and platitudesn and Silly hats. But I think all delegates should be seated.
…that would imply unity…
How wonderfully confused this Party has become, vote for us we can run the country, just not our own convention. You might say LePage didn’t want to go into the eye of the storm.
In the photo, who or what is this man saluting?
I think he’s poking his brain back into his head or it’s code for putting us on the “Right” track? I guess it depends which way you look at it?
It is a picture from the Maine state convention I believe. This paper does not like or respect or governor so they tend to always use their worst pictures of him.
I’d like to see a breakdown of how much time he spends on state business versus time spent with family next week. Nice excuse Governor-you just don’t want to go where you are not the focus of attention- and can’t run your mouth with an impact.
…must be nice to “spend time with family”. I know a lot of Mainers who don’t get paid vacation time or sick leave. Wonder what MR. LePage and the GOP is doing for them…oh right, nothing.
and he changed what law that somehow created this??? Look back at the Baldacci years my friend…
It looks like LePage cant figure out what party he belongs to anymore. Republicans, Tea Party, The Party of Justified Rape without Pregnancy, The War on Women Party, The Akin- Ryan Rape is OK Party, The Ron Paul Party, which is it?
Maybe 10 republicans caused all this. because they wanted business as usual.. They are hanging onto the last knot in the rope. It’s about their elitism… It’s not comming back. The new republicans are evolving and soon shall be in charge. I hope they do well in the future.. Caving into them is to become one of them.. Make your stand with pride for it’s people like you who stand for what is right who change the world. It doesn’t all happen overnight so don’t frett…. Peter and Charlie were testing your convictions. You won, Thank you for all you hard work.. I might even join your party for all you have done.
Bravo Governor, bravo!
Poor Paul can’t show his face as a Teapublican loyal. He promised the Romneys and the Bushies Maine was actually his to deliver.
Guess again.
Ignorant, really ignorant.
Paul supporters should be seated. there is a criminal element using their money to stiffel the votes. We know who they are.
Why are the republicans at the convention so lucky?
Doesnt he remind you of a spoiled little rich kid who has all the toys and all the games but since the other kids wont let him cheat and steal to pad his ego with a WIN, he takes his toys and runs home?….Oh wait…yeah, that is exactly what Paul Lepage is!!!!!
No,he doesn’t remind me of that. He reminds me of a man with morals.
Morals??? Seriously? What morals? He has singlehandedly been ignorant to every working class person in this state, bullied everyone from the Dems, his own GOP party and the media. He again and again shows his complete lack of class and you speak Morals? Surely you are not thinking straight.
no he hasn’t jeff he put reins on the public unions, thats all… you know it, but must like spreading falsehoods to make him look bad.
I certainly dont need to work hard to make the Govnah look bad…He does a good enough job of that all on his lonesome.
This was a decision based on morals. The discussion was not about any of his other decisions. If you don’t think his excusing himself from an important Republican function because they cheated and lied is not a moral decision, then perhaps you need to inspect your own moral compass a little more closely.
Fine by me. The more the lunatic fringe fights with itself, the better the chances that the rest of us might be able to get something done. Mind you, those chances are still not very good, but still, you take what you can get in this crazy mixed-up world.
If you only knew what our democratic party is doing you wouldn’t be to proud. of it. Our kid will be living in a country that is ruled not governed
Who said I was taking about the Democrats?
I feel bad for the ron paul supporters but happy the gov. decided to save the taxpayers some money by staying home.At least this way he wont embarass the state anymore then he has already.
I guess the only question I have about this is who cares?
Not the RNC, that’s for damn sure.
“Once they refused to accept compromise, it became impossible for them all to be seated. Everything changed when they refused compromise.”
Compromise on WHAT? A compromise means that the delegates did something wrong.
Is “Nation” a code word for the wealthiest 1% of white men with American citizenship? That’s who’s “economy” Romney and the rest of the GOP are planning to turn around. What about working Americans? Women? Immigrants? Somehow tax breaks for millionaires just doesn’t make a good sales pitch anymore.
if the Hated Bush tax cuts expire, the middle class will be paying on average $5,000.00 more per year in taxes. The rest of your comment is sound cuts you heard listening to chris matthews
Gee, Governor LePage is not attending the Republican Convention. This is a bad thing? This saves the state from continued national embarrassment. This along justifies the RNC decision.
The USA dollar will colapse within 2 years, Europe a year and a half. Pensions will be gone. the federal reserve note you think is worth something, never has been worth anything. All that money you think you have will cost more to print then it’s worth… See you in the Bread lines. people have kept their eyes closed for to long and it doesn’t matter who gets in there this country is done as we know it.
Webster et al. have failed to consider the implications of their dictatorial position vis a vis the right of the people to pursue democracy and express their views. While Obama is the epitome of incompetence, arrogance and utter failure — and Romney is in the enviable position of being the “anti-Obama” candidate — few of us will yield our votes so easily this time to a party that is equally as corrupt and oppressive as the Democrats. Perhaps it is the time to vote our consciences instead of holding our noses while the lesser of two evils is elevated to public office. Perhaps, because we have done this for so long, “public servants” have regressed into indistinguishable self-serving buffoons who fly off to Washington to fill their coffers for a few years and then retire at our expense decrying the political system as dysfunctional. Perhaps, because nearly 50% of the public is on some form of government subsidy, and we have become a debtor nation, it is no longer possible to reverse the tide unless people of character and discipline are selected as our leaders. Perhaps, we can no longer hold on to the Republic as Franklin once cautioned… and it is now too late to reverse our slow demise.
I have to disagree with you that Obama is the epitome of incompetence. That distinction belongs to GW Bush. Obama had nothing to do with getting us into two wars, the first of which was entered into solely to ensure his own re-election. GWB”s economic policy enabled what has put us in the mess we currently find ourselves. His foreign policy had us the most hated nation on the planet. That distinction has been somewhat repaired by Obama. The continued negativity of the Republicans in Congress has hampered his efforts to return this country to the stability it had prior to the Bush years.
Exactly!
Best get ready to do the Koch Brothers shuffle.
These days, the Republican Party consists of puppets dancing to the tune of the likes of the Kock Bros., Sheldon Adelson, Rove and wall street power brokers. They set the stage for the recession, stole people’s homes, raided retirement account, held the country hostage for four years through congessional gridlock and are now using every dirty trick in the book to gain control of the government. Their objective is to retain their wealth while passing the cost of the deficit created mostly by Reagan and Bush to what’s left of the middle class.
The Greedy Old Party is willing to use whatever means necessary to achieve their ends. Flooding the airwaves with lies and distortions is business as usual. I just hope the average American voter isn’t as dumb as the GOP thinks we are.
Well they want to ruin the economy, they lose their money too.
Does the RNC really care?
There are 2 club houses in politics, you are allowed to see it in pictures and on the news. Dems and Repubs. You might think you belong, and you are actually lead to believe you are part of either party but if you enter the club house and start opening the shutters to let the light in you are removed. there is to much dirt and it needs to be swept out.. It’s a start, the cleansing has begun and soon the doctor will squeeze the puss from the boil then treat it so it can heal.
I am not a member of the GOP, but it seems to me that Maine is not helping itself by not having the delegates and by the governor deciding not to attend the RNC. Even if there is disagreement, there should at least be the attempt to appear open to resolving differences.
Oh, we sent a strong message to the national level.
Hey all this time the Ron Paul supporters/delegates were noted as taking over the convention earlier this year in Augusta….go show them what taking over really means by doing it in Tampa.
tinyurl.com/cyk9xz2