Paul LePage plays Grinch

Paul Lepage must be sitting in his bunker sending anonymous checks to the committee to elect John Baldacci Governor. Certainly he knows that his only hope of being reelected comes with the prospect of a legitimate candidate for Governor from the left to split votes with Elliott Cutler.

Cutler has been quiet, I saw him at a commencement exercise last spring and urged him to run again, he was non committal but seemed to have a gleam in his eye at the thought.

Mr. LePage however has a tough two years ahead. It all starts next week when he must submit a curtailed budget. By this process he will be executive orders for immediate spending cuts in the budget to get us through the fiscal year. This could be in many different areas but certainly education and programs for the poor would seem to be the first to be cut. We certainly know it would not be those tax decreases he made before he did anything else two years ago.

With all that on his plate it was a surprise that LePage made a grandstanding move this week refusing to meet with the states Democratic Caucus leaders until they stopped having his public appearances and speeches taped. Being Governor can be a challenge but LePage's hissy fit over this has become typical. It is common practice for both sides to employ runners to tape any appearance by the other side. For LePage it is especially dangerous for the obvious reason that he never knows what he is going to say and certainly does not want it on Youtube.

Two years ago my stepson went on a school function to Augusta and when meeting LePage suffered the embarrassment of the Governor ridiculing his short stature in comparison with his age. Perhaps a videotape of that would have been helpful.

In short Governor. Grow up. Smile for the camera and do something worthwhile. Fix the problems of the state with more than bluster and bellowing. Work with your counterparts on the other side. It is your job. Maybe if you did that you would not need to pray for rain and spaghetti dinners coming to a town near you.