Conservative Group Doubles Down on LePage’s Rape Metaphor

Troy R. Bennett | BDN

When LePage made a vulgar, sexual remark on Thursday about Assistant Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson, few of those who have defended him in the past stood behind him. Rather than the usual excuses about plain-spokenness, we heard silence from many prominent Republicans, and even some mild criticism.

“I certainly don’t think that the governor’s comments yesterday are helpful in his trying to convince Republican legislators to uphold his veto,” House Minority Leader Ken Fredette told MPBN.

LePage was eventually forced to make what some have termed an apology for his remarks, although if you listen closely he actually reinforces his attacks on Jackson, saying “It was never my intent to ever, ever suggest that the loggers of the state of Maine are in the same league as Troy Jackson” and offered only a “if I offended anyone” non-apology for his rape metaphor.

But there’s one organization that stood strongly behind LePage right from the beginning of this latest controversy, and actually went a nauseating step farther in promoting his language and his worldview.

Shortly after LePage made the now-famous remark, the Maine Heritage Policy Center’s “Government Transparency Policy Analyst” and the head writer for its fake news wire, Steve Robinson, took to Twitter to defend LePage. Robinson posted: “Whether Jackson uses Vaseline isn’t the point. He has given taxpayers the shaft again & again. Either way, they’re sore.”

 

Just in case it might not be clear where he stood on the issue, Robinson tweeted again, writing “Kudos to LePage, telling like it is.” He then extended LePage’s insults against Jackson to the entire Democratic party, tweeting “Black-hearted and unlubed — yeah, I guess that describes Democrats” and linking to a story he wrote on the Maine Wire site lauding LePage’s opposition to the budget compromise and repeating the Governor’s Vaseline remark about Jackson.

 

I’ve been critical of the Maine Heritage Policy Center and it’s news organ in the past, but I have to admit that even I was surprised that MHPC would so quickly and forcefully defend such crude and inappropriate personal insults.

The tweets still remain posted on Robinson’s Twitter feed.

Update: At some point in the days after this post was published, the tweets were removed. No apology or explanation has been issued.

Mike Tipping

About Mike Tipping

Mike is Maine's longest-writing political blogger and explores state politics and policy with a focus on analysis and explanation. He works at the Maine People's Alliance and Maine People's Resource Center.