In what is becoming de rigueur for newspapers owned by S. Donald Sussman and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, the Portland Press Herald is out with a new smear campaign targeting Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
The smear story is entitled, “Portland schools: LePage wrong about military recruiters“.
A fairer headline might read: “Portland schools: U.S. military, LePage, Alfond, Eves, entire state senate wrong about military recruiters”.
The media’s latest anti-LePage drumbeat began with an uncontroversial proposal (L.D. 1503) – a bill, prompted by military officials’ complaints, that would ensure uniformed recruiters have unrestricted access to Maine’s high schools.
That proposal, however, was defeated following 20 House Democrats’ decision to change their original votes of support and vote against both the governor and the unanimous state senate.
The Democrats who voted against the proposal did so, they said, because there was no evidence of a problem.
[RELATED: Maine Dems take stand against military…]
In response, House Republicans read on the House floor a May 22 email from Maine’s top military recruiter in which the highly decorated Battalion Command Sergeant Major described various access problems at schools in southern Maine.
But House Democrats refused to accept the word of a military official, choosing instead to rely on statements from school officials, who predictably denied allegations of anti-military policies.
According to the Press Herald report, school officials in Portland and Yarmouth have now publicly refuted the military’s claims, casting LePage as a liar.
Interestingly, the paper ignores the yea votes of House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick) and every member of the state senate. Were they also wrong for believing there is a problem?
[RELATED: Maine GOP calls on Michaud to condemn Dems anti-military stance…]
The Press Herald also seems oblivious to the fact that Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland), whose district includes the Portland schools, has publicly agreed with LePage and the military.
During a segment of the George Hale and Ric Tyler morning show, Alfond told the hosts that he had looked into issue and determined that, at least in Portland, there is indeed a problem.
Yet despite all of the Democrats who voted for the governor’s bill and who acknowledge the existence of a problem, the Press Herald remains committed to demonizing LePage while giving liberal Democrats a free pass.
S.E. Robinson
MaineWire Reporter
[email protected]
No Comments
What does LePage know about “Recruiters?” He avoided them like the plague during the time he was of ‘Military Age’ (Vietnam War).
I love it when a draft dodger wraps himself in the flag.
Stevie–can you produce ONE recruiter who was forbidden to wear their uniform on a recruitment visit? Until you do, you are just posturing.
“But House Democrats refused to accept the word of a military official, choosing instead to rely on statements from school officials, who predictably denied allegations of anti-military policies.”.
What has occurred in the past that supports your statement “school officials, who predictably denied allegations of anti-military policies”? Have there been incidents between recruiters and school officials, are they documented, have the recruiters brought these concerns to school officials?
Is the military official following chain of command and bringing it to the state’s “commander-in-chief” LePage? Works well with LePage’s political agenda, in his continued attack on the public education system. Timing is fortuitous with the upcoming Milton Friedman day at Baxter Academy.
Is the military official following chain of command and bringing it to the state’s “commander-in-chief” LePage so that the military doesn’t ruffle any feathers? That would be an extreme strategic error.
Or is this part of LePage’s continued efforts to “starve-the-beast”. The approach being to create or increase existing budget deficits via tax cuts to force future reductions in the size of government; note last year’s tax cuts benefiting primarily the wealthy in Maine. In turn the social programs such as food stamps, social security, and Medicare, and Public Education become targets for reduction; though military spending, prisons, and weapons do not. The wealthy are happy because they get the benefit of greater tax cuts and most importantly are not affected by cuts in programs the middle-class and poor desperately need.
Note with “starve-the-beast” Public Education is attacked, but not the military. Do you think maybe educators are resentful?
Or are you simply calling school officials liars? If so bring out your evidence.
The Press Herald isn’t fit to line the bottom of a bird cage. The entire organization, Sussman included, the state democrats and school officials are proof that discrimination is alive and well in their perverted view of the world around them.
No one should be surprised by this latest hit piece against Governor LePage by the Pingree Peoples Herald. They’ve been launching baseless propaganda attacks against him deom day one.
I see we have some fans of the propaganda that the PPH spews against Gov. LePage here. If given the choice between the word of the PPH, liberal school administrators and those who have drunk the kool aid, or the highly decorated and honorable Command Sargent Major, I think I’ll go with the Sargent Major.