Maine’s governor on Friday told a major African American organization to “kiss my butt” after the group complained he wasn’t taking part in Martin Luther King Day events next week.
Paul LePage, a newly elected Republican, is facing criticism from the NAACP for turning down invitations to events marking the MLK holiday on Monday.
“Tell them to kiss my butt,” the governor, who’s been in office two weeks, said in a local TV interview.
The NAACP said earlier this week that LePage had rejected invitations to attend its events while campaigning and since taking office earlier this month.
“We don’t want to misinterpret his intention, but the message we’re getting is that we’re not welcome and we’re not part of the Maine he’s preparing to lead for the next four years,” said Rachel Talbot Ross, state director of the NAACP and president of the NAACP Portland Branch, the Kennebec Journal reported.
LePage said he doesn’t cater to special interest groups and considers the NAACP to be one.
“They are a special interest - end of story,” he said. “And I’m not going to be held hostage by any special interests.”
He insisted that his decision to skip the MLK Day events had nothing to do with race.
LePage said he’s simply too busy to attend.
Paul LePage, a newly elected Republican, is facing criticism from the NAACP for turning down invitations to events marking the MLK holiday on Monday.
“Tell them to kiss my butt,” the governor, who’s been in office two weeks, said in a local TV interview.
The NAACP said earlier this week that LePage had rejected invitations to attend its events while campaigning and since taking office earlier this month.
“We don’t want to misinterpret his intention, but the message we’re getting is that we’re not welcome and we’re not part of the Maine he’s preparing to lead for the next four years,” said Rachel Talbot Ross, state director of the NAACP and president of the NAACP Portland Branch, the Kennebec Journal reported.
LePage said he doesn’t cater to special interest groups and considers the NAACP to be one.
“They are a special interest - end of story,” he said. “And I’m not going to be held hostage by any special interests.”
He insisted that his decision to skip the MLK Day events had nothing to do with race.
LePage said he’s simply too busy to attend.
17 comments:
I say good for him!
If there was a NAAWP, liberal groups
would be screaming racism, but it's alright to have NAACP!!!
I'll there are some places out there stilling willing to stand up to special interest groups like the NAACP.
It's not even that, It's the fact the NAACP has a proven track record of racism.
Plus we are all (businesses,schools/govt) bullied into taking MLK day off. Ridiculous.
Finally, someone willing to call a spade a spade. Good for this governor to say out loud what many people are thinking. Just because one doesn't kow-tow to the NAACP doesn't mean one is racist. What it does mean is that they subscribe to a theory that the NAACP seeks to continue the racial divide that exists within this country rather than to take Dr. King's message to heart and work for racial equality.
Good for him. Is there a more racist group in the country than the NAACP?
The shake down is over !
Paul LePage for President!!
One smart man
All of the above comments are from people who have obviously never been discrimated against. The NAACP does not just promote fairness for African Americans, but other minority races and women of all races. To call it a racist group shows your narrow-minded ignorance. To whites, who have promoted their racial superiority for hundreds of years, anything that promotes the advancement of other races, cultures or beliefs is either unfair or wrong. Stop hidig behind your white sheets.
Yeah all thats fine but he could have found a nicer way to decline..."kiss my butt" is pretty inflammatory,suprised he didn't say "kiss my white butt".He needs to learn some manners.
He has my vote for President if he decides to run. I am totally disgusted by the attitude of Black America right now. The NAACP are a bunch of lazy cry babies living off of donations by people who are being paid by our goverment to do nothing. How ironic is that. I think by and large Americans are sick of it. Take your Abu Shabazzz El Nino Rakufuu butts back to Africa and see just how well you make out. Farrahkan and the rest of you blood sucking leaches need to get a life. I find the Gold head dresses and what is now considered traditional African (American) wear here in the states offensive. Take that 1200 you spent on a costume and send to your mother land to feed starving children. If I were African Americanus I would hang my head in shame. If I lived in a free country with opputunities to make a living and send money to truly starving Africans and did not do it. Instead I dressed in costumes called myself El Shabazz and drive my Lexus to the next meeting.
MY my my the hussle is on. False prophets and gold diggers. But we's to dumb to call a spade a spade.
Anonymous said...
All of the above comments are from people who have obviously never been discrimated against. The NAACP does not just promote fairness for African Americans, but other minority races and women of all races. To call it a racist group shows your narrow-minded ignorance. To whites, who have promoted their racial superiority for hundreds of years, anything that promotes the advancement of other races, cultures or beliefs is either unfair or wrong. Stop hidig behind your white sheets.
12:06 PM
Don't speak unless you know of what you speak of. How do you know that any of us HAVEN'T been discriminated against? How do you know some of the commenters aren't African-Americans that are fed up with the NAACP trading off race and division? You don't. PLEASE, I beg you, give me an example of when the NAACP stood up in defense of a woman, minority or otherwise. If I remember what the NAACP stands for, it stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Sounds like an organization that is inherently racist because they are exclusionary. Whites don't think that they have a "superior" culture, but whites have helped develop things to make life better for the world. Your reference to "white sheets" makes me wonder who is the real racist.
Way to go Paul, tell them to pack sand.
i say elect him to the rnc for a prez canidate.i hope you people see now what over 60 years of liberal handouts has cost us and finally its all caught up
Just for the record and to those who may think that Gov. LePage is racist; Click the link that says "read more" and you will find that he has a black son. He simply is not catering to special interest groups and I agree that the NAACP IS a special interest group.
Read your history books - who was more discriminated against than the Irish. They worked hard and elevated THEMSELVES to equality - no FREE ride. For the past fifty years the United States has done everything but breathe for the Colored people and still they're generally worse off than before it started.
I personally believe that Matirn Luther King was a great mam; with that said I also believe that Ghandi and our founding fathers were great men as well. There are fabulously great people throughout American and World History that dedicated their lives to ensuring freedom. Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation as our sixteenth president of the United States. Yet, I have a problem with the fact that many people have off and consider Martin Luther King Day to be a bigger holiday compared to President's Day. On President's Day we celebrate the birth of several presidents including both George Washington (who aided in the Revolutionary War and became the very first president) and Abraham Lincoln (who fought for the freedom of all men, regardless of race) whose life was cut short due to his ideals.
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