Paul LePage Has a Sad

What truly saddens Maine Governor Paul LePage in life is not actual racism or the effect his own words may have on residents of his own state.

What keeps LePage awake at night is being called a racist.

“I may not supposed to be that sensitive to these things, but I am. I lose sleep over this, and it’s frustrating when you hear people talk about cheap political stunts to hurt their opponent and not do the right thing,” he said. “Being called a racist was a horrible thing for me. It was enormously hurtful. It hurt my family. I will not resign, though.”

You know what else is horrible? Saying 90 percent of all drug dealers are black or Hispanic men named "Smoothy and D-Money" who come to Maine to impregnate white girls. I'm sure that hurts a few families in Maine and surrounding states.

Saying that people of color are the "enemy" who need to be shot is also enormously hurtful.

LEPAGE: "You shoot at the enemy. You try to identify the enemy, and the enemy right now -- the overwhelming majority of people coming in -- are people of color or people of Hispanic origin."

And that's just the most recent material from LePage's 3-ring binder of Klansman rhetoric.

While sharing his sob story with reporters this morning, LePage also said the "biggest discrimination in the United States" is not race. According to the governor, the biggest discrimination in America is poverty. LePage also said we can't lift people out of poverty by "throwing money at them" and with that he demonstrates that he doesn't understand racism or poverty or their relation to each other.

"Throwing money" at people is exactly how you lift them out of poverty, but that doesn't necessarily mean more support from the state or federal government. A higher minimum wage would lift a tremendous number of people out of poverty but, as you might have suspected, Governor LePage is against higher wages.

The idea that LePage may voluntarily resign was always too good to be true, but it was an entertaining thought while it lasted. LePage does not have the shame, decency, or intelligence to resign. Paul LePage is a profoundly stupid man.

One thing that should not be lost in all of LePage's bluster is that it's possible the state's law enforcement agencies have engaged in unconstitutional racial profiling under the governor's direction. The governor's boast that he has a binder full of minority drug dealers could be more than just a racist fantasy or anecdote; it could also be illegal.