Governor needs to grow up

Augusta must seem a pretty lonely place to Paul LePage.

Prior to November 6, the governor seemed to have it all going his way - the  Republican Party controlled the state house and senate and a coterie of his supporters held down the offices of Treasurer, Secretary of State and Attorney General.

Whatever new controversy the governor ignited with his often offensive, off-the-cuff remarks, he could remain confident in his hold on power.

The election shattered that world.

Now, the governor faces a very different, unsettling political reality - and he's clearly not pleased with it.

Were we in the governor's shoes, we'd feel the same way. Overnight, his entire power base was stripped away - Democratic majorities in both house and senate; the replacement of key allies in the major state offices; even the election of a senate president, Justin Alfond, who the governor once called "a spoiled little brat."

The governor's response to this turn of events has been predictable and disappointing.

Last week, LePage told Democratic lawmakers he would not meet with them until they pressured the Maine Democratic Party to stop a party-hired tracker who has been filming him at public events.

LePage again lashed out at Democrats before the swearing-in ceremony for newly-elected house and senate members last Wednesday, in a performance most legislators, including members of his own party, considered inappropriate.

Lance Harvell, a Republican house member from Farmington even went so far as saying the Governor was losing Republican support with his antagonism.

"... I really don't see how he can hold this caucus together with that approach," Harvell told the Sun Journal."You start talking to people in the caucus and they are saying we will not follow that train wreck."

With precious few exceptions, LePage isn't a man known for his skills at compromise and cooperation. He much prefers it when things go his way.

That's an attitude he'll need to adjust quickly if he wants to get anything done in the next legislative session.

To address the serious issues confronting the state, LePage needs to abandon his current tack and open lines of dialogue with Democrats. Refusing to meet with legislators is petty, inappropriate and hurts the state. 

"As elected officials we have a duty and responsibility to the Maine people," LePage told legislators during last Wednesday's swearing-in.

"It's not about us or whether we like it or not ... I will endure and have pledged to work [for] the people of the state of Maine."

It's time for the governor to put his money where his mouth is – to stop throwing tantrums and start governing like a responsible adult.

Our biggest worry is, he might not know how to.

The Advertiser Democrat Editorial Board