Politesse, grace, the refined qualities of political discourse, such elements which describe Maine politics according the "The Economist", are the very niceties which are plunging this nation into the black hole of never-ending deficit spending.
The two ladies from Maine, Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, have merely slowed the astronomical growth of government. Senator Snowe prides herself on having introduced a balanced-budget amendment in 2001. How do she and her colleague justify voting for TARP or far the 2009 Obama Stimulus, neither of which has stabilized markets, freed up credit, or ushered in economic recovery?
When push comes to shove, polite politicians give in to the pressures of the majority party while toeing a moderate, read "opportunitist", stance. Let all politicians who advocate such a posture consider the shameful fate of former Pennsylvania Republican turned Democratic Senator Arlen Specter.
In contrast to vain Maine politeness, there is the gruff, tough, rough and ready, newly-installed Governor of Maine, Paul LePage. A short-lived victim of domestic abuse, he worked his way from street urchin to the governor's mansion. LePage does not pull any punches when confronting the Mainstream Media and the petty political panderings of "spend now pay later."
Not afraid to confront the complicity of government-induced deficit spending and cut the political correctness crap, LePage is taking on the wasteful ideological fantasies of big government.
He has not hidden his disdain for the statist President Barack Obama, whom he would tellingly tell to "get out of my state." We need more governors like LePage, who are not afraid to tell the federal government to leave the states' affairs to themselves.
Even if 61% of Mainers did not vote for LePage, his abrupt style is just what is needed to get the Pine Tree State back in the green, and black, as opposed to the red-ink of chronic debt.
Even if he gets sidetracked with trying to remove labor murals, at least his Republican party stalwarts in the state legislature could work on advancing much-needed legislation which the governor championed, including cutting taxes, reducing spending, and getting back the correct share of state revenue which Maine releases annually to the federal government.
Machiavelli may have counseled statesmen that if they cannot be loved, at least they should be feared. In Maine, a governor who is not afraid to tell the truth to his people, even if he is blunt and off-color at times, is better than another sycophant being led by the statist status quo of President Barack Obama and his illiberal ilk.