Attend the tale of Paul LePage.
Governor LePage of Maine was elected to the highest office in the highest state during the Republican tsunami of 2010. He managed a heart-pounding 38.1% of the popular vote in a multi-candidate field. ( In a state with a population of 1.3 million, it's estimated that more people ran for Governor than actually voted.) The word "mandate" never quite fit. LePage ran on the usual, well-trod GOP planks of smaller government, lower taxes, no abortions, blah, blah. At no time did he mention his credentials as an art critic. Nevertheless, amidst the Wisconsin public sector labor furor, LePage decided to change the art decor of the Maine Department of Labor. An 11-panel mural created by Judy Taylor just three years ago was deemed by Gov. LePage as too labor-centric. Shocking! Governor Clueless has ordered the mural removed.
Leave us for a moment put aside the message this sort of silly interference sends. Let's ignore the sad, blatant pandering to business and the clownish spectre of Republicans attempting to govern by redecoration. One might suspect the Governor of Maine would have something of more significance to occupy his time than the wall-hangings in State buildings. In fairness to Gov. LePage, he did find time to appoint his daughter Asst. Chief of Staff at a salary of $41,000. Who says Republicans can't tackle unemployment? Attacking an idea by imagining hidden messages in paintings is right out of the Glenn Beck playbook. Honestly, wouldn't you expect the images in the Dept of Labor to be pro labor? Should the Governor's next target be the obvious bias toward students in the Dept.of Education? How about all those greedy farmers depicted in the art at the Agriculture Dept?
I imagine no one is surprised by this nonsense. Back at the beginning of the Bush administration, new Attorney General John Ashcroft expressed shock and dismay at the exposed breast of the statue of Justice behind his speakers rostrum. A sports bra being unavailable, Mr. Ashcroft restored the modesty of Justice with a old curtain. (Clearly, Mr. Ashcroft was a Gone With the Wind fan.)
Teabaggers live for this crap. They parade through the streets praying to the Constitution but abhor any expression that deviates from their idealized, Norman Rockwell view of America. In the eyes of the Baggers, freedom is defined as free to be just like them. That's why they want to defund NPR and the NEA. Bunch of elitist, liberal, communists. Even the artwork in the Maine Dept of Labor looks like something right out of North Korea. Seriously, what's wrong with us?
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