Gov. Paul LePage says critic needs to be on 'suicide watch' during his midterm victory
Gov. Paul LePage (R-Maine) is in a lot of hot water after saying one of his critics should be put on a "suicide watch" during LePage's midterm victory.
LePage was speaking of Bill Nemitz, a columnist for The Portland Press Herald. He made the remarks Monday night during a rally with Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) in Portland.
"I want to put Bill Nemitz on a suicide watch," LePage said. "We've got to make sure that for the next 24 hours that he doesn't go anywhere near the new Bucksport bridge." He also asked for a volunteer to "keep an eye on" Nemitz, according to The Associated Press.
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Meanwhile, Maine Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant told AP that LePage's remark was "distasteful and inappropriate." Nemitz, for his part, took the statement in jest: He later tweeted, "Suicide watch? As if! Don't flatter yourself."
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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