Standard News

Hide Advertisement
  • Business
  • Culture
  • News
  • Technology
  • Trending
Site logo
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Mural depicts Maine governor as Klansman, Mickey Mouse

September 7, 2016 | By Reuters
File photo of Maine Governor LePage speaking at the 23rd Annual Energy Trade & Technology Conference in Boston

(Reuters) – A graffiti artist lampooned Maine Governor Paul LePage in a mural depicting the two-term Republican wearing a Ku Klux Klan cape and hood, two weeks after he left a profane voicemail for a Democratic lawmaker he believed had called him a racist.

The mural, which appeared over the weekend in Portland on a wall where graffiti is allowed by law, has been repainted to remove the reference to the white supremacist group, with the hood replaced with Mickey Mouse ears and a new caption “no hate” joining the existing “racist homophobe moron governor,” in which the word “governor” was struck through.

Advertisement

Lawmakers from both parties last week contemplated calling a special session to rebuke LePage, whose term extends through 2018, for the message, in which he called a lawmaker a “little son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocksucker.”

That effort collapsed with the two sides unable to agree on the details of how long the special session would last or what its precise objectives were, with Democrats calling for impeachment, further than Republicans were willing to go.

“I think it was a lot of work but I think a lot of people are pretty upset about how things are going,” Falmouth resident Emily Hickey told Maine CBS affiliate WGME as she viewed the mural.

Tom Poulin, of Oakland, Maine, said he believed the painting was in poor taste.

“You can have your personal thoughts about somebody but to say them like that is a little ridiculous,” he told WGME.

Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling, a Democrat, said on Twitter that he had asked city officials to take down the mural.

“As much as we are all infuriated by the governor’s statements, equating his language to the systemic terrorism and murder Grand Wizards inflicted upon African Americans (and Catholics) trivializes the KKK,” Strimling said.

A spokeswoman for LePage did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

LePage has faced a flurry of criticism over the past two weeks for saying that members of minority groups from out of state were responsible for the lion’s share of the heroin trade in Maine. He drew further criticism after the widely circulated voicemail.

(Reporting by WGME via Reuters Video News; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by James Dalgleish)

tagreuters.com2016binary_LYNXNPEC8617P-VIEWIMAGE

← Previous Post Next Post →
Advertisement - Continue reading below
Share  On Facebook

EPA says filtered Flint, Michigan drinking water safe to drink

Florida Town Looks to Become America’s First Powered Completely by Solar

Celebrities join Native American pipeline protest in Washington, DC

Celebrities and elite unleash tech-themed outfits at Met Gala

The American Legion Slams White House VA Budget

A Look Back at the Worst Year in Human History

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Takes Over Former President Obama’s Top Spot as the Most Followed World Leader on Instagram

Rihanna, Ariana Grande set to perform at MTV Video Music awards

Leading VPN Technology Company Issues Stern Warning After FCC’s New Ruling

Jonah Hill on ‘crazy’ true story behind ‘War Dogs’

load more Loading posts...

sidebar

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

sidebar-alt

  • About Us
  • Imprint
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy