In his weekly radio address, Maine’s Tea Party Governor, Paul LePage, compared the IRS to Adolf Hitler’s secret police in an attack on the Affordable Care Act. LePage railed against the Supreme Court’s decision ten days ago saying “You must buy health insurance or pay the new Gestapo — the IRS.” Such loaded rhetoric is nothing new for LePage, who, after refusing to attend an event held by the NAACP commemorating Martin Luther King Day last year, said the NAACP could “kiss my butt.”
While it’s easy to take potshots at LePage for his extreme rhetoric, his speech contained a surprisingly tactful segment. Although LePage attacked the federal government for the expansion of Medicaid contained within the ACA, he didn’t rule out joining other Republican governors, like Bobby Jindal, in turning down the funds. As the Portland Press-Herald pointed out: “LePage says he needs more answers before making a decision about the Medicaid expansion, which has been assailed by fellow Republican governors.”
Even though Maine is a Democratic leaning state, it’s a strong indication that even a very right wing governor is wary of coming out against the Medicaid expansion.
