AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine Gov. Paul LePage sometimes can't help mouthing off. He's told the NAACP to "kiss my butt,'' called the IRS "the new Gestapo'' and has said he wouldn't be afraid to tell President Barack Obama to "go to hell.''
But instead of downplaying his penchant for putting his foot in his mouth, Republicans hoping to re-elect him are embracing it.
New television ads from the Republican Governors Association applaud LePage's accomplishments like erasing hospital debt and cutting taxes while touting his bull-in-a-China-shop approach. They're calling him "blunt, honest, one-of-a-kind'' and "unique, just like Maine.''
The GOP is trying to get out in front of what's sure to be a barrage of attacks this fall from Democrats, who are eager to remind voters of LePage's candid and sometimes off-color remarks.