Maine governor storms out of speech after closing "open" meeting

FARMINGTON, Maine --An angry Republican Maine Gov. Paul LePage cut short an address at a university today after being confronted by two students holding signs critical of him and has called the students "idiots."

The outspoken governor was the featured speaker Tuesday at the dedication of the Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center, named for the former University of Maine at Farmington president.He'd just stepped to the podium and started to speak when the students held up the signs, one of which said "LePage: Maine's Shame."

CBS affiliate WGME went to the meeting trying to get answers from the governor as to why he closed the first meeting of the new Blue Ribbon Commission of Education Funding. But Governor LePage stormed out of the speech he had just started.

LePage left the stage mid-speech, waved to the students and said, "Thanks, idiots."University of Maine System Chancellor James H. Page took LePage's place, and the ceremony continued, the station reported.

LePage has gotten into trouble for previous remarks. Over the weekend he said Bulgarian workers are difficult to understand and those from India are "the worst ones," WGME reported.

After calling the pair of students idiots Tuesday, he walked off, got into his car and left.

Both students told the station they were shocked by the governor's actions.

WGME reported that it had tried for 24 hours to get an answer from the LePage administration about why the press, lawmakers, and Maine educators were not allowed in the Blaine House for the first meeting of the Blue Ribbon Commission. The station says it has gotten no response as to why the governor violated Maine's open meeting laws.

"We're talking about our kids' education and I think the public should be aware of what is discussed in those meeting s and what decisions are made," Rep. Mark Eves said.

Earlier in the day, the governor reportedly said that the executive branch would no longer participate in the education commission meetings, saying the commission is better off without the distraction of media scrutiny that would accompany his participation, according to the station.

Maine Education Association President Lois Kilby-Chesley called the secret meeting absurd on the radio and said it raised her suspicions that he may have something to hide.