Paul LePage's offensive RSVP to the NAACP

Paul LePage's offensive RSVP to the NAACP

When told that the NAACP was complaining that he turned down numerous invitations to take part in events celebrating the Martin Luther King holiday, LePage said, "Tell them to kiss my butt." He went on to say, "They are a special interest -- end of story. And I'm not going to be held hostage by any special interests." Wow. Uncivil. Uncouth. Appalling. Reducing the NAACP and its venerable history of fighting for civil rights to "special interests" is pure ideological laziness in the extreme.

But wait, there's more. To the suggestion that his refusals are rooted in racial bias, LePage played what he thought was the ultimate trump card. "If they want, they can look at my family picture," he said. "My son happens to be black, so they can do whatever they'd like about it." As the kids -- and Jon Stewart -- would say, "Oooooh snap!"