Former official throws Vaseline at Maine governor

SACO, Maine, April 3 (UPI) -- A town hall meeting hosted by Maine Gov. Paul LePage came to an abrupt end when a former state representative threw a jar of Vaseline at the stage.

The Republican governor was holding the town hall-style meeting Thursday at Thornton Academy in Saco to present his budget when Joanne Twomey, mayor of Biddeford from 2006-2011 and a Democratic state representative from 1998-2006, stood up and started shouting at LePage in disagreement.

Twomey was approached by security staff and the former mayor threw a jar of Vaseline at the stage as she was being escorted out of the building. The jar did not get close to the governor, who ended the meeting after the incident.

Twomey, who was not arrested, was met with congratulations from some and criticism from others outside the meeting.

The former official said the jar of Vaseline was a reference to comments LePage made in July 2013 about state Sen. Troy Jackson, D-35th District. LePage said Jackson "claims to be for the people but he's the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline."

Maine Republican Party spokesman Jason Savage criticized Twomey after the incident.

"It's time for Democrats to tone down the rhetoric," said Savage. "We hear a lot from them about civility and tolerance yet every time there's an over-the-top attack scenario where something like this happens, it's a Democratic activist. ... There's nothing about our civil discourse that gets better by left-wing activists throwing objects at our governor."

Maine Democratic Party spokeswoman Rachel Irwin, who was in attendance at Thursday's meeting, said Twomey's actions do not represent the party.

"It's unfortunate about the events that transpired between former state Rep. Joanne Twomey and Gov. LePage," she said Thursday night. "The Maine Democratic Party does not condone this type of behavior in any way."