Maine governor apologizes for crude remark

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is apologizing for comments aimed at a state senator — but he’s not apologizing to the senator.

LePage said Friday he’s sorry if anybody was offended by the sexually vulgar phrase he used Thursday in targeting state Sen. Troy Jackson when expressing frustration with the budget, which he plans to veto.

LePage says his remark was intended “to wake people of Maine up” to the fact that legislators are raising taxes.

LePage also says he’s sorry he lumped in Maine loggers with critical comments he made about Jackson, himself a logger. In criticizing the senator over the state budget, LePage said “people like Jackson ought to go back in the woods and cut trees and let somebody with a brain come down here and do some work.”