UPDATE: HE’S GONE! Meet the New Republican Senator from the Mat-Su!

As Mike Dunleavy (R-Wasilla) steps down from the state senate to run for Governor, Gov. Bill Walker was tasked with choosing one of three possible replacements to fill out Dunleavy’s term. Walker opted to choose from outside the shallow pool of nominees from the Mat-Su Republican Party’s options, and appointed Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Randall Kowalke. The fabulously-coiffed Kowalke was at least an already-elected official in some capacity. Walker took a risk by choosing from outside the list, and quickly felt the wrath.

The arguments on the surface were difficult to discount. It’s the normal custom of the Party to choose a list of potential replacements based upon the desires and values of the district. The Republicans in the Senate voted to reject Walker’s appointee.

Walker, as is his wont, quickly caved to Republican pressure, abandoned his effort to save them from themselves, and chose a name from the original Republican Party list, an official of the Mat-Su Republican Party itself – Tom Braund.

“I now believe Senate Republicans will continue to reject anyone I appoint, no matter how qualified, unless that person’s name is on the list provided to me by the Republican Party,” Walker said. “As such, I have appointed Thomas Braund to fill the vacancy.”

“We believe the people of District E should be given an opportunity to fill the seat with a candidate they support through the traditional process, which is designed to respect the will of the voters,” quoth Senate Majority Leader Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna.

Ok then, people of District E, whatcha got? Let’s see the will of the Mat-Su Republicans in all its glory.

The Anchorage Daily News gave a brief overview of his job history:

Braund’s Facebook profile says he’s worked at the San Diego Police Department and for a fire department in New Jersey. He said at a 2010 candidate forum that he served nine years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

A more telling portrait is revealed when you dig a little deeper.

We can assume that most Republicans from the Mat-Su, despite screaming about freedom and liberty, will be some brand of anti-choice. That’s a given. But here’s one justification I’ve actually never seen before. Things start getting weird in the second paragraph.

That’s right. He remembers quite clearly not only being in the womb, but he remembers seeing and thinking and hearing while he was there. And he’ll testify to that.

Here is his current womb-themed profile picture:

And why should we believe the unbelievable claim that he can literally remember being in the womb?

You HAVE TO, MAUREEN. Because you weren’t there. You don’t KNOW. You can’t PROVE he doesn’t remember. So, it’s fact. The end.

And as a matter-of-fact, he even remembers thinking at the time that being in the womb was “pretty incredible.”

The logic is flawless, which just goes to substantiate this little nugget I also found on his Facebook page.

Because, they’re all illogical and fact-challenged. Right, Maureen?

And then there’s this precious nugget in a conversation about Planned Parenthood.

Umm.

Moving on from the elephant in the womb (forgive me), there are some other interesting things we can discover about Mr. Braund.

The real kind. So real, in fact, that his Bill of Rights has a big ol’ cross on it.

Someone needs to ask him to go back and read #1 again.

And here’s more of what to expect from our newest lawmaker on making laws.

And some more real Christianity, including respect for women and political opponents. WWJPITF? (Who would Jesus punch in the face?)

A depth of understanding about our fiscal crisis.

Rockefeller… *nods meaningfully*

And someone who respects what they are tasked to do, and will work hard to fulfill their obligations of passing a budget in 90 days.

Not that he’ll have a say in federal immigration law, but as a lawmaker from one of the most diverse states in the country, here are a few of his published thoughts on that.

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is another of Obama’s dirty tricks to give our sovereignty away.
• Trump has stated again last month that he will end DACA. So, it’s true. Lots of people on all sides are furious. So what? Public opinion has no place in swaying law. Where will the watering down end?
• …the left and many leftist Republicans, not wanting Trump in that office, fight him any way they can, especially by disseminating lies that sound plausible. So my first response to them is, screw them; they are violating their oath of office.
• Anchor babies are just as illegal as their parents, though they didn’t commit the crime. Doesn’t matter to me; they have no claim on citizenship here. Being born here does not make anyone American.
• Since their parents came here illegally, I say they can never return, no ifs ands or buts. They participated in an invasion of the US to try to take AZTLAN back under Mexican authority by continuing the Mexican American War of 1846. They are taught this in schools since they were children, that we stole AZTLAN from Mexico. It’s a lie. We paid Mexico for that land and Mexico sold it to us. There is no leg for them to stand on. they came here to take control.
• What Obama did was not an aspirin, it was cyanide. As a Statist, he did many wrong things while attempting to take America down the Socialist Communist path. He’s a sociopath.
• I fully understand the difficulties they face in leaving the land of the free to go to the land of corruption and revolutions. They’ve been brought up to be Americans experientially, not legally. It won’t be easy. But we are not responsible for their plight and I refuse to break the law for them.

He seems super nice. Jesus would also totally not give a crap about these kids, and fully understanding the hell they would go through leaving the land of the free, the only home they’ve known, and heading to dangerous corrupt countries, he too would not care because, they are not American.

So the Senate Republican Majority made a big stink over Walker’s nominee, saying they wanted one of the three names on the list. Now they got their wish, and they get to vote. All of this information is public, and they’ve made their thoughts known, but you could still urge them to not vote for this person and go back to a more moderate choice. And by moderate, I mean sane.

We can blame our politicians for our ills, but sometimes representative democracy works just like it’s supposed to and gives us exactly what we want. And at times like these we have to come to grips with what that actually means.

UPDATE: Braund has already withdrawn his name from consideration.

First, he blamed the media.

Then the Senate Minority Leader, Berta Gardner (D-Anchorage) ripped him in a press release:

“I always reach out and warmly greet every new legislator when they come to the Capitol, no matter the political differences, but I cannot even imagine the desire to shake this man’s hand.”

Then, Braund welcomed concerns saying it was “good” that people had concerns about his posts. “That means I scare them…Some of them need to be scared; they’re on the wrong side.”

After that, Governor Walker’s Chief of Staff issued a brutal and glorious smack down. You ordered it, you eat it.

Less than an hour later, here’s Braund’s statement. Seems legit.

Chalk this one up as one of the nuttiest, and shortest lasting political brouhahas in the circus. And THAT, my friends, is saying something.

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