Failure as a Conservative art form

Hey kids, it’s Word Thursday!

Whether you find it grotesque, or humorous (or both), the transmogrification of Governor Dunleavy from a humble Wasilla man of the people into a self-glorifying Trump wannabe continues before our very eyes. And it’s not really a stretch to say that the governor thinks he’s Tundra Trump because he is literally saying it himself… while gazing meaningfully into the middle-distance.

It’s not clear why the State Senator who voted against a budget so he could get thrown out of the caucus so he could justify quitting so he could get an early start on his gubernatorial campaign thinks he “wasn’t supposed to run,” but, apparently…

Match this new framing with his conservative media tour across the Lower 48, fundraising Outside for his anti-recall PAC, and it leaves you wondering about Dunleavy’s plans. With all those schmoozy meet-ups on Air Force One, and now the “I want to be like you” memes, and the “we’re both victims of mean Democrats” tropes he’s throwing around on Fox, and it’s hard not to think he isn’t vying for some position in the Trump administration. It gets him out from in front of the Recall Dunleavy steamroller, saves face, and an opportunity (like the last governor from Wasilla grabbed) to get out of Alaska and on to bigger things. With the rapid-fire turnover that has plagued the Trump Administration since the beginning, there’s sure to be an open spot on the horizon soon.

DOWN IN THE VALLEY

Here’s one way the governor IS like his heartthrob though. They both recently stumped for a super conservative candidate in a super conservative district who then proceeded to lose. In Trump’s case, it was flipping the Kentucky governorship from red to blue last week, and in Dunleavy’s case it was right in his home district. His support of Brian Endle for Mat-Su Borough Assembly didn’t seem to do much to help the candidate, who lost in a close vote to moderate Tim Hale.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE

For the third time in his short tenure, the Governor will be able to hand-pick a member of the legislature. First he gave duly-elected Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom (R-Eagle River) a cushy job in the administration before the session even started, and installed acolyte Sharon Jackson to the seat.

Then after the death of Sen. Chris Birch (R-Anchorage), he chose supporter Rep. Josh Revak for the promotion to the Senate seat. NOW, he gets to pick someone to fill Josh Revak’s suddenly-empty seat. The Republican Party, after their usual skulduggery in choosing names to send to the governor, has forwarded the following for consideration: Jamie Donley, Forrest McDonald, and Mel Gillis. You can read all about that hot mess HERE.

Jamie Donley is married to Dave Donley who is on both the Anchorage School Board, AND appointed by Gov. Dunleavy to be deputy commissioner of the Department of Administration. He’s receiving a salary for both, and apparently sees no conflict of interest in the double dipping.

Coincidentally, in his role on the school board he voted in opposition to them and with the governor’s veto of funding for public education. And not only this, but both he and his wife sit on the District 25 Republican Committee whose job it is to vote for, and decided whose name to forward to the governor to replace Rep. Revak. And yes, they both get a vote. Guess whose name got the most votes with two more votes than the second-place name? Donley. And this was after she was interviewed in the last available time slot, so she and her husband could actually sit in the room and listen to the interviews of all her competitors before her own interview, and before voting for HER. So, if she wins, the Donley couple will be triple-dippers. Nice work if it lands in your lap.

Coming in a strong second was Forrest McDonald whose crude name-calling and controversial social media history rivals any of the now-defunct nominees to appointments by Dunleavy early in his term. Third was Mel Gillis whose Facebook reveals only that he likes Breitbart, the NRA, Ben Shapiro, Alaska Conservative Leadership PAC, Dunleavy for Alaska, ‘Drain the Swamp Alaska’, ‘We the People of Alaska,’ Pro-Life Alaska, Judicial Watch, and a host of other uber-right-wing sites. Here are a few pictures-worth-a-thousand-words on a few of the sites Mr. Gillis aligns himself with politically that you might not have heard of before.

Keep in mind that the weasel in the above photo on the right is Cathy Giessel who is the sitting Republican Senate President. That is correct, the group that posted this is actually to the RIGHT of far-right Giessel.

And then there was this ^^ appearing below photos of the entire House Majority. Apparently they are Deep State AND lawbreakers in super-neon colors so you know they’re serious. So, we’re in for a real treat no matter who Dunleavy chooses. Unless, of course, the Senate Republicans reject his pick and he goes ‘off-list’ which is also a real possibility.

FAILURE AS AN ART FORM

Attorney General Kevin Clarkson is nothing if not consistent. He just doesn’t like the Constitution and seems bound and determined to keep throwing lame constitutional challenges at it until something sticks. But fortunately for us, the Constitution is strong, and Clarkson has worse aim than a Stormtrooper.

James Brooks at the Anchorage Daily News has kept a running list. We’re up to half a dozen so far, just in the last year.

1)   An Alaska Superior Court judge in Juneau ruled against the administration in an education funding lawsuit that would allow forward funding.

2)   The state has settled a lawsuit alleging that it declared a false emergency in order to justify Medicaid cuts.

3)    The state agreed that it must study the privatization of the Alaska Psychiatric Institute before privatizing the hospital.

4)    A judge granted an injunction stopping the state’s move to put new restrictions on union membership, because the state was likely to lose.

5)    A Superior Court judge overruled the rejection of a ballot measure which would implement ranked-choice voting, and transparency measures.

6)    A lawsuit the state supported from Pebble Mine was tossed out which would have kept a fisherman-funded marketing group from campaigning against the mine.

Apparently, the governor thinks the state is flush with cash when it comes to using state resources to fight losing ideological conservative battles. Just not when it comes to ferries, and education, and seniors, and homelessness, and all that other stuff.

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