A national news organization took notice this week that Rep. Mary Peltola is lying about Republican candidate Nick Begich, who she accuses of planning to destroy all fish in Alaska, outsource all jobs to other countries, and somehow remove all children from the state of Alaska.
Peltola’s campaign has hit some new lows in Alaska politics. “Nice Mary” has turned into “Vicious Mary” during the last days of the campaign. Some of Peltola’s bizarre ads are illustrated by these two found on her website, which she refuses to remove:
Republican candidate Nick Begich called out Peltola during the fisheries debate in Kodiak for lying about him with her ads.
“I think it’s also important that we be honest in politics. And you know, I’m seeing ads right now from, again, one of my opponents up here on stage that says, if you elect Nick Begich, there’ll be no more fish,’” Begich said. “Well, that is ridiculous, and that is shameful, and for her to maybe run ads like that that she approved from her campaign, lying to the people of Alaska, that’s wrong,” he added.
Peltola responded that she knew nothing about the ads.
“I don’t know what attack ad is being referred to. I know nothing of this,” she said at the fish debate. “That was not my ad there. There are a lot of ads out there. I know I’ve had seven million dollars and attack ads over the last few weeks, and it’s time that I stand up for myself and stand up for Alaskans and say enough is enough: I’m not here to do any petty bickering.”
But if she didn’t really know what her own ads were saying then, she knows them, 10 days later. But she still won’t take them down.
Even the news outlet Townhall found her dishonesty to be of interest to its national audience.
Typically, it’s independent expenditure groups that are in charge of the mudslinging, and candidates try to distance themselves from that nasty aspect of campaigning. But Peltola herself has taken ownership of the role of chief mudslinger, spreading lies about Nick Begich, and savaging Nick’s father, Nick Begich Sr.
Peltola’s continuous attacks on Nick’s father’s business have risen to the level of an obsession with her opponent’s father, who is both a miner and a businessman, and Peltola has attempted to confuse voters, since the two share a family name.
At the same time, Peltola never brings up her own father, Ward Sattler of Stony River, nor does she invite him to events or appear with him in any photos or videos. In fact, Peltola never mentions her father. It’s only Nick Begich’s father that has her full and constant attention.
