Cheapest of the cheap shots

By
Anchorage Daily Planet
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18
350

THE ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET

Once in a while, we are completely flabbergasted at what some of our elected representatives have the chutzpah to say aloud.

Take, for instance, Senate President Cathy Giessel. She went on Facebook yesterday to engage in vague character assassination of Rep. Laddie Shaw. Giessel was one of six Republican senators who voted not to confirm Shaw to replace late Sen. Chris Birch in Senate Seat M.

Giessel and the others are determined to slash the Permanent Fund from the statutorily required $3,000 to about $1,600 to provide government more money to spend. Shaw told them he believed in following the law. They did not like that.

Shaw, a two-tour Vietnam war veteran and a Navy SEAL, was one of the three District M choices Gov. Mike Dunleavy was sent by Republicans after Birch’s death. He tapped Shaw. During questioning prior to Shaw’s rejection, Giessel incredibly asked asked Shaw – a guy who has risked his life to protect the likes of her – if he looks down on those who have not served in the military.

In her Facebook shot at Shaw on Thursday, Giessel lamely defended Shaw’s rejection in a back-handed way. “Many times we know these individuals in a way that perhaps you don’t,” she said.

“In a way that perhaps you don’t,” she said. Really. She actually said that about a fellow member of the Legislature and a guy who does not have to stand aside for anybody.

It was a cheap shot. It is, in fact, among the most cowardly, cheesy, undignified remarks we have ever heard from a politician, and we have heard a lot of cowardly, cheesy, undignified remarks from politicians over the years. How dare she impugn Shaw’s integrity with such a quietly pernicious statement. It is the verbal equivalent of a nudge-nudge, wink-wink, and, frankly it is unbefitting a street punk much less a sitting senator and president of the Alaska Senate.

She owes Shaw and every Alaskan an apology. Voters in her district should take note.

By the way, the rest of the senators who joined Giessel in denying one of the state’s ablest legislators a seat in the Senate include: Sens. Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks, Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, Bert Stedman, R-Ketchikan, John Coghill, R-North Pole, and Natasha von Imhoff, R-Anchorage. All support the smaller dividend.

So, here is our question to Giessel: What is it that you know that we do not? Let’s hear it. In public. Lay it out. We have a right to know what you know. If you have nothing, do Alaska a favor: Sit down and shut up.

[Read the Anchorage Daily Planet here.]

18 COMMENTS

  1. I could not agree more. It is extremely nice to hear someone call a spade a spade. Absolutely no beating around the bush. Just say it like you mean it. That article needs to be saved for posterity. Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris

  3. Cathy “Sponholz”
    Suzanne reported immediately after the vote on Mr. Shaw that Giessel put out a statement that the vote in no way reflected on his character or achievements . (something to that effect). Now this. Which is it?! Chicken —-!

  6. If it’s something ethical, we would expect the people who know about it to file an ethics charge. If it’s something illegal, we would expect them to charge them, censure them, & have them removed from office. If it’s that bad, we expect our elected officials to exercise their duty to the public & protect us. So, what gives? This sounds like playground antics, saying, “We’re not going to play with him, and you shouldn’t either.”

  7. Spit it out, Cathy. This was a “neener, neener” 5th-grade secret cheap shot at best. Certainly not representative of the president of the Senate. If you have any cred whatsoever, tell the rest of us Alaskans what it is you know of our fellow representative, so that we can make informed decisions at the next election. As it stands, we know EVERYTHING we need to know about you to make a decision, so please…if there is something more we must know about Representative Shaw, do tell! All I am hearing are crickets…..

  9.  Want some names of the public-labor union bought and paid for ingrained Alaska Deep Staters, then read the list of so-called Republican Senators (RINO PFD STEALING) who voted against retired Navy SEAL and Alaska State Trooper trainer Laddie Shaw.
    Remember these traitors next Alaska election. The Republican Party needs to rid the party of these Deranged Democrats RINOs operating as Republicans who voted against Shaw:

    Here are the RINO traitors, Senators Giessel, John Coghill, Gary Stevens, Bert Stedman, Click Bishop, and Natasha Von Imhof.
    What was Shaw thinking when asked where he would have gone if the session was called anywhere but Juneau. The RINOs didn’t like Shaw’s answer, “I would follow the law.” The RINOs don’t care about the law if they don’t like it.

    Remember these bastards and DO NOT RE-ELECT THEM.

  10. Maybe Giessel and Pete should have a mini-RINO get together. Like Napoleon said: ” To succeed in politics, promise everything, deliver nothing”. Also, “Stupidity in not a hindrance in politics”. If the fools succeed in keeping any majority coming up, I think voters in Alaska will be making a huge mistake. Take a look at the developing ‘homeless crisis’ in Anchorage and other liberal controlled Alaskan communities where the term “homeless” was never pushed as our ‘responsibility’, until fairly recently. Citizens are required to pay. Recipients contribute nothing except disease, misdeeds, mayhem and disorder. Citizens rights are becoming secondary to the leftist agenda in too large a part of our Country, State and Cities. Voters of Alaska. Please listen to the truth. Then vote with an open mind, for the good of Alaska and America.
    BTW,
    Take a look at the ‘Malinkovitch Cycle’ on Nasa’s website and compare today’s weather to the scientifically proven ’causes and effect’ of “climate change”, due to this cycle, currently in motion.

  11. I have supported Cathy for years……but no more. I sent her an email and told her that she will never have my vote again because of her underhanded vote to keep Laddie Shaw from stepping into Chris Birch’s senate seat. She should step down as head of the Alaska Senate and retire….I never thought she would stoop this low. Laddie Shaw is an Alaskan hero and a great example of what we need in the state senate. In my opinion, she has become an embarrassment to the people of her district of which, I am one.

  12. Sit down and shut up, but first: apologize to Mr. Shaw and to all Alaskans you misled in besmerching his reputation with your snide innuendo.

  14. It seems that the Daily Planet has taken the item off their web page. I am not sure what that says about any of the folks involved in this.

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