Linn McCabe: The truth about FACL is that it’s not conservative

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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By LINN MCCABE

As most Alaskans know, the Alaska House of Representatives has been in disarray for at least the last six years. Recently, a couple of conservative legislators attempted to provide leadership in a move to restore some order to the chaos by moving to table several dilatory “intent-language-only” budget amendments offered by members in their minority caucus.

Two of the amendment sponsors took exception to the motions. Their activist friends, and the affiliated entities they operate, such as Alaska Right To Life, and Alaska Gun Rights (affiliated with National Association for Gun Rights—NAGR), began to attack the legislators who moved to table amendments.

The activists posted intellectually dishonest content on social media, and created inflammatory flyers which they circulated from their booth at a local gun show. They even went so far as to show up in Juneau, where they intimidated staffers in their zeal to publicly attack the two legislators who made the motions; attacking only these two legislators, despite overwhelming affirmative votes by most members of their caucus.

All of those associated with the attacks, including the two legislators whose amendments were tabled, have been trained by the Foundation for Applied Conservative Leadership, or FACL.

FACL, which was founded by Mike Rothfeld, along with NAGR, claim to be ultra-conservative Christian organizations attempting to change the political landscape for several years through political activism.

What they do, however, is hardly conservative, nor do its practitioners appear to adhere to the most important elements of the Christian faith. FACL teaches that, in order to bring other conservatives in line, you must hold them accountable and cause them to feel pain when they don’t vote or behave as you wish.

Lance Roberts: FACL holds politicians accountable

It is a type of binding caucus; pain is applied by FACL activists through “confrontational politics” with a goal of exposing the politician who went against their “champion.”

The term “confrontational politics” was first used by Senator H.L. Richardson several years ago as a means by which conservatives could counter Saul Alinsky tactics of the left, but the tactic has been subverted by Rothfeld as a means of attacking fellow conservatives.

A recent article by Lance Roberts implies that the two FACL-affiliated legislators whose amendments were tabled are “actual conservatives (those who do something, not just those who speak conservatively).” 

The facts, however, defy this statement. A simple review of much of these FACL-affiliated lawmakers’ legislation does, in fact, expose a lack of will for these bills to become law. It is the two FACL-trained legislators who are not doing the necessary work. 

Missing from most, if not all, of their legislation, are other elements required to move it along: There are no sponsor statements, sectional analyses, or requests to the committee chairman for a hearing. Some of these bills, which are being used as a bludgeoning tool against other conservatives, were introduced as far back as spring of 2021. Their lack of action on the bills they filed, leads one to ask why they were put forward in the first place. And yet, those bludgeoning the non-submissive legislators accuse them of not signing onto the legislation.

Legislators know that if they sign onto legislation early in the process, they run the risk of being associated with legislation that morphs into something else during the committee process, as those in the majority are likely not friendly to their cause.  

Regarding the budget amendments last month, one FACL-affiliated legislator was the sponsor of over half of the amendments; 47 of the 88 budget amendments offered came from one legislator, and 19 of those were intent language only. Amendments and work from the legal department is not free; it costs the state a significant amount of money.  

One of the budget amendments that FACL activists have used in wielding their attacks was an amendment that aimed to strip pay from the commissioner of DHSS if any state funds were used to pay for abortion. Any legislation that is designed to target a specific employee in state government for punishment is wildly unconstitutional and violates the separation of powers clause(s.) Had it been constitutionally viable, it would have been rendered moot by the passage of the prior amendment which provided that no state money could be used to fund abortions. 

Many legislators over the past several years have been the victims of the confrontational techniques of the FACL-trained activists and have refused to caucus with any legislator who has used these tools against them. The whole reason that Republicans are not in the majority is because three Republicans refused to caucus with the representative who has been the face of FACL in the Legislature. Reaching a majority and acquiring leadership positions, including chairmanships of committees, is all a numbers game—a game of addition, not subtraction. Any move away from the caucus, regardless of the strength or weakness of political leanings, is a step toward relinquishing movement on any conservative legislation. FACL acolytes have been great friends to the Left in recent years. 

A lawmaker who is trained in FACL tactics will introduce the most stringent legislation or amendments possible on a topic in order to get other conservatives “on-the-record” voting a certain way. One of the most-used topics for this purpose is abortion legislation; maybe even legislation that would provide for the arrest of the girl who has an abortion and charging her with murder.

Pro-life legislators (whose districts will not tolerate voting for arresting the girl) who vote against the legislation are then labeled as not being pro-life. The activists who align with the FACL lawmaker will then use the voting record against targeted lawmakers to call them out on social media and elsewhere.

This burn-the-house-down mentality, using the application of low-information rabid activists, has created division, making the FACL movement best friends with the Left; the Left doesn’t need to lift a finger to take advantage of this division to propel their agenda forward. 

This week the Republican minority caucus expelled a member. This is nothing new; this same FACL “champion” legislator has been [clarification] censured by the House because of comments deemed racist, and has been previously stripped from committees for alleged unethical conduct. What is new, however, is that conservative Republicans have had enough. They are apparently finished with FACL and any attempts to control the entire body with incessant and dilatory motions, “filibuster” style comments in committee and on the floor, and other tactics; as well as the intimidation applied by his co-FACL activists used to cause “pain” for those who push back. 

I attended FACL training two years ago, and have several friends who have also attended the training. Many of us have distanced ourselves from FACL as we came to recognize that their tactics do not align with our faith, or even true Republicanism. There is no love and grace in these techniques and frankly they are ineffective on legislators in the minority. For example: What is the point of holding a legislator accountable when he or she chairs no committees, and has virtually no say in the outcome of legislation. 

These techniques create divisiveness and a constant churn of freshmen legislators. Republicans will never get to the majority if FACL tactics continue. This is the purpose of the Fairbanks resolution introduced at the Republican Convention. Because FACL tactics are now so well recognized by many conservatives, the resolution passed by an overwhelming majority. 

The Legislature belongs to all Alaskan’s; it does not to belong to FACL, and it is not the property of any individual legislator or their activists. FACL tactics, and the Republican fratricide they espouse must be eliminated so Alaska can move forward. We must get back to the people’s business.

Linn McCabe of Big Lake is married to Rep. Kevin McCabe and has been through FACL training.


54 COMMENTS

  1. Linn
    Christian bash Christian is just what the left needs to foster a climate of what the hell are we here for!
    You best think long and hard before you get into this den of wicked hawks looking for prey lest you become one!

    • I believe in a Republican big tent, but a small minority of Republicans trying to usurp democratic principles need to be called out. I did not see the word “Christian” anywhere in the article. Hopefully voters will recognize they do not want representatives that ignore real issues such as affordable housing and education with FACL Unconstitutional rhetoric

  2. This all only happened because McCabe is jockeying for leadership and needed to get people behind him, so he worked to create a common enemy in Eastman. It rallys the ineffective legislators and gives them someone to blame it on. It also distracts people from the rino’s votes. Bad actors always needs a scapegoat.

    Also: She lied about Eastman making racist comments on the floor, something that is definitely a Democrat tactic.

    • ‘https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/rep-david-eastman-censured-peers-abortion-vacation-remark

      • Indian country today??? I’m sure its a fine progressive media outlet but could you find something with a little more conformation bias please. Was the anchorage press too light on Eastman???

        a prog claiming to be a conservative accusing a principled guy like eastman of being a phony using a leftist media. you can’t make this stuff up. unreal lulz

    • Given the state of the national affairs, it appears that lying is a conservative attribute.

      • Joe Biden is against the florida anti grooming bill and took inappropriate showers with his daughter.
        it appears that conversion, grooming and incest are progressive attributes.

  3. “maybe even legislation that would provide for the arrest of the girl who has an abortion and charging her with murder” so this statement is speculation and hyperbolic on the part of the writer but it seems like it would be a good tactic to move the state, the republican and democrat partys from their progressive legislating back towards a more moderate position through a compromise

  4. Say Linn: with all due respect I stopped reading the defense of your position at paragraph 7 of your 22-paragraph diatribe. I have no clue what you are talking about. You make no sense with your ramblings and tossing out many lettered words

    FACL may well be a load of manure — but you are not able to, in about four or five paragraphs, clearly explain your position.

    Since you apparently don’t like them in any manner just because they hold people accountable then my position should be to mail over a check to help FACL do the deed and keep on with pressure as much as you and many others cannot handle.

    Best,
    Jim

  5. Very interesting insight as to the inside goings-on of Alaskan politics. It seems like a constant, never ending, battle against vampire-rinos that attack the walls of conservativism with false fronts, gaslighting, misrepresentations, personal attacks and threats, until these vampire-rinos are exposed to the light of day and the truth until their skin burns from it. No wonder good people are hesitant to get into politics. Glad there are some decent people out there fighting these lying vampires.

  6. These RINO legislators are a disgrace. So much hope, replaced with so much disappointment. They know they can’t be re-elected on their record so they seek to quash the ability for the people to see their record.

  8. Linn, I’m torn on this. I was a no vote for one reason, SCOTUS has ruled “Hate speech if protected speech” Is this “hate speech”, depends on which end a person is on.
    I personally like David, Kris and your husband Kevin. I personally like the tenacity of David Eastman over the years, him and Lora great entertainment when Edgeman and Giesell were in leadership roles! Love seeing their head explode! Yet, neither David or Lora ever passed a single piece of legislation, this year is the first for Lora out of the Senate!
    I heard Carol Carman’s comments from the floor against FACL and that she had taken the course and been part of it for a while but saw things she could not condone. That was powerful for me.
    I hear a lot that David has made personal attacks on fellow conservatives and why he is not “liked” in the caucus. I get that and based on whom has told me that I sadly believe it. Yet isn’t it up to the district constituents to rein in David and/or Kris?
    There is a lot to this, I get it more than feelings have been hurt and this is not helping toward our goal of good legislation vs garbage. Hell, has the Glenn Highway name change made it our of the socaalist committee’s? Who was it, Wool put forward gun control bill, no hearing that I have hear about. Or Tarr’s Red Flag Law, this being I think the 3rd year put forward? So going after David on legislation that goes nowhere, is that pertinent? I’ve seen many from our side that have never gotten a hearing, not sure how hard the sponsor’s have pushed.
    I’m torn on this and I really don’t like what is going on.

    • Mike -you need to look a little deeper. It is a power play. When Carpenter and McCabe silenced the Intent amendments (and the only time minority republicans can get any bills passed is during the budget week -if
      You didn’t know that-it’s sadly true). This is why Lora and David
      Can’t get any bill passed. It’s a political football-and thats the goal-they
      Make it so the “good guys” can’t get anything done-and then (look back at Linns posts) how
      Many times do they say -David Eastman is ineffective and can’t get
      Any bills passed…..why? Because they
      Are trying to get
      The constituents to
      Stop
      Following someone who appears unable to get things done. We need to demand the majority/minority thing go away-it’s a political nightmare. Just look back at how many times people pointed out Lora and David can’t get bills passed -the only have budget
      Week-and this year-they didn’t even have that. I personally know someone who works tirelessly in David’s office and they had lots of “intent amendments” and yes-they do matter…..if you want look it up legfin.akleg.gov/intentmemos

      • KM, remember Lora is in the Senate Majority. No excuse for not getting bills passed.

      • McCabe and others want to grow government and lust for more power.
        Eastman stands in their way because he believes (as the Rep ublican party pretends to do) int eh importance of decreasing and limiting the size and scope of government. It should be applauded, not attacked, as the RINOs do when they attack Eastman.

    • Another thing to ponder Mike Coons is that nothing was getting accomplished under the Giessel/Coghill reign-there was no
      facl training during those days ……just manipulation and power plays …..look back historically here
      In Alaska -Juneau has
      Never been a
      Society of truth and enlightenment …..just saying -before Giessel
      And Coghill there was the Old Bastards Club…..

    • I don’t want any new state of Alaska Corporation bylaws right now. All I authorize them to do in Juneau is to complete a balanced budget with a corporate bylaw compliant (“statutory” = bylaw) PFD. Then they are off the clock.

  9. This is why people hate RINOs. Someone with an R does non-R things. People call them out for it, and then claim victim. Pretty sure this is the Lefts MO.

    Having attended one calss from FACL, how to oraganize a campaign, I can personally assure you that if you’re not on board, then you’re in the way.

    Why should someone handle politicians with kid gloves when they act outside our interests?

    • The “Lefts MO”? I don’t think so Will. Look at Mark Meadows or Taylor-Greene. Each lied, were confronted and then claimed to be victims. Plenty of other examples.

  10. Thank you Linn. Nazism has no place in Alaska politics, certainly not in the Republican Party, nor in any form of Christianity.

    • Rich, would you step into a boxing ring with your hands tied behind your back? Unlikely. And that sport is decidedly un-Christian in nature…. as are many sports. Perhaps the sport of politics fits the same description…. making it a necessary evil in a broken world.

  11. You can always tell when a tactic is working, because somebody’s ox gets gored. How is representing your constituents not conservative? How is pushing forward conservative causes not Republican? And how is holding people accountable for their poor performance not Christian? The word Christian is not equivalent to the word doormat. The word Republican should not be equivalent to the word loser.

  12. What an incredibly pathetic attempt to explain away the truth.

    “What they do, however, is hardly conservative, nor do its practitioners appear to adhere to the most important elements of the Christian faith. FACL teaches that, in order to bring other conservatives in line, you must hold them accountable and cause them to feel pain when they don’t vote or behave as you wish.”

    Is it lost on you that the Republican caucus just did EXACTLY that to Rep Eastman because he doesn’t behave as they wish?

    I award you no points Linn.

  15. So to be Frank-Linn is a dutiful little wife, upholding her marriage vows for her husband who just took away the voice
    Of all the minority leaders and their constituents. She is trying to make something out to be
    A boogie man-that isn’t. Because
    I questioned her
    Husband -and what he did (because I donated to his election campaign-even though I wasn’t in their area and supported him in social media prior to election because of his Right to Life commitment). I was falsely accused
    Of being trained in Facl-I have never been to any training. I was accused of living in a mansion-he went back to his Apoc reports and looked up my previous
    Address (I have since
    Sold my commercial property and moved). Since my property previously was a business that we lived above he stated I was rich-ha! My
    Building was very expensive
    In fnsb. So he belittled
    Me-and yes-I called him chubby (sometimes you get Tired of the legislative lies and runaround). He has bragged about a prayer meeting in the morning -then that afternoon cussed like a sailor at a gun show. If he doesn’t like what people say he is doing -then he needs to look at what his political behavior is doing. If
    People elected him for supporting Right to Life-why did he tell constituents not
    To support Ak Right to Life-well they offended him…. So either grow rino thick skin or do what people elected you to do. We didn’t ask you to take license plates off the front of cars -it’s dangerous for troopers and police…we elected you to uphold the statutory pfd….you haven’t. Celebrating mediocrity is the problem in Juneau today. My opinion-I always have one.

  16. The biggest threat to our liberties, freedoms, values, and our way of life is the RINO’s.
    Whether it is the McCain, Romney’s, Graham’s, or the Murkowskis, Young, Sullivan types – they talk tough during election time then side with multinational corps, military industrial complex, free trade, and the open border crowd.
    We need more tough talking, unyielding politicians like Trump, DeSantis, MJG, and Boebert.

    • “We need more tough talking, unyielding politicians like Trump, DeSantis, MJG, and Boebert.” My liberal head just exploded!

      • government gridlock is the best possible outcome under the current system no matter if the rulers have an R or D by their name . not all of us want to “melt snowflakes” or “own the libs” say goodbye to 2016 and come on into 2022.

    • That’s an easy answer. Democrats vote to gain power. They simply want power. They don’t care who they support or what crazy idea they vote for as long as they gain power. They support feminists…. until males decided to call themselves females. Then they throw the women under the buss and go for the next best thing. They don’t have a moral center so they can easily band together and vote together. Republicans are all different types from the left to the mushy middle to the hard right. Most have ideals they vote for and will not compromise. They can’t vote together because their number one is ideals/morals. So if republicans lost their moral lines, they could easily stay together… but then they would just be democrats. That is why Murky went from the mushy middle to a far left lib… she lost her moral compass (or the little bit she ever had) and now votes for power.

    • Me too, Jay. I think he has the best chance of getting elected, but his shotgun form is bordering on chick lean!

    • I have nothing against either L. L. Bean or Eddie Bauer. And I’ll be voting Begich. But with that “side arm” and stance of his, were you to top him off with a cowboy hat, he’d easily pass as a double for Quick Draw McGraw!

  19. Mrs. McCabe, in this country you were due a good education! What happened? The service that the Foundation for Applied Conservative Leadership provides is based upon meeting the desires of willing, public “servants” to groom and maintain the “intelligence” of those members of our society who hardly read and who can barely write–those too ignorant or lazy to do your own thinking, those who feel no humiliation in being cultivated!

    FACL has found a niche in our society to make a few dollars. I find as much fault with the foundation’s entrepreneurial spirit as I do the spirit of the local hookers working the lucrative street corners–they are all out to serve some “social need.” And the “needy” apparently have the disposable income to afford their “lavish life styles” and feel no compunction in spending money to meet their desires!

    The foundation is just another “provider,” and from a purely transactional standpoint they are no different than the street hookers or, for that matter, any of the barbecued, turkey leg vendors: they all are working the “market!”

    • Edit (for the critical): “–those too ignorant or lazy to do [their] own thinking, those who feel no humiliation in being cultivated!”

  20. The extremists on the left and the extremists on the right have a lot more in common with each other than they do with the vast majority of people in between the fringe extremists. This state and this country are center right, having a small vocal minority from either side demand everyone follow their chosen ideology is un-American.

  21. 100% spot on Linn. Thank you.

    Please – everyone educate yourselves. These few are destroying our party from within and are the reason we get nothing done.

    Thank you for being brave enough to speak up.

    FACL makes RINOs look like teammates. End FACL tactics now! If your legislator is Eastman or Kurka… tell them to STOP using FACL tactics against our own!

    • actually it is Eastman and Kurka who are following the Party principles.
      It begs the question why ate McCabe and o many others weak on freedom and liberty issues. One reason, they need to be liked. tThe are weak in their own mind and therefore love to be adored instead of standing in righteousness.
      Think of Jesus, he did not capitulate when things got tough, he kept pressing in to do that which is righteous, no matter the cost.
      MCabe can’t bear the thought of anyone disagreeing with him so he attacks the very people he should admire for doing what he is too afraid and to weak to do: take the moral high ground, both McCabes.

      Your pity party is getting stinky and old.

  22. If conservatives or republicans want to introduce a true pro life bill, it’s very simple…

    “Life begins at conception.” Emphasis on PERIOD!
    Problem solved.

    It’s my understanding that Koreans understand the zygote. They know when life begins. I was born 9 months after the 64’ earthquake and I know when I was conceived. I am now over 58 years of age. Lots of people were happy to be alive in Alaska then and lots of babies born in December of 64’. But life still begins at conception.

    Back to a real pro life bill.
    Any other language empowers and recognizes abortion (aka murder) as being “ok”.

    Sometimes it’s better to have legislators NOT pass a bill and keep bad bills from passing, than to judge them on how many bills they have passed.
    Honestly, them blocking bills is more important than writing or passing them.

    Now to the root of the issue…
    We (you, me, Kevin, David, Christopher, Pat, et.al. ) all have more in common than we disagree on.

    We know who our true enemy really is!
    It’s Satan!! And his tactics are to divide.

    Many have it in their head that they are right, but look around are we really right??

    We all are Certainly opinionated and don’t know how to work together.

    The Dems know it too, that’s why they have been in power for years in Juneau.

    That’s not Kirka’s fault, that’s not Eastman’s fault. To think it is, is pure BS, because Juneau has been a mess for decades! And this is from both sides of the aisle.

    If the RINO republicans would allow the Eastman’s and Kurka’s to expose the satanic liberal socialists agenda of Juneau, then maybe we could get somewhere.
    But, when they attack the dem’s, the RINO republicans are the first to stand up and defend the Dem’s. Why is that?!?!?

    Why is it when we elect someone to go to Juneau and they LIE to get there, promise change and poof, nothing! No results and no change. Just look at Dunleavy… can’t blame his campaign promises on Eastman or Kurka.

    Unless you think giving our liberties away is a good thing, by further accepting compromise, like we Alaskans have been doing.

    Conservatives are done giving ground. (Another emphasis on PERIOD!)!!!

    Learn to work with them (and us), not against them (or us). Many here know they are holding a fine line on our Liberties.

    Many somewhat conservative republicans are too, but they are attacking the wrong people. They empower the RINO’s to keep running around lawless.

    Honestly, these attacks are aimed in the wrong direction.

    Where is your line? The one you and Kevin crossed and want conservatives to cross too?

    Ain’t gonna happen.
    Just saying.

    Again, We have more in common than we disagree on. But we are not going to compromise the 5-10% we don’t agree on!!!!!

    Learn to work with them (and us)
    Not fight them (and us)
    Ask them, How can we work with you (and us)
    They will tell you and so will we.

    I would be happy to facilitate a meeting. Like I have been calling for over a year now.

    Maybe we can truly work together, because if we don’t, Satan and the Socialists in Alaska will laugh their way into power here and we really will become like Portland or Seattle.

    Btw… many conservatives were at the election meeting with Captain Seth Keshel yesterday and missed you and Kevin…
    Why is that? Is not election integrity important to you guys?

    Is to me, and many others and if we don’t fix the 2020 election, there will never be another free election EVER in Alaska.

    Just saying.

    I want to work with ALL of you, to make Alaska Great, but we can’t the way we have tried in the past nor with these kinds of attacks on conservatives.

    Yea, even that definition, we can’t all agree on. But hey, it’s ok to agree to disagree, as long as we respect the space in between.

    Peace.

    John

  24. I have also attended FACL training in the past. Its motto should be, “Take no prisoners”. It seems as if some in the legislature are in it for the optics and use those to win reelection from those who don’t pay much attention. The single issue people tend to throw a wrench in the works of accomplishing anything good. I agree with the Right To Life values but mixing religion with politics ensures little is accomplished. Some legislators seem to value a Pyrrhic victory over compromising to get good legislation passed. We have some excellent legislators, Reps Carpenter and McCabe are two of them. Let’s all start looking at the Far Left legislators and shining the light on their antics/values. Otherwise, we conservatives may win the battle yet lose the war. Think!

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