Rep. Andy Josephson, facing his toughest competitor yet in House District 13 candidate Kathy Henslee, has turned to an old trick: Lying about endorsements. In this instance, Josephson is repeating that he has an important endorsement from the Anchorage Police Department and Anchorage Fire Department.
What Josephson is saying in his ads is that two city departments endorse him, which would be illegal. City governments cannot endorse candidates. What he is implying is that the public safety employees are in his camp.
Many who are sworn officers do not, in fact, support lawmakers like Josephson, who are hard leftists. Josephson has an F grade from the National Rifle Association, and is endorsed by hardcore groups such as the Alaska Center [for the Environment], the National Education Association [NEA], and Planned Parenthood Alliance.
What is true is that the political action committee run by the public safety employees’ union is throwing its support to Josephson, but the distinction is important to those serving in public safety roles. Not all police or firefighters agree with the union PAC endorsement.
Some of them have contacted Must Read Alaska to straighten out the record: Josephson’s ads are beyond misleading — they are false.
The race for District 13 is considered winnable for conservatives, since the boundaries have been changed due to redistricting. The district is midtown-Taku-Campbell area and trends conservatives, while Josephson is a hard-left Democrat.
Henslee’s father and her father-in-law are retired Alaska state troopers. She grew up in a law enforcement family.
“The safety of all of our families is a top issue. We need to support our law enforcement to do the job they’ve been hired and trained to do. Their hands should not be tied. I completely support the police and firefighters and am grateful for their service,” Henslee said.
Just another lying Democrat trying to expunge his record before election day.
I’m old. In many decades of voting I’ve never known a time politicians were honest with the voters.
It used to be lies via wink and nod, with a side order of innuendo.
Todays crop don’t even bother with than anymore. Ever since Al Gore “invented” the internet, it’s become how to top last years lies.
If your cause is so righteous, why lie?
Sleazy. Sleazy. Sleazy. Why is it that few if any Republicans who are attorneys run for the Alaska Legislature but so many Democrats do? No one in the Legislature is as anti-Alaskan as is Josephson. I believe his father was tried and convicted of serious crimes while a legislator. This is an anti-development environmentalist now on a power trip. Josephson is so bad that he makes Gara look honest. Josephson makes Bernie Sanders look reasonable. As a Legislator Josephson worked against the Ambler mining district during the EIS process (completed in the Trump administration but now on pause at the behest of Biden) but didn’t disclose being on the board of the chief opponent of Ambler.
People in Anchorage need to do everything they can in the remaining days to make sure Henslee prevails.
@Kayak,
Partial answers to above question:
1). Good lawyers take 10 or 15 years to develop their skills and Republicans lawyers are more willing to invest the time with expectation of being successful by climbing through the hoops.
2). Good lawyering is actually a business as much as it is good lawyering. Being a good businessman is more of a Republican thingie. It involves good judgment for business decisions, something they don’t teach in law school.
3). Democrats have a broader view, that is, to further benefit their ideological beliefs by being public servants.
4). Democrats are all about power and control.
5). Democrats are better at touting their law degrees because it makes them feel superior to others. Republican lawyers typically don’t carry the same attitude.
“……Why is it that few if any Republicans who are attorneys run for the Alaska Legislature but so many Democrats do?…….”
The Demonrat Party is the party of lawyers. The American Association for Justice, formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (and at least three names before that) has been a literal arm of the Demonrat Party for the past 80 years, much like the KKK was a terrorist arm of the Demonrat Party for over a century.
The Republican Party was traditionally the party of businessmen.
Both parties have evolved since the Vietnam War and the near civil war of the 1960’s. Today the Republican Party is most closely aligned with small business and the middle class. The Demonrat Party is most closely aligned with every freak you can possibly imagine along with the advocacy groups profiting on the public money donated toward them.
He’s a Democrat so of course he’s going to lie. There are no penalties for lying when you’re a Democrat. The mainstream media won’t call him out, fellow Dems won’t call him out. If there’s too much pushback, he’ll just say he was misquoted and it will be end of story.
ALSO, Andy Josephson tells people in the district that he is a moderate. When he goes door to door and has the opportunity to speak with voters, he totally mischaracterizes his overly progressive and harmful votes, liberal caucus, and overall very bad legislative record. He is not a moderate. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THIS GUY!
That’s why if we get a Constitutional convention we should make sure that the law no lawyers can run for office.
That’s silly! You can not restrict a group of legal residents from serving as legislators. Not only is that highly un-American, but a slippery slope leading to codified dynasty lawmakers, shutting out those not of the “family or clan”. It would be much better to install term limits, so individuals like Mr. Josephson can’t make it a permanent career choice.
“Not all police or firefighters agree with the union PAC endorsement.”
No union endorsement ever in the history of mankind has had 100% backing from the members. But I guess all she is claiming is one cop or firefighter is on her side.
There’s a reason that unions don’t put their endorsements to a vote of their members or release the results. Cheers –
Nice try! Mr. Josephson doesn’t say ” A PAC of the police union has endorsed me” he claims the APD, as an organization has endorsed him. Considering the endorsement isn’t even the union but their PAC mouthpiece, if you can not see the difference you are willfully blind or deliberately obtuse.
When did we expect the Democrats to not lie? Andy Josephson is following a long tradition of lying to the public.
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