In one of the more awkward moments in the Alaska State House this week, Rep. Zack Fields of Anchorage said into the record that the short skirt of Rep. Sara Rasmussen was causing a traffic hazard in her district. He therefore would be sending her a pair of sweatpants for her birthday, so she won’t be causing accidents in the future, he explained.
His remark came immediately after Rasmussen announced that she and Rep. Ivy Spohnholz were forming the “women’s caucus” in the House.
Rasmussen had made a speech about the contributions of women and their role as decision makers, and how proud she was to model leadership for both her daughter and her son.
The irony was not lost on other women in the House. After all, Rasmussen’s co-founder of the women’s caucus, Rep. Spohnholz, is remembered for her unfounded accusations against retired Judge Karl Johnstone, who had been appointed to the Board of Fisheries by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
“Imagine if a Republican male had made that joke,” remarked one shocked member of the House Republican minority. “They’d have ‘Johnstone’d him.”
Without evidence, Spohnholz had in 2019 said Johnstone had made some sort of sexist remarks to anonymous women in years’ past, but Spohnholz never provided any proof. She and Fields used the “me too” accusation to sandbag Johnstone’s nomination.
“Zack called me and apologized for his statements on the floor. He did not mean any disrespect. I’ve accepted his apology and hope to move on from it,” Rasmussen said.
Fields has a history of attacking conservative women, such as Commissioner Kelly Tshibaka, during her confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Administration. He also attacked former Commissioner Amanda Price because she had not completed college. But today, he was smitten with the undeniably lovely Rasmussen, who he and other Democrats are trying to court into their caucus.
Below the video of Rasmussen’s speech and Fields’ sexist joke (minute 3:15 in the video) is the link to the full tale of what happened to Johnstone at the hands of Rep. Spohnholz in 2019, in his own words.
“Imagine if a Republican male had made that joke,”
Well, yes, just imagine. Perhaps he should have said something about “grabbing her (insert appropriate feline noun here), which apparently is entirely acceptable to the GOP crowd.
You are out of line. Typical shallow comment justifying today’s bad behavior with someone else’s bad behavior from the past. I would like to re-imagine people like you would quietly just go away from the public forum.
I think the Former Guy has supplied us with a plethora of examples of similar persuasion.
But this is a local issue. And as a well-know Democrat of prior years opined, “All politics are local.”
And, to quote a well-know Irish drunk, “Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
May the light shine brightly, if not here, somewhere.
Correction, “…well-known Welsh drunk…” may he rest in peace.
11 years before he ran in a private conversation. This idiot read it into the record. Own it.
Good one Greg – Like you never said anything in the company of some that you wouldn’t want the ears of all to hear. That is of course unless you think you are perfect. I’m so tired of people bringing up blemishes from peoples past – like nobody can grow morally or spiritually and everyone should be judged on the mistakes they have made rather than the successes. It is a view of the media manipulated fools.
Unfortunately, some never learn from their mistakes. Some double down. One of those has been in the White House, lo, these last four years. His behavior has not changed from 11 years ago. Had it done so, I would have been happy to acknowledge that he understood the folly of his ways and wish him well in his newfound enlightenment.
Mr. Fields acknowledged his error in a matter of a few days. If that gap is unforgiveable, I leave you all to the judgement that befits each of you at the pearly gates.
You do realize that Donald Trump was a Democrat in 2005 when he made that comment, right? It was considered perfectly fine for a Democrat to say things like that and the media would cover for him. It’s only when he became a Republican and announced his candidacy for President that the remark was deemed offensive.
I hardly think it was ever perfectly fine, whether coming from a donkey or an elephant.
Isn’t this what people like you call whataboutism?
Or a BJ in the Oval Office?
Try to stay in this millennium with the references.
Retired Judge Karl Johnstone, would have been great for the fish board to bad we have women like Rep. Spohnholz making BS unfounded accusations. She should not be getting paid by the state. What else can happen at the Juneau circus. I believe everyone in the state capital should be replaced.
GAWD. That was awkward. Of all the things he could have said to honor a birthday, he picked that? He’s a bonified freak (IMO) and I’m sad to say I live in his district.
Perfect leftist. The more corruptible the better.
Two observations
1-Fields is the sleaziest member of the assembly.
2-Sara, teaming up with Ivy, is going full dark side
Yes, all true. But I actually thought he is a “sensitive fellow,” so to speak. At any rate a symptom of the malaise Alaska cannot seem to shake. And he is a Democrat. So far as being a public figure he isn’t fit to shine Representative Rasmussen’s shoes.
I made this comment over on FB: As my dearly departed daddy would say, it’s a joke, son, laugh! My biggest surprise was a Dem with a sense of humor. They are usually pretty humorless.
Jokes come in a variety of types. Great, good, bad, off-color, stupid, etc, etc. Great jokes require great creativity. This guy’s joke was neither great nor good.
Sorry I’m late to the party here. But I agree Gretchen. He was truly attempting to be light hearted and complimentary. And it was even a nice gesture of bipartisanship. It was perhaps in bad taste in this forum, but that’s it. Sara obviously was laughing. If she didn’t find it actually funny, she should be a strong woman and not laugh. This notion that women are frail and can’t voice their disapproval safely is a fallacy. Maybe pull him aside and tell him how formal and professional the forum needs to be, but that’s it. I do think the double standard democrats have when it comes to this stuff is beyond obnoxious. They know it too. That’s why they want to sweep this under the rug as quickly as possible.
Good Grief! A remark like that USED to be a compliment! I agree with Gretchen O’Barr, the Democrats have become very humorless, 40 years ago that wasn’t the case. Political Correctness has ruined everything.
Right on! People have become way over sensitive. I’m tired of people trying to claim victim status. Politics is a blood sport. If you can’t take a harmless joke, you have no business being in politics.
This type of sexual subtle humor is why Alaska can’t move forward beyond new sexual assaults and abuse from occurring. Gretchen O barr is another reason the audience has no knowledge of sexual assaults and abuse to see the subtle abusive characteristics. Abuse never starts out in your face, it begins subtly.
I bet Rep. Fields gives his wife more respect. I bet he scared of her, so he takes his frustration out on other women, passively aggressively and subtly. How many men are real jerks to other women but he is respectful to his wife who is overbearing and controlling even jealous cause the husband is scared of his wife?
You don’t have to have an overbearing wife to be a putz.
Much ado about nothing!! Doesn’t MRA have anything more important to write about!!
Are you genuinely that dense, or are you pretending?
.
You know very well that the point is, that if a Republican male had made the remark that Fields did, every Democrat in the state, including their media, would go absolutely berserk, and there would be a deafening crescendo of their shrieking and howling for that Republican to resign and commit hari kari, because nothing less would satisfy their faux outrage.
Truth.
It’s like kryptonite to leftists.
Not so comrade. Any misconduct is news. Ask any dem who tried to use it to smear a Republican.
This disgraceful person needs to resign. His IQ is low, as are his manners.
These are the masked idiots running our state. “Good grief”
How quintessential Zack Fields, juvenile, inappropriate and yet hilarious. After watching this clip serveral times, I come to the conclusion that Zack wanted to congratulate Sarah on her birthday and obviously picked the wrong venue. This is clearly an inside joke that you do not get watching from the outside. I don’t read all this hysteria into it. We conservatives used to have a sense of humor! Lighten-up people it was funny ( but I am wondering if you have to be over 50 to get the joke)
Why always the race or woman cards? Just do your job, whether you’re a woman, man, black, white, brown, or purple. If you can do the job. Who cares what you are, just do the job you were hired to do.
Why a women’s caucus? To be able to sing “Kumbaya” with a commie? Geez, why don’t you all just get a room and get over it.
While you all are down there playing footsies with each other, and having your tea parties, on the people’s money, the real Alaskans out here are asking ourselves what in the hell do we pay you for.
I am a female doing what typically is a mans job, but I don’t go around seeking out fellow women to hold my hand. I just do the job I was hired to do.
Zack Fields hasn’t displayed any real intelligence, ever. I don’t know what he fancies himself but he comes across inept and idiotic.
“imagine if a republican made that joke”
MustReadAlaska would probably want him to run for president.
MRAK is run by a woman who has solid values, a good idea of right and wrong, and a good sense of humor. And while she may not have thought such a comment was appropriate my guess is that she would simply stash it away to be used in the future if it occurred again. Then I would not be on the receiving end of her appropriate response.
Your suggestion (serious or not) that she would want any Republican who made such remarks to be president only shows how little you know about MRAK’s author. And by saying this, I am giving you the huge benefit of the doubt.
If the comment were made 11 years before he ran, and he was running against corrupt leftists and establishment types that would sell us out to China or Iran, or get us into another foreign war to get themselves and their friends rich? Well yeah, I would hope that she would..
As it was, he simply demeaned women and 50.3% of cats. Once he became President, then he sold us out to China and Iran. Oh yes, and Putin.
As far as corruption goes, stay tuned.
Was it your intent to describe Biden, and not Trump?
MRA didn’t make that comment now did she? But it’s quite obvious that you’re fine with the comment which is not surprising coming from a Democrats such as yourself.
At least he noticed. Could have been Dunbar.
For the legislative kingmaker, Fields is really dumb. And arrogant. Perhaps his constituents ought to do something about it. Cheers –
Sara, continue wearing short skirts. 😉
Sara has entered the realm of strange bedfellows indeed. Likely her last term in a fairly conservative district and almost a certainty for Merrick in Eagle River. Apparently the primary results in the last election didn’t resonate with them.
Don’t bet on it. We have ranked-choice voting now (until it is shot down by the ruling elites). Or does it not apply to local elections?
It’s not that conservative of a district though. Biden came within 200 votes or 2% of winning it in 2020. That district can produce someone a lot worse than Rasmussen.
Was this clown party of the Zach Fansler, Justin Parrish, and Dean Westlake misogynistically disgraced former legislator crew? Wasn’t there a staffer of the disgraced former Governor Walker and disgraced former Lt. Governor Mallot administration who pushed all of these anti-woman legislators?
So when ever a double standard is pointed out, the “two wrongs make a right” defense is used. Sort of a reverse moral equivalence. Would somebody please post a picture of her legs?
One should never apologize for being a jerk and saying offensive comments. It’s bad enough being an offensive jerk, but to also be a cowardly wuss is worse.
If you’re in the habit of running your neck, and apologizing, you can’t ever get to the point of seeing yourself for what you really are. You can’t ever get to the point where you will take stock of your bad behavior, and work to make changes.
Zack apologized … which means that he yet hasn’t a clue about what sort of person he really is. He will repeat his offensive comments. He might become smart enough to keep them to himself … but he will still think them. Thinking them and not saying them is what being a cowardly wuss is all about.
Don’t want to be a cowardly wuss? Clean up your thinking process so you never say anything to apologize for …or at least admit, and live with being an unapologetic offensive jerk.
It sounds like the fool just needs a date. Might I suggest the trendy spenard district?
So people should never apologize? And you can know what someone is thinking even if they don’t say it out loud? What test would you give a person to prove they have “cleaned up their thinking process”? Are you by any chance an unapologetic offensive jerk? I’ve been married for 56 years and I still don’t know what my husband is thinking all the time and he darn well better apologize when necessary and believe me, he is not a cowardly wuss.
Yes he is, to put up with a dominate wife for that long.
Fields is the most immature member in the AK Legislature. A junior high clown. No wonder Merrick is looking for her dream hook-up in Juneau.
The legislator made an inappropriate remark on record. I ask that we all replace Rasmussen’s name with a daughter’s, wife’s, or sister’s name.
“the short skirt of (female family name) was causing a traffic hazard in her district.”
We all see had inappropriate the comment was. How wide impacting and sexist the comment really was.
Fields resign.
For encouragement to men and women who struggles with sexism or sexual addiction I find out RZIM.org ministry board put out an annoucement about their late founder and president is being investigated for sexual misconduct enough the local FM 89.3 is deplatforming pulling all Ravi’s recorded messages replaced with something else. So men, and women, need to repent and recieve the counseling they need. Take heed from Rep. Fields, Mayor Berkowitz, Lt. Governor Mallot, and Ravi. Women are tired of being taken advantaged over put in a worthless position and watching their children go their own way because of lacking good Men examples. This a time when All deceit wickedness is being exposed! One event after another.
I don’t know what makes me angrier, Sara joining with Ivy who using special status as a woman corruptly took down Johnstone, invoking the name of a Justice who was known for both promoting abortion/ baby killing and promoting the idea that adults should have sex legally with twelve year olds, the stupid speech as if women need to band together in a club to compete with men or the offensive implication that women such as herself, who make it to the House, are strong and posses humility. Her weak display of appearing to enjoy Zack’s flirty eyes and his disgusting attempt at flattery without giving a swift rebuke or rebuttal is revealing. Staying home and raising your own kids takes strength too. She should try it sometime.
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