By DAN FAGAN
Rep. Deb Haaland, Democrat Congresswoman from New Mexico, is a staunch opponent of oil and gas drilling and an enthusiastic backer of the Green New Deal.
Naturally, Joe Biden nominated her to head the Department of Interior. Appointing Haaland is devastating for Alaska’s economy which is heavily dependent on oil and gas development.
Appointing Haaland is the equivalent of placing an environmentalist zealot similar to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to head the Department of Interior.
There are few people in Congress with a more consistent anti oil and gas drilling record than Haaland.
Because Haaland has such a radical anti-resource development bent, her nomination was thought to be anything but a sure thing.
That is until Lisa Murkowski rescued her.
Haaland cleared a major hurdle earlier this month when her nomination made it out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
All Republicans on the committee voted against Haaland’s nomination with the exception of Murkowski.
If Haaland is confirmed by the full Senate, the damage she’ll end up doing to Alaska’s resource development economy will be catastrophic.
Murkowski defended her betrayal of the state she represents by playing the race card. Haaland is a Native American and would be the first one ever appointed to head the Department of Interior.
“So, I really struggled with this one,” said Murkowski. “How to reconcile a historic nomination with my concern about an individual’s and administration’s conception of what Alaska’s future should be.”
We’d all like to see racial barriers torn down, but not if the nominee in question would decimate Alaska’s economy, as Haaland’s would. Her Murkowski-backed confirmation will cost Alaska thousands of jobs, many of them held by Alaska Natives.
The full Senate will vote on Haaland this month with Murkowski and Susan Collins of Maine expected to be the only two Republicans supporting her.
Since Murkowski is a disciple of the ideology of Leftism, in her world, identity politics trumps all.
In previous campaigns Murkowski sold voters on how beneficial it is for Alaska to keep in her in office since she sits on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
But this month she used that powerful position to betray Alaskans. Can you imagine what Sen. Ted Stevens would have thought about Murkowski voting for such an anti-resource development nominee?
Republican establishment defenders of Murkowski in Alaska justify their support for her by arguing at least she’s pro-resource development. But with her unwillingness to confirm U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, it ended all doubt she is nothing more than a full-blown Leftist.
So many challenges to developing resources end up in court. When Murkowski refused to support Kavanaugh, she signaled resource development was not a priority for her.
Voting to advance the nomination of Haaland removes all doubt.
Murkowski also recently voted against an amendment in the stimulus bill that would have prohibited men who think they’re women from competing against females in school athletics.
Murkowski voted against a ban on ending the life of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy. No surprise there. If Murkowski has been about anything, it’s been about enabling and supporting the death culture.
Murkowski singlehandedly saved Obamacare, and she voted to impeach President Donald Trump, even though the trial was a clear mockery of justice.
Murkowski’s game plan all along has been vote as a Leftist and campaign as a conservative and hope no one notices.
But that dog won’t hunt in 2022 when she’s up for reelection. She’s just gone too far.
Sunday evening, Suzanne Downing, publisher of this extremely popular website, posted a story headlined: “Sen. Barrasso says he’ll back Murkowski in 2022, even if Trump opposes her.”
Within a couple of hours of the Facebook posting, more than 100 followers commented, not a single one of them supporting Alaska’s senior senator.
“I don’t care who is backing her or who is opposing her. She doesn’t get my vote. She votes in favor of her career and not what the people ask,” posted Michelle.
“All RINO’s are lining up behind her. Good reason to dump her and those who are supporting her better listen up. They are next,” wrote Charles.
Jody posted: “Hope Trump will find time to drain the Alaska swamp she (Murkowski) and her progressives have created. Whoever would have dreamed the last great frontier would become so contaminated.”
“The RINO wagon train is circling the wagons,” posted Paul.
“Murkowski is a political puppet. For sale to the highest bidder,” wrote Sam.
The anger among conservatives for Murkowski is similar to the resentment former Alaska Senate President Cathy Giessel received from Facebookers before her election last year.
You’ll remember Giessel was overwhelmingly beaten by relative unknown and novice politician Roger Holland. Holland almost doubled Giessel’s votes despite the senate president having much greater name recognition and a ton more campaign cash.
Up until the last election, Giessel, like Murkowski, was a formidable political player and power broker. She ruled the State Senate as president with an unforgiving, unbending and iron fist.
Legislators who crossed Giessel or refused to comply with her demands found themselves working out of a broom closet.
Giessel’s accession to Senate president was no surprise after she had easily won three previous elections, even beating former union boss and kingmaker, Vince “Vinnie” Beltrami.
Giessel ran as a conservative but was anything but. She opposed Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s attempt to cut the budget back when Big Mike was still inclined to do so.
And before she knew it, her saying one thing and being another caught up with her. Her political dynasty was over.
Not since Giessel have we seen conservatives hold so much animosity toward a politician like they have toward Murkowski.
If outside big money swamp creatures had not poured tens of millions into the state to end our primary system and give us rank choice voting, Murkowski would have been done for sure.
But even with the insanity that is rank choice voting, Murkowski is so disliked among Alaska conservatives, her swamp creature days are sure to come to an end.
Alaska is still a mostly conservative state when it comes to statewide races. Remember Trump easily beat Biden in Alaska.
Murkowski has clearly overplayed her hand and betrayed Alaskans one too many times. She can’t be gone soon enough.
Dan Fagan hosts the number one rated morning drive radio show in Alaska on Newsradio 650 KENI. He splits his time between Anchorage and New Orleans.
