By AlaskaWatchman.com

It’s a tale as old as time – or at least as old as sibling squabbles and playground spats.

We’ve heard of the child with chocolate-stained fingers blame their sibling for the missing cake, but it’s another thing entirely to see a politician pull the same trick – straight-faced, while wielding the powerful office of the United States Senate.

When Senator Lisa Murkowski, the woman who famously inherited her Senate seat from her father, dismisses Trump’s latest AG choice – Matt Gaetz – as “not a serious nomination,” it’s a masterclass in irony, so rich that it should come with a health warning.

In politics, this moves up a notch (or 20) as the well-loved ad hominem attack, where logic steps aside to let character assassination shine. Of all people to bear the brunt of this strategy, none have been more consistently targeted than Donald J. Trump. In modern politics, no figure has survived such relentless, outsized character attacks. But here we are, watching Alaska’s political elite wield irony with all the finesse of a child swinging a baseball bat in the living room – everyone ducks, yet the windows still shatter.

Matt Gaetz

Let’s break down Murkowski’s “serious” criteria, shall we? She commented, “We need to have a serious attorney general … This one was not on my bingo card.” That’s a tall order from someone whose own ticket to Capitol Hill was practically printed by her dad’s office printer.

In 2002, then-Governor Frank Murkowski handpicked Lisa for the Senate, memorializing nepotism as the equivalent of a “serious nomination.” One can only imagine the “serious” qualifications needed: a decent family photo, good table manners, a fussy, needy and shallow persona, and the ability to dial Dad’s number in Juneau.

Let’s rewind to the beginning. Murkowski’s law career didn’t quite start with a bang; she passed the bar on her fifth attempt. This number of attempts suggests persistence, perhaps, but hardly screams “future U.S. Senator.”

From there, she worked quietly in Anchorage before suddenly finding herself vaulted into national office thanks to a convenient appointment by her father. In other words, Murkowski’s political career began with a handout wrapped in a Senate seat.

Matt Gaetz, on the other hand, completed William & Mary Law School in 2007 with a Juris Doctor. Immediately after which he was admitted to the Florida Bar on February 6, 2008. He then went to work for a law firm immediately following law school.

He was suspended from the Florida bar in 2021 due to unpaid fees, but after paying $265 was reinstated.
Lisa Murkowski completed Willamette University College of Law in 1985 with a Juris Doctor. She subsequently failed the bar four times in a row, finally passing on her fifth attempt. She then went to work as an attorney in the Anchorage District Court Clerk’s office from 1987 to 1989. From 1989 to 1998, she was an attorney in private practice in Anchorage.

The humor here practically writes itself: the senator, whose career kicked off with a “serious” bit of nepotism, now questions Gaetz’s credibility as a nominee?

In February 2010, Gaetz ran in a special Republican primary election for state house in the 4th District. It was a crowded field with four other Republicans. Gaetz won with 43% of the vote and went on to defeat the Democrat with 66% of the vote.

In 2016, Gaetz went on to run and win in Florida’s 1st congressional district Republican primary against a multi-candidate field. He then won the general election against a Democrat with 69% of the vote.
In 1998, Lisa Murkowski was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives for District 18, which included northeast Anchorage, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base (now Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, or JBER), and suburban parts of Eagle River-Chugiak. She was re-elected in 2000. After reapportionment, she was again re-elected and was named State House Majority Leader in the 2003-2004 legislative session.

She resigned her House seat before taking state office, due to her appointment by her father to the seat he had vacated in the U.S. Senate, upon his stepping down to assume the Alaska governorship.

Matt Gaetz, on the other hand, climbed a much different and onerous ladder. He passed the bar on his first try, won a Florida House seat in a competitive special election, and later moved up to Congress after prevailing over multiple opponents. His track record shows a genuine climb, not the gift-wrapped inheritance Murkowski enjoyed.

The humor here practically writes itself: the senator, whose career kicked off with a “serious” bit of nepotism, now questions Gaetz’s credibility as a nominee?

Perhaps it’s best to take Murkowski’s words with a grain of irony the size of Denali. After all, in Alaska’s high-stakes political bingo, it seems you don’t need qualifications, just a well-connected father and a quip about “seriousness.”

The senator’s remark boils down to: “Qualifications? Meh. Family connections? Essential!” And when Murkowski, who occupies one of the most nepotism-infused seats in modern politics, suddenly champions seriousness in public office, it’s as if Alaska’s state motto quietly changed to “Do as I say, not as I do.”

In the end, maybe Lisa Murkowski should host a bingo night with serious qualifications on the cards: “Pass the bar (eventually),” “Have dad’s phone number,” and “Win by appointment, not by election.” In her Alaska bingo, everyone’s a winner as long as they have the right connections.

The views expressed here are those of the author.

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OPINION: Murkowski’s ‘serious’ test for Trump AG pick strains credulity

Michael Tavoliero
Michael Tavoliero resides in Eagle River, where he remains actively engaged in local politics.


10 Comments

  • Steve Peterson says:

    That photo is one of the most shameful in Alaska’s history! The nepotism is so blatant, and clearly she was NOT the best choice.

  • Diana says:

    The difference between Matt Gaetz’s appointment for a new position in a cabinet of the newly elected president and Murkowski’s appointment is that Gaetz was elected for his representative seat from his district in Florida and Murkowski’s appointment was the first weaponization of a nepotistic governor against the residents of the state in his disenfranchisement of the right to each voting resident to vote a new senator into that position. Frank Murkowski and Lisa Murkowski have disadvantaged each voting person and taken their right to vote away from that person. Our US Constitutional Rights were violated by the Murkowski Crime Family. Its not too late for them to be sued. Taylor should put his rear in gear and do it for every voting person in state at the time.

  • Steven Chappellcv says:

    With the repeal of RCV we can be done of her in 4 years although that is a long time. We need to be able to remove and replace our National politicians.

  • Tamra Nygaard says:

    I suppose the real question is, does Ms. Murkowski have some skeletons she would prefer remain hidden from the DOJ, and is that why she wants to vote with the swamp? Or is she being paid by those who do? We know she lied when she said she would accept the results of an election, so what else is she lying about?

  • Mary says:

    Don’t count on RCV to save us from Lisa.

    And, someone please me why we Alaskans have allowed this illegal Lisa to remain in office for so long. I remember when Daddy appointed his little girl to office and found it strange at the time. I thought nepotism in this situation was illegal. Ahhh, maybe we have another illegal to deport!

  • Jim Bishop in Wasilla says:

    Stunning. Trump thee God is despicable. Those who voted for him are dim trogs. Then comes Tavoliero to praise Gaetz. Vile.

  • Steve says:

    Let’s not forget Lisa LOST her last Republican primary, then like her daddy’s spoiled little brat she is ran as a write-in candidate. When she realized she had a complicated last name to spell she had our corrupted judges reinterpretation the rules that a write-in candidate’s name be spelt the same as in their declaration to seek office.

    After that her lawyer, with the help of outside dark money helped do away with party primaries, since she knew winning another Republican primary wasn’t in her future.

    Now she want to reject Gaetz as Attorney General who will investigate the 300,000 missing children who were trafficked across our southern board. Does Lisa care about these children? Not as much as she cares about getting things her way!
    Is this the type of character we want anywhere close to the powers of government?

  • Sports_girl says:

    Murkowski is a Trump-hater, nothing more. She was considered one of the weakest legislators in Alaska history.

  • Janice says:

    Listening to Dave w/x22 Reports on 11/23/2024. Princess’s name came up near the end of the report as one of the four being highlighted that did not support Matt Gaetz’s appointment as AG. Did this lack of support just show President Trump some more swamp creatures? I hope that President Trump tells her, ‘YOU’RE FIRED!” If that happened, we should submit a request to the State of Alaska to make that a day of recognition – the “Bye bye Lisa” day! Hehe

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