PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK: Send in the clowns

When Rep. David Eastman appeared on KTVA’s newscast on Saturday evening, I was ready to listen. Hoping he would either apologize for his remarks about women whom, he says, get pregnant so they can obtain a free trip to Anchorage or even Seattle, or state his evidence that this actually happens.

Nope.

Instead he thanked the interviewer and then called the media a circus. “Literally, a circus” were his words. Yes, the media reported his words which, is the media’s job.

I am a cradle Catholic. I adhere as best I can to church dogma, including what it teaches on abortion. It’s my belief, and like Rep. Eastman, I don’t apologize for it.

So where Rep. Eastman lost me is when conducting an interview with the Associated Press and Alaska Public Radio he made statements such as, “We have individuals, uh, who are in villages and, um, you know are glad to be pregnant so that they can have an abortion because there is a free trip to Anchorage involved.”

His exact words.

His claim is that the media used soundbites to inflame his position to make him look like a racist or a sexist. I can’t imagine his statement before or after that takes what he said out of context. Do I think Eastman is a racist or a sexist?

No, I don’t.

I believe he relayed information from friends and acquaintances in these interviews that are unsubstantiated. His defenders are falling back on HIPPA laws as the reason he can’t reveal specifics. If he can’t defend statements that he is using to bring light to his position then he shouldn’t make them. I believe he is steadfast in his conviction that the secular world is a mess and doesn’t align with his own moral standards and he wants to use his position as a legislature to do his part change those secular standards. I’m just not sure what he thought the reporters were going to do with his statements.

Eastman is responsible for his own words for sure. His fellow house republicans issued a statement urging him to apologize but so far to no avail. His team sent a message out Saturday to media outlets that stated, “Representative David Eastman Apologizes,” and then, “Please call for an interview”.

KTVA did, but Eastman never did apologize. That is certainly in his right not to but for his supporters to claim he was badgered by the interviewer to apologize is not accurate since he led them to believe that was the purpose of the interview. At this point his apology would pretty much be meaningless. Now the state house is contemplating censure of Eastman. If they are willing to go to those steps with Eastman then they need to look back and act on another situation with another representative that is equally as serious.

Eastman speaks of being proud of passing a resolution stating abortion is the ‘worst form of child abuse.’ This is an amendment attached to SCR 2 that when in its purist form was to declare April, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse awareness month in Alaska. A-no brainer and it should have passed. The bill was under review in the House Rules Committee when Eastman wanted to add an amendment. Anchorage Representative and House Rules Chairperson Gabrielle Ledoux refused to allow him to present the amendment even though she added her own declarations including designating ‘Go Blue Friday’, a day when people wear blue to bring awareness to child abuse.

When Eastman asked why he wasn’t allowed to present his amendment, she stated, ‘we are not entertaining amendments today.’ When asked by Representative Lora Reinbold to clarify why no amendments? again Ledoux answered, ‘because I don’t want any amendments.’ The bill passed the House Rules Committee with Ledoux and Representative Louise Stutes of Kodiak giggling as the audio went silent.

Not a good look for either of them.

The bill was pulled back to committee before it was presented to the house by Ledoux because she had seen or was shown the light of her arrogant ways. It went back to the House Rules committee where the abortion amendment was heard and passed by a 4-3 vote. Ledoux voting ‘yes’ and being essentially the swing vote. If Ledoux would have allowed Eastman to introduce the amendment on the first pass through the Rules Committee it surely would have failed. But like a bad high school referee she decided to vote yes on the amendment to make up for her bad call in the first go-round. If the House is going to take the extreme position to censor Eastman then shouldn’t they look at removing Ledoux from her Chair on the Rules committee or censorship as well. The video of both hearings on the bill and introduction of the amendment is online at 360north.org and its eye-opening.

I would suggest to Rep. Eastman that if he wants Medicaid reform and new abortion laws he should tackle them as separate issues. It’s not unusual for a family member to be flown with a patient from rural Alaska to the city because the patient needs support in a system that can be overwhelming. Abortion is the law of the land at the moment and whether one likes it or not it is considered a medical procedure. For one who speaks of his West Point appointment and his military service frequently, Eastman went to battle without cover. His tactical skills need work. Ledoux simply needs to work on humility.