Am I troglodytic because I don’t care if a federal agency head is an indigenous female, a white Christian male, or something in between? To me, what matters is whether they do their job well. That this simple statement could be controversial says a lot about our media, today’s culture, and the left; none of it is good.
President Joe Biden’s vice presidential and cabinet choices seem to reflect his belief that gender and skin tone matter more than qualifications and performance.
That any legitimate questioning of a non-white male is now “biased” is a regressive endeavor, especially since it’s only one way. We never heard this bemoaning when Democrats grilled Ben Carson or Betsy DeVos four years ago.
Enter one-term Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico, narrowly confirmed Monday night as Interior secretary with 51 votes. And those who rightly opposed her and asked legitimate questions will be bullied.
Her father, “Dutch” Haaland, actually hailed from Minnesota, and was a Marine Corps veteran and Silver Star recipient. His politician daughter may have Norwegian roots but her identity is “indigenous” and far left.
Late last year, she tellingly claimed, “If I had my way, it’d be great to stop all gas and oil leasing on federal and public lands.”
During the violent protests opposing the Dakota Access pipeline four years ago, Haaland rushed north to camp out with other eco-terrorists. As expected, she was wrong; the pipeline has safely operated since, moving over half a million barrels of crude oil daily to refineries.
She also opposed the vital Keystone Pipeline, which is odd since that horrific decision hurts New Mexico’s economy. The Land of Enchantment produces nearly 60% percent of all oil from federal lands, and the state receives a billion dollars annually from this production. Representing the 92% urban Albuquerque area, Haaland’s priorities run counter to her state’s needs.
Roughly half of the bills the 60-year-old woke radical introduced in 2019-20 were on “social justice” balderdash. None received a hearing.
Haaland’s positions on crucial issues appall most Americans: She supports socialized medical care, is an original Green New Deal backer, and was endorsed by the Sunrise Movement, a far-left activist cabal of young bullies.
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Marxist who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, is jazzed about Haaland — due to her heritage more than anything.
“It is well past time that an Indigenous person brings history full circle at the Department of Interior,” he said. “I have seen first-hand the passion and dedication she puts into issues.”
But in reality, Gabriella Hoffman explained this about Haaland’s new department:
“Much to the chagrin of radical environmentalists and legacy media, President Donald Trump’s Department of Interior largely succeeded in promoting true conservation policies. Since 2017, the department gave sportsmen and women a bigger seat at the table, bolstered relations with landowners out West and strengthened the multiple-use, sustained yield philosophy guiding public lands management. Post-Trump, DOI could morph into a preservationist, climate-focused agency.”
Last week, Wyoming’s Republican senators explained how their rural state could be affected by the nominee’s aberrant views.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis noted her state is the country’s largest exporter of energy and produces the most natural gas from federal leases, so Haaland “won’t just put Wyoming at risk, but American energy independence.”
The senior Cowboy State senator, John Barrasso, branded her a “radical selection” and suggested Haaland supports policies that take a “sledgehammer” to Western jobs.
Unfortunately, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski tossed her “real misgivings” and state’s economy aside in exchange for a “historic nomination” for Alaska’s Natives. What a Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico has in common with Inuits on the Last Frontier remains unclear, as does why this fundamentally unqualified woman holds the position she now does.
A.J. Kaufman
A.J. Kaufman is an Alpha News columnist. His work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Florida Sun-Sentinel, Indianapolis Star, Israel National News, Orange County Register, St. Cloud Times, Star-Tribune, and across AIM Media Midwest and the Internet. Kaufman previously worked as a school teacher and military historian.