Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) campaigned on being a centrist when he ran for office in 2022. Many politicians, pundits, and journalists celebrated Shapiro as a centrist candidate who was a welcomed relief in an era of division and political tribalism. However, since his time in office, all Shapiro has done is illustrate just how left-wing he is. Look no further than the recent controversy surrounding the removal of a William Penn statue in Philadelphia for confirmation.
After the revelation that a proposal to renovate Welcome Park in the City of Brotherly Love included the outright removal of the statue of Pennsylvania’s founder, all political hell broke loose. The Biden administration and DEI Democrats sought to remove a monument of a relatively uncontroversial historical figure, all under the guise of diversity. The plans were heavily criticized as many were outraged that such an idea could ever see the light of day, rebuked the Biden administration, and demanded a reversal.
Yet when it came to public denouncement, criticism, or asking Biden and the DEI Democrats to reconsider removing the statue of Penn, Shapiro said nothing. He was nowhere to be found. The supposed centrist couldn’t publicly stand against an obvious political and ethical wrong. In the past, Shapiro wouldn’t hesitate to publicly condemn Republicans or political figures like former President Donald Trump. Not once has Shapiro refrained from criticizing his political opponents. But announced plans to remove a statue of Penn made him a mute.
But when the Democratic president of the United States, the figurehead of the Left’s social justice cabal, signed off to remove Penn, Shapiro was quiet — and his silence spoke volumes. Shapiro showed a lack of integrity and that he is little more than a left-wing shill taking orders from the radical social-justice cadres on the Left. And, to make matters worse, he even tried to take credit for the eventual reversal that allowed the William Penn statue to remain.
“My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision,” Shapiro posted. “I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded.”
Previously, he had said nothing either way on the issue. This was Shapiro’s only post about the controversy on his social media. It was an eerie and inexplicable silence. Then he tried to take at least partial credit for the statue remaining at Welcome Park.
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Now, I have no way of knowing what contact or work with Biden Shapiro’s team did or did not do. Maybe he was working behind the scenes to convince the president to overturn the Penn statue decision. And if he was, good for him. It was the correct thing to do.
Moreover, it was also sleazy to try to take credit for it after going radio silent on the issue. His failure to reject the Biden administration’s initial plans in this ordeal showed he was never a centrist but an agenda-driven liberal Democrat. The fact that he publicly did not condemn it the way Shapiro did on other things he disagreed with shows gutlessness and is indicative of the governor’s cowardice to stand up to Democrats when they are in the wrong.