Alaska
Warming to Sarah Palin
…remember where you live. You live in a nation of gun owners and hunters. You live in a country where one out of three girls get pregnant before they are 20… Knock Palin for having kids, for having a kid who's having a baby, for anything that is part of her normalness -- a normalness that looks very familiar to so many millions of Americans -- well, you do this at your own peril.
Sarah Palin’s Alaska gave every Alaskan an extra $1,200 from oil revenues, and the GOP loves her. Alaska has no income tax and no sales tax. Alaska’s tax revenues come from taxing oil
Actually, I am warming to Sarah Palin on this. Maybe we ought to do more of this nationally. Maybe this ought to be a plank in the Democratic platform. Shouldn’t every citizen, not just Alaskans, get $1,200 from a tax on oil?
Per dollar of federal tax collected in 2005, Alaska citizens received approximately $1.84 in the way of federal spending. If only we could do that nationally. How is your state doing?
You can find out at this link.
Leo Brown | September 10, 2008 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
If you don’t want to see it in print
The Aspen Times has on its masthead:
If you don’t want to see it in print, don’t let it happen.The sad stories of Republican Senator Stevens of Alaska and Democratic presidential aspirant and former Senator John Edwards are recent reminders the wisdom of that warning.
These two scandals are neither identical nor equivalent. Each is bad in its own way. Senator Stevens maintains his innocence. Senator Edwards no longer does. Senator Stevens is under indictment. Senator Edwards is not. But what they have in common are highly embarrassing reports of activities that would normally be considered mortal wounds to a political career. Senator Stevens will certainly have a tough challenge to retain his Senate seat. Senator Edwards will not be the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee. The tree of trust and credibility, once felled, can only be re-grown slowly, if at all.
The scandals also have in common a warning about the temptations of high office. By historical standards, these scandals are not the most shocking cases. Given human frailties, they will not be the last. Against scandalous behavior there is the power of self control, the power of the law (when it applies), and the power of the press. When the first two fail, the third is there to remind us that “If you don’t want to see it in print, don’t let it happen.”
Leo Brown | August 15, 2008 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Meanwhile back at the ranch: Senate Edition
Seven of the thirteen Western states have Senators up for election this year: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The Republicans are defending six of these seven Senate seats. Montana’s Max Baucus is the sole defending Democratic incumbent in the group, and his seat is considered safe. Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico will be open seats, and Wyoming will have both their Senators up for re-election, due to the death of Senator Craig Thomas in 2007.
Colorado and New Mexico look like the best opportunities for Democratic pick ups, and both states are considered swing states in the 2008 presidential contest. Our candidates, Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Udall in New Mexico, are cousins from the long prominent Udall family.
Larry LaRocco is our Western Democrat running for Idaho’s Senate seat to replace the retiring and embarrassing Larry Craig. It would be great if red-state Idaho could turn purple.
The remaining campaigns are still shaping up. The contests in Alaska and Oregon could be particularly interesting. Senator Stevens (R-Bridge to Nowhere) is the poster child for pork gone wild and an opponent of transparency in government. The Iraq War puts Oregon’s Gordon Smith in a bind. He voted for the war and has been a Bush enabler. Yet he has broken with the Bush administration on the war, and hence will be at odds with Senator McCain on that issue.
Leo Brown | April 8, 2008 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) |
AK-Sen.:Possible Challenge to Ted Stevens
It seems ethical problems and a close affiliation with the Corrupt Bastards Club, have conspired to quite possibly bring an end to the lengthy tenure of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, long coveted by Democratic party leaders in Washington, D.C. is forming an exploratory committee to look into his viability in the race.
Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich said Wednesday he will form an exploratory committee to look into whether he should run for the Senate seat held by Ted Stevens.
Begich said at a news conference that he will make a final decision well before the June 1 deadline.
He said forming the committee will allow him to raise funds and talk to Alaskans, to see if they think it's time for a change of leadership.
Begich has been courted by the top Democratic leaders to challenge Stevens, who is being investigated by federal authorities in connection with a home remodeling project. Stevens is the nation's longest serving Republican senator.
Where I live, in Washington state, we have a big interest in seeing Stevens fade into the tundra. It wasn't so long ago that Stevens was feuding with our Senator Maria Cantwell, and threatening to send more oil tankers into Puget Sound.
Stevens' Puget Sound bill would have repealed the Magnuson Amendment of 1977, named after the late Sen. Warren Magnuson, a Democrat and leader on environmental matters. The amendment seeks to protect the Puget Sound from oil spills by restricting the tanker traffic that supplies state refineries.
Not surprisingly, Ted Stevens is all for drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
If there's one thing the election of 2008 is showing us, it's that this election will be about the politics of the future versus the politics of the past.
Ted Stevens is the past. His days are numbered. Mark Begich is the future. So if you've got some spare change laying around, please consider contributing to the Ted Stevens Retirement Fund.
kencamp | February 27, 2008 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Gravel & Richardson: On the move
Over at MyDD, Jerome Armstrong is blogging the DNC winter meeting. Here's what he has to say about the two Western Democrats in the presidential race:
Bill Richardson: "Stay lose, we gotta year to go", says Richardson regarding his stand in the polls. Richardson's intro is "lean on me" by Bill Withers [the hip hop remix], and closes with some cha-cha music. He looks great-- Richardson might be getting tips from Huckabee. He is one of two that I believe can break out of the second tier. Richardson has a big opening in Nevada, if he is able to mobilize Latino voters to show up. If he does, in a week when it's the only contest and there's not a competing Republican contest for media attention, he's gonna pop onto the radar in a very big way. Then, maybe Florida? Don't count out union support for Richardson either, as he's got a record in New Mexico that's very union-friendly. Teachers too, Richardson came with NM at 47th in pay and is now in the 20's-- AFT. NM's enacted equality legislation, enacted the Kyoto standards, it's impressive. I really like Governor's as Presidential candidates, they have accomplishments they can point to, and Richardson has foreign experience as well. He was very well recieved by this audience, with multiple standing ovations, and Richardson probably moved up a few nothes in their views. Richardson believes in a "reconciliation" effort in Iraq, and calls for a deadline by the end of this year for the US to be out of Iraq.Mike Gravel: Gravel will be the voice of the pissed-off Democrats, saying about the Oct 2002 vote, "political calculations trumped morality" and "anyone who voted for the war... is not qualified to hold the office of the Presidency." In short, Gravel will not give Edwards, Biden, Dodd, Clinton any breathing room. As a Senator, he says, "I spoke truth to power... and as a result Nixon sued me." Gravel is coming back from being on the Senate floor during the Vietnam war, and as he stood up then to end the war,he now will be the thorn in the side of those "that did nothing" when they were in office, as a Democratic majority in the Senate, and allowed it to happen. "And we all know, 'vital interest' is a code word for oil." With Gravel in the race, there's really no need for the vanity candidacy of Kucinich. Gravel is an anti-war candidate that speaks well and carries a stick. "Power to the People" is the song and "Let the People Decide" the slogan of Gravel.
Kari Chisholm | February 4, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Post-Election Statehouse Roundup
To quote Buffalo Springfield, "there's something happening here". Post-election, Western Democrats have made great gains in the states, building strong majorities in the legislatures and taking or retaining several governorships. Here's a look at the numbers, courtesy of NCSL.
Senate 12-18 Republican majority
House 21-39 Republican majorityPost-Election
Senate 12-18 Republican majority
House 28-32 Republican majorityPickups
Senate – stays the same
House - +7 seats
Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano was overwhelmingly re-elected.
Pre-election
Senate 25-15 Democratic majority
Assembly 47-32-1 (Senate 25-15 Democratic majority
Assembly 48-32 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
Assembly - +1 seat
Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected.
Pre-Election
Senate 18-17 Democratic majority
House 35-30 Democratic majority
Post-Election
Senate 20-15 Democratic majority
House 39-26 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – +2 seat
House - +4 seats
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter was elected Governor.
Pre-Election
House 13-57 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 7-28 Republican majority
House 19-51 Republican majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
House - +6 seats
Republican gubernatorial candidate C.L. “Butch” Otter was elected.
Pre-Election
Senate 27-23 Democratic majority
House 50-50
Post-Election
Senate 26-24 Democratic majority
House 50-49-1 (
Pickups
Senate – -1 Seat
House – stays the same
Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer is up for re-election in 2008.
Pre-Election
House 26-16 Democratic majority
Post-Election
House 27-15 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – +1 seat
House - +1 seat
Pre-Election
Senate 24-18 Democratic majorityHouse 42-28-2(
Post-Election
Senate 24-18 Democratic majority
House 42-28 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
House – stays the same
Democratic Governor Bill Richardson was overwhelmingly re-elected.
Pre-Election
Senate 17-11-2(
House 27-33 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 17-11-2(
House 31-29 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
House - +4 seats
Pre-Election
House 19-56 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 8-21 Republican majority
House 19-56 Republican majority
Senate – stays the same
House – stays the same
Republican Governor Jon Huntsman is up for re-election in 2008.
Pre-Election
Senate 26-23 Democratic majority
House 56-42 Democratic majority
Post-Election
Senate 32-17 Democratic majority (not since 1965)
House 63-35 Democratic majority
Senate – +6 seats
House - +7 seats
Pre-Election
Senate 7-23 Republican majority
House 14-46 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 7-23 Republican majority
House 17-43 Republican majority
Senate – stays the same
House - +3 seats
Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal was overwhelmingly re-elected.
kencamp | November 22, 2006 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) |
Room to Grow in the West
Western Democrats did well in 2006. Here is a link to some helpful maps. Particularly noteworthy were pickups in Montana for the U.S. Senate and the Colorado for governorship, plus four pick-ups in the House of Representatives. And we won the office of Secretary of State in the swing states of New Mexico and Nevada. (Think Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 for the importance of this). But we could have done better, and in 2008 we can. For the Senate in 2008 think Colorado and New Mexico. There is still room to grow in the West.
But returning to 2006, Senate pickups in Arizona and Nevada were possible. Governor’s mansion pickups were possible in Alaska, Nevada and Idaho. Additional House pickups were possible in California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming. And we didn’t win the election for Secretary of State in Colorado. These races were close enough to be considered competitive. Several of the competitive House districts in 2006 could be just as competitive in 2008.
So while we are still basking in the warm glow of victory, let us ask ourselves, what could we do better? Any campaign can be critiqued, but I think the biggest factor is that we were outspent. Jack Carter was outspent four to one in Nevada. The GOP and the Club for Growth poured a ton of money into ID-1. The national GOP was spending much more in CA-4 than the DCCC was. And so it went in many districts. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton spent $30 million defeating token opposition in New York. Now I understand that each candidate can raise his or her own funds, and the national committees carefully decide where to spend scarce resources, but more seed money in planting season and more money at harvest time would go a long way in the West. Something to think about for 2008.
Leo Brown | November 21, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
FBI Raids Offices of Alaska Legislators
At least 6 Alaskan legislators had their offices raided by the FBI in an investigation into ties between the lawmakers and an oil field services company. One of the legislators whose office was raided , state Senate President Ben Stevens, is the son of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.
A copy of one of the search warrants, obtained by The Associated Press, links the investigation to a new production tax law signed last month by Gov. Frank Murkowski and a draft natural gas pipeline contract Murkowski and the state's three largest oil companies negotiated.
The warrant called for seizure of documents concerning any payment made to lawmakers by Bill Allen and Richard Smith, executives of oil field services giant VECO Corp. Agents also looked for documents about contracts, agreements or employment of legislators provided by VECO, Allen, Smith and company president Peter Leathard.
Sought-after items named in the search include hats or other garments bearing the phrases "CBC," "Corrupt Bastards Club" or "Corrupt Bastards Caucus." What the names referred to was unclear, and authorities would not comment.
I'll tell you which corrupt bastards they're looking for. Maybe they're looking for the corrupt bastards at BP who are rolling in profit but allegedly manipulating the market. Or how about Ted Stevens, aka Mr. Bridge to Nowhere? Or maybe it's Governor Murkowski, aka Mr. Nepotism, who appointed his daughter U.S. Senator after he resigned to become Governor. How did that work out for you Frank? And so for good measure the FBI can take young Mr. Stevens and young Ms. Murkowski away with their parents. Alaska will be a much better place for it.
kencamp | September 1, 2006 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Western Dems Net 3 Governors in Top 10
Survey USA released its polling numbers for all 50 Governors earlier in the week, and those of us here at Western Democrat were not surprised to see 3 of our favorite governors in the top 10.
Climbing the ranks to #2 was Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana, with a 76%/18% (approve/disapprove) rating. Governor Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming came in at #8, with a 66%/27% rating. Finally, cracking the top 10 at #10 was Governor Bill Richardson, chair of the Democratic Governors' Association, with a rating of 65%/32%.
An added bonus this week was Alaska's Republican governor finishing third in a primary, hopefully leaving such a putrid legacy that former Governor Tony Knowles will be able to reclaim his seat.
kencamp | August 24, 2006 | Comment on This Post (5 so far) |
Tony Knowles: Back in the Saddle Again
Former two-term Democratic Governor Tony Knowles of Alaska has filed to run for his old job again -- against GOP Governor Frank Murkowski.
"It's time for strong, bold ideas. To discussing at length with the Alaska public, so we can make the right decisions for things that will affect us for the next 40, 50, 75 years," said Knowles.
Another Democratic gubernatorial candidate - House minority leader Ethan Berkowitz - has abandoned his bid, and will now run for Lieutenant Governor.
Read more at KTVA-TV.
(As a side note, anybody know any Alaska progressive blogs? LeftyBlogs only shows one being regularly updated.)
Kari Chisholm | May 31, 2006 | Comment on This Post (15 so far) |
