- Last night’s debates were informative and entertaining. The Juneau Empire has a great article about the U.S. Senate debate, the Dispatch about the U.S. Congressional debate, and this site has a compilation of tweets from the debate.
- The Dispatch leads with a long piece by Richard Mauer and Jill Burke about Gov. Sean Parnell’s years of inaction regarding the sexual assaults and misconduct within the Alaska National Guard. There isn’t much new in the story—and it might be interesting to note that the unnamed “acquaintance,” Bill Walker approached about the issue was former Fairbanks Mayor Jim Whitaker and that McClatchy’s Sean Cockerham broke the story--but it’s a damning summation of Parnell’s handling of the issue. The issue isn’t going away, as it shouldn’t. The Dems are having a protest in front of the Atwood at noon, and Parnell’s having a press conference at 11 a.m.
- The University of Virginia Center for Politics has come out with their “Sabato’s Crystal Ball” and has now declared that Alaska’s gubernatorial race has gone from “leaning Republican” to “Toss up.”
- PoliticalNews.me has a story on Sen. Mark Begich’s new Tax Fairness Bill for Tribes which has become law. This new law gives Alaska tribes the same tax protections as state and local service programs. This also coincides with a supportive op-ed written by Valerie Davidson in Alaska Native News about Begich supporting rural, tribal and veterans’ health.
- John Cloud has a piece in the New Republic about how the fate of the U.S. Senate. Interesting take on both candidates: he calls GOP candidate Dan Sullivan “unfailingly politic,” and Sen. Mark Begich, “sweet” of all things, right before he jabs the knife in a twists: Begich “has performed without distinction as a senator since winning a fluke election six years ago,” Cloud writes. And he quotes an anonymous staffer as saying that Begich “arrives at (Commerce Committee) meetings unprepared and asks questions whose answers lie in summaries just in front of him.” However, he is a real “sweet” Alaskan.
- The New York Times has a beautiful op-ed piece by Sitka resident Brendan Jones that explores the way rural Sitka views the U.S. Senate race and the impact its outcome will be for the nation. It’s a light, heavy, sweet, salty, must read.
- Get ready for a different type of GOP. Politico has quoted Reince Priebus declaring that the GOP can’t remain “a U-Haul trailer of cash for a presidential nominee.” Priebus has also vowed the updated presidential nominating schedule will be more effective than in 2012.
- Mead Treadwell isn’t keeping still. Read the latest news tidbits in today’s Loose Lips.
- Martin Matishak with The Hill reports on how Republican Senate candidates are utilizing their military backgrounds to bolster voters’ support during a time when polls show Americans are concerned with national security and terrorism. Alaska Senate candidate Dan Sullivan is not only mentioned, but also used as an example of how this has been utilized to maximum effect.
- The question of how traditional knowledge should be used in conjunction with modern science has been something Alaskans have grappled with for a very long time. Heather Aronno with the Alaska Commons wrote a piece on this subject, mostly in response to Larry Mericulieff’s speech at the Anchorage Science Pub.
- The Influence Explorer has found that Put Alaska First has just placed $565,307 in attack ads against U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan with media buys and mailers.
- Want to watch the last Alaska gubernatorial debate from Ketchikan in its entirety? The Ketchikan Daily News has it available on their YouTube channel for everyone, not just their subscribers.
- The New York Times reports that the Koch Brothers’ Americans for Prosperity is going for the jugular by switching to direct attack ads instead of continuing with traditional issue ads.
- The Yakima Herald Republic has an article about the politics of pot. According to the article, supporters for Ballot Measure 2 have received/spent about $850,000 to achieve their goal.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
“LMAO. This comment is pathetically, laughably off base. If you were able to see beyond your obvious partisan blinders, you would understand why.”
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Yes I notice you did not address my comment re: Anchroage PD
Todd Palins Pimping
Or the Horrible situation of the National Guard that the WA FBI is rumored to be taking over the investigation.
In true troll fashion you brought up something utterly stupid called AGIA, and that was a EPIC FAIL.
“he would have so quickly and thoroughly dismantled her signature “achievement”, AGIA? ”
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Ummm he didn’t do it so fast and WTF WAS AGIA anyway? It WAS nothing but a 500,000K CLUSTERF*CK! There was no oil no nothing. Just a buttload of YOUR $$$ given to Trans Canada for NOTHING!
” being in league with the Palins is definitely not one of them.”
Really? Funny. Certain blogs that Sarah doesn’t like got DDoS’d (up until 2011) and it lead right BACK to SOA gov SERVERS! FBI was notified. (AK FBI…corrupt) So if SP v 2.0 is not in league with the Palins how the hell did she get access to the SOA servers to DDoS a blog? How come Anchorage PD is dragging their feet on a REPORT on the Palinbrawl? Maybe we should all demand that the Alaskan State Troopers take over the investigation headed by Trooper Mike Wooten?
Possibly for some Alaskans it is mark of distinction to have a US Senator who cannot read very well. Not for me however.
LMAO. This comment is pathetically, laughably off base. If you were able to see beyond your obvious partisan blinders, you would understand why.
Do you seriously think that if the governor were SP v2.0 that he would have so quickly and thoroughly dismantled her signature “achievement”, AGIA? Whatever faults anyone perceives the governor to have, being in league with the Palins is definitely not one of them.
Nice. That’s all you’ve got? Ad hominem BS based on supposition is not really honest dialogue. Why is it that you Sullivan supporters can never just tell us why your candidate is such a good choice? Always seems to come down to this kind of dishonest personal attack.
Very typical of this Senate campaign, though. And neither side has been immune to it.
One topic here is something I expected sooner or later. Senator Mark Begich can read, but not very well. If you have ever heard him read aloud something he hasn’t seen earlier he sounds like an average second-grader. I doubt he reads any legislation at all, and I would bet a new, high-grade rifle that if this election depended upon it he couldn’t read a 10-page bill of legislation and tell you what the legislation would actually do. Don’t be shocked, at any give time in Juneau …….
Choose Respect: Choose a NEW Governor.
Parnell is an incompetent, whiny punk.
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And he is SP v 2.0 which means Todd & Sarah are still running the show! Look at the recent “Throwdown” Palinbrawl…. the Anchorage police Dept STILL doesn’t have a REPORT? REALLY??? REALLY? How do y’all tolerate that? Oh right, The APD were /are customers of Todd Palins ho house? (Boys will be Boys-Shay Tripp/Amazon) So Alaskans are ok with the “ex” halfterm’s still running the state via SP 2.0?
Word is FBI in WA is Fed up with incompetent FBI in AK and the NG. Another huge issue that started during SP Grifters term. CLEAN HOUSE ALASKA! VOTE a new Governor in one you can respect, trust and one that won’t blow smoke & lies to you.
Choose Respect: Choose a NEW Governor.
Parnell is an incompetent, whiny punk.
I’m so ready to lose Don Young. We’ve got a great chance to do it this year.
Shocked to read that the pro-legalization folks have amassed and spent $850,000. That’s some serious dinera. Yet, I haven’t seen it or felt it. Guess its due to the inflated advertising rates for ballot measures and super PACs.
Just finished with a morning meeting and glad to kick back and enjoy all the political exploits.
I find it rather condescending when someone uses the word “sweet” to describe a person over the age of 12. Using that descriptive for Begich is wrong. “Unfailingly politic” for Sullivan is little better. It is increasingly unacceptable for an Outsider to use them on our candidates. It has the taint of elitism that went out of style along with British colonialism. Brendan Jones was better. His affection for his community and the senate race came through and bolstered his critiques on both candidates.