From former President George W. Bush’s Facebook page, on the passing of Miss Beazley:
This weekend our beloved dog, Miss Beazley, was put to rest after a battle with lymphoma. She was a source of joy during our time in Washington and in Dallas. She was a close companion to her blood relative, Barney. And even though he received all the attention, Beazley never held a grudge against him. She was a guardian to our cats, Bob and Bernadette, who — like Laura and I — will miss her.
As hoped for, Rep. Don Young weighs in on Gina McCarthy’s comment that a gift of Alaska moose given to her by an Alaska child “could gag a maggot.”
Do you know what makes me gag? The EPA’s continuous assault on our state; whether it be blocking offshore air permits in Alaska for years, making it difficult for our power plants to operate, harassing our fishing fleet over deck wash and fish waste, or attempting a grab of Alaska’s lands. This just goes to show the EPA truly doesn’t understand our state and the people that live here. Gina McCarthy’s words sound like they come from someone who has contempt for, rather than an appreciation of, the rich customary traditions of Alaska’s people. Maybe the placer miners in Chicken, AK will invite her in for dinner during the EPA’s next raid and she’ll like what they’re serving a little better.
From a description of Todd and Sarah Palin’s RV, which is being sold for $279,000.
The majority of the Coaches miles were put on by current owners Todd and Sarah Palin! This is the top of the line in Country Coaches’ impressive line up of high end Coaches, engineered for style and performance and custom built from the ground up on a Dynomax chassis!…The unique and stylish look comes with very clean lines including a full height windshield, flush mount windows and integrated hidden bay latches! The awning package is like no other, consisting of 4 high roof cap awnings with wind sensors! The coach is fully loaded with all the right equipment including electronic dash display, GPS, stacked inverters, In-motion satellite, 2 new HD LED TV’s with premium sound, fully automatic leveling system, new Life-line 8D batteries, stacked washer & dryer, 2×90″ dual directional slide trays, 3X15K btu AC’s with heat pumps, radiant floor heat and a full hydronic heating system to name a few of the featured options! This is one of the best looking, best working Coaches I’ve seen and has been maintained at the highest level service!!!
From Sarah Palin’s keynote speech at the American Conservative Union’s annual CPAC conference:
Sarah Palin’s debuted her own version of the classic tale for today’s CPAC audience: “I do not like this Uncle Sam. I do not like his health care scam. I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books. I do not like when Congress steals, I do not like their crony deals. I do not like this spying, man, I do not like, Oh, Yes we can, I do not like this spending spree, we’re smart, we know there’s nothing free. I do not like reporters’ smug replies when I complain about their lies. I do not like this kind of hope, and we won’t take it, nope, nope, nope.
From a speech by Sen. Fred Dyson on the Senate floor about state funding for family planning. He also said that women could ship contraception to Alaska, including by “GoldStreaking” it on Alaska Airlines:
I did some research…There are a dozen places here in town at least where you can buy condoms, a dollar a piece. There are some exotic ones that are more than that, an amazing variety. And talk with the pharmacist, birth control pills are $18-30 per month. By comparison, in the vending machines down here the pop is $1.75-$2.50 per bottle. You know, 4-5 lattes will pay the $18 per month. So it is my position no one is prohibited from having birth control for economic reasons.
“People are looking at Putin as one who wrestles bears and drills for oil. They look at our president as one who wears mom jeans and equivocates and bloviates.”
Sarah Palin, who’ s known for wearing appropriate, stateswoman-like outfits, speaking to Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Monday night.
From a piece by Timothy George, republished in First Things from The Birmingham News:
Though Abraham Lincoln was neither baptized nor joined a church of any kind, he was the most spiritually minded president in American history… So why did he never join a church himself? Two reasons. First, he was offended by the religious rivalry and braggadocio of the frontier preachers of his day. None of them made a compelling case to his lawyerly mind that only one denomination was right and all the others wrong. Further, Lincoln was reticent, “the most shut-mouthed man I know,” as his law partner William Herndon said. He did not want to cross the thin line between sincerity and self-righteousness. There was nothing smug about Lincoln’s faith.
Read the rest here. Continue reading
From Kate McKee, a former journalist and current Wasilla resident:
As a Certified Application Counselor for the ACA in Wasilla, I can tell you that although there are still glitches on the website, most Valley people I have helped are able to get enrolled in a plan for $0-$200 per month and have much lower deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums than they ever would have gotten without the ACA. However, too many people are slipping into the “Medicaid hole” because Gov. Parnell has rejected the Medicaid Expansion for AK. They don’t make enough (money) to qualify for a tax subsidy and they can’t get Medicaid because of Parnell’s decision. These people include a woman diagnosed with cancer who is fighting for her life, a woman who can barely walk (even with crutches) and she has no idea what’s wrong with her because she can’t afford the diagnostic tests, and two extremely depressed (suicidal) men who have given up hope on ever getting the medical care they need. If you want to help these people get the coverage they need to survive, please email Gov. Parnell.
The big news, which I got off the record from numerous sources, is that House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, is going to resign to take a fellowship at Stanford University. It’s a huge loss for the state and for the Dems. Kerttula is one of the nicest, and smartest legislators in Alaska.
No word yet who will take her seat. The Juneau Dems, officially the Tongass Democrats, will make recommendations to Gov. Sean Parnell, who will pick. Jesse Kiehl, who declined comment until a later day, will likely be among many who are interested. Kiehl is a staffer for Sen. Dennis Egan and is on the Juneau Assembly. He put his name in for the Senate seat in 2009, when Kim Elton left for the Obama Administration. Kim Metcalfe’s name is also being floated.
Also no word yet on who will be the new House Minority Leader. Speculation is centered around Reps. Les Gara and David Guttenberg, although Chris Tuck might also be an interesting choice.
On to happier news: Say what you want about how sites like BuzzFeed and Zimbio have contributed to the decline of society, but they sure know how to get people’s attention. The various made-for-Facebook personality quizzes are all the rage. You know, the kind that young girls used to pour over in Seventeen Magazine? Yes, those ones have been basically repackaged for a co-ed audience. The most recent is Zimbio’s Star Wars personality test. Everyone’s doing it! And it’s, like, super fun! Even DNR commissioner Joe Balash, was like, I’ll go for it. YOLO. Turns out his Star Wars doppelganger is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Perhaps that will give the public some confidence that the governor has chosen Balash, AKA Obi, to negotiate terms with the largest private companies in the world, under which multi-billion, 800 mile natural gas pipeline might be built. House Majority spokesperson Will Vandergriff was Chewbacca.
How does Sarah Palin try to get attention on Martin Luther King day? She plays the race card by telling others not to. Here’s what she posted on Facebook: “Mr. President, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all who commit to ending any racial divide, no more playing the race card.” Perhaps someone should suggest to Palin that playing all that solitaire during those long dark winter days can make you a little nutty. In other words, Palin, stop playing cards.
The Department of Health and Social Services computer software transition is going about as well as the federal government’s health exchange site was before it got fixed. The department has been having problems paying Medicaid providers since September and unlike the feds, state officials are mum as to when the problem is expected to be fixed. Meanwhile the frustration and grumbling amongst Medicaid health care providers has been growing. Word is that Fairbanks Republican Rep. Pete Higgins, who is chair of the House Health and Social Services committee, is considering having hearings.
Former Anchorage school board member Crystal Kennedy has joined Rep. Lynn Gattis’ staff. Kennedy served as the campaign manager in Larry Woods’ race against Lora Reinbold. Gattis and Reinbold are both Republican freshman legislators who could be sisters. But they’re not. Not even close. Besides, Reinbold seems to have plenty enough sisters, one of whom is a doctor and is continually invited by Reinbold to testify at committee hearings to slam ObamaCare. The other is Reinbold’s twin.
State law prohibits legislators from fundraising when the Legislature is in session. And the governor cannot raise money from Juneau residents during session either. The laws seem screwy, if not blatantly unconstitutional. Regardless of my opinions on the matter, Monday was a big money day. House and Senate Democrats had a fundraiser at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum. Meantime, House and Senate Republican majority members were at the Hangar Ballroom on Juneau’s waterfront. Gov. Sean Parnell hosted an event at the Baranof’s Gastineau suite.
And that was how our lawmakers and our governor spent the night before session.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
Here’s Brad Keithley responding to a report that shows Alaska is 5th in millionaires per capita:
“Fifth in the nation in number of millionaires…no statewide income, property or sales tax and yet, Alaska still ranks low in philanthropic giving and relies on the state to fund one-hundred percent of things like sports arenas and tennis courts when, in other states, alumni, donors and contributors routinely are expected to pick up fifty percent of such costs. What is wrong with this picture? Effort, expectations and behavior…(T)he state can no longer afford to fund all things for all comers.”
“Today, when you buy a Big Mac or a T-bone, a portion of the cost is a tax on beef, the proceeds from which the government hands over to a private trade group called the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The NCBA in turn uses this public money to buy ads encouraging you to eat more beef, while also lobbying to derail animal rights and other agricultural reform activists, defeat meat labeling requirements, and defend the ongoing consolidation of the industry.”
Siddhartha Mahanta, in the Washington Monthly, writing about the $45 million of tax-payer money that goes to the NCBA.