On Monday evening, the Parnell-Sullivan campaign showed host Mead Treadwell how to pack a house for a fundraiser. With more than 150 guests coming through the doors, the caterers were quick to run out of food. Some faces spotted in the crowd: Dick and Mary Stallone; Dana Pruhs; Rep. Bill Stoltze; Deantha Crocket from the Miners’ Association; Greg Chapados and Tina Pidgeon from GCI; John and Amy Oney; Mary Dodge from Inlet Drilling; Dr. Mike McNamara; Northrim Bank’s Joe Beedle; Jim Brady; Stan Foo with Donlin Creek; Dr. Leon Chandler; Joe Mathis of NANA; Dan Coffey; Tim Worthen of Premier AK Tours; Judy Eledge; Dr. Matt and Stacey Heilala; Liz and Hugh Ashlock; real estate developers Terrie and Ed Zehrung; former Mayor George and Brenda Wuerch; Mike Nizich; Mark Hylen; Architect Marvin Ungerecht. Lots of money in the room. Lots of worry in the room.
Will the National Guard scandal die down before the election? My prediction? No. Will six-minute Parnell videos trying to explain why he didn’t take immediate action released the same day that a detailed story breaks about raping and plundering National Guard recruiters help at all? My prediction: No.
Republican state House candidate Anand Dubey also had a fundraiser Monday evening at the Petroleum Club. What was most surprising was that pro-labor lefty Nick Moe, was not only present, but actually co-hosted the event. (As Elstun Lauesen put it: “Matt Claman seems to inspire progressives to go nuts when he runs for office.” Why this is the case is a mystery, and nobody seems interested in explaining it to me. It seems to have to do with making Shelia Selkregg cry, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.) Among other interesting mix of attendees spotted: Speaker Mike Chenault; Craig Fleener; Kokayi Nosakhere; state House candidate Liz Vazquez; Chris Birch; radio personality Glen Beagle; and former Republican party chair, for at least 15 minutes or more, Russ Millette.
Democratic congressional candidate Forrest Dunbar may be short on campaign cash, but, not on enthusiasm. He’s now on radio in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. If you haven’t heard the ad yet, listen here.
Former senatorial candidate Joe Miller has endorsed House District 9 Constitutional Party candidate Pam Goode, of Delta Junction, in her bid against Republican nominee Jim Colver, of Palmer, who won in a 3 – way primary race against two conservative candidates with the help of organized labor. Word is that many people question Colver’s legitimacy as a Republican candidate because of his previous long-term Democratic registration and history. The Democratic nominee in this district is Mabel Wimmer, of Glennallen, sometimes called “Naked Mabel,” who many, particularly in Juneau, are rooting for.
North Slope Borough Mayor Charlotte Brower, who was just reelected. is requesting letters of resignation from her own appointees.
Government workers can be slackers. But many of them, I’d say most of them, aren’t. Most of them are working quietly and diligently for the betterment of the state. And they don’t get nearly enough recognition. One of the many good guys in government is legislative aide to Juneau Rep. Cathy Munoz, Christopher Clark, who is leaving his position on Friday. He says that he needs a break, but will be back. Because, you know, living politics in Alaska is like living the Hotel California song. His wit and institutional knowledge will be missed while he’s gone.
Four years ago, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker responded enthusiastically to the Alaska Family Council questionnaire which focuses on abortion, gay marriage, school choice and judicial reform. This year, with a new set of friends and supporters, he chose not to. Enough said?
Speaking of Walker, while driving through the Valley, you can see more political signs than you can shoot bullets at, almost every version, everywhere, with one exception. While there are a fair share of Walker for governor signs on the shoulders of the Valley’s roads, there doesn’t appear to be as many, if any, Walker – Mallott signs as in other places. Coincidence or strategy? You decide.
On Wednesday morning, Sen. Mark Begich was reportedly at Lake Hood with a film crew, probably shooting their final, or at least one of their final, tv ad(s) of the election. Afterwards, Begich joined some staffers and supporters for lunch at the Bear Tooth restaurant.
The campaign for Anchorage mayor is heating up, thanks to Uber car service, or technology company, or whatever they’re calling themselves in order to get around the city’s onerous and frustrating taxicab regulations. Andrew Halcro doesn’t have patience for the old-school way of doing things, which I guess means following the rules. And he seemed to imply the problem rested with Dan Coffey, who has represented the taxicab association. Coffey, never one to shy from a fight, jumped in to defend himself on Facebook. Get a primer for something that we’re going to get really sick of in the coming months here.
The flamboyant pollster Ivan Moore — who says the most outrageous things and always gets away with it, probably because he’s a Brit — threw a fundraiser for the Walker/Mallott ticket on Wednesday night. At least 50 people jammed into the small house, and the smell of gin, which was being served by the bucket-full, floated through the air. Spotted: columnist Mike Dingman; the NEA’s Andy Holleman; Bob Poe; former union boss Mike Kenny; Malcom and Cindy Roberts; fiction writer Lee Goodman; Hal and Barb Gazaway; Carlos Gomez; Stephen McAlpine; Ralph Kibby from Chatham Electric; Bob Lohr, and lots of others who I didn’t know, but who were rosy-cheeked and happy.
If anybody is going to save Batman from breast cancer, it would be Click Bishop:
About this time of the year with campaigns and tempers heating up, we start to hear a lot of grumbling about APOC complaints, some valid and others not so much so. The grumbling seems to be growing in House District 27 where some politicos are alleging possible illegal coordination between an independent expenditure committee and a certain House candidate. Whether it’s just grumbling or a valid APOC complaint remains to be seen.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
The people of Alaska will have real choices on November 4. Look beyond the failed two-party state. The future belongs to those with the vision to grasp it.
Jon,
Just pointing out the double standard of you Parnell cultural apologists who want detailed responses from Walker but are more than satisfied with slogans like “choose respect” to cover the Governor’s lukewarm efforts regarding the National Guard scandal.
Reflect on how you perceived Amanda’s interview with that Lt. Col. A rational, objective person can see the inconsistencies in this story remain, yet you somehow perceived that to be an exoneration of Sean Parnell. Your boy might just be much more involved in a cover up than you or I know (or will ever know) and that would explain what seems to be Parnell’s focus on “damage control” more than actual resolution. If I understand what you have posted, you can’t understand why there has been no explanation of why there have been no criminal charges or where are the records of the efforts by police and troopers who decided to stop any criminal investigation in 21 of the 29 cases. Of course the Governor’s political allies in the legislature are willing to help him end this with statements like that of Charlie Huggins that legislative oversight would just “muddy the waters”.
Remember in the Dahlstrom hire scandal how she “took one for Parnell” when he was caught violating the state Constitution by creating a job for her as a sitting legislator? She went under the bus then surfaced a few years later as his Anchorage Office Director. Did the Commissioner and deputy commissioner (who were never actually fired by Parnell) “take one for Parnell” and, if he is re-elected, will one or both wind up on their feet somewhere else in a political appointed position after a requisite “cooling off” period.
You can do better than this. Lynn. I’m not a R and I have amd will vote for Ds. The issue is whether Walker can move beyond bumper stickers and crisp one-liners on his two CORE campaign issues: gas and deficits. This isn’t asking for much.
Walker will be damned by some people regardless of what he says simply because he isn’t identified with the “Golden R” after his name any longer. Once you have the “Golden R” you don’t have to explain the irony of now bragging about reducing the deficit spending you created; you don’t have to explain why you supported AGIA long after shale gas made that project untenable; you don’t have to explain why you continue to fund the AGDC/ASAP gas pipeline project now that you claim our partnership in AKLNG is the future for us; you don’t have to explain why your DEC ignored the North Pole Sulfolane spill or why you were surprised by the closure of the North Pole Refinery; you don’t have to explain, as perhaps the most powerful Governor in United States, why you would excuse your lack of action toward the National Guard scandal for years by stating: “ Yes, it was very hard to actually get some hard facts to work with.”; and lately, because you have that “Golden R”, you don’t have to explain how your division of elections could be so inept as to produce a $200,000 Voters Pamphlet that features Byron Mallot as a candidate for Lt. Governor (even after Mallot won the primary election as the Democrat candidate for Governor) yet omits Bill Walker as a candidate for Governor nor need you explain why the original pamphlet was sent after absentee ballots were sent and why the state had to pay an additional $47,000 for a supplement pamphlet if the state was not at fault for the ommission of Walker.
Yes, to some, that “Golden R” after his name requires no explanation from Parnell on any topic, yet Walker had better explain himself in great detail on every issue.
The most apt description I’ve seen of him recently: “Tightrope Walker”
Abortion isn’t the only Walker flip-flop.
Just like his views on abortion, Walker’s views on the environment and federal overreach are equally confusing since the Unity Ticket. It’s been noted that Walker has changed his stance on the Pebble Mine project, now outright opposing a mine in the Bristol Bay watershed. But take a close look at what Walker has recently said and you’ll find serious his inconsistencies. From Walker’s Unity-ticket approved website, he claims a mine in Bristol Bay requires, “objective, rigorous, scientific and technical analysis.” He further claims that by politicizing Pebble, the Parnell administration has failed to rise to this challenge. According to Walker, as a result of playing Pebble politics, Parnell has caused Alaskans to turn “their back on the State and request the Federal Government to evaluate the mine’s impacts.” Well, Federal intervention is exactly what happened when the EPA issued a preemptive ruling on Pebble’s 404-c permit, but according to Walker in a Dillingham radio interview, he doesn’t like it. Walker said preemptive action by the EPA is “an example of Federal overreach.” On one hand, Walker suggests Alaskans want Federal intervention, then on the other, he cries foul over federal overreach when the EPA circumvents U.S. permitting laws. However, it wouldn’t be wrong if the State had done the same thing first, right? Walker believes so, which is why he will vote “yes” on ballot measure four, an initiative that will place final approval for a mine (i.e. Pebble) located near the waters of Bristol Bay with the Legislature. And Walker says Governor Parnell has “politicized” Pebble Mine? But what about government overreach and circumventing permitting laws? According to Walker, as long as it’s the State not following permitting laws, then it’s A-OK. One more little tidbit on this issue – at the Fairbanks debate, when asked about the delicate balance between the environment and resource development, Walker said the state “needs to look into permitting times.” Good luck with that once the Legislature gets their hands on approving a permit.
To recap: Walker wants Federal intervention, although, doesn’t want Federal intervention, however, supports essentially the same action taken by the Feds, but only if it’s the State taking that action, yet the State needs to look into permitting times, and finally, please no more politicizing of Pebble. Got all that? If not, I’m sure Bill would gladly explain it again, except completely different the second time around.
I don’t think the Port Authority has ever disclosed how much money it has spent. Does anyone know if this information is publically available?
Your misery and unhappiness is understood. It must be awful to be a Dem in Laska. The registration rolls of your party are declining, your candidates arre becoming increasingly unelectable and you lost your opportunity to destroy the economy when you failed to garner the votes on SB 21. Now, you have an anti-gay marriage, pro-life candidate heading up your party’s ticket that is owned by a labor boss. Yep, your misery, if anything, is understated. It must suck to be you.
Lesil McGuire’s comments were sobering. Making such a suggestion says one thing about the senator, that her name should be changed to Senator Showboat. I agree with another commenters suggestion and that was McGuire has a lot of cleaning up around her own issues before taking on other problems. I hope she handles this one better than she handled the last day of session. You remember, don’t you? She was missing for the better part of the day and when they did find her she needed a little time to pull herself together for the final push. Oh, Lesil. You could accomplish so much if you took on your own issues before fixing the world.
Next year, when you’re filling out the PFD application, remember to:
1. Pick
2. Click
3. Support Batman’s Breast Cancer
Oh Walker flip flopped! We don’t know where he stands!!!
Did Walker flip flop like Dan S Sullivan on the minimum wage prop?
“We don’t know where he stands” … so you prefer knowing exactly where Sean Parnell stands: in Conoco’s back pocket and on the wrong side of marriage equality? That must be the clarity you crave.
Some argue that Walker has no values or principles on which he stands. I understand whu some people feel that way as he seems to have abandoned his core values for political expediency; however, he seems to have remained firmely committed to Walkernomics which is the principle of stuffing your pockets with public money. How many millions have Valdez paid him? The Port Authority? Look behind the curtain and especially his self-dealing with the PA looks pathetically improper.
Jon,
I certainly share your loathing of partisan politics and I also fear the consequences of having a single party dominate both the Executive and Legislative branches when party loyalty trumps all. I would suggest that we are in serious fiscal trouble in Alaska today because of that alignment.
I support Walker and respect your concerns although I haven’t heard a lot of detailed solutions from Parnell to our problems. That said, we will still have a legislative branch to question Walker, force him to clarify his intent, and therefore serve the intended purpose of a Legislative Branch. I don’t see a legislature of non-partisan politicians any time soon (although I would like to see that). Likewise, a Governor who is not from the Alaska legislature and not of the same party might be more inclined to question the effectiveness of that branch. That is how the system is supposed to work.
LIstening to Walker on the issues is like watching an IHOP cook in the morning making pancakes. There are a lot of flips and flops. Poor Walker, he doesn’t seem to know what he knows, has forgotten or believes anymore. The reminder of his positions, or might we say “values”, that he professes in the 2012 Family Values Survey are now gone for political expediency. Really? This guy Walker isn’t the type of character I want anywhere around my government. He’s ripped off Valdez for years. We should know better than let this fox in the chicken house. Smart peiple will WALK AWAY FROM WALKER.
Lynn,
My angst has nothing to do with social issues or unity tickets. Personally I loath partisan politics. I love the idea of putting Alaska first. The issue is we don’t know what we are getting with this ticket bc Walker either keeps changing positions or keeps everything at such a high level that his statements are meaningless. What we can gleam on something like the deficits is that what Walker says, simply doesn’t add up. In fact, whenever he is forced to provide specifics his answers don’t make sense. We don’t know what we are getting with the man and this ticket. That’s the issue Lynn.
Lesil McGuire, back on the scene, trying to be relevant. Oh yes, the visions of granduer danciing in her eyes this week. First the women’s conference, then saving the National Guard.
Reality check: McGuire is probably the least respected member of the Senate. She would be well served to clean up her own issues before climbing on her white horse to save the world. Here’s the real question that needs to be asked, “will her interest in the Guard be as sincere as her run for LG?”
Sorry Jon, having problems with postings…..
The National Guard scandal is certainly not going to fade for a long time. Now at least one State Senator is calling for legislative involvement and that legislative oversight issue should now be a good question to ask legislative candidates. Should the legislature exercise any oversight or is National Guard oversight to be left strictly to the Office of the Governor?
Now, I understand the angst by some over creation of the “unity ticket” and candidates attitudes regarding social issues, but what about state deficit spending, future state revenues, affordable sustained energy supply to Alaskans, the wisdom of Alaska being an equity partner in a private business enterprise, quality of education, future costs of maintaining government assets, state employee relations, environmental protection, and other issues.
I am voting for Parnell Sullivan because I know what they will do by their words, experience and actions. I cannot vote for a ticket based on “trust me I’ll look at it once elected”.
The National Guard Scandal is certainly not going to fade for a long time. Now at least one State Senator is calling for legislative involvement and that legislative oversight issue should now be a good question to ask legislative candidates. Should the legislature exercise any oversight or is National Guard oversight to be left strictly to the Office of the Governor?
Now, I understand the angst by some over creation of the “unity ticket” and candidates attitudes regarding social issues, but what about state deficit spending, future state revenues, affordable sustained energy supply to Alaskans, the wisdom of Alaska being an equity partner in a private business enterprise, quality of education, future costs of maintaining government assets, state employee relations, environmental protection, and other issues.
Walker’s willingness to “evolve” goes beyond social issues. On the AK LNG project, he said the enabling legislation was “fatally flawed.” In yesterday’s JOC interview with Bradner, Walker said he was going to stay the course and continue what Parnell had started. Then in his oped, also appearing in the same JOC issue, he suggests that he will change the law bc under his administration the state will have control of the project. No reporter, as far as I can tell, has ever asked Walker what the hell this means, how much it will cost, how much time it will take to amend the law and modify contracts, and how he will respond if the producers say they are not willing to modify contracts that they have entered into with the state – contracts by the way that have received the legislator’s blessing – 52 of them!
His shifting views on the budget and deficits are also well documented.
My biggest problem with the man is we just don’t know what to expect. The vagueness of his campaign is obviously to his favor so he can build a broad coalition and allow his supporters to believe what they want about the man.
The Walker ticket is the original three-headed monster: Walker-Mallot-Boss Beltrami.
I’m not surprised to hear people who might have been Walker supporters can’t stomach the merged ticket. What’s funny though is the way it gets lost in the conversation that Walker didn’t join up with Mallott for principles – he himself says he did it because the polls looked bleak for him as a stand-alone nonaffiliated. Does anyone remember how he shopped around for a party before, to get a place on the ballot? 2010, when AIP shot him down and said enough of this rent-a-party crap?
It’s amazing how Bill Walker lacks of conviction. What happened?
Up until the merger, Bill Walker was (is?) a staunch social conservative. His record on abortion from past political surveys proves so, as does the statement from his old website where he wrote for him and his wife by saying, “As committed Christians, Donna and I believe that life begins at conception and is to be cherished and protected.” That sounds definitively pro-life, however, since donning the Unity cape, Mr. Walker has suddenly reined in his pro-life convictions. In contrast, on his Unity-approved website Walker still claims to be pro-life, but adds the caveat that, “government’s role in the private sphere should be limited,” and that he will uphold laws granting a woman’s right to choice. It is unclear how Walker will ensure a child’s life will be “protected” upon conception if he will not advocate against abortion. Perhaps Walker needs to ask himself – WWJD? Because after all, he is a “committed Christian.”
Forgetting your commas can be extremely embarrassing at times.