Tag Archives: mark begich

Begich hits the Koch brothers in first campaign ad

With the help of at least a half a dozen Alaskans, Sen. Mark Begich takes aim at the conservative Koch brothers in his first television ad of the race. The ad takes issue with the Koch brothers, who have spent roughly $1 million attacking Begich for hurting the economy, while Koch Industries announced the shuttering of a North Pole refinery, a mainstay of Alaska’s Interior economy.

Using a montage of six Alaskans, the ad accuses the brothers of contaminating the drinking water and laying off workers.

“The Koch brothers, the billionaire Koch brothers. I do not believe it. They come into our town, fire a refinery, just running it into the ground, leaving a mess. A lot of Alaskans are losing jobs and I’m definitely concerned about the drinking water. I don’t go down to tell them what to do, I expect them not to come up to Alaska to tell us what to do,” say a mix of Alaskans in the ads.

In a statement, the Koch brothers funded political group Americans for Prosperity fired back at Begich. “It’s disappointing that Senator Begich’s first message to Alaskans is a Washington-style, negative attack ad that does nothing to address any of the real concerns voters have about his record,” Alaska AFP spokeswoman Heidi Gay said.

“Senator Begich already misled Alaskans about ObamaCare; now he keeps changing his answer about supporting a carbon tax. Although he has tried recently to distance himself from past support, even Politifact concluded he would be a ‘maybe’ on a carbon tax vote. He has given a different answer every time he has been asked about it.”

AFP has repeatedly claimed that Begich supports a carbon tax. Begich has repeatedly said that he doesn’t. Begich did however sign a 2010 letter written to Senate Majority leader Harry Reid that called for “making polluters pay through a price on greenhouse gas emissions,” in order to address climate change.

A carbon tax is one way to make polluters pay. There are other ways, however, as Begich has pointed out.

GOP candidate Dan Sullivan isn’t buying it. His campaign called Begich’s denial of such support an “election day conversion.”

None of the three GOP candidates–Sullivan, Mead Treadwell, or Joe Miller — have said anything about the closure of the refinery.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

National Democratic campaign starring Alaska: ‘Republicans addicted to Koch’

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid isn’t known for his quick quips. But a line that he used on the Senate floor as he was railing against Senate Republicans will provide the theme around a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee campaign, a campaign in which Alaska plays a starring roll.

The line: “The GOP is addicted to Koch,” is sure to be something Alaskans will hear over and over again as the DSCC uses Internet ads and videos, as well as social media to tie Republicans to politically active billionaire brothers.

The DSCC says that so far, the Koch brothers have spent $30 million in trying to influence the upcoming races, and more than $600,000 attacking Alaska U.S. Sen. Mark Begich.

The brothers also recently shut down a refinery in North Pole Alaska that it owned and laid off 80 workers because the refinery was too expensive to run, Koch Industries announced last month.

The Koch brothers bought Flint Hills from Williams in 2004 for $290 million. According to an SEC filing, it said that it planned to spend $100 million on it to offer “cleaner-burning fuels to Alaska communities and consumers.” Because it’s a private company, it hasn’t had to report how much of that it ended up spending.

What is known is that since its purchase, a plume of the industrial chemical sulfolane has spread and continues to do so. It’s now 3 miles long and 2.5 miles wide and has left 300 households and businesses with tainted water and depleted property values. In addition to the layoffs, the closure effects other entities. The Alaska Railroad also relied heavily on the refinery and is now considering layoffs.

Flint Hills knew that sulfolane pollution existed in the groundwater beneath site of the refinery, and as early as 2004, the state warned the company about the spread. It repeatedly ignored the warnings.

The DSCC is planning on using all of this information in its national campaign.

Closer to home, it’s pushing the GOP candidates — Joe Miller, Mead Treadwell, and Dan Sullivan – to address the issue.

“Dan Sullivan and Mead Treadwell’s refusal to criticize the Koch Brothers’ actions prove that they could care less about the Alaskans the Kochs fired or the families they hurt, and the fact that Sullivan and Treadwell’s silence comes while willfully accepting the Koch’s limitless campaign cash is a slap in the face to all Alaskans,” said Justin Barasky, a spokesman at the DSCC.

I’ve got an email out to the campaigns asking for a response. I’ll post as I get them.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

House Speaker Chenault punches back again at Begich and Dems

If he was going for impact, he succeeded. Sen. Mark Begich’s annual remarks to the Legislature on Monday are still rebounding through the Capitol building. On Wednesday, Alaska Speaker of the House Mike Chenault sent out yet another press release about those remarks. Specifically, he responded to charges by the Alaska Democratic Party, which was responding to a Monday press release issued by Chenault.

To recap: Begich made remarks. Chenault responded. The Dems responded to Chenault. Chenault responded to them.

Note: For Chenault to respond at all is surprising and uncharacteristic. He’s a Republican, but his job demands that he be a bridge builder, and mostly he succeeds. That he did so either means that Begich and the Dems got under his skin or that he truly believes that Begich was out of line in his remarks. Or perhaps it’s a bit of both.

In any case, most of the heat in the debate surrounds education funding. Begich, weighing in on a state issue, scolded lawmakers over education funding and came out against a resolution that would let the public vote on changing the constitution to allow for public money to go to private institutions. It’s debatable if he over played his hand during those remarks, but coming down hard against school choice is smart. For one, it’ll help win the support of the NEA. Secondly, if the issue makes it on the general election ballot, it’ll bring out the Christian conservatives, who likely won’t support Begich.

Begich declined, however, to weigh in on another state matter: whether or not he supports repeal of an oil tax break passed last legislative session. In an election year, it’s a tough one for him. Support to repeal the oil tax bill has turned into a Democratic litmus test, much like support to repeal ObamaCare has turned into a litmus test for Republicans. However, he risks alienating Alaska business and big oil industry if he comes out for repeal.

On Monday, Chenault took issue with Begich’s remarks that the state needed to increase education funding, saying that he “wished to correct the record and call for clarity and results for Alaska, instead of more Beltway-style speeches.”

He also made reference to the upcoming race. “We need a senator that stands up for us, not one who only says he will, then votes with his party against Alaskans,” he said.

On Tuesday the Dems responded, accusing Chenault of engaging in “tired and misleading” attacks. “Any observer of Begich’s speech heard eye opening comments from Democratic and Republican members of the legislature recognizing Mark Begich as a fighter for Alaska,” Chair of Alaska’s Democratic Party Mike Wenstrup said.

The release also called Chenault’s “campaign-style press release” using his official state email “questionable.”

For his part, Chenault said that the Democratic response was “typical” of the Democratic Party. “Alaskans are tired of character attacks. And that’s what your press release is,” he said. “The fact is, Sen. Begich spoke before he knew the truth about education funding, and wouldn’t commit on oil taxes… public education funds, the dollars out the door to teach our kids, has never been higher.”

Read the Democratic press release as well as Chenault’s response in full below:

From the Democrats:

House Speaker Mike Chenault should have slept on his questionable decision to send a campaign-style press release from his official state office and akleg.gov email address slinging political attacks promoted by national Republican groups at U.S. Senator Mark Begich.

“We need a senator that stands up for us, not one who only says he will, then votes with his party against Alaskans,”Speaker Chenault said through his official legislative office, channeling tired attacks used by U.S. Senate candidates Mead Treadwell, Dan Sullivan and Joe Miller.

Chenault’s comments attacking Mark Begich drew praise from the Washington, D.C. National Republican Senatorial Committee, but ignored the content of Begich’s speech about successful efforts to expand mining oil and gas development in Alaska, protect the F-16’s at Eielson, save Alaska post offices and expand care for Alaska’s veterans.

Chenault’s colleagues, including Republican Senators John Coghill and Anna Fairclough, praised Begich after listening to his speech. Coghill specifically offered praise for Begich’s successful fight to retain F-16 fighters at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks.

“If Mike Chenault had listened to Mark Begich’s speech he would have heard Begich’s record of accomplishment which puts Chenault’s tired and misleading political attacks to bed. Any observer of Begich’s speech heard eye opening comments from Democratic and Republican members of the legislature recognizing Mark Begich as a fighter for Alaska,” said Mike Wenstrup, Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party.

From House Speaker Mike Chenault:

“Here’s what I have to say to the Democratic Party: typical. Alaskans are tired of character attacks. And that’s what your press release is.

“You’ll notice they didn’t attack my facts. Facts matter. The truth matters. Especially when we as legislators have to make financial and policy decisions based on some of the choices our federal delegation makes.

“The fact is, Sen. Begich spoke before he knew the truth about education funding, and wouldn’t commit on oil taxes. The fact is, our Caucus and the governor have a strong record on education funding and have made a choice on oil taxes that we believe will lead to a boost to our bottom line and Alaskans’ bottom lines through jobs and opportunity.

“I’ll talk about our K-12 funding record every day, and won’t hesitate to correct the record when someone, regardless of what office or political viewpoint they hold, tries to mislead or misinform the public. The truth is, we’ve outpaced inflation – more than doubling it, fully-funding the foundation formula and then providing even more targeted funding for maintenance, retirement, transportation, and energy costs. Our funding lets districts better utilize the existing base student allocation. Flat funding is a myth. Unfortunately, it’s an easy sound byte that has stuck in people’s minds. The truth is completely different: public education funds, the dollars out the door to teach our kids, has never been higher.

“I’ve got broad shoulders; I’ve been called worse before. But you better be prepared to defend your facts and figures with me. If Sen. Begich has a problem with my comments or if my facts are wrong, I encourage him to call me personally. I’m not campaigning for or against anyone, despite what the Democratic Party has stated. I’m correcting the record. The Democratic Party shouldn’t have an issue with a sitting legislator defending himself when someone misleads people on his or his colleague’s record, period.”

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Alaska Speaker Chenault has words for Begich after Begich has words for Legislature

Alaska Speaker of the House Mike Chenault sent a message back to U.S. Sen. Mark Begich following Begich’s annual address to the Legislature on Monday. In a press release, Chenault said that he “wished to correct the record and call for clarity and results for Alaska, instead of more Beltway-style speeches.”

The move was unusual for Chenault, who, although a Republican, is normally more conciliatory.

In his speech, Begich highlighted a variety of federal legislative successes, including keeping the F-16s at Eielson Air Force Base, increased funds for the Arctic, and fighting federal government overreach.

All of that likely would not have rankled the Republican dominated Legislature. However, a large chunk of Begich’s speech was devoted to state education issues. Among other things, he came out against a resolution that would let the public vote on changing the constitution to allow for public money to go to private institutions.

“Public dollars are for public schools, period,” Begich said.

If two-thirds of the Legislature passes the resolution, the question would be on the ballot in the general election, and would likely be a huge poll-draw for religious conservatives, who are also likely to vote against Begich.

In Chenault’s rejoinder, among other things, he blamed the federal government and Begich for shorting the Anchorage School District of funds. He criticized Begich for his refusal to say where he stands on the oil tax repeal, and as is requisite among Republicans, brought up Begich’s vote on ObamaCare.

“We need a senator that stands up for us, not one who only says he will, then votes with his party against Alaskans,” Chenault said.

Read the release in full below:

After sitting through a speech today delivered by Alaska’s junior senator, Alaska Speaker of the House Mike Chenault has a message back to Mark Begich: less talk, more action. Speaker Chenault, following the senator’s annual address to legislators, wished to correct the record and call for clarity and results for Alaska, instead of more Beltway-style speeches. Speaker Chenault cited the following remarks and responses to questions from legislators during and after his address:

Education funding
Sen. Begich said it should come down to increasing the Base Student Allocation. “Anchorage, where he was mayor, has lost $46 million over the past two years due to federal sequestration and loss of stimulus money. That’s from its own financial officer. He should be working to secure federal funding for schools to fill that gap, not asking the state to pay even more than we already do. We’ve well-funded schools on our end, and have more than doubled inflation. He should be making sound decisions and know the facts before he speaks,” Speaker Chenault said. “The federal government shorted the Anchorage School District, not we the legislature. Why is he letting the federal government do that to Alaskan kids, increasing the financial burden at the state and local level?”

Oil taxes
Sen. Begich wouldn’t say which way he would vote on the Senate Bill 21 referendum, citing only that he supports “certainty” in the tax system. “I would hope the senator realizes that that is exactly what SB21 provides, that certainty. Changing the system again would lead to uncertainty. Sen. Begich should be supporting SB21 like a majority of Alaskans, leading to jobs and more exploration, not stagnation,” Speaker Chenault said.

ObamaCare
Sen. Begich admitted that he had reservations about President Barack Obama’s signature piece of legislation, despite being the 60th vote needed to pass it. “He can’t have it both ways. Don’t vote for a bill if you know it’s a bad bill. Don’t vote for a bill if you don’t know what’s in it, or the consequences to Alaskans. Now, Alaskans are saddled with a subpar system, a web portal that didn’t deliver, and having to live with the disingenuous statements made by Sen. Begich and President Obama: ‘you can keep your plan or you doctor if you like’ is what they told us. Well, that’s clearly not the case. Sen. Begich is back-tracking. Alaskans deserve better than that,” Speaker Chenault said.

Speaker Chenault said it comes down to taking responsibility and showing accountability. “Instead, what Alaskans heard today was more spin from Sen. Begich, and few solutions. We need a senator that stands up for us, not one who only says he will, then votes with his party against Alaskans,” Speaker Chenault said.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Koch brothers continue attack on Begich after North Pole refinery shutdown

Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers’ funded political group, pulled a $100,000 ad buy against U.S. Sen. Mark Begich after it was announced that Koch Industries was closing the Flint Hills Refinery in North Pole Alaska earlier this month. Perhaps attacking Begich for hurting the economy after it announced it was shuttering a mainstay of Alaska’s Interior economy didn’t make for good optics.

The refinery has left about 300 households and businesses with tainted water, and a sulfolane plume that’s 3 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. About 80 people who worked at the refinery are losing their jobs, and other entities, including the Alaska Railroad, also relied heavily on the refinery and are now considering layoffs.

Apparently, AFP is counting on the short memory of Alaskans, because the ads are back. This one, like a prior ad, first goes after Begich on healthcare and then jumps into the meat: his alleged support of a carbon tax. According to AFP, such a tax would cost the average family $2,000 a year and cost thousands of Alaskans their jobs.

Let’s get this straight: Begich has said publicly that he opposes a carbon tax. He did, however, vote on a non-binding amendment that said if such a tax were passed, revenue from it would be “returned to the American people in the form of federal deficit reduction, reduced federal tax rates, cost savings or other direct benefits.” The vote would not have created or defeated a carbon tax. Begich also voted against an amendment that would have required a vote of three fifths of the Senate to approve a carbon tax. That, vote, however, was intended to send a message to Republicans about procedure. It was not about the carbon tax.

The one thing that appears to be true in this whole situation is that Flint Hills was repeatedly warned about the sulfolane plume throughout the years. It failed to do anything about it. Now, hundreds of North Pole residents can’t drink from their faucets and at least 80 people are out of a job. And it’s unclear if Flint Hills or the state will shoulder the costs of the cleanup.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

King Cove resident in critical condition as Murkowski continues battle over road to Cold Bay

A King Cove resident is in critical condition in Anchorage after a medical incident in the small Aleutian-chain village of King Cove on Friday night. The wind was blowing hard, but the Coast Guard was able to get a helicopter into the village to transport 62-year-old Irene Newman to Cold Bay, where she was then transferred via life flight to the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage.

As of 10 a.m. on Monday, Newman was still in critical condition, but is alert and responding, said King Cove Mayor Henry Mack, who is Newman’s brother-in-law and who is currently at the Native Medical Center.

“It was pretty traumatic,” Mack said. “The Coast Guard put their lives at risk,” he said. And they likely wouldn’t have had to go to such lengths if the federal government were to allow for a small gravel road to be built from King Cove to Cold Bay, he said.

It’s another incident among many that has Alaska’s congressional delegation determined to go to battle with the U.S. Interior Department to allow for the road.

For dozens of years, residents of King Cove — a village of about 950 on the Aleutian chain — have been lobbying the federal government to allow for the road to Cold Bay, about 22 miles away. But because it cuts through a slice of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, they have been told they can’t. The state of Alaska and King Cove Native Corp. recently offered a land exchange. They would give up nearly 60,000 acres of land for the nearly 2,000 needed for the road, which would include 200 acres from the Refuge.

In December, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell rejected the deal, saying that the road has the potential to harm the Pacific black brant, which is a small goose, and other wildlife in the refuge.

Both Murkowski and U.S. Sen. Mark Begich voted to confirm Jewell. Both objected to the decision. There are numerous stories of deaths and near-deaths because of the lack of a road.

Murkowski continues to keep the issue in the spotlight. “I won’t give up,” Murkowski said recently. “I will not get over it.”

Her current battle is trying to block Rhea Suh’s nomination to be assistant Interior secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, the agency that conducted the environmental impact statement on the road.

It’s unclear if Sen. Mark Begich supports Suh’s nomination. His office did not answer repeated questions about it. If he does, it will likely be used by his GOP opponents in the 2014 election.

Given wide Democratic support for Suh and filibuster reform, it’s unclear how Murkowski will prevail. But apparently she has something in mind.

“If I revealed my whole strategy, there would be no surprise and nothing for you all to work on. I can’t divulge everything,” Murkowski told reporters, according to Politico.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Groups target Senate candidate Dan Sullivan

Groups supporting Sen. Mark Begich were busy on Tuesday attacking the GOP candidate Dan Sullivan, who is the GOP fundraising front-runner, and appears to be the candidate to target. On Tuesday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sent out a video of Sullivan walking down the street in D.C., talking to Republican strategist Mike Dubke. According to Sullivan’s campaign, he was simply in route to a breakfast meeting of the Ripon Society, a Republican group that promotes Republican principles.

Later on Tuesday, the Alaska based super-PAC Put Alaska First, which supports Begich, released its first attack ad against Sullivan. Jim Lottsfeldt, who is running the super-PAC, said it’s a $49,000 ad buy and is running throughout the state.

The ad targets Sullivan’s residency in Alaska, and makes much of his time away from the state. Sullivan’s campaign fired back, saying that the ad is proof that Democrats and Begich don’t value national service. “During the time in question, Dan left Alaska to serve our country in the War on Terror in the White House, in the U.S. Marine Corps, and as a U.S. Assistant Secretary of State under Condoleezza Rice,” Mike Anderson, Sullivan’s campaign spokesperson said in a statement.

Read the full statement here:

This new ad paid for by Michael Bloomberg and Begich-Obama’s special interest friends proves two things: One, the Democrats fear Dan Sullivan most of all, and Two, Mark Begich and his cronies do not value national service. During the time in question, Dan left Alaska to serve our country in the War on Terror in the White House, in the U.S. Marine Corps, and as a U.S. Assistant Secretary of State under Condoleezza Rice. Dan then returned to Alaska to faithfully serve Alaska as our Attorney General and as the Commissioner of Natural Resources. Now is the time to put a warrior for Alaska back in the Senate.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Crossroads bashes Begich over missing unemployment vote. AFL-CIO comes to his defense.

Karl Rove’s group, Crossroads GPS, is airing a radio ad in Alaska, bringing up a month’s-old story about U.S. Sen. Mark Begich’s trip to Hawaii when the Senate was voting on an unemployment extension. Begich missed the procedural vote on Jan. 7 to deliver a speech to the American Aviation group, to meet Hawaii’s governor and to attend fund raisers. The missed vote was well covered when it happened. Begich said at the time that the Hawaii trip was planned well in advance of the procedural vote. (Listen to the ad here: Hawaii radio ad.)

In the ad, a narrator berates Begich for missing work to go to Hawaii. To the backdrop of Hawaiian music, the voice of a young man exclaims, “Surf’s up dude. Cowabunga!” And in a bit of irony, Crossroads, a group that supports Republicans, tells listeners to call Begich’s office to tell him we need a “fully funded unemployment extension,” an extension that Senate Republicans have been repeatedly blocking. Begich has voted repeatedly to extend unemployment benefits.

Alaska AFL-CIO issued a press release, defending Begich over the ad. “The hypocrisy of this ad is thick. Karl Rove attacking Mark Begich for not supporting working families is akin to me giving a lecture on hair styling and beauty products,” AFL-CIO President Vince Beltrami said.

Beltrami, it should be noted, is bald.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Senate candidate Sullivan has more contributors than Dems say, but still not enough.

On Friday the Alaska Democratic Party put out a press release about the number of Alaskans who contributed to U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan’s campaign. The Dems, quoting the Alaska Dispatch, said that Sullivan’s fourth-quarter FEC report shows that he only had 130 Alaska contributors. This is evidence, they say, of Sullivan’s tepid support in this state. Sullivan’s from Ohio, and has been back and forth from Alaska to D.C. since 1997, and his challengers have been trying to paint him as a carpetbagger.

Raising nearly $1.3 million, Sullivan leads the money race among the GOP primary-race contenders, and although he doesn’t have as much money on hand, he outraised incumbent Sen. Mark Begich, who raised about $850,000 during the last quarter. Although the percentages of total funds raised inside and outside the state were about the same for both, the release pointed out that Begich had more than 1,100 Alaska contributions during the same period.

The truth, however, is more complicated. According to his campaign, Sullivan actually had 320 Alaska donors, but because unlike Begich, the campaign didn’t list donors who gave less than ~~$250~~ $200, those people don’t show on the FEC report.

Too, Sullivan doesn’t have nearly the same name recognition as does Begich and entered the race two weeks into the filing period.

Still 320 Alaskan donations is a small number, and the campaign needs to be more effective in reaching out to Alaskans if it wants to be competitive against Begich. From what I can tell so far, Sullivan’s campaign is still focusing its attention on attracting large, out-of-state donors. It’s only released one web-based ad and doesn’t appear to be as acitve soliciting Alaska donors as his competitors.

Begich, in the meantime, is aggressively sending out numerous fundraising appeals. Additionally, his campaign has aired several radio ads, and third-party groups, including the National Association of Realtors, the American Chemistry Council, and Bristol Bay Native Corp., are airing ads thanking Begich for his support.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Lies, damned lies, statistics and partisan polls

Two partisan polls from both sides of the aisle were released this week. Both of the polls included Alaska issues, and the U.S. Senate race. Both are more interesting than credible, but perhaps open a window of light into the race that has so far released few numbers.

The first poll was from the left wing firm, Public Policy Polling, commonly called PPP, and was conducted earlier this month. That firm is no stranger to Alaska polling. Following the gun control debate in Congress, the organization released an improbable poll that said that U.S. Sen. Mark Begich’s vote against gun control resulted in a decline of support among Alaskans.

In this poll, PPP polled 850 registered voters including 442 Republican primary voters. The firm’s methodology has changed some. Included in the robo calls are opt-in internet surveys. But it still can’t manage to get its demographics right. This one, like the one on guns, over sampled both women and Democrats.

The second is from Harper Polling, a right-wing firm, which surveyed 677 likely voters Jan. 20-22. Harper also uses robo calling and also appears to oversample women and Democrats, and although it has a similar margin of error as the PPP poll, it comes up with very different numbers. The left leaning group has Begich on top and the right leaning polling group has two of the GOP contenders beating Begich. Surprised?

Here’s PPP’s numbers:

Begich beats former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan 41 to 37 percent.
Begich beats Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell 43 percent to 37 percent
Begich beats Joe Miller 45 to 25 percent.
In a GOP primary, Sullivan leads with 30 percent to Treadwell’s 25 percent and Joe Miller’s 20 percent.

Harper Polling comes up with the following:

Treadwell beats Begich 47 to 41 percent.
Sullivan beats Begich 47 to 41 percent.
Begich beats Miller 51 to 32 percent.

All of which perhaps proves the adage that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

It’s also worth noting that nobody who’s watching this race believes that the majority of the public at this point can distinguish between Dan Sullivan the Senate candidate and Dan Sullivan, the well-known Anchorage mayor.

Also, local pollster Marc Hellenthal, who knows how to poll this state, has Begich doing pretty well in Alaska, particularly in Anchorage, which had been a problem for him.

Hellenthal wouldn’t release the numbers, but he said that Begich seems to “have solved his Anchorage problem.”

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Senate candidate Sullivan backs up 97 percent charge against Begich

Republican Senate candidate Dan Sullivan has been using the line on the trail and in stump speeches that U.S. Sen. Mark Begich has voted with Obama 97 percent of the time in 2013.

“After almost four months on the campaign trail, I have not met one Alaskan who agrees with President Obama’s agenda 97 percent of the time,” Sullivan has been saying repeatedly, in hopes, apparently, that it becomes a meme and will stick much like Romney’s 47 percent line stuck.

Sullivan repeated the refrain in a press release on Monday. And this time, Sullivan had backup for that 97 percent. His release points to a study conducted by CQ Roll Call, which has Begich voting 97 percent of the time with the president on 108 bills that CQ Roll Call identified had the president’s support. Sixty five of the 108 were nominations.

According to the study, Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted with the president 72 percent of the time, and Rep. Don Young voted with the president 22 percent of the time.

Begich voted against the president three times. Those no votes, however, were enough to land him in 10th place in CQ Roll Call’s list of Senators least supportive of the president.

Ryan Kelly, a Roll Call CQ researcher, put together the following list of votes that Begich cast against the president, as well as the six ones that he missed. The missed votes did not count against Begich’s percentile rank.

Votes on which Begich disagreed with Obama:

Senate Vote 97 – S 649: Gun Policy Revisions – Background Checks

April 17, 2013 – Manchin, D-W.Va., amendment no. 715 that would expand an existing background check system to include firearms purchased at gun shows and over the Internet. It would allow gun show sales to proceed if a background check does not prompt a response within 48 hours and reduce that to a 24-hour wait four years after enactment. It would exempt family transfers and some private sales. The amendment would restrict law enforcement grant funds for states that do not provide all available records to the national background check database. It would ban the creation of a national firearms registry, allow active-duty military members buy guns in their home state and create a commission to study the causes of mass violence in the United States. Rejected 54-46: R 4-41; D 48-5; I 2-0.

Senate Vote 101 – S 649: Gun Policy Revisions – Assault Weapons Ban

April 17, 2013 – Feinstein, D-Calif., amendment no. 711 that would prohibit the future production, import, sale, transfer or possession of certain firearms considered to be assault weapons and ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds, with exemptions for law enforcement officials. It would exempt certain firearms used for hunting and sporting purposes from the ban. It also would allow law enforcement grant funds be used to buy back semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition clips. Rejected 40-60: R 1-44; D 38-15; I 1-1.

Senate Vote 103 – S 649: Gun Policy Revisions – High-Capacity Clip Ban

April 17, 2013 – Blumenthal, D-Conn., amendment no. 714 that would prohibit the future production, import, sale, transfer or possession of ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds, with exemptions for law enforcement officials. It would also allow law enforcement grant funds be used to buy back semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition clips. Rejected 46-54: R 1-44; D 43-10; I 2-0.

Votes that Begich missed:

Senate Vote 25 – : Lew Nomination – Confirmation

February 27, 2013 – Confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Jacob J. Lew of New York to be secretary of Treasury.

Confirmed 71-26: R 20-25; D 50-0; I 1-1.

Senate Vote 28 – : Failla Nomination – Confirmation

March 04, 2013 – Confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Katherine Polk Failla of New York to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Confirmed 91-0: R 41-0; D 48-0; I 2-0.

Senate Vote 113 – S 743: Internet Sales Tax – Passage

May 06, 2013 – Passage of the bill that would allow states to require out-of-state retailers with annual remote sales that exceed $1 million to collect sales taxes on items delivered to the state. Passed 69-27: R 21-22; D 46-5; I 2-0.

Senate Vote 145 – S 954: Farm Programs – Passage

June 10, 2013 – Passage of the bill that would reauthorize federal farm, food, nutrition and conservation programs through fiscal 2018. Passed 66-27: R 18-25; D 46-2; I 2-0.

Senate Vote 170 – : Dorsey Nomination – Confirmation

July 09, 2013 – Confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Jennifer A. Dorsey of Nevada to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Confirmed 54-41: R 1-41; D 51-0; I 2-0.

Senate Vote 235 – : Wilkins Nomination – Cloture

November 18, 2013 – Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on President Barack Obama’s nomination of Robert L. Wilkins of the District of Columbia to be a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Motion rejected 53-38: R 2-37; D 49-1; I 2-0.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Senate candidate Dan Sullivan releases first ad of campaign season

U.S. senate candidate Dan Sullivan released his first ad on Thursday which will only appear online. Sullivan is running against Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and Joe Miller in the Republican primary. The ad serves as an introduction to Sullivan’s time as Alaska attorney general, former commissioner of DNR, and his service in the Marines. It doesn’t mention the other candidates. A series of radio ads produced by an Anchorage-based super-PAC earlier this month did hit Sen. Mark Begich, calling him “Malarkey Mark,” among other things.

Alaska U.S. senators and candidates react to Obama’s State of the Union

It might have been a good night in much of the rest of the country for President Obama. According to instant reactions, his State of the Union address was fairly well received. Even some Republicans considered it to be relatively benign, if not even a little bit uplifting. In the 49th state, however, Obama’s speech was not received well by Alaska’s senators and those who are running for Senate

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the State of the Union was “another missed opportunity to demonstrate leadership.” Democratic Sen. Mark Begich was even harsher on Obama, and used the opportunity to distance himself from the president. “I was disappointed I didn’t hear what Alaskans wanted from the President tonight,” Begich said. “Specifically, the President missed his chance to talk about national energy security in any meaningful way.”

Begich also criticized what some pundits say were implicit threats throughout the speech to invoke executive powers. (Other pundits are mystified that that was the takeaway of the night.)

“Alaskans can be sure that I will not sit back and watch any sort of power grab – especially from an Administration that has already demonstrated they do not understand core Alaska issues,” Begich said. (Although such criticism of the president probably doesn’t hurt Begich among his party in the upcoming race, not all Alaska Democrats share Begich’s view.)

Both GOP Senate candidates Mead Treadwell and Dan Sullivan didn’t miss the opportunity to use it for campaign purposes. Treadwell said that the speech made it very clear that “Alaska needs a Senator who will represent our values and will bring decision-making home.” Sullivan said that the speech reaffirmed that the “country requires a new direction, not another year of liberal policies defined by higher taxes, over-regulation and increased debt, which have been supported 93% of the time by Mark Begich.”

Read the statements in full below:

From U.S. Sen. Mark Begich:

I was disappointed I didn’t hear what Alaskans wanted from the President tonight. While the President delivered a lot of sound bites that may sound good in a speech, we need to hear a clear plan and commitment to economic growth. Specifically, the President missed his chance to talk about national energy security in any meaningful way.

Alaskans know that to ensure our national energy security, we must be more aggressive on natural resource development. From building the Keystone pipeline to offshore drilling in Alaska, we should be taking advantage of our domestic energy potential and I will keep fighting and using every committee post and option available to do just that. The President said he wants to focus on “fuels of the future” but we should be focusing on the fuels we can develop right now—and that’s Alaska oil and gas.

I also have concerns about some of the President’s comments to increase his executive power on issues where Congress should play a pivotal role. Alaskans can be sure that I will not sit back and watch any sort of power grab – especially from an Administration that has already demonstrated they do not understand core Alaska issues.

From U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski:

Tonight marks another missed opportunity to demonstrate leadership from this Administration. Millions of Americans tuned in to hear the President express a willingness to roll his sleeves up and work with Congress in a bipartisan fashion to really help move this nation forward – and I count myself among those hoping for an aspirational message.

But what did we hear? We heard ‘I don’t need Congress – I’ll work around them.

“Go It Alone” politics is not governing. It is not what the nation expects or deserves – and speeches like tonight are why the public’s faith in government is at a depressingly low rate. I worry that this “Go it Alone” attitude will only set our nation back, when we need to move forward. And we move forward on difficult issues best when we are all pulling in the same direction. It’s how our government is designed to work – and the President should not be able to simply decide that it’s too inconvenient for him or it takes too long. Ronald Reagan’s legacy reminds us that he didn’t dig in his heels against a Democratic Congress. Instead, he made the decision to pursue a goal-oriented approach – regardless of who got the credit or blame—and successfully passed comprehensive immigration and tax reform.

Tonight, President Obama said he wants 2014 to be a ‘Year of Action.’ If he wants to follow-through on that claim, we need to all be part of the conversation – not just have it be him telling Congress what he wants done. Let’s talk about jobs and work together to expand opportunities that create jobs. Let’s work on some of the bipartisan initiatives in the energy sector – which is truly the bright spot in our nation’s economy. We all want a ‘Year of Action’ but it’s going to take more than the President’s pen and phone. It will take true engagement with Congress.

Going it alone is not a solution and it’s counterproductive in government. Consensus-building is hard, but 100 percent do-able. Let’s get to work.

From Senate candidate Mead Treadwell:

The challenges facing the country and our state are not going to be solved by a speech, a fact that’s become very clear over the past five years. The a president talked about unilateral action. Too bad he doesn’t believe in the power of states to take action, or our pipeline would be getting fuller now. Alaska’s future is based on access to our lands. President Obama and Mark Begich have been at the helm as pipeline production decreases and access to the NPRA is cut in half. Washington needs to get out of Alaska’s way and tonight’s speech made it very clear that’s not the Democrats’ plan. He wants jobs. He wants to improve income equality. Let Alaska loose and our energy and resources will help power the nation. Alaska needs a Senator who will represent our values and will bring decision-making home.

From Senate candidate Dan Sullivan:

What the American people heard tonight was President Obama’s desire to double down on the same job-killing policies that have failed to grow our economy, and he has signaled that he will circumvent Congress through executive order to do it. Ignoring the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution through executive order is troubling and legally dubious. The President’s executive orders have had harmful impacts on Alaska already, such as when the Obama administration locked up close to half of the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska from future development.

Our country requires a new direction, not another year of liberal policies defined by higher taxes, over-regulation and increased debt, which have been supported 93% of the time by Mark Begich. Together, their policies have continued to undermine Alaska’s and America’s full economic potential.

Alaska deserves a Senator in Washington that will defend the rule of law, fight back against President Obama’s liberal agenda, and promote pro-growth economic policies to get this country back on track.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Senate candidates Treadwell and Sullivan meet on stage for first time in campaign

Following a forum on Monday featuring Senate candidates Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan, the Alaska Democrats put out a press release entitled, “GOP Campaign Heats Up As Candidates Attack Each Other In Contentious Primary.”

In fact, at the forum, the two mainstream Republican candidates agreed on most every issue that was raised. Both candidates promised to work to lessen federal involvement in Alaska’s business. Both are pro-life. Both believe in curtailing NSA’s surveillance powers. Both believe that the EPA went well beyond its authority when it released its Pebble Mine watershed assessment prior to mining companies applying for permits. Pebble Mine is on its last leg, and the EPA’s involvement has contributed to its imminent demise.

There appeared to be tension in the room only one time, when Treadwell referred to a project that he had worked on “before you were here” he said to Sullivan, in an attempt to jab him about his relatively short tenure in the state.

However, Democratic Sen. Mark Begich took the heavy punches.

Treadwell went so far as to accuse Begich of inviting the EPA to conduct the Pebble report. “He said he didn’t, but I don’t believe him,” Treadwell said. His spokesperson couldn’t back the statement up except to point out that Begich and the head of the EPA have traveled together.

The forum was sponsored by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. Republican candidate Joe Miller couldn’t make it. It was the first time both Treadwell and Sullivan have shared a stage as candidates, and it served more as an introduction, particularly to Sullivan, who hasn’t yet run for office, than as a heated exchange of ideas.

Sullivan appears to be running on his military record and as a candidate who gets things done. As many readers of this blog know, he is a former Alaska attorney general and DNR commissioner. He’s also had a long career as an active duty and reservist Marine. About five years after moving to Alaska to practice law, he went back to D.C. in 2002 to work for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a fact that he mentions often and most likely won’t serve him well as he continues to get labeled as a D.C. insider.

He’d probably do better to put that in the background and highlight his Alaska successes.

As Alaska’s attorney general, he was one of the first AG’s in the country to sue over ObamaCare. And as DNR commissioner, he crisscrossed the world, touting Alaska’s natural resources. He also successfully negotiated with ExxonMobil to begin work on Pt. Thomson, the huge North Slope oil and gas field, something that has eluded others for decades.

Treadwell, Alaska’s lieutenant governor since 2010, highlighted his long ties to Alaska. He moved to the state in 1978 to work on Wally Hickel’s losing gubernatorial run. He returned in 1982 armed with a master’s from Harvard to work for Hickel’s company, Yukon Pacific which tried, but failed, to build a natural gas pipeline that would run from the North Slope to tidewater in Valdez. Hickel ran again for governor and won in 1990 and Treadwell served as his deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Treadwell was appointed to Bush’s United States Arctic Research Commission, and became president of the commission. Among other things during his tenure, he supported the Law of the Sea Treaty, a fact that won’t likely serve him well with Tea Party activists, to whom such international treaties are anathema.

Throughout, Treadwell invested in a series of successful tech companies.

Vince Beltrami, head of Alaska’s AFL-CIO, said he didn’t see much difference in the two candidates as far as issues went. “They’re like peas in a pod,” he said, which was a sentiment shared by others in the room.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Senate candidate Treadwell releases fourth-quarter fundraising numbers

On Friday, U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell announced that he had raised more than $228,000 in the fourth fundraising quarter, with about 1,000 donations. More than 80 percent of those funds came from Alaskans, he said.

“We are very proud to have received such backing from voters who have a real stake in our campaign to replace Mark Begich,” he said. “Every quarter our campaign to bring decision-making home grows, as each quarter the number of donors nearly doubles the previous one. We are very excited about our constant progress.” (The full release is below)

Federal candidates must file quarterly reports with the FEC. The official fourth-quarter reports aren’t due until the end of the month.

Among Treadwell’s two main challengers in the Republican Senate primary, only former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan has released the total fourth-quarter fundraising amount. He said that he has raised more than $1.25 million. Much of that money is said to have come from high-powered fundraisers in the Lower 48.

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Begich hasn’t released his numbers yet. In the last quarter he raised $813,000, and had $2.4 million on hand.

Fundraising has not been Treadwell’s strong point. In the third quarter, he raised $196,000 and only had $155,000 cash on hand.

Expectations were higher for this quarter, as he hired high-powered D.C. fundraiser Lisa Spies.

Here’s Treadwell’s release in full:

Today, the Mead Treadwell U.S. Senate Campaign released their 4th quarter fundraising numbers. The campaign raised over $228,000 with over 80% of donors from Alaska.

The Treadwell campaign released the following statement regarding the 4th quarter finance numbers:

“Our campaign is thrilled with the amount of support we have received, especially from Alaskans. Of the nearly 1,000 donations received this quarter, more than 80 percent came from Alaskan voters. We are very proud to have received such backing from voters who have a real stake in our campaign to replace Mark Begich. Every quarter our campaign to bring decision-making home grows, as each quarter the number of donors nearly doubles the previous one. We are very excited about our constant progress. This is a campaign for Alaska, supported by Alaskans.

“Even with outside money pouring in, Alaska’s votes are not for sale. Mead has led in this race from the beginning and continues to do so. Mead has spent 40 years serving the state, and no one can buy that kind of experience or the loyal support it creates. Alaskans need a senator who understands our state and values. In November we will make a change in the Senate and Mead is proud to have such overwhelming support from those who will make that change.” – Fred Brown, Treadwell for Senate Campaign Spokesman.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com