Uncle Ted Redux

Here is another view on how Alaskan's feel about Uncle Ted, from Amanda Coyne, Guardian, UK:

Local pollster, Ivan Moore, who is from England but has lived in Alaska for 20 years, goes so far as to say that Stevens doesn't have a "chance in hell" of winning this election. He said this while sitting in a bar in the hardscrabble interior town of Fairbanks. A sign above the bar read: "We love Senator Stevens." Around Alaska, bumper stickers read: "I'll vote for Ted 'till he's dead." One local talkshow caller summed up a fairly common sentiment in Alaska when he said: "I'll vote for a guilty Republican over a liberal any day".

These are the people Moore calls Ted's rock-solid base. He thinks that accounts for about 35-40% of Alaska's populace, which is why Moore doesn't foresee a blow out on election day. He predicts that Begich will win it by about 15 points.

What awaits the diminutive man who wore a Hulk tie on the Senate floor when he was prepping for a fight, always for something for Alaska (roads, more money for septic systems for Alaska Native villages, airstrips and post offices, bus stations and federal buildings)? Maybe it's prison. Maybe it's here, back home, among the people who will always call him Uncle Ted. The people who will say: He might be a crook, but he's Alaska's crook. He's just one of us.

Makes me think that even after he is dead, he will haunt Alaska; a ghosly presence. And what a good halloween costume that would be- ghostly, ghoulish, old Uncle Ted, dragging his ball and chain.

Kleptocracy Convicted: The Fall of a Banana Republic:

I heard the verdict-I was totally in shock. In my head, I thought that he would be convicted, but in my heart I am not sure that I ever really believed it. I was ecstatic! I was amazed. But now, some hours later, I am rather more sad; sad that I lived my entire adult political life in the Ted era. But what has been has been. I have been telling people here in Tucson that I am a political refugee from Alaska, though I don’t think anyone really understood what I was talking about. I came here after two failed campaigns for the legislature, precisely during the era of Republican ascendancy, when Palin began her rise to fame as Mayor of Wasilla, on a right to life platform.
I ran for the legislature to uphold the team, so as not to have uncontested sets on the ticket. But when you lose it’s so personal. Especially when you lose to someone like Pete Kelly a graduate of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, or John Coghill, a Baptist minister from North Pole, now in his tenth year in the legislature. I always thought of them apart of a right wing mafia, even though, 10 years ago, we had no proof. They were all so sanctimoniously smug. Cynthia Henry and Sue Hull both supported Frank Murkowski and year after year, worked for the good of the Ted Stevens machine. For the last ten years Alaskans have said that the economy was a three legged stool, oil money, state money, and ted Stevens. And the last few years, there has been a lot of teeth gnashing over what would happen to the state budget if Ted died.
But when you lose its so personal. You always hope that your race is going to be the one that rides in on a political monster wave. Or that your opponent will make that big mistake, that you will be the El Tinklenberg, who benefits from the major gaffe of Michelle Bachman, who called for the investigation of half of congress for un-American beliefs: Or that you will be the James Webb who rolls into office on the George Allen ‘macaca’ gaffe. Whatever it is, there is always a portion of luck in a campaign and a quantity of hope.
But when you lose its so personal.
Ted’s forty years reign was really a patronage machine, and a kleptocracy; crony capitalism with the spoils spread around to everyone. But the stealing was from the American taxpayers, and the beneficiaries were all Alaskans. Of course, some Alaskans got more than others. It’s really just the sadly typical pattern of a resource colony. Where there is no price to pay for spreading the spoils, because there are no taxpayers.
But the price was paid by those of us who lost the opportunity for political careers. And who had to watch while the citizens turned to spoilsmen, and voted for Ted and Don year after year. I appreciate those democrats who stuck it out through the Republican legislatures. Here is a shoutout to you David Guttenberg, Scott Kawasaki, Johnny Ellis, Les Gara, Ethan Berkowitz, Beth Kertulla, Joe Thomas. You are all tougher than I am.
So what happens next? Ted is still running, and Alaskans, under sway of the Ted can do no wrong mythology may still vote for him. The story they are spreading is the usual: “Its those damn feds, out to get us again. They just don’t understand how we do things up here in Alaska.”
Linda Wertheimer said on NPR today that Alaskans have such love for the man that we call him Uncle Ted. Well, it’s not love, it’s just that he is like the rich uncle that you don’t dare offend.

Sad Super Sarah Sunday

Well, they convicted stevens today, and I am thinking about a post to celebrate, but while I get in the mood, check out this Sad Super Sarah Sunday in a bunker in Anchorage's Kincaid Park, from an Anch. blogger on Daily Kos

Ted Stevens and Bill Allen

Ted Steven’s may be correct that he didn’t know about and didn’t want the gifts which Bill Allen, and others, bestowed on him. (See Dana Milbank in theWashington Post and Anchorage Daily News) But that’s the problem, Stevens has been in office so long, that it seems he feels immune to the rules. And he was friends with Bill Allen so long, that he seemingly could no longer separate Bill Allen’s interests from his own. They operated as a unit, a team. Bill Allen and his lackeys built a deck, hoisted an expensive barbeque onto it, dropped off furniture and expensive sculpture. And Bill and his friends felt free to use the house. It was all done in a “what’s yours is mine” style that Stevens would have us believe is “the Alaskan way." That Allen was a contractor and Stevens a powerful U.S. Senator probably came to be seen merely as convenient to this long standing friendship. That, I repeat, is the gist of the problem. That Stevens failed to report the gifts, the added expense, is just the symptom of the problem. But that is how the typical prosecution for corruption goes. Rarely is the principal fingered for actual “corruption.” Instead, convictions come on ancillary charges: failing to report, or failing to pay taxes. In this case, the charge is not based on a quid pro quo: the prosecutors have alleged that Allen received favors, but they are not trying Stevens on these charges. But again I repeat, the problem was, is, that Stevens has no notion of separation between what is good for Bill Allen and Veco and what might be in the interest of the state.

Sarah Palin and the AIP

You really have to check out this new item on Progressive Alaska,
Saradise Lost - Chapter One Hundred-Thirty --
Video of David Neiwert, the Pacific Northwest's leading expert on Right-wing terrorists, on CNN today: He and Max Blumethal of Salon have been doing a lot of digging into Sarah's connections with the AIP- my favorite conspiracy theory.
He calls them a group much like the Patriot groups.
for all you deeply committed conspiracy stalkers, here is a link to David Neiwert's own blog, with much more detail.

Debate Number Three

The debate was just generally boring. I thought that McCain was weakest on health care. I just can’t understand why Obama does not hit him on the issue of people with pre-existing conditions. What happens to them? (Us, actually)
And on education, the only idea McCain has is vouchers, but not everyone can get vouchers; vouchers are actual an expensive solution, and the only other thing he says is we can’t throw money at the problem, which is the oldest idea in the Republican playbook.
Obama was good in responding to the expected Ayers attack by responding with who he does associate with.
And I thought that McCain was sarcastic. especially towards the end. And McCain is acting like ACORN is some kind of subversive organization, like a communist front. The truth is that they are just a community development organization.
And then the Republicans are the only ones who could drive the economy into the toilet, by cutting taxes, running a war, and shoveling money out the door for all their special interest friends. So they run up a ginormous deficit, and then complain that the other guys are going to raise taxes!
Of course they are going to raise taxes on someone! Someone has to pay for all of this

Stevens is Corrupt

Ted Stevens protected $350 million for projects the Pentagon did not want, wasting taxpayer money on what would become dead-end ventures.
With the protection of Stevens and other Senators, one Mr. Cantrell, engineer for a defense department contractor became his own lobbyist for programs the Pentagon did not want. Eventually, he decided to work the system to benefit himself, keeping dozens of programs going, each one kicking back thousands of dollars between 2001-2007. Until he was indicted.
Mr. Cantrell had placed several friends as lobbyists or consultants working on his behalf with friendly contractors, allowing them to bill the government for the costs, even though federal law prohibits paying any expenses associated with lobbying.
As the Eric Lipton in the New York Times presents it: Corrupt individuals working networks of defense department contractors and willing Senators to keep unwanted programs alive simply to generate profits. Or was it Senator Stevens and others using men like Cantrell to keep projects and programs in the pipeline, keeping them real enough to generate home state funding?
Here is the meat of the matter- Uncle Ted Stevens, protecting giant useless Alaska projects, larding up the Pentagon budgets, while keeping up a steady drumbeat of fiscal conservatism, All this while attacking Democrats for being “tax and spend liberals,”
The whole project of missile defense could continue its wasteful ways because, with Republicans in control, there was no one to investigate. Even when the Pentagon itself tried to investigate, Stevens called them off.
This is the crony capitalism that Stevens has supported for forty years, while Alaskans keeps sending him back because we get our kickback too.
Pentagon officials tried to kill the project. “Stevens’s office called to insist that the Kodiak project proceed, Admiral West and Lt. Gen. Edward G. Anderson, then the head of Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said in interviews.”
The military men backed off, and the construction at Kodiak continued.
Mr. Cantrell said he knew that building a new launching facility in Kodiak was wasteful. “It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “The economics of it, they just don’t work.”

Demagoguery

Rep. John Lewis condemned Palin –McCain tactics:
Wash. Post- The Trail

Although McCain and his Republican running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, have toned down their rhetoric against Sen. Barack Obama in the past day, Lewis warned of "another destructive period in American history" if the negative attacks from both the candidates and their surrogates don't cease.
"As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign," Lewis said in a statement. "Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse."
He warned, "As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better."

McCain responded that this was a character attack!

McCain hit back hard with this statement: "Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale. The notion that legitimate criticism of Senator Obama's record and positions could be compared to Governor George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign. I am saddened that John Lewis, a man I've always admired, would make such a brazen and baseless attack on my character and the character of the thousands of hardworking Americans who come to our events to cheer for the kind of reform that will put America on the right track.

I personally can't believe that Senator McCain had the gall to respond to Rep. Lewis with such disrespect. McCain seems to be losing his way, lashing out at anyone who dares to criticize either him or Palin. Lewis was absolutely right, the Palin-McCain campaign has been infusing their speeches with coded phrases and appeals to prejudice and anger. This is the kind of demagoguery associated with the KKK, the kind I thought we no longer tolerated in this country. Thank you Rep. Lewis for speaking up. Shame on you Senator McCain.

Un-American

David Talbot in Salon has picked up the Alaska Independence Party story,

"My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."
This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week.
Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")
Before his strange murder in 1993, party founder Vogler preached armed insurrection against the United States of America. Vogler, who always carried a Magnum with him, was fond of saying, "When the [federal] bureaucrats come after me, I suggest they wear red coats. They make better targets. In the federal government are the biggest liars in the United States, and I hate them with a passion. They think they own [Alaska]. There comes a time when people will choose to die with honor rather than live with dishonor. That time may be coming here. Our goal is ultimate independence by peaceful means under a minimal government fully responsive to the people. I hope we don't have to take human life, but if they go on tramping on our property rights, look out, we're ready to die."
This quote is from "Coming Into the Country," by John McPhee, who traipsed around Alaska for his book published in 1976.
Read the rest of the story

Palin and Alaska Independence Party

If Sarah Palin can go after Obama by suggesting that he “pals around with terrorists,” then I think her connection with the infamous Alaska Independence Party is fair game.
Sarah speaking to this group would be like a presidential candidate giving a pep talk to the confederacy before the Civil War. How can she say she “loves America,” and somehow insinuate that Obama loves America less?

According Lynette Clark, Chairman of the Party, Todd Palin was a member, and Sarah as a candidate for Governor appeared at the AIP Convention in 2006, and sent a welcoming DVD to the membership at the 2008 AIP statewide convention.
Radical separatist Joe Vogler, the party founder, did not mince words when he expressed his distaste for the US. Greg Sargent on TPM dug up what Joe had to say in a 1991 interview, only a few years before Palin attended its convention:
"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government."
He also said this: "And I won't be buried under their damn flag. I'll be buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home."
Joe friends honored his intentions, he is still buried in Dawson City.

Today, the party’s web site is a bit more circumspect. They say they seek only a new state constitutional convention, they don’t specifically claim that they want independence from the US.
However, on their questions and answers page, the clearly address the issue of giving up American citizenship.
Q: Would I lose my U.S. citizenship?
A: Depending on the form of independence, several forms of citizenship would be possible, including the retention of U.S. citizenship or dual citizenship. However, considering the moral, educational, and economic decay of the U.S., Alaskans' who hold themselves to a higher standard might very well decide to at least maintain an arm's length distance from a country in decline.
Want more? Here is a video of Dexter Clark at the separatists’ convention.

We cannot let this one pass.

They're Tougher in Alaska:Fairbanks Turns Out for Obama

Anyone who doubts that they are tougher in Alaska should look at these pics of the Fairbanks for Obama Rally on Saturday. It was about 22 degrees, note the down jackets and the snow on the ground. Go Alaskans!
I got these from Orbitaldiamonds who siad she doesn't remember who all the speakers were, but here are some: The first was a veteran, the next two were naturalized Americans talking about the awesome privilege of voting, there was a guy playing guitar and singing, two guys from UAF talking about the "Barack the Vote" event coming up soon that's going to have lots of local bands. There were others, then I was the last speaker. I froze a bit, and wound up ad-libbing even though I agonized over that speech last night. It was mostly applause lines and I got lots of compliments afterward." You Go Girl!!!

Sitting around the Kitchen Table in a 13,000 square foot, $12 million home with 13 bedrooms and 14.5 bathrooms

Former McCain Home Up for Auction in Arizona
A 15,000-square-foot home formerly owned by John and Cindy McCain is scheduled to be auctioned on October 25. The home sits on 2.7 acres and has 13 bedrooms and 14.5 bathrooms. The home also is listed with Sotheby’s Realty for $12 million.
After they married, the Arizona Senator and his wife moved into the home, built by Cindy's parents, and stayed for 20 years. The McCains raised their children Jack and Megan at the home. They sold it to the current owner, real estate developer Jane Popple, in 2006 for more than $3 million.
Popple described at herself as a “McCain fan”. And boy is she doing him a favor selling it right now!

Blogging the VP Debate

Here was the high point:
Biden says that China builds some number of coal plants per month,and yet John McCain thinks the only answer is Drill Drill Drill.
Its “Drill Baby Drill,” she corrects him.

And Sarah said we need to look at reality from Main Street, Wasilla. I don’t know if everyone has been reading the columns from LA Times, but see the video from columnst Steve Lopez who visits the hometown.

Here is my summary:
Biden led off, noting how disastrous the last 8 years of the Bush administration have been for the economy.
Then, in a colorful image Sarah suggested that, Joe Six Pack needs to get together with the hocky moms Sarah said to Stop Greed and Corruption on Wall Street, and “We need to demand strict oversight.” She said this more than once, and it sure sounds odd—is “Strict oversight” the same as regulation? Since when do republicans support regulation?
Then Sarah got back to cutting taxes to create jobs. She seems to forget that the 8 years of Bush tax cuts did not create jobs. Except maybe in Iraq.
Sarah claimed that Obama voted to increase taxes 49 times….is that true? Biden- charges that it is exactly not true. Using the standard that the Gov. uses, he says, McCain voted to raise taxes 449 times.
Gov. Palin will not answer on issue whether McCain supports regulation. She does brag about reducing taxes in Alaska. Of course, Alaska has a huge budget surplus this year, and Alaskans generally pay no state taxes. I thought that was disingenuous.
Then Gwen Iffil asked what will you cut, to accommodate the latest bailout?, the question that Jim Lehrer asked the candidates, and which they did not answer.
This time, Biden does better that Obama did when he was asked the question, saying that we can’t cut things like job creation. Sarah comes up with nothing that they had on the table that would now be curtailed. And John McCain has not made any promises that he will not be able to keep. We thought this was a real misstatement, or misunderstanding of the question, perhaps intentionally.
Then Palin answered a question, trying to get to the idea that “energy independence is the key to America’s future,” but on the way there, she sure took a lot of detours, I don’t even know what she was trying to say.
Then on global warming, Palin said that there are real changes, but there are also cyclical changes, “I don’t want to argue about causes, but we need to look at what we are going to do about it.” She claims that she was the first governor to establish a climate change sub-cabinet. Then she says that we need to establish energy independence for that reason also. She does want to conserve fuel, and clean up the planet.
Biden here manages to draw a clear distinction, saying warming is clearly man-made- if you don’t understand the cause, it’s impossible to come up with a solution. But as Biden points out, McCain has voted against alternative energy 20 times.
And, they definitely disagree about the war. When Biden claims that the Bush Administration has been a diplomatic failure, Palin says that the Bush administration has not been an abject failure. And then she calls for “an end to the blame game,” too much looking backwards, we will learn from past mistakes, and uses this to segue back to McCain platitudes about maverick, change is coming, etc. etc. She used this tactic repeatedly, to distance McCain-Palin from Bush.
But, said Biden, past is prologue. I haven’t heard anything he said, about how McCain’s policies will be any different from Bush. We, Obama-Biden will make significant change so that we will be the most respected nation in the world.
When Biden tried to draw a distinction, saying that he had voted for the resolution authorizing the war, but had actually opposed going to war, Sarah really made fun of him, “It’s so obvious that I am a Washington Outsider. You voted for, it was a war resolution, but now you say that you are against it. You supported McCain’s strategies.”
I am sure that those who supported Palin before will have their support reinforced. And she definitely projected appealing personae. But I doubt she convinced many democrats, Biden got in a number of points of difference, on funding for health care, education, and especially ending the war. McCain voted against S-CHIP, the violence against women act. McCain has not supported any funding for education, not early childhood, not funds for states to implement NCLB.
Palin on the other hand, unapologetically supports the idea of American exceptionalism, America as the shining city on the hill, an example to the rest of the world, a beacon of freedom, etc. etc. It’s a kind of empty patriotism, with a closing dig at mainstream media.
Biden closes closer to home: Respect, honesty, work hard, you can accomplish anything, we are running to reestablish that certitude for everyone.