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Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau this summer, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He spent three years based in Juneau for the Daily News before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune two years ago to write about Washington state politics. He went to Iraq twice for the News Tribune, and previously wrote about Alaska government and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Now he's back in Anchorage. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins writes about Anchorage city government and politics. He covered last year's campaign for governor, and has blogged extensively about Alaska politics for the past year. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

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"An Intern's Survival Guide"

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: June 18, 2008 - 8:58 pm

From Richard Mauer in Anchorage --

What’s it like to be working in Rep. Don Young’s office when an “A Team” lobbyist calls? What about when you sneeze in the presence of Young’s wife, Lu? Or what to expect if you show up with that new nose ring and a hangover from the night before?

"The 2111: An Intern’s Survival Guide,” surfaced Wednesday in Washington with two pages of advice, suggestions and etiquette for college-age youth on temporary duty with Alaska’s sole Representative. The number in the title refers to Room 2111 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Young’s official office.

Among the survival skills: any of the nine “A Team” lobbyists — a group that includes Coconut Road lobbyist Rick Alcalde and the brother of former Majority Leader Tom DeLay — “can talk to whomever they want.”

Not even other Congressmen, “Government people” or Alaska constituents get that kind of treatment. Congressmen and officials are supposed to be directed to Chief of Staff Mike Anderson or his then deputy, Sara Parsons. For “other people,” it’s the staff.

And the sneeze? Never admit you’re sick. Tell “Mrs. Y” it’s allergies or “pressure changes.”

As for “The Boss,” he does not like facial piercings or, for that matter, seeing people with their hands in their pockets. He expects having doors opened for him even when he gives no indication of which door he’s about to go through. And when Young calls, he never identifies himself, yet expects to be put straight through to the staffer he wants, the guide says. “You will not get this right, there is no way.”

It’s important to be punctual but you can be late as long as you call your supervisor, who will understand because “she’s had hangovers too.”

The two-page tipsheet was distributed to a dozen media outlets by Keith Ashdown of Taxpayers for Common Sense , an organization that has opposed the Alaska delegation’s spending practices, especially earmarks. Ashdown said he obtained the document from a man who applied to be an intern for Young in 2007.

Ashdown said he didn’t know if the man got the internship, but said he was interviewed over dinner with Don and Lu Young, and got the survival guide from an official in Young’s office. Ashdown wouldn’t identify the applicant, except to say he now works as a staffer in another Congressional office that supports the agenda of Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Meredith Kenny, spokeswoman for Young, said the document was real but not official policy.

“This incredibly outdated ‘survival guide’ was pieced together by several former interns and not by staff,” Kenny said in a prepared statement. “It’s always interesting to see how students view their intern experience. It appears that some of what they have written is tongue in cheek, some to help relieve the daily stresses of working on Capitol Hill. At the end of the day, our goal is to ensure that all interns have the best experience possible.”

When people call with a position on pending legislation, the guide advises interns to give a quick position statement. “‘I’ll consider your views if the bill comes to the floor for a vote’ normally does the trick,” it said. “If all else fails, use the ‘states’ rights’ argument.”

In sending out the document, Ashdown singled out the treatment afforded the lobbyists, many of whom have transportation clients. Ashdown was one of the harshest critics of Ketchikan’s “Bridge to Nowhere” which surfaced as an $229 million item in the 2005 transportation bill when Young chaired the House Transportation Committee.

With interns often answering the phone, they were the first filter of any call. For a lobbyist on the “A List,” that meant finding the person sought and passing the call through “unless they say otherwise.”

Kenny said they “include either former staffers who represent Alaskans or close friends and former colleagues of Rep. Young, whom he has known for many years.”

The A List lobbyists:

• Rick Alcalde of Potomac Partners, whose clients included real estate developer Daniel Aronoff. Young’s Coconut Road interchange earmark, now under federal investigation, would have given access to undeveloped land in Florida owned by Aronoff’s company.

• Randy DeLay, a lobbyist for STAR Solutions, a coalition of road building, design and engineering firms.

• Colin Chapman, Young’s chief of staff until 2003, who lobbies for the American Trucking Assn. and Doyon Ltd., an Alaska Native corporation.

• Billy Lee Evans, a former Democratic congressman from Georgia who lobbied against a proposed wind farm off Cape Cod — the same wind farm that Young tried to kill.

• Jack Ferguson, long-time treasurer of Young’s Midnight Sun Political Action Committee and a lobbyist for railroads, airlines, trucking companies among others.

• Mike Henry, a former Young staffer who lobbies for transportation and energy companies and a liquor trade association.

• Duncan Smith, a former Young aide who works for the big lobbying firm Blank Rome and has among his clients Native corporations and the Knik Arm Bridge & Toll Authority.

• C.J. Zane, another former chief of staff for Young who also works for Blank Rome. Among his many clients are cruise lines, fishing interests and Native corporations.

• Jay Dickey, a former Republican congressman from Arkansas, who represents construction interests and other companies in his home state.

The intern survival guide quickly spread on political blogs Wednesday, showing up at the Wall Street Journal, the Politico, Talking Points Memo and The Hill .

Attachment	Size
An Intern's Survival Guide.pdf	90.15 KB

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31 June 20, 2008 - 12:54am | effincloaca

Much of this makes sense, actually

I don't think it was suggested that Young sponsored this "intern's guide". So what if he has call-screening protocols and his wife is a bit quirky? The more important thing is that this is a guy who has become the face of sleazy Alaskan politics, along with the corrupt bunch in Juneau who were indicted in the past year or so, the unindicted Ben Stevens, the grandstanding nepotist Frank the Bank.

Alaskans vote largely based on a "what's in it for me" basis, so a porkmeister like Young can be the most arrogant egotist since 1959 and get re-elected without having to break a sweat. I don't care what party you support, or whether you're unaffiliated, but for goodness' sake, does anyone even give a darn what our elected representatives are doing to our nationwide image?

With oil prices unlikely to fall significantly, we can expect a revenue surplus for the foreseeable future. We can afford to vote in some untainted new congressional members without worrying if the new ones can bring home the same volume of federal pork as the old folks who are making fools of themselves.

30 June 19, 2008 - 7:08pm | gcp

This is simply not newsworthy in any way...

.....but it does open the door for this: Sean Parnell for Congress!!

June 19, 2008 - 9:29pm | north_to_alaska

Name one accomplishment Mr.

Name one accomplishment Mr. Parnell has achieved? Please if you can name one worthy accomplishment I will be amazed. Just because teh Governor is popular doesn't mean her Lt. Gov. is worthy of being a Congressman. Do your research before assuming that Parnell is "the answer"......

June 19, 2008 - 9:47pm | crbypass

Did His Pompousness Don

Did His Pompousness Don Young have any "achievements" before he was a congressman?

June 20, 2008 - 6:44am | north_to_alaska

Honestly, I am not old

Honestly, I am not old enough to remember all the way back then. But Don Young has accomplished so many things while a member of the House. He fights for Alaska everyday, even if he's in the minority. It will be a sad day for Alaska once he goes. We will lose so much power and clout on the National scene. Mr. Parnell is making a huge mistake by going "anti-earmark". Even Ethan "I'm from San-Francisco" Berkowitz hasn't gone that far......

29 June 19, 2008 - 5:29pm | Bill508

The crook will probably be re elected.

Young and Stevens: two crooks who are re elected time and time again by dumb Alaskans.

28 June 19, 2008 - 5:19pm | northernwolf

you'd think

That if he was truly "working for Alaskan's" then he'd have no problem with opening a door for himself. He's an ass and you don't need to talk to him for 5 minutes to figure that one out, he's stated before that his constituents are the people that voted for him, and I'd guess to those that have showered him in money (once or twice). He's so out of touch with reality that he needs to go, the sun doesn't revolve around *cough cough* Mr. Young. He's an a$$hole, just try and talk to him with a different view, and he needs to go so he can readjust to the earthly gravity when he stumbles from his, self appointed, throne.

27 June 19, 2008 - 5:18pm | vctrstv

what to do when you sneeze?

BRING ON THEIR NOSES, I CAN FART IN THERE FACES, WHAT CAN THEY DO ABOUT IT. GIVE DON ALL THE GAS I HAVE.

26 June 19, 2008 - 4:46pm | ak_4_life

He LISTENS to ALL constituents

For everyone that keeps attacking Don personally, even his staff in this joking letter directs each other to LISTEN to what the constituents say and get to know those issues. Just goes to show he does what is in the best interest of Alaska. The whole comment of not being his constituent if you didn't vote is just political posturing. When you call they don't screen for your voting record. Every time me or anyone I know has called our concern is heard. I don't care what anyone says. Don is the ONLY rational vote.

June 19, 2008 - 11:34pm | sophax

Let me guess

You send him a monthly screed on how birth control is destroying the moral fabric of our nation. It's been Xeroxed so many times it's nearly unreadable. A couple of weeks later, Don sends you a notecard thanking you for your thoughts and for taking the time to write to him. You've saved all of them.

You haven't left Wasilla since 1986, and you're still mad about the time the Borough came by and made you take the doors off the refrigerators in your front yard.

Those of us living in the reality-based world are counting the days until Don and the rest of them are swept into history's dustbin. And with any luck, that will happen in November.

Hint: he doesn't bother to sign those thank you cards to you, either.

June 19, 2008 - 5:50pm | northernwolf

rational

Can a rational vote come from an irrational person? That would be like copying from the dumb kid in class, which is akin to how the nazi-pubicans do when they vote (fall in line and don't misstep).

June 19, 2008 - 9:47pm | crbypass

Well, even a stopped clock

Well, even a stopped clock is right twice a day...

June 20, 2008 - 3:35pm | northernwolf

ummm

How does a stopped clock...move?

June 19, 2008 - 5:32pm | northernwolf

constituent

He's stated himself, his constituents are those that voted for him.

25 June 19, 2008 - 4:39pm | steve1

Don Young

He is your boss and you do what he wants your getting a pay check. Dont drink or smoke or do drugs wear clean clothing and be clean when you go to work have a neat hair cut and always be on time. When you work for Mr Young always have respect for his wife and the people who Mr Young says so. Dont pry into things that you dont need to know about its not your job to pry. Your job is to put calls through and thats it. Understand this Mr Young is your boss dont back bite him ever.

24 June 19, 2008 - 4:20pm | killforfood

Just another crooked Politician

It's hard to believe that Young has the gall to even run again. He is a proven product, he is a Judas who sold his constituents down the river. No wonder he has spent over one million dollars on attys. fees to avoid prosecution. I doubt he even knows how to make an honest dollar. He should get some free room and board at the Bar-J. (prison)

23 June 19, 2008 - 3:42pm | frogbandit

Pretty funny

That person had a sense of humor who wrote the guide. I don't know why anyone would need this to get a lower opinion of Don Young. Just talk to him for five minutes and you will learn he is an absolute nutter. Maybe he got crazier when he held a held a spent radioactive rod.

22 June 19, 2008 - 3:40pm | Clicker24

Load of Crap

I have worked in DC, I am not on the list and have full access to the Congressman, Mrs. Young and whatever I want! There has got to be something MORE newsworthy than this load of CRAP!

Keep up the GREAT work you do for Alaska Congressman Young!!

June 19, 2008 - 7:19pm | DEM53

Great Work?

You must be so proud of your party right now

21 June 19, 2008 - 3:01pm | aklarro

My my Richard

There you go again. Imagine putting all that work digging up redundant crap to write a column and ending up with basically a boring line of nothing.

If I didn't know better I would think you were a spoiled kid out to get even with your parents for putting you on a diet.

You are doing well helping elect Don. Keep up the good work.

June 19, 2008 - 4:44pm | bosshog

My, my indeed!

Hardly a boring line of nothing. I'm sure you'd like for everyone to believe your line of BS. Yes, let's dismiss more evidence that lobbyists come first for the "Congressman for all Alaskans." Pathetic.

20 June 19, 2008 - 1:31pm | BlueBear69

Lesson

All kidding aside, there is a pretty obvious lesson to be learned here. When people are giving you money, they always expect something in return. That may be a good something for the betterment of the people or it may be something with far more vested interests at heart. So, ask each candidate who is giving them money and what strings are attached. And if the candidate denies even knowing who is giving them money, or why, you should be concerned. Read their FEC reports and see for yourself. You may think that you know someone but all you really know is the image that they, or their handlers, have crafted. We do need to replace Don Young. We do NOT need to replace him with just a younger version of the same man.

June 19, 2008 - 2:04pm | I_am_Spartacus

Younger

I don't think we need to worry about a younger version of Don. He is one of a kind. They broke the mold and then they made him.

19 June 19, 2008 - 12:32pm | annew

Intern Survival Guide

I was an intern for Senator Stevens when I graduated from high school, along with 7 other 18-year old kids from around the state. In our first meeting with him he laid out "The Rules" and the Number 1 rule was "Don't get pregnant on my watch." Number 2 was "call your parents every week so they don't call me wondering if you are okay (or pregnant)."

Those were the good ol' days!

June 19, 2008 - 3:04pm | aklarro

"annew"

I'm guessing Palin missed the meeting.

June 19, 2008 - 9:48pm | crbypass

ha ha!

18 June 19, 2008 - 11:39am | samuellflyinghorse

Our Alaskan Royalty!!

wow,
just, WOW!!

for a moment there, I thought I had inadvertently logged onto Sppoof dotcom or something,

oh well.
At least thePDF gives credence to even a Bloggist!! such as I,
d:oP

luvs,
theSam!!
samuel l flyinghorse
anchorage, alaska

free and clearOwner of AlaskaVillageTales!!

17 June 19, 2008 - 11:35am | mcbloodsplatter

The A-List

You mention Randy Delay as being on the A-list, but you fail to tell us that this is Tom Delay's little brother. Here's a great article on Randy's slimyness

http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/conason/2005/04/08/delay_bro/index.html

He's just as bad as his big brother (and as bad as Don Young by the way)

June 19, 2008 - 12:15pm | solness

it is stated at the very

it is stated at the very beginning of the article that Randy DeLay is Tom Delay's brother.

16 June 19, 2008 - 11:20am | hawkeygirl

haha

I particularly love the last item on the survival guide: "If you're being chased by an armed policeman, don't try to escape into a metro station."

Does that not give it away as a light-hearted look at life on the Hill? (and all that stuff about going to hearings and meetings, it's true)

June 19, 2008 - 1:22pm | Skeptical

Probably not.

The Capitol police are noted for their complete lack of a sense of humor, their willingness to use extreme force, and the fact that they don't seem to have to answer to anyone for their actions...

15 June 19, 2008 - 11:14am | bumsonfire

Pink slip?

I sure hope Richard Mauer is one of the ADN reporters getting the sack. He is essentially the "politruk," the political officer on the scene to enforce correct thinking. The Daily News would be a better newspaper without him.

14 June 19, 2008 - 10:33am | markrips

Useful Guide for amateurs

If my calls were screened, yes there would be a list of pass through, and yes you should never tell anyone from outside the company that you are sick, and if at all possible stay home.
Poor interns, you know they need the money(please allow exceptions for lineage subsidies)

13 June 19, 2008 - 10:18am | akwi12

Big deal!

Does anyone expect politicians to be anything less than pompous? They are all like that, it's part of being a politician, being able to BS to get peope to vote for you and then riding the high horse and reaping all the benefits of having a little power.
Big deal, the interns wrote up a paper, I take it as more of a joke than anything.

12 June 19, 2008 - 9:50am | DL1926

What about Instructions for Obscene Gestures?

Did the guide also give instructions on how to give an obscene gesture to reporters, and other "enemies" of the Congressman.? How about instructions on how to care for the Congressman's collection of stuffed animals? Is the Mrs. "germaphobic"?

11 June 19, 2008 - 9:45am | valleyguy

My cousin's friend

has a nephew whose best friends aunt was an intern for that punk Don Young in the early 80's. She said that punk Don Young made her wear a grass skirt, lick his toes on demand, and insisted that she call him "Your Higness The Great Emperor Young". I am going to ADN with this information right now.

June 19, 2008 - 11:19am | kmacad

A story like that

has GOT to be true.

10 June 19, 2008 - 9:38am | Trapper101

Big Honcho in town

Its time for Don to go--

9 June 19, 2008 - 9:37am | nella

Intern Survival

I find Young's supposed hazing of interns much less distressing than the way President Clinton treated his.

June 19, 2008 - 1:25pm | Skeptical

You're right

but then again, not nearly as much as Congressman Foley's!

June 19, 2008 - 9:38am | valleyguy

Monica Lewinsky

would probably disagree.

June 19, 2008 - 11:43am | anlg1

Willing

She was a willing participant and responsible adult while working for the feds. This is completely different.

June 19, 2008 - 3:18pm | nella

This is different...

You are correct. That happened in the Oval Office. Nice touch.

8 June 19, 2008 - 9:25am | Diogenes_lamp

Get rid of this PUNK....

Don Young has to go!!!

June 19, 2008 - 9:37am | valleyguy

Please show up and vote.

It's really that simple.

7 June 19, 2008 - 9:22am | LilysDaddy

Remember:

it's spelled S-E-A-N, and is pronounced "Shawn." Last name: P-A-R-N-E-L-L.

6 June 19, 2008 - 9:17am | crbypass

mess up the "system"

We should all call and pretend to be one of those special lobbyists so His Majesty would be forced to talk to an actual constituent.

June 19, 2008 - 11:06am | I_am_Spartacus

But Remember....

You are only a constituent if you voted for him.

5 June 19, 2008 - 9:16am | crbypass

what a pompous jerk

How do people like that end up with power and money? And more importantly, why would anyone debase themselves by working for such a jerk and putting up with those "rules"?

June 19, 2008 - 9:35am | valleyguy

Please just show up and vote. That's all it takes.

You would have to "debase yourself" with many similar "rules" in any number of "big boy" jobs. Or Taco Bell, for that matter. Do you know the meaning of the phrase "tongue in cheek"? Or do you just invoke the phrase "pompous jerk" anytime you see Don Young's name? Never mind, that was a rhetorical question.

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