Alaska Politics

This is the place to talk about Alaska politics -- state, local, national. Public life in the Last Frontier has probably never been more interesting than right now -- the governor as candidate for vice president, the broad and still-evolving corruption investigation, a big election, powerful members of Congress under scrutiny, and the usual hardball Alaska politics. Come here for news, tidbits and information, and join the discussion. Keep your comments civil and on point. Avoid personal attacks. Do not use profanity. Posts that violate the Terms of Use will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be banned.


Contributors

Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau in 2007, 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 ADN before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune 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. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins covers politics and other stories for the ADN. He covered the 2006 campaign for governor, has blogged extensively about Alaska politics, covered Anchorage city government and was a reporter based in the Mat-Su. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and previously was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

Features

2008 Election

At one point the races with Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young promised to be the highest-profile campaigns in Alaska history.

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The Photo Blog: From the RNC

Photographer Marc Lester is blogging on Sarah Palin and the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis this week.

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Archive

Previous engagement - 9/7/2008 12:38 pm

Palin offers first TV interview to ABC News - 9/7/2008 12:00 pm

On Palin's family, the hockey rink, and will she do interviews? - 9/7/2008 7:58 am

"I know the governor of Alaska has been saying she's change..." - 9/6/2008 6:55 pm

RNC Talking Points - 9/5/2008 12:06 pm

Palin won't be suboenaed but seven others will, say committee members - 9/5/2008 11:34 am

Spitting image - 9/5/2008 11:21 am

Coghill to Leg. Council chair: Remove French from 'troopergate' oversight - 9/5/2008 10:57 am

Split screen - 9/5/2008 10:53 am

Heart to Palin: Stop using our song. - 9/5/2008 8:10 am

'I saw you again today' - 9/4/2008 7:39 pm

Palin and earmarks - 9/4/2008 6:58 pm

Ivan Moore: Palin positive rating in Alaska is 82% - 9/4/2008 4:25 pm

Wally for Palin (Updated again, 9/5) - 9/4/2008 4:11 pm

A new day for Sarah Palin - 9/4/2008 2:43 pm

"Tenacious, tough, Alaskan woman" - 9/4/2008 2:19 pm

"I have known Sarah since 1992..." - 9/4/2008 12:11 pm

Morning after - 9/4/2008 6:51 am

An "apology" from the "elite media" - 9/4/2008 6:16 am

Overnight reviews - 9/3/2008 9:20 pm

"I was just your average hockey mom..." - 9/3/2008 7:31 pm

Obama campaign response - 9/3/2008 7:21 pm

full archive »

Metcalfe on the air

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: July 24, 2008 - 11:06 am

Ray Metcalfe is now advertising his "three hour tour" on KUDO AM and KABA AM, according to Tati Broadcasting. That's the tour where people are supposed to get on his bus, called the USS Minnow, and Metcalfe drives them to places around town where he alleges shady real estate deals went down.

Here's an audio file of the ad:

And here's an animated version of the ad that Metcalfe has put up on You Tube.


The ad makes allegations against Mark Begich, who Metcalfe is running against in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, and Ted Stevens, whose U.S. Senate seat Metcalfe is after.

"Ray Metcalfe continues to make outrageous and false claims about Mark Begich," said Julie Hasquet, Begich's spokeswoman.

The Stevens campaign didn't respond to a request for comment.


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  2     July 24, 2008 - 2:29pm | zippy_pinhead

If he's Gilligan,

who's this Skipper?

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  1     July 24, 2008 - 11:19am | Stags_Leap

Ray's shady deals

does Disco mention that failed attempt of his to put up a HazMat Disposal site in Fairview next to Ship Creek -with the use of Uncle Ted earmark funds?

So it's okay for weeman to make a fat commission on a bad deal to put toxic chemicals next to MUNI residents -but we're supposed to believe his wild conspiracy theories?

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  July 24, 2008 - 8:05pm | brdzwrd

Do you consider the VECO meltdown a conspiracy THEORY...

...or just plain CONSPIRACY?

I'm curious about Ray...if indeed he has done all that he claims regarding bringing corruption to the light of day, every Alaskan owes him a debt of gratitude.

Pertinent to note, however, that a "debt" is not necessarily a "vote".

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  July 25, 2008 - 9:48am | Stags_Leap

he didn't have anything to do with bringing down VECO

though he has taken every opportunity to create the perception that he did.

The feds were investigating this CBC mess long before Ray submitted his claims about Ben.

Disco also has a long long history of making up stories involving candidates who hold an office -that he plans on running for in the future...all the way to the 1980's and then Mayor Knowles....remember Disco's little bulldozer incident?

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  July 25, 2008 - 11:13am | akmooster

you are wrong again...

not that that is a surprise to anyone... you tell me the date the FBI investigation of ben & VECO started and I'll provide proof of when Ray went public with his allegations against them.

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  July 24, 2008 - 10:53pm | akmooster

take the tour brdzwrd....

stagnate brain should too, but he knows it all already, so he wouldn't want to be confused with the facts.
The fact that Ray has done what he has done and for the length of time he has done it is amazing. He doesn't get paid for it you know. I hear through the rumor mill we are soon to be blessed with more indictments. That will be a good day for Alaska.
The thing that I wish everyone would see and do, is that Alaska is still full of crooked politicians, and the d's and r's should come together and root em all out.
Right now we sit with don young, a crooked politician still having a chance of keeping his job.
On the other office, we have ted stevens, a crooked politician having a chance to keep his seat. It isn't the house improvement that will bring him down, it is the funneling of money to his friends and son
Running strongest against him is a crooked politician mark begich. And as much as everyone is tired of hearing it and ADN is working so hard to deny it, mark is an un-indicted (as of today) co-conspirator, a criminal who is being investigated by the FBI. I absolutely KNOW this to be fact. A few phone calls and a smidgen of desire by the media would prove it in a minute. (mark, you helped rubini screw the feds out of 2 million dollars and you know it.)
So why are we considering all these crooked CBC's as our future representatives? They are supposed to 'represent' us. Are we a bunch of crooks? If so, fine. If not, get a damn clue folks.
Ray Metcalfe would make a great Senator. He is like we are, honest, strong, centered, knows what needs done, and has no skeletons. I'll be proud to vote for him, and the rest of you should quit this BS that better my crook than yours and/or the delusional 'it is only 99.9% probable that a crime has been committed by begich and i'll hang on to that 0.1% to get a democrat elected' position that ADN has taken.
Come on folks, take the tour and do what is good for Alaska and America and say NO MORE CROOKS, and vote for Ray.

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  July 24, 2008 - 9:13pm | Sheridan_Sheraton

just "CONSPIRACY"

I think you are on to something there, just perhaps.

Somehow I think this theory has "Ben" tested and found to be valid by certain confessions and convictions.

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