Alaska Politics Blog

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.


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

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.

SECTION

Palin coverage

The nation was captivated by Sarah Palin's run to the White House, and now Alaska awaits the return of their governor.

SECTION

Alaska political corruption

The FBI raided state legislatures offices in Aug. 2006, and the fallout since has been epic in Alaska's political world.

Obama and the governors - 12/1/2008 7:50 pm

Palin mania in Georgia - 12/1/2008 4:07 pm

Palin on the trail (UPDATED: Video) - 12/1/2008 2:20 pm

Judge nixes Monday hearing in Stevens case - 11/28/2008 3:03 pm

Palin's gifts - 11/26/2008 4:32 pm

Stevens defense wants to see secret document filed by prosecutors - 11/26/2008 3:39 pm

The interview that won't die - 11/25/2008 2:21 pm

Hearing Monday on Stevens witness issue - 11/25/2008 2:07 pm

Palin back on the stump - 11/25/2008 12:28 pm

'Don't blame me! Blame Joe the Turkey Slaughterer' - 11/25/2008 12:18 pm

Senator for life - 11/25/2008 7:16 am

So what happened with DOJ and the Anderson letter? - 11/24/2008 7:33 pm

A Palin Thanksgiving: Thank-you notes or contempt charges? - 11/24/2008 11:15 am

Mayoral maneuvering - 11/21/2008 11:35 am

Palin talks turkey (Updated) - 11/20/2008 5:36 pm

Croatian village celebrates Begich victory - 11/20/2008 2:14 pm

Exit polling on Stevens-Begich - 11/20/2008 2:13 pm

Stevens farewell - 11/20/2008 9:22 am

Development crowd reserved with Palin, Begich - 11/19/2008 1:20 pm

Young, Murkowski and Palin on the Senate race (Updated) - 11/19/2008 12:20 pm

Stevens: 'It is apparent the election has been decided' - 11/19/2008 11:48 am

Begich on early voters and absentees: 'That's the group we worked.' - 11/18/2008 5:20 pm

Ethics complaint against Palin

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Here's the complaint Andree McLeod filed against Gov. Sarah Palin and her staff today with the Attorney General's Office. It accuses the governor's office of using its pull to get a Palin supporter hired to a DOT job in Fairbanks. Just got off the phone with Palin, who says no one got any favors.

So what happened, exactly? Lots of questions to answer still, so check back later tonight.


AttachmentSize
McLeod Ethics Complaint1.pdf1.78 MB

  8     August 8, 2008 - 6:55pm | Natalie_0

Don't know much about her but....

I don't put much faith in someone who worked under Murkowski anyway! I'm also not associating the Monegan issue with this one. I read the article and I think this person (Andree) is just upset because she thought she had a good thing going but didn't get her way! She assumed Palin was going to appoint her to a position...But why? Just because she is a republican? For whatever reason, Palin didn't appoint her....case should be closed!

  7     August 7, 2008 - 7:19am |

Removed

This post was deleted for being off topic or violating the ADN user agreement. We encourage readers to "flag" offensive or off-topic comments for review by ADN staff.

  August 9, 2008 - 6:18pm | bosshog

Pathological

Andree really should seek therapy. Sick, obsessive and scary behavior. The governor should be worried about her personal safety with this stalker.

  August 9, 2008 - 6:25pm | AK_Lady

Mmmmmmm,

What did you think of Sarah when she did the same thing to Randy Ruedrich?

I don't believe Andree hacked into Sarah's computer. But Sarah hacked into Randy's! Talk about being obsessive! Wowsa!

  August 10, 2008 - 8:15am | bosshog

Hardly Comparable

Your efforts to support your good buddy and fellow Palin-hater juno/coccinellii/McLeod are quite admirable. But sadly make no sense. If you want to be supportive, then please direct poor Andree to therapy. Otherwise she might find herself in real trouble with the scary stalking behavior. Help is only a phone call away.

  August 9, 2008 - 7:02pm | rfn

Pot,

meet kettle!

Definitely an investigation is needed! A fair, impartial and complete one.

In fact, we need multiple investigations:

1. The resignation of the former DPS commissioner.
2. The 'special' treatment afforded public safety personnel when disinterested outside experts are shunned.
3. All state employment practices going back at least five administrations.
4. Every accusation, no matter how casual, of any public official.
5. Every rumor concerning every candidate in ever election since 1990.

To fund this the legislature should increase the PPT by 10% and adjust the percentage "ratchet" to take into account falling oil prices.

  August 9, 2008 - 10:29pm | pixieteeth

+$

!

  November 23, 2008 - 8:52pm | serena

MTS converter

MTS converter

  August 9, 2008 - 7:35pm | AK_Lady

Oh my

You need to get informed, rfn! Ask Sdog for some Aricept. Monegan didn't resign. He was fired... by an underling.

  August 9, 2008 - 9:19pm | rfn

No, he was offered a transfer

to a position where his skills might have really made a difference.

It was his choice not to accept the generous offer.

Not even a good try at spin.

BTW, Thank You and your working relatives (if any) for their weekly contributions to Social Security and the pleasure they provide to all the retired. Not so much the money; the pleasure of knowing how much it irks when observing the deductions.

Almost as much pleasure as from my now weekly forays down into The Valley to hand out foreclosure and eviction notices. Especially when they come as such a surprise to some whose absentee-working spouses "forgot" to make payments.

  August 10, 2008 - 9:07am | not2green

I suppose

"he was offered a transfer" makes sense to those who believe that emails sent from a Yahoo account between to public employees having to do with "work stuff" aren't public documents because they weren't sent using a the state email system... Palin logic is kinda devious.

For the rest of us, it's just a fact that DPS commissioner was fired.

  August 10, 2008 - 2:11pm | rfn

Will be interesting when we learn

if he submits an unemployment claim. Those who voluntarily quit don't get any money.

  August 11, 2008 - 5:37pm | Black3

Political appointees aren't

eligible for UI no matter what the circumstance.

  August 11, 2008 - 7:28pm | rfn

Thank you.

No matter what lies may be told about me, I am not and never have been a political appointee so was unaware of that.

  6     August 7, 2008 - 7:05am | tweedledeetweedledum

Will the legislature look at this too?

I recommend that they go through the department with a fine tooth comb and look at all recent and pending hires and promotions.

  October 14, 2008 - 12:42am | cautionyou

maybe

Really?look at all recent and pending hires and promotions?mts converter

  5     August 6, 2008 - 9:53pm | Trapper101

Lyda and Randy are bringing them out of the wood work

VECO LIVES

  August 6, 2008 - 10:01pm | tlamb775

Who was

the one that spoke out against Randy and helped Palin in her quest to oust Randy?

If you are speaking about Andree, you are sadly mistaken.

  4     August 6, 2008 - 9:44pm | cat966

Pretty obvious why this gal wasn't hired

You can nerver please some people

  August 6, 2008 - 11:32pm | bobbyc

What do you know about this cat666?

Tell us.

  August 6, 2008 - 9:46pm | rfn

Ever notice

that most circuses have more clowns than acrobats?

  3     August 6, 2008 - 8:55pm | yours_truly

What's new

there is lots more of this going on

  October 10, 2008 - 12:16am | megal_1

we find them for ipod user,,,

swf converter for ipod convert swf to wmv, avi, mp4, mpeg, etc. No matter you are a veteran or beginner, you can convert swf files to avi, wmv, flv, mp3 with wonderful output quality.

  2     August 6, 2008 - 8:59pm | Thunder_Rolls

Another case of abusing power..........

Imagine that. From the great leader of open and transparent government. What a joke! The emails in the complaint look to back up McLeod's case. Looks in the emails like she and her staff are trying to get a "mole" in ADOT to report to her. There is very little that is truly "open" and "transparent" under this administration.

Tell us Sarah about the TC report that Murkowski had. Did it say something very similar to what TC said in the Toronto paper a few days ago? TC and AGIA have no hope now. What a waste of $500 million. May as well have burned the money for energy.

At least Palin did one thing right by challenging the polar bear ruling. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.

McCain would never pick her as VP, but Obama might. They both believe in socialist giveaway programs. Buying votes is what the two of them are best at.

  1     August 6, 2008 - 7:34pm | pinkheartforever

Here we go again....

Good grief. Best line: "Since I'm not a lawyer...." Is that ever obvious!

I agree with this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRvIc78yuE8

AK politics is a mad tea party. And yes - Lyda really does laugh like that. Hehe.

  August 7, 2008 - 10:45am | akgen

great clip !

Andy's new choice of colors is fantastic!

This is a must see!

  August 6, 2008 - 9:01pm | LilysDaddy

Hilarious!

PDSers and the grinning Cheshire cat!

  October 29, 2008 - 6:00pm | megal_i

such a humor metaphor

ipod transfer is an easy-to-use transfer which can quickly transfer music from ipod to computer.

  August 6, 2008 - 8:26pm | Thunder_Rolls

Pretty Funny Video.......

AK Politics is a Mad Tea Party alright. I don't agree that the investigation should be dropped though. We just wasted $500 million on AGIA, what's $100,000 to find out what really happened?

  August 6, 2008 - 7:48pm | rfn

Unbelievable!

Frighteningly funny.

Best video I've seen in years.

Likenesses are astounding. Given when the originals were created it appears someone had Nostradamus-like precognition!

Three sounds are drowning out all else in the universe tonight:

1. The whirring noise of Walt Disney spinning in his grave.

2. The clatter of keys as The Constantly Complaining Coven touches off a chain e-mail campaign to bombard The Disney Company with allegations of copyright violation.

3. The emergency activation of the CCC Telephone-tree to the same end as #2 above.

I give this 9.998 out of 10 (it could have had louder audio and the titles could have been bigger). But I also give it about a 10% chance of still being there by morning, Alaska time. If you want to see it, better hurry.

  August 6, 2008 - 7:52pm | pinkheartforever

Likenesses

I know - too funny!! Hollis really does look like that (especially the hair!). Branchflower has the same round face. Halcro and Monegan sorta have the same hairstyle. Wooten was just as drunk. And yes, that really is Lyda!!!!

WAY TOO FUNNY!!!

  August 6, 2008 - 7:56pm | rfn

Whoever runs

andyhalcro.com really needs to rush online and change the outfit the wee laddie is wearing on the homepage!