About the blog: The race to become Alaska's next governor is on and it's about to get muddy. Grab your boots and follow the Daily News along the winding campaign trail.
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Blog : Alaska Politics
Happy trails - 11/8/2006 8:05 pm
Forty-two - 11/8/2006 8:01 pm
Election hangover - 11/8/2006 10:25 am
Tonight (updated) - 11/7/2006 12:18 pm
Full Moon - 11/6/2006 7:11 pm
Fishy photos? - 11/6/2006 12:08 pm
Smelly deal? - 11/5/2006 3:31 pm
Sunday best (part two) - 11/5/2006 3:18 pm
'It's going to be madness' - 11/4/2006 8:33 pm
Final push - 11/4/2006 8:26 pm
Ivan Moore - 11/4/2006 1:45 pm
Furrowed brow - 11/3/2006 2:20 pm
New poll (updated) - 11/3/2006 2:00 pm
Berkowitz - 11/3/2006 10:29 am
Predict the future - 11/2/2006 10:53 pm
Live debate (updated 9:37 p.m.) - 11/2/2006 8:19 pm
More on the e-mails - 11/2/2006 7:14 pm
Channel 7 debate (updated) - 11/2/2006 7:12 pm
Round two - 11/2/2006 4:20 pm
Read the e-mails - 11/1/2006 9:45 pm
TV debate tonight (updated) - 11/1/2006 11:02 am
Anchorage Rotary debate - 10/31/2006 4:58 pm
Posted by thetrail
Posted: November 1, 2006 - 11:02 am
UPDATE:
The Palin and Knowles camps both say there was a little bit of drama at the taping of the ABC debate earlier this afternoon. (The debate airs at 5:30.)
Apparently the outsider candidates were given a short window to talk about their platforms, and write-in candidate Ted Gianoutsos used his time to endorse Palin - according to the Palin camp - and blast Knowles (according to the Knowles camp.)
Knowles spokeswoman Patty Ginsburg said Knowles and Halcro argued the endorsement shouldn’t air, while Curtis Smith at the Palin campaign thought it should. Ginsburg and Smith both said they don’t expect Gianoutsos’ contested comments to make the broadcast.
Halcro called the whole thing bizarre.
“I mean, this guy basically just launches into this 90 second tirade about how Knowles is a crook and Knowles is a liar …”
So what we will we see when the debate airs? Halcro said each candidate had a chance to ask two questions of their opponents. He said Knowles asked Palin about subsistence and missing meetings. Palin asked Knowles why he couldn’t get along with the Legislature better when oil prices were low.
Halcro said he asked Knowles about negative commercials in the last few days of the campaign and where Palin gets her info on the price of a barrel of oil….
And tomorrow night too, actually.
On ABC, Channel 13 in Anchorage, the gubes face off at 5:30 p.m. tonight.
Then, tomorrow, they appear again on public television – Channel 7 in Anchorage – at 8 p.m.
I’ll try and start a new thread as each debate begins, so please weigh in during and after. A few questions on these last debates:
-- If the race is still Palin’s to lose, then how does she avoid losing it in this last week?
-- If the race is now neck-and-neck, why is Knowles risking such public criticism of Palin? (Because didn’t that fall flat for Murkowski and Binkley at the end of the primary?)
-- How has Halcro’s support changed in the past week or two, and is it tipping the scales for either of his foes?
-- How influential are the televised debates in swaying opinion anyway -- should we expect major changes in the numbers if there is a clear winner? (Or is this last week more about the campaigns’ get-out-the-vote efforts?)
Finally: In case you missed them, a series of governor’s race stories ran in the Money section this week, covering three topics:
-- Mining
-- Tourism
16 November 2, 2006 - 5:27pm | coldstrings
The Largest Project of Our Time
Today Alaska looks forward to the largest project of our time, the Alaska Gas Pipeline. Estimated to cost $23B, it is the largest single construction project ever attempted in North America. The project will test every one of us.
The project has a strong petroleum industry role, municipal government roles, a State government component, a federal role, and a large Canadian role.
The State of Alaska leads the way. Now is the time for experienced leadership, for political moderation, for bipartisan consensus and working together, all positive qualities that Tony Knowles brings to the table right now.
Next week, the U.S. Congress will have a Democratic majority in one or both houses. Alaska's sole voice in the Democratic majority will be Governor Tony Knowles. It is a wise strategy to compliment our Republican delegation with a Democratic voice. They have worked together before and they will do it again.
Alaskans are practical, hard-working folks. With the first pipeline, we went with 3-term Governor Bill Egan. The strategy worked. Tony Knowles is the best choice for Governor.
15 November 2, 2006 - 8:51am | signwaver
nuff said about Tony. Get it now folks?
Web posted November 1, 2006
Knowles known to favor Big Oil
Letter to the editor
Juneau Empire
Candidate Tony Knowles makes much of his prior experience with the oil industry. Nevertheless, a factual review of his dealings indicates much of that "experience" involved subverting Alaska's interests to big oil:
He was unwilling to protect Alaska's free-enterprise system as illustrated by his "Charter for Development" and further conduct during the BP/ARCO merger.
He endorsed a "partnering" policy with the oil industry, where he allowed oil companies to edit corrosion monitoring assessments as illustrated by a side-by-side comparison of versions of the 2000 Coffman Report.
He championed the hypocritical "Oil and Gas Initiative," which called for the hiring of new Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation staff to perform North Slope spill-response drills and compliance inspections at the same time he was demoting, transferring or driving off experienced people such as Susan Harvey - officials who were credentialed, competent and already diligently performing those duties.
Knowles' record of putting the wishes of the oil industry before the best interests of Alaska is clear and leaves little doubt what approach to the all important gas line negotiations he will take, or whose interests a Knowles-industry gas line contract will best serve.
Campaigning on his "experience," Knowles claims he'll "hit the ground running" if again elected governor. Frank Murkowski did the same thing. But what will be readily apparent to any Alaskan who examines the records of the Knowles and Murkowski administrations is we've had 12 years of Alaska governors protecting the interests of Big Oil rather than furthering the interests of Alaskans - 12 years of Alaska running in place.
Who among us wants to make it 16 years?
Jim Whitaker
Fairbanks
November 2, 2006 - 8:04pm | ilovelucy
Does Jim Whitaker support Ted Stevens & Don Young? Even after their failed attempts at opening ANWR after - how many years has it been?
Sarah Palin would be the most socially conservative governor ever elected. She'd tie this state up in both state and federal courts for years to come - defying rulings on abortion, gay rights, creationism in the public schools, etc.
She's so inexperienced she can't "debate" without notes, won't go into any unfriendly forum, and is so lightweight we'd be governed by god knows who.
She talks about "certificates of need" and then it turns out that it's a pet issue of her close advisor, Paul Fuhs - a lobbyist. She's carrying water for a lobbyist and she's only a candidate?!? What would she do as Governor? She's Jack Abramoff's dream candidate.
November 2, 2006 - 11:00am | mike_l
another Palin supporter who supports the LNG route -which would be a death blow to the gasline contract.
You posted this same thing on the other thread. Can you spare us the spam?
November 2, 2006 - 10:15am | coldstrings
Each of the points raised by Jim Whitaker have been raised and countered elsewhere in this blog. Whitaker's assertions are without merit, and belied by Tony Knowles excellent record on behalf of Alaska with both conservation and industry constituencies.
The truth is that whether Alaska selects the All-Alaska route or the Alaska Highway route, either benefits Fairbanks, and both require significant federal cooperation. Next week a Democratic majority takes over in the U.S. Congress. Governor Tony Knowles is the only voice Alaska will have in that majority. Knowles worked effectively for Alaska's interests with past Democratic administrations and majorities, and in teamwork with the Alaska delegation. We need a voice on both sides of the aisle in Congress.
Put the whole package together - experience, effectiveness, and representation - and Tony Knowles is the best choice for Governor.
November 2, 2006 - 10:35am | turk_burlington
Experience: roll over, declare victory and then go on a road sho
Support Knowles - that's your choice - but don't let him make a liar of you.
Charter for Development - Article III: Alaska's Commitments
The State accordingly agrees that… it will not seek to enjoin the merger or seek additional orders or judgments under AS 45.50.580 related to a claim that the merger is unlawful under AS 45.50.568
Sec. 45.50.568 . Mergers and acquisitions unlawful when competition lessened:
(a) It is unlawful for a person to acquire and hold, directly or indirectly, the whole or a part of the stock, or other share capital, or assets of any corporation after August 5, 1975 if the effect of the acquisition and holding may be substantially to lessen competition or to tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce in the state or in a section of the state.
Why, if the Charter was going to "protect/increase competition" on the Slope would Tony need to promise not to enforce the State's anti-trust laws to allow it to fly? And he did promise - he signed the deal.
November 2, 2006 - 11:02am | coldstrings
The State determined that the merger could be in Alaska's interests if both parties to the merger made significant additional marketplace and community commitments to Alaska. BP and Arco agreed.
The list of commitments is extensive, and includes, among other elements, sale of existing properties to third party companies to increase diversity and competition on the slope, increased access to existing facilities to increase diversity and competition, a renewed and more extensive commitment to Alaska hire, commitments to assist with bringing Alaska natural gas to market, and numerous improvements in environmental protection, including the acquisition of double-hulled tankers.
This is an example of how practical, consensus-oriented political skills can accomplish solid objectives and still represent Alaska's interests. These are exactly the skills Tony Knowles will bring to the Alaska Gas Pipeline project.
November 2, 2006 - 11:36am | turk_burlington
The list of commitments is extensive - I'm looking at it right now - but light on substance. Most of what BP/ARCO "committed" were things they either were already doing or should have been doing based on simple "good corporate citizenship". Furthermore, aside from a few million dollars in donations to non-profits and the U, most of the the other commitments could be saticfied simply by being able to show "good-faith effort/pursuit", not success or completion -your favorite "environmental protection" being an excellent example in light of the recent spill.
What BP didn't do initially was divest enough acreage, resources or infrastructure to allow for a viable third party competitor.
Collier, Shannon, Rill & Scott: "The recent Charter... does not resolve the competitive concerns raised by the combination of the two largest integrated oil companies in Alaska. The commitments contained in the charter are so vague that BP Amoco will not be obligated to create meaningful competition. Even if every term in the charter could be enforced to the maximum benefit of Alaska, the result would be a market that will not perform as well as it does today. As it stands, the Charter is neither in the form or substance of an agreement that meets typical anti-trust standards."
So, Tony disregard the fact that the BP's "concessions" did not rise to a level able to satisfy State or Federal law - did not in fact amount to a fair trade of what Alaska would be gaining for what Alaska would be giving up.
Beans for a cow. BP,you promise to do what you're doing anyway (Less actually - BP's monitoring/maintenance standards were lower than ARCO's. BP promised to retain ARCO's higher standards but, instead, welched and kept their own.) and we'll promise not to enforce state law & give a monopoly.
Let me know the next time the Knowles camp is having a yard sale - I'll be able to pick up the whole yard for a song...
November 2, 2006 - 12:12pm | coldstrings
The list of commitments is extensive, appropriate, and accomplished a great deal. The comments of Collier et al are interesting, but of course it is in the law firm's best interests to advocate a position that extends their contract. It was Tony Knowles that held the public trust, not the law firm. Knowles represented Alaska's best interests and did a good job.
We are not at war with the petroleum industry, or, at least Tony Knowles is not. Right now oil and gas are our products. Alaska has a market relationship with the petroleum industry. At times the relationship is adversarial, at other times cooperative, but it is always a relationship focused on petroleum production, in both our interests.
Which takes us back to the outlook for Alaska's future. Next week a Democratic majority takes over in the U.S. Congress. Federal cooperation is required to get the Alaska Gas Pipeline project rolling. Governor Knowles will be the only voice for Alaska on the Democratic side of the aisle. The wise approach to have a voice on both sides of the aisle - Governor Knowles and the Alaska delegation. Combine experience, ability, and representation, and Tony Knowles remains the best choice for Governor of Alaska.
November 2, 2006 - 12:38pm | turk_burlington
After signing the Charter - counter to his Oath of Office and Constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute/uphold State law (AS 45.50.580), he turned Alaska's Department of Law, our Department of Law, into a hired gun for BP before the FTC.
His Administration accepted more than $1.5 million directly from BP in payment for "legal service".
Nice.
It was all over the papers last week that the oil industry had fallen in line behind Knowles. Curtis Thayer of Enstar called him "the devil we know". All too well, says I.
Balance that with the gobbs the companies spent to support Murk's PPT/contract and the millions they're spending to fight the reserves tax. Millions to support what they consider good for their interests, millions to fight what they consider counter to their interests.
Clearly, they wouldn't support/fund Tony if they thought the cat had changed his stripes... or pajamas.
November 2, 2006 - 1:01pm | coldstrings
Knowles Remains the Best Choice
The aspersions come too quickly and too easily to be taken seriously. Tony Knowles met his trust responsibility and entered into a good agreement. No Constitutional crisis occured.
Which again takes us back to the outlook for Alaska's future. Next week a Democratic majority takes over in the U.S. Congress. Federal cooperation is required to get the Alaska Gas Pipeline project rolling. Governor Knowles will be the only voice for Alaska on the Democratic side of the aisle. The wise approach is to have a voice on both sides of the aisle - Governor Knowles and the Alaska delegation. Combine experience, ability, and representation, and Tony Knowles remains the best choice for Governor of Alaska.
Thank you for the discussion. As the margin approaches from the right, I believe I will sign off this one. I look forward to exchanging views again.
November 2, 2006 - 4:00pm | Black3
You keep counting those unhatched
eggs as chickens; you don't have that majority yet, but if you do, it will be the narrowest of majorities. To have gotten it, you will have used a bunch of candidates that ran as Rs with a D behind their names. You also have a good number of D irredenta in very Red states. Their hewing the Dean/Pelosi/Netroots line will insure their electoral suicide in '08. You will also be dealing with a Republican Party that very happily and effectively tortured a Democrat majority and a Democrat President in the past. I don't think you'll win, but if you do "Happy Days" will not be here again for the Democrat Party.
The only thing your securing a D majority in either or both bodies as this directly relates to Alaska is to place Stevens, Murkowski, and Young in the minority and thus severely reduce the federal transfer payments that have propped up our economy as production and revenue fell. That will actually make a major contribution to our race towards Mississippi started when we last had to endure Tony Knowles as Governor.
November 2, 2006 - 10:03am | akisok2
I think I get it now... Tony has not come out and explicitly endorsed the LNG gasline (unlike Palin) therefore Whitaker tries to make the comparison between him and Murkowski... that makes perfect sense.
November 2, 2006 - 10:01am | mike_l
You think a letter from the sponsor of Prop 2 is going to sway anyone other than Palin goons that fester on this board? He is a member of the Port Authority for God's sake!!! He wants that LNG route, which would be a death blow to the gasline contract. He supports Prop 2 -in fact he helped get it on the ballot!!! Read for yourself:
http://www.alaskareport.com/opinion10020.htm
You keep your LNG/Prop 2 poster boy. He will scare more votes from Palin to Knowles and Halcro.
14 November 1, 2006 - 11:36pm | mike_l
Just watched the Channel 2 News at 10pm, and they played a clip of Palin losing it on the Dan Fagan show. Someone needs to sit her down and tell her to at least act like she is in the lead. The way she was screaming at Knowles -you'd think she was an Independent candidate fighting for name recognition.
November 2, 2006 - 12:17am | turk_burlington
she's just frustrated. It must be maddening to sit in a room with someone who is a practiced expert at spinning his record and then constantly looking to a press corp that won't call him on it. Everything turns into a he-said-she-said affair and he has the experience to say things better.
Her attempts to draw Knowles out on the Charter for Development are a good example. She described the merger, the Charter and Knowles' role in both accurately - if briefly.
But, gotta admit, Tony's a good politician - well polished and a master of the "best foot forward" dodge. And he knows that most voters either won't have the time, or won't know how, to look up the documents and prove him a liar.
He's a damned good politician.
Must be maddening to be a human and debate him.
13 November 1, 2006 - 10:55pm | alaskastraightalker
I saw a Palin supporter (I could tell by the t-shirt) hopping up and down on Northern Lights today, and looking very glum at all the passersby.
Is that a new tactic? Or a polling technique?
12 November 1, 2006 - 10:30pm | signwaver
The one person who is truly weirder this time around is Tony.
Been watching him for 30 years now.
Tonight on KIMO, his act is looking pretty old. He is uptight, flailing his hands everywhere.
On Fagan today he was frothing.
His physical manifestations and body posture are so telling. As seen on KIMO tonight.
Behind, not really into it, and waiting for it all to be over.
Which it will unless he can dig up about 25,000 more votes by Tuesday.
My numbers tell me.
November 2, 2006 - 12:01am | ilovelucy
If you say it, it must be so....
I saw the debate on KIMO tonight and I thought Knowles looked great. The other 2 did too. I also heard part of the Fagan show and Palin was really nasty and off - it was nerve-wracking to hear the bickering. I missed the original question about the email, but heard Lincoln call in, totally pissed off about being misquoted. Sarah not only changed her language from Anti-Native to Anti-Rural then and there (stumbling a little when she did it), but then kept accusing Knowles of claiming he hadn't seen the email. It was almost funny but mostly annoying. Knowles was saying, rightly, that she'd asked him if he's seen an email saying she was Anti-Native and he honestly said no. Sarah kept saying Anti-Rural and then calling Knowles a liar. He pointed out that the earlier part of the radio show was recorded, so she could hear it again.
She also asked him the question about big bucks spent outside. He answered like he had the night before, saying the money went for media buys - Alaska media. She kept ignoring that answer and claiming he spent it outside. The hypocrisy of that, when $300,000 of Outside money (money from DC - horror of horrors) was spent by the RGA on her campaign (regardless of her "knowing") is what's becoming common with her.
On the debate tonight she sounded bitchy when she jumped them for saying something about the constitution. What - she owns it because she used it to fill in the blanks when she couldn't think of anything intelligent to say? Weird.
November 1, 2006 - 11:28pm | signwaver
Halcro and Knowles have been ganging up on the Princess for weeks now. With their coordinated attacks at the debates.
Those advisors of hers, your all so sure of....Halford, Taylor, Babcock, Ward.......must have told her to kick him back in the balls?
It looked like her shoe knew the right place to go at.
I think the Princess figured it out all on her own to punch back. And she did all day long today. Scoring points left and right.
Tony couldn't get a punch in all day.
For the little lady to fight back, finally, is called "attacks" by her supporters?
That's rich.
Thats just the kind of woman Governor I want negotiating for me against the big bad oilies.
One who can fight for Alaskans.
Not give away our gas farm.
Knowles folks think her "plants"
called in today to Fagan? After Knowles folks started calling early this morning to their fans telling them to all call in to jam Fagans lines this afternoon so they could keep Palin clones off air?
But it didn't work. Now why is that?
Think Halcro.
November 1, 2006 - 11:33pm | mike_l
Is this Sarah Palin posting???
If yes, please get some help. I can recommend a good therapist in town.
November 1, 2006 - 10:54pm | Sprinklerhead
I'm not sure what talk show you listened to, but to me it was obvious Sarah was on the attack from the beginning and once again never did answer any questions. She was the one yelling and interrupting Knowles at every opportunity.
When Knowles tried to correct her on her untruths, she simply kept talking overtop of him. She is obviously grasping for straws.
Also, the few callers who were able to get through on the show, were Palin plants. Especially, Scott who now works for the Palin campaign. The first question at the get out was from Scott bringing up old issues that were being batted around when he was a legislator. Also it was another lame attempt by the Palin camp to try to smooth over her position on subsistence which is against what the majority of the Native people want as witnessesd by the massive show of hands for his support at the AFN convention.
The Native people deserve our respect and I would hope that the next Governor of Alaska recognizes this and reaches out to them.
During Tony Knowles tenure as Governor, he demonstrated that respect for the native people.
And as for you numbers, which polls are you looking at? The ones put out by the Palin camp?
Even the national newspapers recognize that we have a neck and neck race going here that is too close to call.
November 2, 2006 - 7:47am | jacekone
Natives need the respect of our Governor, I agree. However, respect will not fill your pantry. Natives, and all Alaskans, need the TRUTH from Palin. Exactly where does she stand on the issues? What is her position? Does she even understand what is at stake? She wants to smile and/or yell (typical female responses) instead of plainly stating her stance and debating that. I'm a conservative native female and I realize Palin is unable to articulate her positions. Alaskans need more than a pretty face. I do not agree with Halcro or Knowles on each issue, but at least they have staked out a position, which I do respect.
11 November 1, 2006 - 10:17pm | coldstrings
Lets do a little of that "looking forward" so talked about in the debates. Next Thursday, after the midterm election parties, the new Democratic majority in one or both houses of the new U.S. Congress will start organizing.
With Governor Knowles, Alaska will have a direct pipeline to the new Democratic leadership. How important is this? In 1997, Governor Knowles reached agreement with SOI Bruce Babbitt to start the process that opened NPR-A. The result was 1,380,000 acres of new leases by 2002. In 2002, Governor Knowles convinced Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle to insert language prioritizing the Alaska Gas Pipeline into the new Energy Policy Act.
Experience, ability, political moderation, and bipartisanship count. Alaska went with 3-term Govenor Bill Egan on the first pipeline, and his experience made the difference. If you want the Alaska Gas Pipeline, elect Tony Knowles the next Governor of Alaska.
November 2, 2006 - 1:47am | Beachwriter
The buzz around town is that HALCRO will get the gas line
All three talk show host's have stated, "if your #1 issue is the gas line, Halcro is the best candidate to get it done".
Personally Coldstrings, if I have to listen much more about Bill Egan I may just have to move to Disneyworld.
November 2, 2006 - 9:17am | coldstrings
Lets do a little of that "looking forward" so talked about in the debates. Next Thursday, after the midterm election parties, the new Democratic majority in one or both houses of the new U.S. Congress will start organizing.
With Governor Knowles, Alaska will have a direct pipeline to the new Democratic leadership. How important is this? In 1997, Governor Knowles reached agreement with SOI Bruce Babbitt to start the process that opened NPR-A. The result was 1,380,000 acres of new leases by 2002. In 2002, Governor Knowles convinced Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle to insert language prioritizing the Alaska Gas Pipeline into the new Energy Policy Act.
Experience, ability, political moderation, and bipartisanship count. If you want the Alaska Gas Pipeline, elect Tony Knowles the next Governor of Alaska.
(sorry, couldn't resist.... Andrew is a good candidate, just not the best this time around.)
10 November 1, 2006 - 10:04pm | signwaver
I 100% guarantee Leslie I was at the Knowles HQ today.
It was not hopping.
Glum.
I will only wave signs if you pay me to do it. How much? I might be interested. Gotta eat.
November 1, 2006 - 10:14pm | alaskastraightalker
I hear that Leslie saw you coming and said, "Quick. Signwaver is coming. Everybody look glum right now. And- no matter what- no hopping."
It's one of her favorite campaign tactics.
November 1, 2006 - 10:11pm | mike_l
proves my point. Her supporters keep getting weirder and weirder. I feel like I'm watching a Jerry Springer show or something.
9 November 1, 2006 - 9:42pm | mike_l
"Ted Gianoutsos used his time to endorse Palin - according to the Palin camp - and blast Knowles (according to the Knowles camp.)
Knowles spokeswoman Patty Ginsburg said Knowles and Halcro argued the endorsement shouldn’t air, while Curtis Smith at the Palin campaign thought it should."
Okay folks -and no offense to golf buddy Dan, but I think Curtis is pretty desperate to argue for the use of Big Ted's fanatical statements. Desperate and stupid. I wouldn't want that guy supporting me with a fifty foot pole -even if it is on TV. People will associate Big Ted with Palin supporters, like Jerry Ward, like Robin Taylor, like the other "wildcards" that surround her. This will only alienate. More votes for Halcro, and certainly a few more for Knowles. I think the Palin campaign wrongly assumes Halcro is taking more Knowles votes than from Miss Alaska.
8 November 1, 2006 - 9:38pm | signwaver
glum and glummer........joy and laughter
Today I went into both HQ's on recon.
Deep into their bowels.
PALIN HQ....busy, loud, phones ringing, smiling faces.
KNOWLES HQ...frowns, glum, quiet, no energy. And no one wanted to even talk to me.
They must have gotten a hold of a real poll?
Anyone heard anything real as far as a new recent poll?
Not manufactured.
With all the crosstabs and internals.
I got the feeling in there that the Palin camp knows something??
November 1, 2006 - 9:50pm | alaskastraightalker
The didn't want to talk with you
because you forgot to take your Palin button off when you were on "recon."
November 1, 2006 - 9:47pm | leslie
We're hopping. You were not at our HQ! Come over and make calls, sign up for sign waving and get involved. We had a blast at our HQ today.
November 1, 2006 - 9:50pm | mike_l
I'm dragging tonight. No donuts today, and it is finally catching up with me. Maybe a rasberry wheat at Bear Tooth.
November 1, 2006 - 10:02pm | leslie
A very nice guy, Mr. Kim, brings us donuts every single day. Every day. Stop by and have one. God knows I don't need any more. And, No, that is not an open ivitation to this blog to discuss the size of my ...
November 2, 2006 - 12:22am | tlamb99503
Leslie,
Between Mike L and you Dems, I sense you guys are getting worried.
valkyrie.alaskademocrats.org along with madison like to visit and what is going on down in Kasilof?
Who would that be?
Your guy is getting worn down. No snap.
November 2, 2006 - 11:57am | bmcdaniel9
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." -- Jefferson.
I'm always worried. If my side wins Tuesday, I'll be a little relieved but I'll continue to be concerned for my daughters' freedom. The Conservative movement needs a scapegoat group for a wedge issue. Since the late 60's the former target group, minorities, is no longer PC. So conservative strategists primarily target women, generally expendable in their view. They say, "Who cares about reproductive rights in this election? It doesn't matter."
November 2, 2006 - 8:24am | mike_l
like I said, the nutcases that surround her remind me of a Jerry Springer show.
Worn down, no snap? She needs to open up a serious can of whupp-ass on you tlamb99503.
By the way, did you get a perm last week?
November 4, 2006 - 4:46am | lewisandclark
I only bartend for myself and I've never been to mad marnas.
Are you the guy that sits at the bar, eats donuts, and talks about how cute the "thunshine boy'th" butt is?
November 1, 2006 - 10:43pm | amoeba
C'mon, Leslie. Give yourself a little credit. You are a foxy lady!
As for the comments made by signwaver, the Knowles HQ is not the dungeon he makes it out to be. Kinda reminds me of the lies Palin was telling on the radio today, making things up about emails from Senator Georgianna Lincoln. Hearing Palin get busted by Sen. Lincoln on Fagan today was the highlight of my day. Palin will never in her entirety have the amount of class and integrity that Sen. Lincoln has in her pinky finger. Seriously.
7 November 1, 2006 - 9:36pm | mike_l
she attacked Knowles on the Fagan show from the get go. I could hear her drooling on the radio -maybe even foaming at the mouth. She has always promised a clean campaign and talked about the virtues of keeping things clean -and here she becomes Devil Woman. I mean she was possessed. She talked like Halcro on crack. She had no intention to debate. She simply wanted to slam Knowles using false claims.
Dan and others - I know I am voting for Knowles, but honestly the woman appears to be losing it. She doesn't have the skin for this kind of office. She is fragile...too fragile to be governor.
6 November 1, 2006 - 9:33pm | alaskastraightalker
Each candidate did what he or she does best. Knowles and Halcro gave specific answers to questions. Palin avoided answers to tough questions.
Examples.
1. University tuition cost increases: Knowles and Halcro supported measures which would keep rising costs from being put on the backs of students. Somewhat bizarrely, Palin answered that she was a big supporter of local control, and if the university wanted to raise tuition, they could raise tuition. She repeatedly told the student questioner to get realistic. There seemed to be a disconnect between the fact that state support of the university and the costs being passed on to students via tuition increases go hand and hand.
2. Health benefits for same-sex partners: There was a yes or no question as to whether the candidates supported providing health benefits to same-sex partners in view of the Supreme Court decision. Halcro and Knowles answered yes, the Supreme Court has ruled on constitutional requirements in that regard, and so on. Palin never answered with a yes or no. She tried to both play both sides, and pander to her right wing base. As Halcro noted, Palin tries to wrap herself in some sections of the constitution when it suits her, while avoiding other sections when it dos not.
3. Denali KidCare: Both Knowles and Halcro said they would support the expansion of health benefits to working families who do not have private insurance or qualify for Medicaid. Palin again did not directly answer. She talked about costs- without ever quantifying them, even though the Republican legislature just increased the state operating budget by nearly one billion dollars; a fraction of that would pay for what Knowles and Halcro support.
Palin also made some mistakes. She spoke about her running mate's actions in the Legislature relative to the budget. Halcro responded by noting that Sean Parnell's actions in not funding education and other programs adequately are why we are building prisons instead of schools.
Palin wasted a question on Halcro. She asked him- once again- why he supported her for lt. governor as a running mate. As he had previously stated, Halcro responded by saying that of the three she was clearly the best qualified to be lt. governor.
Women friends with whom I was watching the debate noted that Palin was very patronizing, especially towards Halcro, and that she frequently looked at her notes to answer a question while the other candidates seemed in command of the facts and issues.
Finally, Palin's calling Knowles a liar regarding her no-show at BP was inappropriate and untrue. She easily could have re-scheduled one of her three school visits in order to attend the BP forum if she had wanted to, just as she cancelled her Homer Chamber of Commerce presentation yesterday in order to attend a function in Anchorage. Palin either has a flexible schedule, and can change to attend key events, or her schedule is fixed in stone. She can't have it both ways.
5 November 1, 2006 - 9:21pm | lwilson
Didn't Knowles use the exact same closing statement tonight, nearly word-for-word, as he did in the KTUU debate? What's the matter? Can't his campaign have the imagination to think up something slightly different for each debate? Do the Knowles-bots think more than a few people might watch both debates? This is worse than an alleged no show.
4 November 1, 2006 - 3:03pm | dfagan
Knowles vs. Palin today on AM750 KFQD on the Dan Fagan radio show at 4pm. No Halcro so this time it's one on one instead of two against one!
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18 November 3, 2006 - 1:37am | alaskastraightalker
Palin's indecisiveness
(If Palin supporters like Turdball are going to post the same comments on these threads, I guess I will have to as well.)
One thing is increasingly clear to Alaskans: Palin is indecisive.
To wit: 1. During the primary, Palin supported the All-Alaska Gasline. She was even in ads which said it was "clearly the best choice." Now, because most people who understand gasline economics, including Ted Stevens, support the highway route, Palin is VASCILLATING. In fact, her support of the All-Alaska line was recently removed from her website.
2. Capital move: Palin has been on record in favoring a capital move. After the primary, in an effort to calm "jitters" in Juneau, Palin PUSSYFOOTED around her position, now saying it was up to the legislature. A week later, her campaign told Anchorage media that she would sign a move bill if the legislature passed it.
3. Juneau road: According to the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Palin told them that she opposed the road. She has told pro-road people that she supports the road. This is called EQUIVOCATING.
4. School vouchers: Palin told a conservative group that she was in favor of school vouchers. She told the teachers' union she was against them. When confronted with another CHANGEABLE position, her campaign attributed it to a "clerical error." Of course, she could have said that, as on abortion, she would support a constitutional amendment to allow vouchers to go to private and religious schools.
5. Abortion: This is the one issue on which Palin has a CLEAR DECISIVE UNWAVERING position: The state must outlaw abortion, even in case of rape or incest. Unfortunately, when asked to discuss her stand, Palin once again WAFFLED, as she has on many other issues, and said that that she would not provide leadership on the issue- she would act only in case the legislature did.
Palin is saying that, even though she wants to be the CEO of this state and our top elected official, she will exercise zero responsibility over what actually happens in state government on issues like vouchers, abortion, and a capital move.
Can Alaskans really afford an indecisive Governor? Will an indecisive Governor who doesn't understand that Governing is part of being Governor get a gasline built?
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