adn.com | Alaska Politics : Hillary Clinton: Fish slimer

Alaska Politics

This is the place to talk about Alaska politics -- state, local, national. Public life in the Last Frontier may never have been more interesting than right now -- the broad and still-evolving corruption investigation, a big election, a popular governor, 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

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

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

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.

Hillary Clinton: Fish slimer

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: December 5, 2007 - 5:46 pm

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Check out this passage from a recent Associated Press story on presidential candidates' crappiest jobs:

Hillary Clinton: No longer lives in Valdez. (AP photo)

Middle class in her youth, Hillary Rodham was already on a promising track when she spent the summer of 1969 working her way across Alaska. The year before, her commencement speech at Wellesley College in defense of war protesters was such a hit she was featured in Life magazine.

In Alaska, she washed dishes in Mount McKinley National Park, the better of two brief menial jobs that financed her travels. "My worst job was sliming fish in a fish cannery in Valdez," she said without hesitation.

login or register to post comments

7 December 9, 2007 - 12:56pm | labriyut

Well good for her

but I don't give a rat's behind. When our taxes stop paying for her to abuse the Secret Service people I'll be happy.

6 December 8, 2007 - 2:53pm | cooday

My Grandma was a fish slimer and a JFK Democrat

My Grandma was a Fish slimer and a JFK Democrat back in Petersburg. It seems like yesterday when my Grandmother Annie Johnson Cooday was working in the canneries, its hard work and long hours.

It was back in 1960 when I was a kid, Grandma and her buddies participated in the first Presidential elections when Alaska become a state. I can still hear Frank Sinatra's song "Hes got high hopes" playing on Indian street somewhere. Alaska Natives proudly wore the JFK buttons and participated in the 1960 Presidential elections. Even as a kid you could sense something postive was in the Air back then.

Alaska State Senator Albert Kookesh, Dewey Skan, Nancy Barnes and Georgia Lincoln are our experts on Alaska Native Democrat Politics in Alaska over the years and hopefully one of them will write a book about it, which hopefully would include Alaska Natives participating on the internet like the AFN convention forums. AFN convention made internet history with thier live streaming of AFN seen from Alaska to New York City and the World. The Alaska Native Dance Groups are also my heros and our celebrities dancing live on the internet at AFN .

You can sense something new is in the Air now. On the National level, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards are on the verge of making history with all our help. Alaskan Democrats, friends and allies have a chance to make history too, with the help of Independent and yes even with the help of Republican voters. Diane Benson, Ethan Berkowitz and Jake Metcalfe are great candidates with great courage to take on Don Young on the issues that matter to all Alaskans. Rocky C. Caldero and Frank Vondersaar are smart and fearless taking on Ted Stevens. Anchorage's Mayor Mark Begich would make a great Senate candidate and would show that great Alaskan Democrat spirit and fearless courage by taking on Ted Stevens. We all remember his dad. My grandmother voted for his dad. They all represent that postive new direction that would bring honor and results to Alaska in Washington DC.

I respect Hillary for working the long hard hours in the cannery. A few years ago I myself was a fish slimer in Petersburg before they moved me over to the canning lines and later the Salmon Caviar room. Friendships are made working those long hours. I would love to give a shout out to all the cannery workers in Petersburg :-) I heard that Hillary gave a shout out to all the cannery workers in Valdez but that didn't make the news. Yes cannery work is teamwork, the leads and the workers back then would work 18 or 20 hour days together during the summer. Yes my grandmother and her buddies would have enjoyed working with Hillary. I bet Hillary loves lox on a bagel or our great Tlingit smoked salmon :-D

April 25, 2008 - 7:44pm | beer1

The one job Hillary held

The one job Hillary held that she was actually qualified for.

Hillary on the slime line, anyone have a picture?
__
dating

5 December 6, 2007 - 6:19pm | Smeece

Worse?

There are a lot of jobs that are "worse" than sliming fish (or fishing), both of which I have done with pride. I should think that Ms. Clinton's most difficult job is being married to Mr. Clinton!

December 7, 2007 - 11:09am | ak_mooster

especially...

when she must know that we all know that keeping him around was a decision she made when debating whether keeping him or dumping him would be most advantageous to her politically.

December 7, 2007 - 5:24pm | akartisan

Right

I am sure you know that.

December 7, 2007 - 9:47pm | ak_mooster

Oh, I KNOW that alright

Although it might be a stretch that she knows I know.

4 December 6, 2007 - 12:57pm | peter_stein

Worst job

Plumber's Apprentice in Wasilla - the worst assignment was steam-blasting and removal of a small lake's worth of frozen fecal matter and more from behind the original Wal-Mart (now Sears?). The store's sewage had backed up into the loading dock area and no one noticed until it was obscenely out of control. That was a very sh*tty job.

3 December 5, 2007 - 7:44pm | Alaska_Politics

Worst jobs

One summer in Skagway I had a job carrying around a rubber bucket, picking up dead, spawning salmon. You had to use these metal gloves, so the fish wouldn't slip away.

Good times.

Anyone willing to tell their worst Alaska job?

-- Kyle

December 5, 2007 - 10:48pm | Stumpy1

Kyle

How can you say picking up those fish was the worst job you ever had?

You used to work for the News-Miner...

GRIN

2 December 5, 2007 - 7:27pm | Stumpy1

Hillary

The one job Hillary held that she was actually qualified for.

Hillary on the slime line, anyone have a picture?

December 6, 2007 - 12:39am | truthseeker

Stilll slimy............

after all these years.

December 6, 2007 - 1:06am | AK_Lady

Slimy?

Are you saying that people who work the slime line are slimy?

December 5, 2007 - 8:47pm | gilld

Not The Slime Line

But everyone loves Hillary though, can't we all agree? Such warmth; such sincerity.

December 5, 2007 - 7:36pm | AK_Lady

Hey..

Hillary and Sarah have a lot in common!

December 6, 2007 - 12:42am |

Nice try Mr. Halcro......................

Deleted.

December 6, 2007 - 12:50am |

"truthseeker"

Deleted.

December 5, 2007 - 9:04pm | akartisan

One of Those Oddities

I am one of those rare oddballs. I love Sarah AND I plan to vote for Hillary Clinton. It is like throwing away a vote in Alaska as the only Democrat Alaska ever voted for President was Johnson in 1960, but that is just the way it is.

I worked the slime line just like Hillary and I have commercial fished just like Sarah. They are both GREAT.

December 6, 2007 - 12:13am | kwalters

democrats & hillary vs republicans & bush...

I don't know what's worse; A Democrat voting for Hillary or a Republican that voted for Bush. Hillary IS pretty much Bush in a pant suit. Wait till she grabs hold of that dictatorial fascist tool box Bush built...

December 5, 2007 - 9:51pm | gilld

Nixon in 1960, Johnson in 1964.

December 6, 2007 - 12:14am | akartisan

I stand Corrected

Kennedy won in 1960. Oops.

Same basic premise though.

December 6, 2007 - 12:21am | Stumpy1

1960

Yep, Kennedy won in '60.

But only because of all those dead people voting in Chicago.

That was a close race.

December 5, 2007 - 9:22pm | AK_Lady