This is the place for news on Alaska politics -- state, local and national. Public life in the Last Frontier may never have been more interesting than right now -- the broad and still-evolving corruption investigation, a new governor, powerful members of Congress under scrutiny, and the usual hardball politics on the state, national and local levels. Come here for the latest news 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.
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.
AK superdelegate update - 5/9/2008 3:56 pm
'Fairbanks what!' - 5/9/2008 10:19 am
Jackson Q&A - 5/8/2008 7:15 pm
Health commissioner resigns - 5/8/2008 4:17 pm
Surreality recap - 5/8/2008 2:50 pm
The prosecutors - 5/8/2008 1:14 pm
Full Kohring statement: 'I refuse to cower ...' - 5/8/2008 12:30 pm
A ride home - 5/8/2008 11:53 am
The judge - 5/8/2008 10:46 am
42 months - 5/8/2008 10:32 am
Hitchhiking to court - 5/8/2008 10:00 am
'I'm here to proclaim my innocence' - 5/8/2008 9:24 am
'Old Valley' - 5/8/2008 9:07 am
At the courthouse - 5/8/2008 8:39 am
Where they make their money - 5/7/2008 5:42 pm
Recycling the recycling plan - 5/7/2008 4:52 pm
Metcalfe drops out - 5/7/2008 1:53 pm
Legislative director - 5/7/2008 9:15 am
Is that it for Jake? - 5/6/2008 7:04 pm
Tonight - 5/6/2008 4:29 pm
Wuerch resigns - 5/6/2008 3:06 pm
Assembly: Trashtastic - 5/5/2008 8:54 pm
Posted by Alaska_Politics
Posted: May 4, 2008 - 5:12 pm
From David Hulen in Anchorage --
Ron Fournier, the online political editor for the Assocated Press who's been covering the presidential campaign, was in Alaska a couple weeks ago to speak at the Alaska Press Club's annual gathering. He filed this story (pasted below) about the state of Alaska politics -- dateline, Butte -- and it went out on the wire over the weekend. It's showing up on news sites nationwide.
Meanwhile the upbeat national press for Gov. Palin continues, with this piece from AP Juneau writer Steve Quinn about the baby that's also popping up on news sites all over the place this weekend. (The Palin story is pasted at the bottom, under the Stevens-Young piece).
Long-running `Ted and Don' show showing age with voters
By RON FOURNIER
The Associated Press
BUTTE, Alaska (AP) — For decades, Alaskans have contentedly called Ted Stevens senator, and Don Young congressman, their Republicans in far-off Washington.
Now other, less flattering names are creeping into conversation. Crook, for example. Or jerk. Or old, washed up.
And because of it, Democrats sense opportunity even in the Last Frontier, a state that has dealt them mostly defeat for a generation.
"I've been voting for Ted and Don all my life," says Scott Frank, 45, a blue-collar Republican sipping coffee at the Butte Cafe, "but they've really screwed up."
Shoulder-to-shoulder around a slab-wood table, Frank and his pals form a cigarette-smoke circle of plaid shirts, faded jeans and baseball caps. These men and many of the folks they know build radar equipment. They eat fried foods. Hunt and fish. Drink beer. Vote Republican.
"Maybe not this time," says waitress Diana Gage as she scoots behind Scott and his brother Randy, two plates, heaped with beef, held high above her head. "Don and Ted have done good, but let's get some young blood in there and let them build up some of that seniority."
Stevens and Young have served a combined 74 years in Congress — 39 for Stevens and 35 for Young — and Alaskans consider that longevity a valuable commodity. It brings roads, bridges, jobs and other federal perks to this isolated state.
"But they can't live forever," says Landon Wells, adjusting his American flag cap. "Eventually, either God or us voters are going to end their seniority."
The Justice Department may have a say, too.
The FBI is looking into whether the 84-year-old Stevens, whose name graces the state's largest airport, received illegal gifts from VECO Corp., a once powerful oil services firm. Bill Allen, the former VECO chief who has pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska state legislators, testified in trials that he oversaw extensive renovations at Stevens' home and sent VECO employees to work on it.
FBI and IRS agents last summer raided the four-bedroom house in Girdwood, a resort town about 40 miles south of Anchorage, and two sources told The Associated Press that the FBI was working with Allen when it secretly taped phone calls between Stevens and the disgraced businessman.
Young, 74, is tied to the VECO inquiry but his problems run deeper. The FBI is investigating his ties to a Florida developer who held a fundraiser for Young in 2005 and then benefited from a change the congressman made to a federal highway bill as chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
A $10 million grant for widening Interstate 75 in Florida's Collier and Lee counties was redirected to the Coconut Road Interchange in Lee County, a project that would allow the development of land owned by Young fundraiser Daniel Aronoff.
Even in Congress, with its high threshold for shame, Young has become a pariah. The House voted 358-51 last month to send a highway bill to President Bush with a request to the Justice Department that it investigate the Florida project.
Both Young and Stevens deny wrongdoing. Young's seat is considered more vulnerable, but both face strong Democratic rivals. Young may not survive the GOP primary.
In a speech on the House floor, Young defended the Coconut Road project, saying he listened to Florida residents who supported the widening of the ramp at Coconut Road to provide better access to shelter during hurricanes. He said the Senate, which initially called for the investigation, was meddling in House affairs.
"That," Young said, "is a slippery, slippery road."
So is representing the people of Florida when you're elected by Alaskans. Young has been rebuked by widely popular Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a fellow Republican whose rout of then-Gov. Frank Murkowski in the 2006 primary signaled the public's desire for political reform.
Palin's lieutenant governor, Sean Parnell, is opposing Young in the Republican primary on a promise to restore integrity to the state's sole seat in the U.S. House. "We've become a picture of greed and excess to the nation," Parnell said.
Confronting head-on the issue of seniority and its power to deliver jobs and federal dollars to the state, Parnell said he will appeal to Alaskans' independent nature and urge them to not be afraid of change. "I'm just asking Alaskans to be courageous," he said, "and take charge of their future.
While Stevens is still described as a statesman and even godfather of the state, Young's ill manners and perceived arrogance have cost him support. In Alaska, population 670,000, politics are personal and followed like a sport. Ted, Don and Sarah (voters refer to them by first name) are expected to behave.
Young does not.
"Congratulations," the congressman sneered to Parnell upon news of the primary challenge, "I beat your dad and I'm going to beat you." Young soundly defeated Parnell's father, Pat Parnell, who ran as a Democrat in 1980.
Later, he profanely confronted Parnell's wife, Sandy. "I'm going to enjoying kicking his" butt, Young said.
To supporters who might wonder why he's spending more than $1 million of their campaign donations on legal bills, Young said, "I have a right to spend my money as I think I should spend it."
His money. It's comments like those that make supporters wonder whether it's time for Young — and perhaps even Stevens — to go.
"We're the kind of state that needs the bacon that Ted and Don bring home," said David Prahl, 63, a Republican working at a gun shop in Palin's hometown of Wasilla. "But we don't need all this negative attention."
And so go the sentiments of voter after voter, many of whom cite Barack Obama's presidential campaign as emblematic of the desire for change in general. And the investigations as their motivation to consider change, specifically, in Congress.
With hope in this GOP outpost, Democrats seek to expand their majorities in the House and Senate.
"Everybody wants change," a dismissive Young told reporters in February, "what is change?"
He and Stevens may be about to find out.
***
Alaska governor balances newborn's needs, official duties
By STEVE QUINN
The Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The results of Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, and the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it."
Palin, known for a resolve that quickly launched her from suburban hockey mom to a player on the national political stage, said, "No, go ahead and tell me over the phone."
The physician replied, "Down syndrome," stunning the Republican governor, who had just completed what many political analysts called a startling first year in office.
She had arrived at the Capitol on an ethics reform platform after defeating the incumbent Republican in the primary and a former two-term Democratic governor in the general election. Her growing reputation as a maverick for bucking her party's establishment and Alaska's powerful oil industry quickly gained her a national reputation.
Now she is trying to balance caring for her special-needs child and running a state.
The doctor's announcement in December, when Palin was four months pregnant, presented her with a possible life- and career-changing development.
"I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked," said Palin, a mother of four other children.
"It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."
The 44-year-old governor waited a few days before telling her husband, Todd, who was out of town, so she could understand what was ahead for them.
Once her husband got the news, he told her: "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?'"
There was never any doubt the Palins would have the child, and on April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin.
"We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," Palin said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."
Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the fetus' cells. It's a genetic abnormality that impedes physical, intellectual and language development.
The mother's age is a large factor in the chances of having a Down child. Once a woman turns 40, the chances of having a Down child is 1 out of 100, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
During her first year in office, Palin distanced herself from the old guard, powerful Republicans in the state GOP, even calling on tight-lipped veteran U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens to explain to Alaskans why federal authorities were investigating him.
She asked Alaska's congressional delegation to be more selective in seeking earmarks after what came to be known as the "Bridge to Nowhere" turned into a national symbol of piggish pork-barrel spending.
She stood up to the powerful oil industry, and with bipartisan support in the statehouse she won a tax increase on oil companies' profits.
She also found time to pose for the fashion magazine Vogue while she was pregnant, and she has been mentioned as a potential running mate for presidential candidate John McCain.
Three days after giving birth, Palin returned to work in her Anchorage office, accompanied by Trig and her husband.
This was not a mother's typical visit to the office to show off the new baby; instead, she was serving notice that a child of special needs would not hinder her professional commitments.
"It's a sign of the times to be able to do this," she said. "I can think of so many male candidates who watched families grow while they were in office.
"There is no reason to believe a woman can't do it with a growing family. My baby will not be at all or in any sense neglected."
Neither, Palin said, will the state, as she prepares to lead deliberations for a multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline. She calls it the economic future of the state, a means of getting North Slope natural gas to consumers throughout North America.
"I will not shirk my duties," she said.
Other politicians have pressed forward with their careers despite jarring personal news.
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards continued with his campaign despite the return of his wife Elizabeth's breast cancer, though he eventually dropped out.
Another elected official who has a child with Down syndrome said that Palin will probably have detractors, but that it shouldn't change ambitions for the mother or child.
U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington state Republican, has just celebrated the first birthday of her son Cole, her first child, who was born with Down syndrome. She is busy campaigning for a third term, and Cole often travels with her between Washington, D.C., and the Pacific Northwest.
"Cole opened my eyes to the pain and trouble a lot of families endure," Rodgers said. "He's allowed me to see people and circumstance more deeply, and the generosity of people.
"It's in human nature to focus on the negative, on what the person can't do. In our mind, we are focused on what he can do, what he will be able to do and do very well."
It's not unlike how Palin sees her child.
"I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"
May 5, 2008 - 4:21pm | AK_Lady
Remember his speech 'Rachel's Hands'...
where Parnell wanted to protect his daughter by not creating more government that she have to pay for in the future?
Ha! Funny stuff, Sean.
May 5, 2008 - 7:04pm | Cartman3_15
You two are shilling for DY, too?
I definitely understand your need for anonymity.
May 5, 2008 - 7:51pm | AK_Lady
I'm not sure who I'll vote for yet.
I found Parnell's speech for ya. Rachel's Hands.
"...send a strong message that this is the time to continue reductions in state spending. And, yes, it is time to use these reductions in state spending to build a long-range fiscal plan for the state of Alaska. Thank you."
May 5, 2008 - 7:59pm | juno
I'm sure who I won't vote for.
Rachel's hands speech. Spoken like a real sissy boy.
Where are the promised reductions in the SP budget?
Palin/Parnell honest? No.
Palin/Parnell ethical? No.
Palin/Parnell transparent? You bet!
May 5, 2008 - 9:56pm | JoeBagadonuts
You got it!
Rydell still as intelligent as a circus monkey? check!
Halcro still a panty waist who's bitter about getting stuffed in his locker in high school? BINGO!
3 May 5, 2008 - 2:32pm | Cartman3_15
need to go.
Although this story is yet another example of Outside writers painting a bogus picture of Alaskans, its sentiment is right on.
Ted and Don need to go.
May 6, 2008 - 8:24am | akwapsc
Are you Cartman from South Park or what?
Ted and Don need to stay!
Thank you sirs for your years of service and keep up the good work!
You both deserve to retire as part of an elite group of a very, very small handful of individuals who have helped to make this a great state and a great place to live. But even though you both have large families and lots of grandchildren, you've chosen to spend your elder years doing good deeds for Alaskans. Right on!
I bumped into someone the other day who was bemoaning the press reports and asking if "Alaska's boys" were up to the task of keeping up the good work for Alaska that they've always done. And this guy lives in Juneau, not Florida.
I thought about it for a minute and then asked him where he worked. Come to find out his day job is working for a very beneficial, nonpartisan, non-profit education program that (drum roll please) none other than Ted Stevens worked with Congress to start the program.
Now that's 100% dependency upon the good work of "Alaska's boys". Most of us are somewhere between 10% and 50% dependent upon the good work they've done for Alaska.
Hmm. This Alaskan didn't feel that Ted and Don had to go, even with the media trashing that they've had to put up with.
Who's that guy in Minnesota or Wisconsin that spent a third of a million on attorneys, got his rep trashed, and then got a note from the FBI saying, in essence, OOPS. Sorry. Guess you can run again someday......
Ted and Don need to stay.
bob thorstenson, jr.
juneau
ps. full disclosure. i recently bought 5000 shares of McClatchy stock so please keep up the news cycle. McClatchy has someone who has had a political vendetta against "Alaska's boys" for a while now. Note that the ADN is about 3% of the company revenues and that the Seattle and Puget Sound region papers are worth quadruple of what Alaska brings. So we're not really only being led around by the nose of a strictly California paper but one with a HUGE bias for Washington state outsiders and against Alaska.
And notice that they even have had "McClatchy investigations". Wonder who the lead "investigator" is and what are his "investigative" credentials. Must be like the FBI, CIA or Gestapo or something. anyways. keep reading the ADN folks, because this stock has gone down over 83% ever since they began attacking Ted and Don. Bad business or bad luck, call it what you will but I'm betting that once Ted and Don get re-elected and this bogus investigation ends, that McClatchy stock will ride high again.
May 7, 2008 - 9:31am | jerrydfuller
Don and Ted with large families and grandchildren in Alaska???? Hey, I think most of their kids grew up on the East Coast. None of their children graduated from High School here. They went to schools on the East Coast. The only one I know living here is Ben and he came with the Special Olympic's money. Fished here in the summer and skiied in the winter holidays.
Makes one proud of Nick Begich Sr. and his love for Alaska that all of his kids have stayed in Alaska, gone to schools here. Have a vested true interest in the future of the state. It wasn't good enough for Ted or Don's kids. I think this is one of the main reasons that Mark will be elected and Diane Benson. Alaska is their home.
May 8, 2008 - 6:58am | akwapsc
one down and several more to go
I see one of your heroes is already MIA.
My wife bumped into Jake the Snake when he came down to Juneau last year.
When she asked him what he stood for all he could do is offer up all kinds of nasty insults and insinuations about Don Young. She's not very political but she went back down to Centennial Hall to tell him what she thought of that approach.
I hope for your sake and Alaska's sake that the rest of this gang of usurpers can come up with something positive like positions and ideas to communicate with the public rather than just say "he bad, so that makes me good"
As for grandchildren, I know of 4 that Ted's got in Anchorage right now, and a sizeable number more than that for Don right now.
Yeah. And they're in AK schools.
So what if our DC rep and senator had kids in school on the east coast.
Who wouldn't.
Only someone who hated their kids and didn't want to live with them, perhaps.
Anyways, that's one down and a few more to go.
Go Ted.
Go Don.
2 May 4, 2008 - 7:29pm | juno
The use of Palin's baby as a stage prop for the Drama Queen's selp-promotional campaign is appaling and violates good taste. This state funded website (click here) ignores the Executive Branch Ethics Act which states a public employee may not "use state time, property, equipment, or other facilities to benefit personal or financial interests" (AS 39.52.120(b)(3)). Why are reporters giving Palin a free ride on her ethical breaches?
AP Steve Quinn's fluff piece does not measure up to AP standards for good reporting. Quinn failed miserably by ignoring the controversy of Palin's long distance travel surrounding this birth. The myth continues. Normal people don't use their child's disability to promote themselves as mythical heroes.
Palin's continued use of this baby for her personal political agenda borders on the macabre. What's next? Come on people. Wake up. You're being gamed. Palin's done nothing for Alaska and everything for her self-image. It's all about Sara.
May 5, 2008 - 7:49am | Talkradio
We cant respond to these Palin Haters.. Just let them talk to each other.
Eddie
May 5, 2008 - 12:01am | WSleness
You really are quite a bitter and sour-hearted person. To equate the governors travel while pregnant with the arrogant corruption so rampant in Alaska politics - to mention it in the same breath - is just plain sad, and reveals your bitterness to all
May 5, 2008 - 1:09pm | juno
They've really screwed up. Who do they serve and protect?
Corruption is not always about money. Fear corrupts. Take the absence of a public education and awareness campaign from state public health officials on the risks and dangers of air travel while pregnant/in labor issue. Their inaction is telling. Why is State Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Karleen Jackson not front and center on this along with Public Health Director BeverlyWooley, the Women's,Children's and Family Health Section and Behavioral Director Melissa StoneHealth ? It's their job. Who are they protecting? Open honest ethical and transparent government does not stay silent about serious maternal health risks related to air travel when such events are presented in order to protects its own, does it? Ironic that State Office of Children's Services and The Children's Trust spend public funds on the Palins talking about good parenting on spendy prime time TV spots daily. The silence by Palin and state health officials on this issue is a dereliction of their duties to serve Alaskans.
May 5, 2008 - 5:57pm | JoeBagadonuts
okay, now it's Monday afternoon and you're still only qualified to write the Daily News's Food column.
Have another donut, Homer.
May 5, 2008 - 5:13pm | rfn
how to remedy this "intolerable" situation yet refuse to do it.
I'm deeply concerned about some aspects of political campaign law. If I were a talented hobbyist and created, for example, a campaign poster or web page for a candidate how should it be valued as a contribution? Without value because I don't do that stuff for a living? Would it be different were I doing that work as a business and had established rates for various tasks? APOC should be speaking out on this sort of chicanery but isn't. Dereliction seems to have run wild in Alaska and legislative leadership is doing nothing....absolutely nothing....to fix the situation.
May 5, 2008 - 12:56am | AK_Lady
It's not that she traveled while pregnant. It's that she concealed her pregnancy from the flight crew and boarded a commercial flight to fly across the country while in active labor a month before her due date with a child that she was fully aware had "special challenges".
Since when is it okay to risk a child's life, for goodness sake!!!
May 5, 2008 - 10:51pm | WSleness
That's what this is all about???
Sad, just sad. Obviously, you don't like Governor Palin...and it's quite obvious that it's personal. Don't you think she consulted with her doctor about her travel - Of course she did! Shame on you.
May 6, 2008 - 9:42am | AK_Lady
No doctor would tell a woman in active labor to fly across country on a commercial flight in active labor.
And had Palin been OPEN, HONEST AND TRANSPARENT with Alaska Airlines, she would not have been allowed to board.
It may not bother you that the governor is deceitful and willing to risk her child's life, but it speaks volumes to me about her true character.
May 6, 2008 - 10:24pm | WSleness
Your bitterness is so personal and so transparent it would be worth a chuckle if it weren't so sad.
A look into your own heart would be a much better use of your time than pointing fingers and judging others.
Again, shame on you.
May 7, 2008 - 9:09am | rfn
we can keep the budget surplus growing through a simple tax on bitterness.
Only have to tax about 3 individuals and the good times can roll on for years! Unless, of course, they move back to Texahoma to avoid....
May 5, 2008 - 1:44pm | _Syrin
Since this state voted in Sarah's fresh face
it's not only okay to risk a child's life, but also risk the fiscal stability of an entire state for decades, for goodness sake!!!
May 4, 2008 - 8:23pm | Zamboni
Or the logical explanation is: thousands upon thousands of well wishers from all over the country wrote to congratulate Gov Palin and Todd on the birth of their 5th blessing. And the Palin's, being their gracious selves, posted those wonderful comments to share as a "thank you for thinking of us."
The website represents the good in the world--the comments surely make up for any of the negative garbage you write on a daily basis. And Steve Quinn is an amazing writer--AP and Alaska are lucky to have his fair, indepth reporting.
May 5, 2008 - 10:13am | AK_Lady
"blessings" are born every day in the United States. I think everyone should have their state host their blessing's baby page. NOT!
May 6, 2008 - 8:25pm | KatRock_AK
"blessings" in the form of babies are born every day.
Blessings can also be a cool drink of water on a hot day, a strong gust of wind to lift a kite, or a rain that helps douse a wildfire that threatens homes.
The difference here is that, if you were truly female you would recognize that Sarah has the opportunity to prove that women, regardless of their muenstrual cycle or their committment to mothering a baby, can make decisions that lead our state in a new direction.
The fact that Trig, with all of his expected "challenges" is born to a woman who is dedicated to making life better for all of us makes him extra special.
He is the Governor's son, and therefore, unfortunately, subject to the scrutiny and critisism of people such as yourself.
Do yourself a favor...while you're complaining about our Governor posting information about her son, please stop and think about how you would feel if you were in Sarah's position.
Wuld you decry that women shouldn't be allowed to hold public office because they ....you fill in the blank...
Or would you decry that a mother of a "special needs" child, has no ability to adminster our state?
Ak_L...I don't know who you are, but I fear that you have lost faith.
May 6, 2008 - 10:57pm | AK_Lady
Here's some more "blessings" for ya... cancer in remission, hearing aids, finding your lost keys, rainbows... etc., etc., etc.
If you are truly female, you'd admit that children with special challenges require special care. The vast majority of Down syndrome people require intensive care for the duration of their lives. Sarah's family needs Sarah more than the state does. There are only so many hours in a day. Someone will lose out.
The direction Sarah is leading us into is economic turmoil. Higher taxes, bigger government, and a negative business atmosphere is not a good thing.
How, exactly, does that make life better for me... mmmmm???
Faith? Faith in Sarah? No. This governor and her administration are more of a disaster than I ever imagined possible. Disaster.
May 6, 2008 - 11:04pm | Cartman3_15
Maybe the majority of Alaskans place higher value on honest, people-first government than you do.
Your posts betray you as someone who is willing to be led by Stevens, Young and Murkowski to a land where oil industry profit is the highest goal. Can't you see those days are done? Your side lost. Deal with it.
May 6, 2008 - 11:08pm | AK_Lady
You mean like welfare? I don't want social programs. I want jobs for Alaskans.
How long have you lived in this state, Cartman?
May 7, 2008 - 10:46am | akgen
Social welfare is not your style, AK_"Lady". We all understand you on that issue.
Many await the day you might actually contribute to something other than complaining, gripping and rabid display of wayward self respect.
May 7, 2008 - 6:11pm | _Syrin
What do you and the rest contribute?
You contribute to the demise of any remnant of the family structure that baby Trig needs in his life. Are you proud to perpetuate a fraud like Sarah Palin? Are you so proud to be actively encouraging her in a fraudulate, desperate move for more attention? Are you aware of the potential security risk to the country! She'll get into her I am "Your Heavenliy Father and creator" mood with someone she shouldn't....Our current enemies don't like that stuff....
May 7, 2008 - 6:16pm | _Syrin
This story I would like to hear much more about...The letter written in the voice of GOD.. "Your Heavenliy Father and creator" I see you down there on earth. People, there is a real problem with this woman's ego......
May 5, 2008 - 10:17am | rfn
Imagine the new staffing that could be ground into any state's budget to properly offer blessings upon newborns and congratulations to their loving parents!
Or perhaps that duty could be added to those of people already state employed who have extra time to blog during the workweek. There'd be no need for new capital investment -- they could use their blogputers! The operating budget wouldn't go up; they'd just use some of the copious free time.
1 May 4, 2008 - 6:15pm | dab
A Positive additude is a Perfect world
So lets move on with this perfect world and get some stuff done. We have a lot of living to do. Its a bright future.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.
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4 May 5, 2008 - 3:52pm | _Syrin
restore integrity?
Parnell promised to restore integrity? Platitudes are all the SP team have for all occasions. Hey Sean, how about having some integrity in the position that you have already been voted into, stand for something. You've become a picture of incompetence and very opportunistic.
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