Alaska Politics Blog : KAKM debate

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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

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Alaska political corruption

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

KAKM debate

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: August 20, 2008 - 7:05 pm

From Kyle Hopkins at the KAKM studio --

Tonight's debates have started on Channel 7 ...

I'm sitting in a kind of conference room next to Begich spokeswoman Julie Hasquet, across from Senate candidate Dave Cuddy while the debate plays on a big screen TV.

Just met Senate hopeful Frank Vondersaar, before he headed to the green room.

"I'd like to get rid of the fascists running the country. Especially Ted Stevens," he says.

Why is Stevens a fascist?

"His actions. Working with the secret police and basically subverting the Constitution."

We'll be blogging about the show later tonight.

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7 August 22, 2008 - 8:34am | pixieteeth

I thought Ethan Berkowitz comported himself ably.

I appreciated his strong position on the Alaskan Permanent Fund. His energy, intellect, and his willingness to stand up for Alaska and Alaskan rights were pretty notable on that side of candidates.

August 22, 2008 - 10:54am | blue_in_AK

I thought both Democrats

in the House debate outshone all of the Republicans.

August 22, 2008 - 12:13pm | rfn

Ms. Benson in particular.

Unfortunately she has been abandoned by The Democrat Party in favor of a candidate who seems less likely to remain independent of the House "leadership"; Ms. Nancy Pelosi, (D-San Francisco, champion of disarming Americans and keeping Alaska development in colonial status).

August 22, 2008 - 1:31pm | blue_in_AK

rfn, I know we support different parties

and different candidates, but thank you so much for recognizing and publicly acknowledging Diane's independence and integrity.

6 August 21, 2008 - 7:41am | metcomre

Looks like a bribe to me

Begich told the Anchorage Daily News that Jon Rubini gave him an interest in an office building as the result of a real estate commission. I've been a real estate broker for 34 years and I know what real estate commissions look like --- and what Jon Rubini gave Begich did not look like a real estate commission at all.

I have repeatedly asked Begich to dispel my suspicions of bribery and live up to his promise of openness by showing the voters his records.

Every time I raise the question he says “I answered all your questions,” hoping everyone listening will believe he had previously answered my questions when in fact he has refused, offering only the same old empty response “I answered all your questions.” But facts are, he has never answered anything.

Begich has been promising openness in his ads while refusing to produce the records to back up his claims that the interest Rubini gave Begich in his office building and then bought back later was money that Rubini paid him as commission.

Sounds a lot like Ted Stevens and his Florida condo doesn’t it.

Any way, after months of asking it’s pretty clear that Begich can’t produce the paperwork to prove that it was a commission and the only logical reason I can think of is because the money was really a bribe and the paperwork doesn’t exist.

State law prohibits sails agents from receiving commissions from anyone other than the broker they work for.

Begich hid the payment that Rubini paid him for four years while delivering millions in mayor’s favors. When busted he made up a ferry tail about it being a commission and I called him on it.

If it was in fact a commission and not a bribe paid in exchange for mayor’s favors, he would have put this issue to rest by producing the paperwork to prove it months ago.

Tom Anderson, Pete Kott and Vick Kohring need the company. Stay tuned for the perp walk.

Yours truly

Ray Metcalfe

O- and PS Stags, I’m not AKmooster.

August 21, 2008 - 9:54am | celtic_diva_ak

Ray...

...there is no spoon.

August 21, 2008 - 11:50am | akmooster

diva...

and there is no honesty, no 'in the open', no transparency, no 'walking the walk', when marky refuses to show his taxes for when rubini gave him the silver and when he bought it back for $x,xxx,xxx.xx.

That is how he did it to make ted a millionaire and that is how he did it for mark.

SHOW ME THE TAX RETURNS!

August 21, 2008 - 6:01pm | n0se

no....

Show ME the tax returns.

On another note, Vandesaar kind of reminds me of Francis E. Dec

August 22, 2008 - 1:26am | Gus_Davis

Dec

Is that the guy named after the Department of Environmental Conservation?

5 August 20, 2008 - 10:00pm | gargantua

Sean Parnell

He is a terrible, terrible speaker. He always looks like he is about to cry.

Gabrielle LeDoux was EXCELLENT.

4 August 20, 2008 - 9:12pm | EatMoreFish

LeDoux showed a tough side

I thought LeDoux did a good job ripping into Parnell. She was tough and articulate. Too little too late though. Parnell always appears squirmy/smarmy and unconvincing -- a deer in the headlights when he looks at the camera. Guess that's why he avoids debates.

Note to KAKM: Do sound checks prior to broadcast.

August 20, 2008 - 10:01pm | gargantua

LeDoux rocked

She was amazing tonight.

August 21, 2008 - 8:50am | TheSdog

I think LeDud

knows the race is over for her. Parnalin may be the frontrunner by a hair right now and LeDud was trying to shift this race to DY.

That said, she did well.

Still, love or hate DY, he had far greater command of issues and better delivery than Ledud or Parnalin.

August 21, 2008 - 4:16pm | n0se

Parnalin

lol.....that's a good one.....

August 21, 2008 - 9:39am | Diogenes_lamp

hmmm...

Looks like the Doc is starting to hold his nose and ready himself to vote for the crook again...let the justifying begin. Ever wonder how these crooked politicians stay in office for life, despite being on the take?

August 21, 2008 - 11:26am | TheSdog

Voted early already

I wrote in Frank Bailey. I figure he'll need a job soon.

August 21, 2008 - 11:53am | AK_Lady

Ha!

funny

August 20, 2008 - 9:28pm | blue_in_AK

Gabrielle LeDoux was much better

this debate than in the KTUU debate. I think the women won this one.

August 20, 2008 - 9:32pm | KodiakFlyer

Benson did alright

But Berkowitz wasn't all that great. I enjoyed his call for a new GI bill for veterans...you'd think he would have noticed that Congress already passed one this year, with the entire delegation's support.

August 20, 2008 - 10:30pm | ilikepolarbears

I noticed that too

Congress just passed, no thanks to Bush, Jim Webb's GI bill. Stop using old talking points Berky!

August 21, 2008 - 6:24am | leowassilie

probably should of specificed

the medical aspects that lack thereof.

August 20, 2008 - 9:22pm | KodiakFlyer

Parnell is an awful public speaker

He reads his talking points, he stammers, he has long, uncomfortable pauses, and he never seems to know the issues, falling back on buzzwords like "innovative" rather than actually coming up with innovative ideas (his ANWR plan is a joke--somehow, I don't think swapping land will cover all the reasons enviros oppose drilling).

On the other hand, LaDoux was impressive--her healthcare answer was a heck of a lot better than Parnell's. I enjoyed the tag team that she put on Parnell with Young as well.

August 20, 2008 - 9:31pm | EatMoreFish

Tag

Yes, the tag teaming on Parnell was fun to watch. That Don is crafty, ya gotta admit. He quickly picked up on Ledoux's points and played on (Below)Par - nell.

August 21, 2008 - 3:00am | Skeptical

He's like a mink

poised to pounce...

August 20, 2008 - 9:24pm | AK_Lady

Does Sean Parnell still wanna be a light?

August 20, 2008 - 9:27pm | predictable

Time...

He didn't have time to be a light because Young and LeDoux had a sort of tag team beat down going on. For a minute I thought the two of them were going to high five after that set up.
What was the story there?

August 20, 2008 - 9:35pm | KodiakFlyer

Neither of them are fans of

Neither of them are fans of Parnell and both (rightly) disagree with him on earmarks and his benefactors, the club for growth. It was a good move by Young, because it allowed them both to make their points on the issue without having to listen to him stammer some "answer" that didn't say anything.

3 August 20, 2008 - 8:11pm | Tpayne

Bird-Stevens-Begich

The three are on a different playing field than the rest of them and I can't wait to see them all on the stage together before the General. I was disappointed with Cuddy, especially when it comes to federal spending. I thought he was more conservative.

2 August 20, 2008 - 8:09pm | niklake

Two nights in a row you guys posted public info late

Don't you have a rational way to get these schedules up before the debates actually have begun, Kyle, David? I know you're busy, but you have people who can help.

Meanwhile, back to the exciting "live blogging..."

Phil Munger

August 20, 2008 - 10:23pm | bubbaboy

Actually Phil

Actually Phil, with the cut backs at McClatchey - they may not "have people who can help." The ADN certainly has had few who "can help" us Alaskans get good old regular news, so, no, I doubt they have people who "can help." (It's a nice thought, though)

1 August 20, 2008 - 8:14pm | desaerica

Mark won the debate hands down.

Mark debated like an experienced, well-informed candidate. Metcalf had his cross hairs on Begich re: corruption. Vondassar was intense. HOLEY MOLEY! Ted Stevens came across like a grizzly at dinnertime. Cuddy ain't gonna make it. Forget the rest. But who is Mr. Wanda? He's shown more gumption for running than a lot of big mouths out there.

August 20, 2008 - 9:09pm | blue_in_AK

I thought the Mayor could have done better

He sounded very rehearsed to me.

August 20, 2008 - 9:31pm | predictable

Agree...

I agree, but how do you change from rehearsed when all you get is Metcalfe throwing the same questions over and over.
Metcalfe and Vickers should consider actually covering some issues instead beating the same questions in to the ground.

August 21, 2008 - 3:03am | Skeptical

Issues?

They're just following the game plan that was so successful in 2006 for our Governor. If you don't actually take a stand on anything, no one can say you didn't follow thru.

August 20, 2008 - 10:22pm | blue_in_AK

True.

Who really knows where Metcalfe stands on issues other than corruption, or perceived corruption? My only complaint with Begich is he always sounds like he's giving a campaign speech. I wish he'd just relax and show a more human side.

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