Alaska Politics Blog : Counting down (Updated)

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.

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

Features

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.

Counting down (Updated)

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: August 23, 2008 - 11:56 am

From David Hulen in Anchorage --

As the primary campaigns play out and wrap up, here's some of the non-ADN material out there:

> LeDoux and Young -- joined midstream by Parnell -- on Dan Fagan's radio show on KFQD yesterday afternoon. It's a downloadable audio file.

> KTUU has video of Young showing up at the Parnell news conference. (You have to endure another Ballot Measure 4 commercial before you can see it).

> KTUU also covered, with an audio clip, Fagan on his radio show pulling the wool over the eyes of Vic "Take Back Alaska" Vickers on Thursday. Former House Speaker Gail Phillips called in.

Fagan: "Let me ask you something Mr. Vickers - are you familiar with Gail Phillips?"

Vickers: "Well I know the name."

Fagan: "Now before, Maria Downey was speaker of the House before Gail Phillips, and then Gail Phillips was speaker of the House, and then it was John Carpenter."

Vickers: "Right."

Fagan: "Are you familiar with any of those guys?"

Vickers: "A little bit."

Fagan: "A little bit? OK."

Vickers: "From a historical standpoint."

> KTVA reported earlier in the week that Vickers has received threats.

> CQ Politics says Alaska is still leaning Republican in the presidential election, but "the mere fact that Obama hasn’t completely ceded Alaska to McCain makes the contest in this longtime Republican presidential stronghold potentially more competitive than in most years prior."

> All the KAKM/KSKA "Running" segments from earlier in the week are online.

> A short piece on Newsweek.com breaks some new ground on the Stevens/Veco story. Among the information in the motions filed by prosecutors two weeks ago: a wiretap in 2006 with Stevens telling Bill Allen he was going to try to get bigwigs in D.C. to press Alaska lawmakers to move forward on the gas line. Stevens tells Newsweek that he asked Vice President Dick Cheney, who wasn't mentioned in the motion, to write a letter to lawmakers.

> The Associated Press' story on the U.S. Senate campaign: Stevens indictment alters tone in Senate race. We'll have our own story setting up primary tomorrow.

If you haven't yet, check out ADN's survey of U.S. House and Senate candidates positions on issues. The big grids in the print paper continue today and tomorrow.

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2 August 24, 2008 - 10:39am | akmooster

blind hog finds acorn....

fagan shoots and scores.

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1 August 23, 2008 - 4:40pm | Talkradio

Halford and Sullivan debate Prop 4

On Monday, I will host Former State Senator, Rick Halford and Tim Sullivan on Prop 4. Halford who has ties to the area where Pebble is planned will be advocating "Yes," while Tim Sullivan a Spokes Person for Pebble will oppose.

Monday @ 4pm, Prop 4 Debate on AM-700 KBYR, The Eddie Burke Show

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August 24, 2008 - 2:05pm | getridofthefish

Thanks from me too

Nice job Eddie. I hope everyone undecided on #4 tunes in to your debate.

Let's hear the pro-mining crowd talk about what a greenie Halford is. This guy is more pro-mining than anyone ever involved with the legislature and a true blue Alaskan. Tough to paint him as some wacko environmentalist without Alaska's best interests at stake.

Don't know Sullivan, but if he's from the Sullivan family of Anchorage, then he's a true blue Alaskan too.

It's about time we get the opportunity to hear from some good folks on opposing sides rather than see all the worthless ads cluttering my internet, TV and radio.

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August 23, 2008 - 5:02pm | LilysDaddy

Thanks!

.

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