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.


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

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.

Bob Poe running for governor - 1/7/2009 1:50 pm

Before the storm - Palin e-mails from Aug. 27 - 1/7/2009 12:07 pm

Reid on punishment for Stevens - 1/7/2009 7:32 am

Polling on Palin vs. Murkowski - 1/6/2009 3:24 pm

Citgo 'suspends' free heating oil program - 1/5/2009 2:37 pm

Palin's comments on first grandchild - 12/31/2008 4:35 pm

Suicide council audit - 12/30/2008 9:11 pm

Son of Snowzilla - 12/30/2008 8:55 pm

'People' editor: No deal for baby photos. Yet. - 12/30/2008 1:12 pm

'Baby Name Bible' - 12/29/2008 8:14 pm

Anchorage Mayor: Begich out, Claman in Jan. 3 - 12/26/2008 12:40 pm

No trash power? (Plus: School board pay) - 12/26/2008 11:22 am

PETA's beef with Palin - 12/24/2008 12:02 pm

"The opportunities that were not seized." - 12/22/2008 1:48 pm

Palin's next big speech? - 12/22/2008 12:37 pm

Here we go - a look at potential 2010 election matchups (and Palin popularity) - 12/20/2008 1:42 pm

Hawker to Palin: Try again - 12/19/2008 5:11 pm

Video: Palin on salary, energy plan - 12/19/2008 9:58 am

Walt Monegan is planning to run for mayor - 12/18/2008 4:40 pm

Covering Juneau - 12/17/2008 5:07 pm

Palin says no to raise; energy plan delayed - 12/17/2008 2:19 pm

Meyer joins majority, gets LB&A (Updated with McGuire, Menard joining too) - 12/16/2008 5:45 pm

Raw Feed: Stevens & Begich on Palin (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Check the bottom of this post for today's announcements from Stevens and Begich ...

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Senate campaign rivals Sen. Ted Stevens and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich held a pair of press conferences today. Stevens talked about his plans for veterans issues, while a firefighters group endorsed Begich.

You may have guessed -- most our questions revolved around Palin. Was Stevens contacted by McCain's people about the governor? Does he think she's ready to be commander-in-chief? With even Palin's critics saying her vice presidency might help Alaska -- if not the country, they say -- would Begich vote for Palin?

...


(The Begich video is from follow-up questions after the press conference. The audio from the press conference itself is too hard to hear.)

Here's the Stevens announcement on veterans.

And here's the Begich announcement on firefighters.


AttachmentSize
stevens veterans.doc32 KB

  3     September 4, 2008 - 3:09pm | wrtheuer

Disgusted

Begich can't come out and say that he supports Obama?! This is why people hate Democrats up here. They're afraid to be Democrats. People agree with Democrats on every issue that will affect their lives, but Democrats hear one psychotic rant by Palin and they run away with their tail between their legs. Begich will still have my vote but I'm not spending any time or money supporting him.

  September 4, 2008 - 3:54pm | rfn

Is anyone surprised

that the boy mayor is trying to conceal the fact that he's a Liberal Democrat?

After all, consider his mawkish campaign ads where his tag line (it always gets laughs) claims he's "as independent as Alaska".

Face it, if allows more than about a dozen of his closest, most intimate friends, to notice that he's a Liberal Democrat and firmly in Harry Reid's pocket, it's over.

  2     September 4, 2008 - 1:32pm | mafgogo

Mark----is a hypocrit....

Just a couple of months ago he and Carol Comeau were on KTUU complaining that they could never get an appointment with Palin to discuss issues. Now...he says she was responsive in every way? Mark just lost my vote. Politicians are all the same....flip-flop-flip-flop depending on what will do them the most good on any given day.

  1     September 3, 2008 - 9:58pm | TheSdog

Marky Mark

is so full of *exp deleted*.

He has consistantly and constantly complained that The Palin has not been responsive to the muni's needs. The problem was Palin was sending all the state money in the capital budget to the Valley.

It must be that the COB has some kind of new rehab program that allows then to break addiction to the crack cocaine that is state dollars.

Or is it just fear of honesty?