Gird Your Loins…
By Linda Kellen-Biegel
Democratic Candidate for US Senate, Scott McAdams, did an excellent interview with KTVA’s Matt Felling Tuesday evening, not realizing that Senator Lisa Murkowski was waiting in the wings to concede to Joe Miller immediately afterwards. Miller is now officially the Republican Candidate, which provides an opportunity unheard of in the 49th State…the chance to have two Democrats in the US Senate!
Let’s be very clear here, the Palin-Milleristas play nasty-dirty…as they did with Senator Murkowski. He and his campaign did everything from:
– call Murkowski a prostitute…and then backpedal and claim it was directed at the Libertarian Party.
– make unfounded accusations at long-time republican election observer (who was working for Murkowski) Bonnie Jack, trying to get her many years of savvy expertise banned. (she was working as an observer today).
– “made up stuff” about Murkowski’s professional election consultant, Mike Roman, and…
– then he used the made-up stuff as a fund raising tool!
And ALL of this was done to a fellow Republican! The concession speech changed everything. What I saw Tuesday at the absentee ballot counting at the Anchorage Regional Office of the Division of Elections was only a precursor to what we can expect from the Miller Campaign…and only a mild version compared what they’ll do to actual Democrats!
When I got there, Fox News had already flown in and set up shop outside:
Palin’s/Miller’s attorney, Thomas Van Flein, Bill Walker’s attorney Craig Richards and failed candidate for Lt. Governor Eddie Burke showed up as actual observers for the Miller Campaign. While only there a short time, Van Flein managed to ask questions only someone completely unfamiliar with how the process works would ask…and then, well, there’s Eddie Burke…:
Slime bag Robert Stacy McCain of the nasty right wing bog “The Other McCain” flew up on his own money (uh huh…I believe that…) because he heard “It might be interesting. He identified himself as being with “The American Spectator” but I suspect he was there to further the “tainted ballot process” meme for the Palinistas and Milleristas.
(Note: When I mentioned to him that there really wasn’t much to see and I’d been there for days during the Begich/Stevens recount, he asked “So what are they going to do about Stevens? Will there be an appointment or a special election?”
Zoinks!!! What is he talking about?
I responded, “You mean the Senate seat Mark Begich won against Stevens in 2008?
He looked very confused.
I repeated, “Mark Begich has that Senate seat now. Ted Stevens hadn’t been a Senator upon his death for two years.”
Now he looked really embarassed and confused. Jeebus, couldn’t he pretend to know something about Alaska?)
This is only the beginning.
Sarah Palin and Joe Miller will do almost anything to get him elected. If he loses now, Palin’s desired “kingmaker” title will become “Sarah Palin picks right-wing whack-jobs who can’t win general elections.” (If you’ve seen the polls on how Harry Ried is now ahead of Palin pick Sharon Angle, you’ll know that’s a real possiblity.)
Because of this, I believe we have yet to see the kind of ugly those folks are going to shoot at the McAdams Campaign.
Has voting machine fraud been ruled out? In the Massachusetts Senate race to replace Ted Kennedy Martha Coakley appeared to be sailing to victory over Scott Brown. Then over the weekend, when it was too late to react, a poll showed Brown ahead and he won. Coakley croaked, conceded and did not pursue some blatant irregularities. The lesson the voting machine fraud people learned from 2004 was that if you has a poll that showed the benefactor of the fix ahead, the fraud and irregularities would not be questioned.
While it is easy to say people were weary of Lisa, were they that enamored with Joe the Miller to give him the election without an electronic fix?
I don’t know if all votes were properly counted. I’m just asking.
Equally revealing question relates to “Questioned Ballots”. I understand and appreciate why we have the opportunity to cast a vote this way. In this election were they abused to slow down the count, were they duplicate votes necessitating a diligent review under pressure? I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I can’t help but wonder.
Then there’s the all important role of the Lt. Governor. Oversees the Division of Elections. That is one of the many reasons I support Diane Benson for Lt. Governor.
I remember Cheney saying that the ends justify the means – i.e., anything goes so long as you get elected.
George W. Bush brushed aside allegations of dirty play when confronted with his lies about opponents, saying “it’s just politics.”
Joe Miller seems well on his way living down to those low standards.
Is that what Alaska wants – to have people representing them that will do anything, say anything just to win. I wouldn’t trust someone like that. Joe Miller seems to lack a sense of honor and integrity – he just wants to win, no matter how.
Thank goodness of McAdams. Thus far, he gives the impression of someone who values truth, values hard work, and will represent Alaskans in an honorable way.
Has Sarah, the Impaler ever demonstrated any sort of a sense of humor other than laughing at hate filled statements about others. Can anyone cite any examples?
I certainly can’t think of anything genuinely humorous coming from “her” … Have y’all read the new Vanity Fair article about her? Interesting that this magazine that has treated the Palin’s fairly well is publishing an insiders view of her temper tantrums etc …
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2010/10/sarah-palin-201010?currentPage=1
I have just finished reading it. Very, very difficult to read.
I just read it as well. Not sure what to think. Lots of truncated anecdotes, kind of like a glimpse through the fog. I guess that’s actually the point of the article, illustrating the fog that surrounds this woman.
“…anywhere you peel back the skin of Sarah Palinâ��s life, a sad and moldering strangeness lies beneath.”
A low key but very descriptive and apt picture. I suspect that the author was very aware of the image created of a hidden but growing rottenness that pervades the Palins, top to bettom, sadly including the sadness that is PIper, the little 7 (8?) year old child who does not hesitate to flip a bird before cameras and audiences and show the same depths of anger that her mother does.
What choice does she have?? I call it abuse…
The comments were interesting – Palinbots behaving exactly as described in the article, including the revelation that one of them, JimAK/Jim2, is likely Sarah’s father-in-law, earning his meal ticket.
JimAk is a definite insider. He used to hang out on the Andrew Halcro blog and go on and on about the greatness of Sarah and Todd. He knows a lot of personal family history to be anything but a relative or very close friend.
What I think the article misses (even though I think it is great) is the fact that she has that celebrity “it thing.” It dismisses the obvious that a political figure known but not to the entire world became a power house. When she speaks people listen, like it or not. Let’s be honest for a second. If Palin was fat or ugly she would not be SP the North Star the Republican star or any other type of star. The part that cracked me up is that they referred to the blogs as being obsessive. And why are they writing an article about the former Gov again? Oh yeah, ratings baby. Perhaps, they can comprehend the toss of her name gets attention. It simply wont last after a failed attempt at running for President.
Wow. I’m a Mat-Su resident who has followed Sarah since her City Council days, and this article is spot-on with regard to Sarah’s style (or lack thereof, I guess…) It also completely nails the way the community now feels about her. I hope EVERYONE reads this article and passes it along.
How far we’ve come from the examples of the Founding Fathers who these yahoos love to hold up as their heroes. Long gone are the days of Washington’s “I cannot tell a lie” (even if he never really did say that!). Our early leaders were not perfect by any measure, but their vision was for their country, not for their own personal glorification.
The current crop of right wing politicians (and some on the left as well) couldn’t figure out the meaning of ‘integrity’ with a pile of dictionaries.
One would hope that a nation would constantly strive to better itself, not aim for the lowest common denominator.
Well, you’ve seen a demonstration of what is coming and I gotta ask do you people have the resolve to fight back? You’re gonna have to get into the slime with them,all the way.I hope so because these people seem to think on a National scale and will affect us here in Iowa,too.
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/in-targeting-murkowski-tea-party-chooses-wisely/
Good luck to McAdams.
Knowledge of real events and the truth doesn’t matter if you are just making it up as you go along anyhow.
Definitely expect this to get mean and ugly. Nothing that the right wing bloggers enjoy more than making up dirt as they go along.
McCain has already said “we’ll see about that” in regards to McAdams having a shot at the seat.
One the winger bloggers tried to insinuate that Murkowski, cheated on her bar exam at the same time saying of course there is no proof. I expect that to be an example of what we’ll be seeing in the next 2 months.
I don’t think his daughter likes palin very much.McCain is why we need term limits.I am sure he learned from the masters when he ran against Bush.
For what it’s worth, Kathleen Parker came out swinging today at http://www.washingtonpost.com
I mean, admittedly it’s at Glenn Beck and Wind Between Her Ears, but it improved my week considerably. Not that it would take much THIS week to improve it.
Here’s the direct link to the page:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/31/AR2010083104879.html
Interesting take on Beck.
I feel for the R Senator who lost. However, there is a good lesson to learn. Palin will continue to divide the party. They (Repubs) are riding high with the energy that she creates. However, it is not long lasting. I don’t even think that the former Gov believes all the hype and comments that she is making. Even McCain’s daughter while talking about her new book, is using caution. Why is this? Because they would rather have the votes regardless the cost. What is going to happen when McCain is pulled to be who he has always been (more of a moderate)? I still believe that the USA is a make of a bit of right and left. And the extreme on both sides will simply not work. Think of how many Dems are a bit conservative and once again how many Repubs have liberal views in certain areas. The right wing ship that Palin is riding high on is not going to last when 2012 rolls around. We are still going to have issues with getting people back to work. There are still going to be other countries that are restless. Finding a solution to the problems that face our future will have to be center stage. I am starting to find the former Gov very boring and too predicatable. She has morphed into a right wing actor.
I suspect that, as the Tea Party candidates begin lose a substantial portion of the moderate Republican and Independent voters because of their radical platforms, the pendulum will eventually swing back towards the middle. The candidates will realize that they can’t possibly win with ONLY the very far right, and they will never win without some middle-of-the-road voters.
I hope!
The people of Alaska need to get to know the candidates and exactly the kind of things this Miller guy is saying and advocating.
He might be running on the Republican ticket, but his ideas are more in line with the AIP. They just wrapped it up and put a bow on him to call him a Republican. errr hmm…of course think about who he hangs out with.
Judging by this article, he might have gone to Yale, but he is pure idiot when it comes to knowledge of the state he wishes to represent. (again, look at who he hangs with)
http://palinquestions.blogspot.com/2010/08/joe-miller-alaskan-secessionist.html
I was feeling very pessimistic last night and after hearing the interview with McAdams, I am starting to feel somewhat hopeful that he just might pull this off. In describing Joe Miller’s “narrow scope of an extremist agenda”, I think McAdams hits a theme that will resonate with Alaskans.
It is also very refreshing to hear a candidate talk about being a centrist instead of touting a partisan platform.
Oh my, I can’t believe you met RSM.
Racist, nasty and Joe Miller supporter.
And he does look like a slime bag too.
Doesn’t he just!
The Vanity Fair article is the bomb.
After all the drama and absurdity of politics in Alaska in the past few years, Scott McAdams is a refreshingly stable and sane new voice. Alaska has a real chance to become a respected and steady voice, rather than the laughingstock of politics and the darling of the tabloids.
Maybe that should be part of his PR.
Seriously.
I’ve been in Texas, Maine and Virginia in the last 5 years and its getting increasingly embarrassing to admit I’ve lived in Texas and do live in Virginia, with the quality of their politicians.
Alaskans..one..by one..by one..will be on a very public stage for the next months..as their very quality of inate brainpower..wisdom and wideranging problem-solving ability..get tested to the core.
It was be great to see McAdams get national exposure like Miller did. He’d knock ‘em dead on Meet the Press.
I hope Alaska and the Dems get behind McAdams, I am in NC and I sent him money. It matters to all of us if these teabaggers get into office! I hate Palin and everything she spews.
I agree, Zyggy. I think Miller has gotten way too much free press just for being a Palin pick and part of the Tea Party Express. Maybe someone should remind $P that the very ‘lamestream’ media that she constantly cries wolf at is helping her chosen candidate immeasurably.
Can someone phone Maddow and ask her to help arrange that? Isn’t Rachel a panelist on MTP these days? Scott would be terrific on those national sunday morning shows.
I can only hope that the Republican Party, if there is still enough of it remaining alive and mentally functioning, will now, after so many previous losses to the Tea Bagging RepoTaliban, realize that they are going to loose control of their party, on the national level, as they have on the local and state level in so many states, if they do not stop pandering to the Tea Bagging RepoTaliban, who make the NeoTalibans look almost reasonable.
The Neo’s mostly just want DC to do nothing constructive under Obama, the Repo’s want to undo every positive legislative act back to Hoover to be undone.
As the RepoTalibans concentrate on keeping their hand in America’s pocket book and robbing America into third world status, they have allowed Guy Fawkes into their basement and the fuse is lit, the Nazis into the Reichtag in the dark of night, the Stalinists into the Marxist movement,…
They are so intent on destroying the Democratic Party, rather than creating a positive agenda, so that they can have their 40 year majority in DC, that they do not realize, or are willing to accept, that they are themselves being destroyed by one of their own deadliest weapons.
Do Republicans now get it that if there is a 40 year conservative majority in DC it will not be Republicans but it will be their own child that will depose and destroy them.
Joe Miller is not for Alaskans. IF he makes it to the US Senate he will be working for the Tea Party Express movement.
In this economy and in these hard times the Tea Party people that make it to the Senate and the House will be spending all their time tearing the constitution apart and our country.
I want someone to go to the Senate and work to fix our economy, unite our country and to work for Alaskans. And so I will be voting for Scott McAdams.
As Joe Miller has said that he wants to:
Abolish the Department of Education
Abolish the National Endowment for the Arts
Cut off American funding for the United Nations
Reduce American foreign aid
Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
start phasing out and privatizing Social Security and Medicare for younger workers and he refers to scientific evidence for climate change as dubious at best.
Hey, it’s only today. Tomorrow is another day. Joe will wake up, put his slippers and robe on, yawn and stretch and try to come to life, waddle into the kitchen to make some coffee, turn on the computer, play three games of Freecell, check his e-mail, and get his marching orders for the day.
Ok, oversimplified, but cue the backsliding on all or at least most of these, if not tomorrow, no later than the end of September. If he is following the Palin Playbook, the claim will be “I never said I wanted to privatize Social Security”, etc. and et. al.
Everybody got screenshots of his current web page? Keeping all his media interviews?
It is my hope and prayer that Alaskans will vote their own interests, and elect Scott McAdams to the Senate. You and we do not need a senator from the Koch Brothers.
Thanks for the interview with Scott. Hope he now starts to get some national coverage. We need to get him funded to fight the Koch’s and the crazy Yale Carpetbagger.
Maybe Joe Miller needs to put a little trademark symbol at the end of his name.
After all, it seems that the Koch brothers have created him and have invested more than half a million dollars in his campaign thus far. I bet they’re willing to invest millions more to get their very own Senator. It’s only fair that they profit by him – which they will, if he wins the race in November.
The Koch invest their money carefully. They expect big returns on their investment in him.
Watch out Alaska.
Giggle.. The Koch Brothers and also..” a trademark symbol”..yuppers..ya nailed it!!
Kock suckers, n’est pas?
This is the guy I’ll be actively supporting this election. Any word on debate schedule, yet? Or is Miller too chickensh*t for that sort of thing.
I found this article which gives some info on Joe Miller and his staff. (towards the bottom).
Bronze star gulf war I – that will get the military vote.
It also tells a bit about who is working for him on his campaign.
http://www.apknews.com/08/joe-miller-alaska-joe-miller.html
Whoever “APK News” is, it appears that English is not his/her first language.
The Bronze Star may have less impact than you think. There’s been a bit of “decoration inflation” over the years. Military folks are well aware of this. I hope that the McAdams team does a little research into what, exactly, Miller’s active duty consisted of. He appears to have only served three years, despite a Point commission. I’m assuming that his service was not cut short by injury, since I’d expect that to be briskly advertised.
It would be interesting to learn his views on the VA.
Did he receive a Bronze Star Medal (BSM) with “V” device for valor? Or a BSM “plain” version? There’s a substantial difference.
Was he an Infantry officer? Or another branch? Did he lead combat troops in action against the enemy, or did he lead troops in a combat zone in support functions?
No disrespect toward support troops intended – I had a desk job in Iraq. I think all military service is deserving of respect. But if Miller is exaggerating his duties, he’s not only taking credit he did not earn, he’s disrespecting all support troops. I just would like to know the facts. Military service is laudable, but I’m always careful not to let people get the wrong idea about what my duties were in Iraq. Maybe Joe Miller doesn’t feel the same way I do about it.
Just a suggestion to the McAdams team. They might want to update his wiki page to give more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_McAdams
vs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Miller_%28Alaska_politician%29
I’m thinking that it’s just fine that the State Troopers are there and should really keep a close eye on those three at all times. Never out of sight and sound and I’d appreciate it if they could all be searched before entering the premise. Okay?
If there’s a problem, THAT’S where it is!
Scott was good wasn’t he I would hope that Lisa would turn around and throw her support to him and ask all Alaskans to do the same.She has nothing to lose and everything to gain right now.Isn’t that what happened in NY?????? And it worked.Come on Lisa show us all that you do put Alaska first??????
That’s my dream, too, although it would probably end her career as a Republican candidate forever. I’m wondering if she doesn’t have her eye on Mark Begich’s seat in 2014.
Blue_in_AK: Good point regarding 2014. I think Lisa has too much invested in her political career to just call it quits at this point. I think she’s going to regroup and come back at it in ’14. Either that or go for Don Young’s seat.
I have a feeling in four years she will be well-established in something else, and the thought of running for office again may not hold much appeal. She has an opportunity to define her party by either NOT endorsing Miller, or endorsing McAdams. What she will do is anyone’s guess, but I’d be shocked if she endorsed Miller.
Four years is a long time to wait to run again. It makes sense that she will do something else in the meantime.
I don’t think she will endorse Miller. Where is Paddy Power (the Irish bookie) when you need him?
When I vote to send someone to the Senate it will be because I want that person representing Alaskans, and not wasting time and tax dollars fighting about what a 200+ year old document means.
I for one trust that the evolution of this document has evolved over time to represent our democracy and I don’t want years to be wasted on this in the Senate, when we have so much opportunity now to work on our Energy policy and our Economy the many things that need to be addressed now. And we are so close!
Sending Tea Baggers to the Senate is the wrong thing to do. One also has to consider who is bankrolling the Tea Party movement. I believe its because we are so close to revolutionizing our energy polices that the Koch brothers are bankrolling this upheaval, because this energy revolution will hit their profits.
Joe Miller is wrong for our state and for our country.
We need to pull together in these hard times as the United States of America and not let this fringe Tea Party group tear our country apart. And as our troops have honored their commitments and fought for Americans over seas, we all need to fight to hold our country together here to honor our troop’s efforts over seas.
Alright…..the Dems. have one chance here…Scott knows this….If the Dems are listening and understanding the miracle that they have just been given…then they will replace Scott with Fran Ulmer. Nothing against Scott, but he does NOT have the experience, nor the Obama connections that Ulmer has. Now I am NOT a Democrat, use to be a Republican, but switched to an Undeclared once Palin came on the scene, and watching what was going on within the Republican party…I could not back them any longer. BUT, I as well as many, many moderate Republicans would vote for Fran Ulmer. She has the experience, the clout, the intellect and the love for Alaska that would represent all of Alaska. AKM, Shannon, Phil, Andrew H. and Martha Unalaska Yard Sign….get moving, get Fran on the ballot. She would seriously clean joe miller’s clock and send a strong message to the tea party. STAY THE HELL OUT OF OUR STATES SENATE!!! You have one shot here…make it count for all of Alaska….and that means, Fran Ulmer!!! Lisa Murkowski would support Fran Ulmer.
Absolutely NOT! Scott McAdams is an outstanding candidate, and all this nonsense, and rumor and push polls about Fran Ulmer and Tony Knowles are nothing more than acting to divide the Democratic party… or trying to.
Moderate Republicans, if they have an ounce of sense in their heads, will vote for Scott McAdams because he is an amazing person, and the right one for the job. If someone else wanted this seat they should have applied to run.
If moderate Republicans want to vote for Joe Miller, then I have to just shake my head. Bad move for the state. McAdams can absolutely win this election. He’s only 8 points behind Miller who just had a half million dollar campaign blitz. The more people learn about McAdams the more they like him. Who actually had the spine to toss his hat in the ring when he thought he might be running against Murkowski? No Monday morning quarterbacking. We HAVE been given a gift, and his name is Scott McAdams.
I am shocked that the people of Alaska would ever consider replacing a duly elected primary candidate with someone else.
I heard about the Republican push polls with the Ulmer and Knowles questions last night. Just typical Rethuglican FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt).
I’m impressed with Scott and once voters get to know him I’m sure they will be too. Lisa voter have a real choice and they don’t need “other” candidates. Scott is top of the line, IMHO.
I think AKM is right. And the more I learn about Scott, the more I like him as well. He is the real deal, and I think he has the best chance against Joe. While I think Fran Ulmer is an intelligent, well meaning person, she will be pegged as being as much a part of the establishment as Murkowski was.
Scott, however, has the advantage of not being a part of the establishment and I think that will be a huge advantage for him in the upcoming election. Like I said before, i think it would be fool hardy for the Dems to switch now as it’s too late and people will view that as being too flip-floppy.
Just my thoughts, of course.
I absolutely agree with AKM. If Fran wanted the job she should have thrown her name in the hat. Scott won the primary and should be supported fully by the Democratic party and anyone willing to take 2 seconds to think about what a terrible job Miller will do for Alaska (but probably a great job for the Koch brothers who have bought and paid for him).
Scott is the real deal. A true Alaskan that understands Alaska’s issues. I was very impressed with his interview and look forward to more. He is a centrist and admits to being so and I think this will play well in Alaska.
Let me echo a bit of what AKM said while adding my own 2 cents:
No one wanted to run against Lisa Murkowski…no one. All of the big names in Alaska Democratic politics (including, I’m quite sure, Fran Ulmer) were cajoled, wined, dined and BEGGED to fill the Democratic slot. I don’t blame them for passing…many of these folks (including Fran Ulmer) are people I greatly respect.
However, Scott McAdams WAS THE ONLY ONE to step to the plate. It’s only now that many folks are discovering how lucky we are. He has turned out to be an energetic, intelligent, charming and selfless breath of fresh air. And, he’s something they fear…the very thing Sarah Palin claimed to be but isn’t really…a born-in-Alaska small-town mayor who INDEPENDENTLY OF STATE/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT increased his town’s prosperity AND decreased their debt. (See stories on what kind of debt Sarah Palin left in Wasilla.)
As an Alaskan, it should offend you that there is a candidate like Joe Miller running who wants to: 1) do-away with the Department of Education, 2) phase out Social Security and Medicare, 3) cancel the unemployment safety net and 4) outlaw abortion, INCLUDING IN CASES OF RAPE AND INCEST!! While Joe Miller calls himself a “constitutionalist,” (a misnomer in his case) supporting some of these things puts him strongly at odds with a constitution very near-and-dear to my heart…the Alaska Constitution.
Scott McAdams is the one who is going to win this race. Those who want to “armchair quarterback” and even pay for push polls need to realize they are working against the process by sowing division and uncertainty…they are helping the Tea Party.
The stage is set and as of last night, the rolls are cast in a production that doesn’t need another director. it’s time to buy a ticket.
But AKM…can he do the job? No ill intent here what so ever…not trying to split anyones party…just looking at it from a single persons point of view. I like Scott, but do I feel he is the right person to send to D.C. to represent Alaskan’s as a Democrat….No. At least not at this point.
That’s a good question, and hopefully he can answer that question to you and many other people who are unfamiliar with Scott. But I also think this is an equally important question: what makes you think he can’t do the job? If you review his credentials he clearly has what it takes to work with people an an executive and administrative level.
Of course there will be a learning curve for him, but at some point there has to be a change of guard from the old and experienced to the young and inexperienced. It is evident that no matter who Alaska chooses to be their new Senator, that will be the reality this time around. And with that being the case, I’d much rather have Scott in our court.
In any case, I’m not trying to belittle your points and I think you have valid questions.
PS, I just realized you were addressing AKM, so I apologize if I butted in when I shouldn’t have.
Woman Who Runs With The Wolves, I love you. Scott McAdams is our man for Senator. Yes, Scott McAdams can do the job. Scott McAdams is a man of integrity.
Scott McAdams now faces the gutter-sniping tactics of joe-the-rear-ender and joe-it’s-not-my-fault says the joe-the-misogynist……….
We must hold hands, WWRWTW, and stay the course. We’re civil in our civil discourse because we use our manners. We do not hit, but for goodness sake, we WILL stand up to joe-the-bully. Keep your boots on, girl friend, and expect joe-who-pals-around-with-the-bitter-quitter to play every filthy, smarmy, victim-y stunt that he’s presented. Think Fox-licensed-to-lie, fear and bull-pie propaganda ~ and remember, there are no degrees of integrity, you either have it, or you don’t. joe‘s a don’t.
Scott McAdams for Senate.
I’m not AKM (obviously), but look at it from a comparative perspective. Since Alaska is a very-low-pop state, there really aren’t a lot of opportunities for a pol to gain the experience that would genuinely make her/him “ready” to be a United States Senator (especially since the single seat in the House won’t be available until Yon Dung snuffs it).
In terms of scope, Mayor of Anchorage or Governor are the only two jobs that provide sufficient background (and even then, those are executive positions, not legislative). With full respect to your state legislators, many of whom are undoubtedly fine people, it’s a part-time job. And a freaking easy one, given the Federal subsidies and the unearned oil tax revenue.
IMO, neither Miller nor McAdams has the credentials to be a US Senator (one of 100 individuals who comprise the upper house of the Federal legislature), but neither does anyone else in the state, including Fran Ulmer. So, I’m open to an argument that Ulmer might be more electable than McAdams, but not to the idea that he should step aside for her because she’d be a better Senator. At this point, we have no idea at all what kind of Senator y’all are going to end up with (well, except that if it’s Miller, it will probably be looney).
BTW, as you can likely infer, I think the Framers made a big, though understandable, mistake in assigning two Senators to every state. Understandable, because they had no way to know the size of the continent, or how many very-low-population states would be carved out of it.
Now that Ms. Murkowski will be looking for something else to do come November, is there a chance she might want to retaliate for a recent endorsement that didn’t go her way?
Just…thinking…out…loud….
Those who support integrity in Alaska’s elections should start writing letters to the editors, airing radio commentaries, and speaking with everyone they can about who and what Joe Miller represents and why Scott McAdams is someone Alaska can be proud to have in the US Senate.
Yes. Keep saying it – “I’m voting for the big guy.”
I just want to let everyone know what the republicans who voted for Miller (and will continue to vote for him) are thinking. I had to take one of my beasties to the vet this morning and engaged in a conversation with my vet and his wife (both reasonable, educated, thinking people whom I like very much-although we do not agree politically). Their take it on it was this (and this is the line that I am hearing from many of the people I am surrounded by): “Lisa sold out to Obama’s politics” “Our children’s future is being sold down the river” “It is time that we got rid of professional politicians” “There should be term limits for all of them” “We want things to be solved and taken care of at a local level, not a national level”. And lastly they felt a need to put this qualifier in “we are not militia people”.
I asked if they really want the Board of Education, SS and Medicare/Medicaid abolished. the answer was “There are so many abuses to these systems… so many people who feel entitled” “If I see someone collecting Social Security when they really don’t need it, I get mad”. Hmmmmmmm.
Now, I drove home and thought about this. There are some areas where I tend to agree with them when I remove my partisanship from the picture. Certainly not on the Lisa backed Obama (WTF?) meme. But I do agree with them that there is a lot of entitlement in this state. Not so much on the SS question (you pay into it all your life and once you are on a fixed pension–if you even get that–what are you supposed to do) but there is certainly a ton of Medicare/Medicaid abuse in this state both from the providers and the recipients.
On the unemployment front I am NOT talking about what happens in seriously poverty stricken communities or places where there are just literally no jobs. I am talking about in communities where people choose to go on unemployment because they want to take the winter off and go play on their snowmachines.
This is the kind of stuff that makes people mad enough to vote against their own interests. It is also a little peek at the thinking of some of the Republicans (who are lifelong Alaskans) in my area. They do not generally think outside of their own community (except to be appalled with Obama on principle). They have jobs, they take care of their neighbors and they don’t think they/we need any help with this. I am sure that they do not see any of what the stimulus has done (in fact, on the surface, without looking very deep into it, no one really knows how that money has been spent or how many people are still employed because of it because it isn’t talked about it very much).
This is what McAdams is up against. He had better pay heed to it because it, not what the Democratic base thinks, is what he will need to pay attention to in order to win.
I understand what you are saying, the old Reagan “welfare queen” is stilling running deeply amongst the registered R’s. Most of these folks are the ones who don’t seem to pay much attention most of the time and they certainly don’t realize that “welfare” is around 2% of the total budget. The redistribution of wealth meme really plays to this crew.
On medical fraud, I recall a story recently that talked about the Dept of Justice finally being able to go after millions of dollar worth thanks to the new HC bill. Anybody know where we can get more info on this? It would make a good talking point if apparently many types of fraud could not be prosecuted before.
“Authorities Charge 94 Suspects With Medicare Fraud”:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/07/authorities-charge-94-suspects-with-medicare-fraud.html
Perception is reality, and a lot of people don’t give a rat’s about facts. This is about power. Above, someone mentioned a 500K blitz, forgetting all the free publicity the Miller guy got, which I lamented a few days back.
The AK Dems have a lot of work to do, but shouldn’t forget people make emotional decisions about buying, then justify it after the fact. That works in politics, too. I had an immediate horrible chemical reaction the minute $P started talking in Ohio, but had heard the announcement on NPR in the car beforehand and IMMEDIATELY thought McCain had “thrown the country under the bus and “country first, my a**.”
Good luck to all.
“I asked if they really want the Board of Education, SS and Medicare/Medicaid abolished. the answer was “There are so many abuses to these systems… so many people who feel entitled” “If I see someone collecting Social Security when they really don’t need it, I get mad”. Hmmmmmmm.”
I have no argument that these programs have a certain amount of abuse. With programs of such gargantuan size, there is bound to be abuse. However, people who even consider supporting a candidate who wants to abolish them completely are like someone who throws out their car when their tire goes flat. Fix the problem but don’t discard a program or agency that helps millions of people who would be desperate without it. I get mad when people like them are so shortsighted!
“Miller is now officially the Republican Candidate, which provides an opportunity unheard of in the 49th State…the chance to have two Democrats in the US Senate!”
Some historic context might actually be of interest, at this point.
Alaska has had seven U.S. senators. Four of the seven have been Democrats, including the first two (Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening). Of the five senators who have entered office via an election (i.e., not appointed like Senators Stevens and Lisa Murkowski), four have been Democrats. Sen. Stevens was appointed by Gov. Hickel (R) to replace a Democrat (Bob Bartlett) who died in office; and Sen. Lisa Murkowski was appointed by her father, Frank, who had to relinquish the office when he was elected Governor.
I don’t want to talk about Sarah Palin. I want to talk about the articulate, thoughtful candidate I saw on the video at the top of the page – Scott McAdams. The whole country will be watching this race to see which side Alaskans choose: the sensible and rational or the nutty and extreme. In any other state, or perhaps in another era, McAdams would probably be a Republican. I can’t wait for the sheer “moderateness” of him and his positions to be seen and weighed by the nation, making it completely obvious that the tea bag crowd is off its rocker.
Just a bug in the ear. Can someone verify Miller’s ‘bronze star’ from Iraq? I’m willing to bet….
I don’t doubt that he received a Bronze Star Medal (BSM). However, what many civilians don’t understand is that there are two types of BSM.
The “plain” BSM can be awarded for meritorious action – in other words, outstanding or excellent performance of duties that does NOT involve direct contact with the enemy or risk to one’s life. I was awarded a BSM at the end of my deployment in Iraq, and I had a desk job. I was never engaged in combat, never put my life at risk in the course of my duties (beyond the basic risk we all incurred just by being in a combat zone – I served in “Mortaritaville”, Balad), and certainly never led combat troops in action against the enemy. I don’t say this to disrespect the many troops who served, as I did, in support roles. When someone hears that I received a BSM (usually from my Dad, despite my requests to him not to “brag” on me), I just want to make sure that they are not misunderstanding the nature of my duties.
A BSM with the “V” device, for valor, is another situation. The award of this medal requires performance of duties in contact with the enemy, and valorous action. Those who receive the BSM with “V” device have performed exceptional actions at the risk of their lives.
Joe Miller has not said specifically which type of BSM he received. Although I can’t claim to be able to read his mind, the fact that he has not corrected the common misconception that a “plain” BSM represents combat action makes me think that he knows that he’s getting more credit than he deserves. Just my opinion. He says he received it for “leadership in combat” – but strictly speaking, that phrase can be applied to anyone in leadership in a combat zone, even if they never actively engaged the enemy.
I would like to know what branch he held as an officer – was he an Infantry officer? Did he receive the BSM for leading combat troops? I think these are fair questions, because military service is a factor in peoples’ opinions of candidates. As I said, I feel it’s important, for me at least, to make sure that people don’t get the wrong idea about me having a BSM. Maybe Joe Miller doesn’t feel it’s that important. Maybe he’s not intentionally misleading anyone.
Maybe.
Got an email earlier today from Mark Begich asking for donations to Scott. Mark didn’t waste time in providing his endorsement or help. I already gave a couple days ago, but it was such a NICE solicitation. Aww Shucks, just had to do it again.
Can’t wait to see Scott on Rachael Maddow tonight. Scott just seems like a down to earth, hardworking & honest ALASKAN (not a carpetbagger). I just have to believe that will resonate with the people once they get to know him better.
I’m only half way thru the Vanity Fair article and am so totally disgusted by this RAM thing. Someone should call her out for defamation or something. If only we could get all our knowledge convincingly into the mainstream.
I just got kicked out 3 times. Each time I’m sure I had good information/thoughts to share. Please advise, nem
We can do this!! McAdams can do it. I’m sure that exposer ($$) will help to make the difference.