Mike Dunleavy… AK Poseur?!
As I was swooping around the Twitterverse the other day, I happened to notice something… Something thad made me go, “Hmm.” It was a tweet from Senator Mike Dunleavy (R-The Valley). Mr. Dunleavy SAYS he’s a long-time Alaskan. (See Exhibit A) He SAYS he’s an outdoorsman. (Also See Exhibit A) The Alaska Dispatch even says he’s been here since 1983. (See Exhibit B) I pace across the floor, hands behind my back and brow furrowed. I give Mr. Dunleavy a Clint Eastwood squint. You SAY you are a long-time Alaskan outdoorsman. You SAY you live in the Valley… Then how,…
Track Palin to Divorce
Huh. That was quick. And apparently it is news. So sayeth the Washington Post. After 23-year old Track Palin and his wife Britta, 22, watched a 48-minute movie on the impact of divorce on children, …they filed jointly for divorce. This means they’ve agreed to a settlement, including property, finances, and child support. The couple, who had been dating since high school, married in April of last year. The wedding of the jean-clad couple, at Hatcher Pass, Alaska, was reported after the fact in a gushy People Magazine article by Lorenzo Benet. Benet authored the equally gushy Sarah Palin biography Trailblazer,…
Pozonsky-gate. The Plot Thickens.
But wait, there’s more! Not only did the hiring scandal of former Pennsylvania Judge Paul Pozonsky into the Parnell administration touch strange corners of Alaska politics, it seems that the Judge’s checkered history in Pennsylvania is not just limited to destruction of evidence in 17 drug cases, but it now appears he’s been doing some inappropriate favors for frackers in the name of keeping information from the press and the public by inappropriately sealing records. Are we shocked? No, we are not. Alaska politics are such that it takes a lot to consider something scandalous, let alone a soap opera….
GOP Lineup Goes Byzantine
The shakeup in the Alaska GOP continues. Our three party system (Dems, Republicans, and Tea Partiers) is going “byzantine,” according to the Alaska Ear. Yes, it’s inside baseball, but that’s really the only baseball that counts. The powerful finance committee is where bills go to live or die, and it seems like a couple of entrenched GOPpers find themselves on the outside looking in – or potentially so. Bill Thomas (R) who was assumed to be a fixture in said committee, finds himself suddenly in a race for relevancy with the awesome, out-of-nowhere Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins. Their race, as you…
Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen
By now, we’re into the seventh layer of complexity in the real-life spy thriller “Homeland meets The West Wing meets Melrose Place” – otherwise known as the Petraeus sex scandal. For those of you who haven’t tuned into the news recently, here’s a recap of what we know so far that led to Petraeus’ resignation as Director of the CIA. Republican ideologue working at the FBI sends Jill Kelley, a military Party Planner (not kidding) with whom he has an unknown relationship, shirtless pictures of himself. Later, said Party Planner gets harassing anonymous emails of the “I saw what you…
Levi Johnston Names Second Baby After Gun
We’d like to take a break from the trivial, frivolous matter of election integrity to delve deeply into a critical piece of developing news… Levi Johnston, the ex-fiance and baby daddy of former Dancing With the Stars celebrity Bristol Palin, and also former ex-almost-son-in-law of the former ex-half-governor and former-almost-second-in-command of these here United States, has gotten his current girlfriend Sunny Oglesby in the family way. Once again, the miracle of life began for Johnston on a camping trip, and once again, the pregnancy was unplanned. We do not know if wine coolers were involved this time. “We were out…
Blinky on the Warpath – Cain Goes Ballistic on Perry Campaign
It’s been a busy week for Herman “Blinky” Cain. All that dodging and deflecting, all the blinking and stuttering, doing interviews and trying to keep stories straight… grueling work, that. And now he’s added a new activity to his already busy calendar – blaming. No, he’s not blaming the women he sexually harassed (although he may just be saving that one for another day), he’s blaming Rick Perry. What better way to start your Thursday morning than with a little elephant-on-elephant violence? That, and a cup of coffee, and you’re all set. Cain is not just accusing Rick Perry –…
Herman Cain’s Blinkage – An Unscientific Comparative Study
Many have commented on Herman Cain’s vigorous denial of sexual harassment allegations on Fox News the other day. As I watched the interview, something struck me. As someone who is intrigued by nonverbal communication of all sorts, I found myself mesmerized not by what Cain was saying, but by what he was doing. Blinking. I had to watch the clip a second time because I couldn’t even concentrate on the words the first time through the rapid-fire visual blink assault. Then I thought to myself, “Wow. I wonder how many times a minute he’s blinking? I bet it’s a lot….
Alaska Grown vs Made In China
The past two budgets have included $84 million for a bridge…to somewhere in Alaska. Senators Wielechowski and French have written a letter to the Alaska Railroad with some concerns. ANCHORAGE- Today, Senators Bill Wielechowski and Hollis French are calling on Alaska Railroad officials to ensure steel products made only in America are used to build a bridge over the Tanana River near Salcha. The Senators say numerous constituents have recently contacted them, concerned that the Alaska Railroad Corporation is considering using foreign steel on the massive project. “Alaskan funds should be used for Alaskan and American jobs and goods,” said Senator Wielechowski,…
Bristol Votes for Reconciliation – Goes Rogue
Oy. Bristol “abstinence” Palin and Levi “Playgirl” Johnston have apparently buried the hatchet, and plan to start a new life together. The young sweethearts announced their reconciliation, and engagement to be wed on the pages of US Weekly Magazine. And no, they didn’t tell the ex-half-governor before hand. She learned it from the newsstand, unless she has a subscription. Awkward… Ah, to have been a fly on the wall in Wasilla today. Now comes the hard part: Getting the blessing of Sarah Palin, who has made no secret of her feelings for Levi. He provoked her fury last fall when…