Sarah Palin, perhaps politics’ most high-profile vetting escapee seems to have a strong opinion on the matter of vetting when it comes to people who are not Sarah Palin. Despite documentation that proves Palin was never vetted (as John McCain and others claim), she is waving the red flag, encouraging Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and [...]

Like many of his compatriots, Newt Gingrich has gotten himself in hot water about comments regarding the African American community. At a recent town hall event (in New Hampshire), Gingrich said that if invited, he would love to speak at the annual NAACP convention “about why the African-American community should demand pay checks and not be [...]

After both Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry have spectacularly failed in their attempts to get on the Virginia primary ballot, analogies are being made. Gingrich’s National Campaign Director Michael Krull stated via Facebook on Saturday that the campaign “will make all other deadlines” and said it “will continue to learn and grow.”  Don’t think of [...]

Sarah Palin says it’s not too late for folks to jump into the Republican presidential race. That’s right… “folks.” “Folks” still have time to throw their hat in the ring. “Folks” could change their minds. “Folks” aren’t sold on the current lineup of candidates. There’s just not enough fire in those bellies. “Folks” could even [...]

Let’s play a little game. Imagine this scenario, and then tell me in what country this story takes place. You wake up and go to work. Maria, in the next cubicle over, isn’t there. And she isn’t there the next day. You and your coworkers come to find out that military officers knocked on her [...]

The Daily FacePalm from Wasilla. [Photo by Jim Wright]

By Wickersham’s Conscience WC’s readers will recall that back in June 2011, WC was critical – well, vitriolic, really – of Governor Parnell’s decision to litigate the endangered species classification of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whales. Because Parnell’s other bad decisions had removed Alaskan officials from the group that develops the recovery plan, Alaska had no [...]

Apparently someone put something in Don Young’s oatmeal this week. OK, yes… he’s got something in his oatmeal every week, but this week he got an extra helping. Or perhaps he jus needs a bran muffin instead. Or perhaps the propeller beanie he wore to the Resources hearing a few days ago was a liiiitle [...]

Dear Rest of Nation, You may have many things – cheap airline tickets, world-class museums and symphonies, outlet stores, the vineyards and orchards, good public transportation, five star restaurants, and fabulous architecture. But we have things too, like the best salmon in the world, soaring mountain vistas, drive up coffee stands, downtown moose… And, I [...]

Here is the next installment of Greg Palast’s new book Vulture’s Picnic. He has allowed The Mudflats to bring you Chapter 7 – My Home is Now a Strange Place in its entirety. This is an exclusive excerpt, just for Mudflatters. I find it absolutely riveting. If you need to catch up, here are links [...]

There are some times when you tune in to right wing radio in this town, and the jaw-dropping willful ignorance is so overwhelming, so stupefying, so abhorrent, that no commentary is necessary. There are times when all you have to do is print a little bit of transcript, and let them out themselves for who [...]

I have to confess, I felt a little wistful about Move Your Money Day. The idea was that on Saturday, November 5, everyone who was fed up with the big banks, their unsound business practices, their bailouts and bonuses, should pull their money out of those banks, and instead open an account at a local [...]

Mudflats readers will remember coverage over the last year of the issue of the “Unsuitable Lands Petition” that Cook Inletkeeper and the Chuitna Citizens Coalition submitted to the state. Basically, what this petition did was to put forth the idea that certain areas are just plain unsuitable for coal strip mining – specifically the areas [...]

‘Tis the season for political fundraisers. Invitations come via email, and Facebook, and robocall, and some still even come the old fashioned way and arrive in the mailbox. Each invitation tries to sound a little exciting, a little different, a little “stand out from the crowd.” Well, this is one that definitely stood out. We’ve [...]

~The Alaska Department of Law hard at work on the Palin emails Remember when our former governor was nominated to be the VP candidate? And we were all like, “What? Really? You’ve got to be kidding me!”  I know. It seems like a lifetime ago. Back then, in days of yore, people in the Lower [...]