The Mudflats

Lisa Murkowski used to be my favorite senator. Granted, that’s only because Ted Stevens was my other one. Even Ted Stevens used to be my favorite senator. Granted that’s only because the other one was Frank Murkowski. It was all a matter of perspective.

But those were the old days. Now, Frank Murkowski is relegated to the dust bin of political history after hoppng from DC to Alaska as governor. He got routed going for a second term by some Wasilla mayor who got tired of the job a couple years in and is now moving her mouth for Fox News and blogging on weekends. Ted Stevens is gone – voted out after seven felony convictions that were overturned only due to prosecutorial incompetence. And Lisa Murkowski put in place by her father when he left DC, has cast off any allegiance to moderation or integrity by becoming a pro-climate change, pro-pollution shill for big oil – the very thing that got her father voted out of office and replaced by whats-her-name. Ah, the tangled web of Alaskan politics

But now, I actually like my favorite senator. I no longer have to choose the less reprehensible Republican for the slot. Don’t get me wrong – there are many issues upon which we disagree, but that’s OK. He’s here to serve the state, which is a complicated and polarized blend of people. Especially in terms of resource development, Alaskan Democrats feel differently than Democrats in other parts of the country. I get that. So for right now, I’m going to tiptoe past outer continental shelf (OCS) drilling, and ANWR and beluga whales, and get right to the part of Senator Begich that I really like.

When he first came back from D.C. and spoke at the annual Jefferson Jackson dinner to a room full of Democrats, I knew I was hooked. It was like a friend had been sent to some far off exotic land, and instead of coming back a changed person, or dropping names and customs like everyone knew what he was talking about, he decided to teach. He came back and told us all what it was like for him, and how things actually worked. He didn’t assume we knew, and he brought along his constituents on a journey of discovery. He was a freshman senator learning the ropes and wanted us to learn too.

That’s why I particularly enjoyed this segment on KTVA Channel 11. Every week Matt Felling hosts “A View from the Hill” and talks with one of our senators about what’s going on in our nation’s capital. This week he addressed a variety of topics, but the one that interested me the most was the part of the discussion on Democratic majority, senatorial procedure and the filibuster.

On the loss of 60 Democratic votes in the senate:

The part that’s more frustrating is … it doesn’t matter if you have 59, 57, whatever it is – that we are somewhat held hostage by parliamentary procedure, the old games, the politics of Washington D.C., that are not helping us move forward, especially on helping American families and Alaskan families get the jobs they need, and the economy moving forward.

Last week, we had the agenda consumed by a simple appointment to the GSA (the General Services Administration) an office that’s basically the leasing agent for the federal government, but because of the parilamentary procedures that the minority did, it held up all action on the Senate floor for four or five days which means we’re not working on the jobs issue, or helping to build this economy. So I think in some ways – again 59, 57, whatever it is – we’ve got to work to move this economy forward. And I would hope that the minority would just give up on these parliamentary procedures and focus on helping American families – Alaskan families – build a better economy and create jobs.

Felling: I think when a lot of people hear the word “filibuster,” they go back to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and they think about a Republican senator reading from the dictionary or the phone book, but that’s not the way it goes any longer. How exactly do they do it then?

Begich: It’s just kind of a parlor game, it’s a parlor trick and what they do is they claim a “cloture vote” which is a vote that requires 60 votes instead of a real filibuster where you actually have to sit on the floor and talk about why you’re doing this. You just go home! And they get 30 hours to do nothing and the senate really just stands in stall. If people turn on C-Span they’ll see people presiding and the room empty, because they just get to burn up 30 hours of time and that’s it. In days gone by you’d actually have to come down and debate the reason why you’re holding up the legislation that might be in front. But the reason they don’t do that now, especially the minority, is because they’d be embarrassed. Because all they’re doing is coming down and delaying for the sake of delaying and costing this economy, costing American jobs, costing Alaskan jobs. It’s really a shame. So I hope in a lot of ways we can get beyond that a lot of the freshmen on both Democrat and Republican are somewhat fed up with that process and want to move forward and doing the business that this country, that my state, sent me here to do.

Rachel Maddow had a great discussion on just this topic, and how the filibuster as it is being used now by the Republicans is grinding the gears of our nation to a halt, and what the Democrats might do about it. Remember the “nuclear option?”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

My favorite senator is back in the state for the weekend. I got to catch up with him in his Anchorage office on Friday. He talked about his plans for the visit home, and chuckled at the “interesting snow removal techniques” employed in our nation’s capital, which included lots of salt and waiting for the weather to warm up!

Mark Begich in his Anchorage office

The focus of the senate right now is on jobs, and they will be looking at various components of a jobs bill which will include small business lending, energy efficiency, infrastructure development, and getting more cops, firefighters, teachers and youth working.

He gave a quick update on the stimulus bill (the one that our other senator voted against) and said about soon about 60% of that money will start moving forward to help Alaskans. A big hospital project in Nome is part of that. Also there will be about $100 million designated to bring broadband internet service to Western Alaska in more than 100 villages. It will not only employ people to set it up, but it will have long-term impact. There will now be capacity for connections that can be used for medical care and in hospitals, tele-education, and commerce. Businesses will benefit, and it will no longer take an hour and a half to submit forms online. (So, rural Alaska, remember who voted for that stimulus money)

The senator tells us there is lots of momentum around energy and an energy bill. The bill will have multiple components including renewable energy projects to create what Begich described as a “holistic view of energy.” He was pleased that the president mentioned OCS drilling, and that there are positive steps being taken in that direction. The president mentioned OCS drilling again when he did a recent “pop in” at a press conference.

The senator as a member of the Armed Services Committee is very involved and committed to veteran’s issues which was clear as he spoke. He mentioned the fact that one in ten Alaskans is a veteran, a higher per capita concentration than any other state in the nation. Alaska also presents certain unique challenges to veterans particularly those who live in very rural locations. Access to healthcare in remote areas will rely more and more on telemedicine which will be helped by the broadband capabilities that are on the way.
The senator is working with Indian Health Services to try to develop a strong partnership to facilitate better delivery of essential services for Alaska’s vets.

One of the first things the Obama administration did was increase the amount of money going to veterans, the largest increase ever. Recently a quarter million veterans who were never in the system have been added. There are still 1.6 million who are not.

If you are a veteran or know any, Senator Begich wants to hear from you and understand your concerns and needs. Hearings are coming up and your input is wanted.

He’ll be heading to Fairbanks and Kotzebue before returning to D.C. to tackle the snow and the obstructionists, and try to get work done on jobs, energy, education, veterans issues and health care.  We wish him luck, and look forward to more reports from inside the beltway.

“Adopt a Senator for Climate” is the whip project at DailyKos to track and influence the Kerry-Boxer climate change bill as it moves through the Senate.  Volunteers target particular Senators, ascertain and diary the Senator’s likely vote on the climate bill, and track the Senator’s position as the bill moves through the Senate.  This is a great project.  Mark Begich is still waiting to be “adopted.”  Interested?  Contact me or leave a comment.  RLMiller did a great job with the adoption of Senator Lisa Murkowski.  The diary is reprinted here.

By RLMiller

The vast state of Alaska is big enough to hold two very high-ranking female politicians, although Some Politician hogs the limelight.  The other one will have a chance to vote on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act – but will she vote to keep her state mired in last century’s pollution, or north to the future for her vulnerable state?

Lisa Murkowski, the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, understands the consequences of human-caused global warming, has favored past caps on carbon emissions, and thus might vote for the climate change bill — as long as it’s not “energy vs. environment,” where she always sides with her oily donors.  Her initial comments on the Kerry-Boxer climate change bill indicate that she may follow Lindsey Graham’s lead across the aisle, but her support will be conditioned on offshore oil drilling and nuclear power.

Oh, who needs the Arctic anyway.  And seriously, while we’re at it…who needs the planet?  Let’s just trash the thing and find another one, because all the chemistry and biology on this one has just become a huge pain in the ass.  I mean all these damn ruuuules, and regulaaations.  They’re just really depressing.  And they get in the way of us doing whatever the hell we want to do.

There’s got to be something in the 10th Amendment that says we can just do whatever we want, right?  I know, I know… I’m from Alaska and I’m supposed to be all tuned in to my state’s “issues,” and yeah…there’s that whole coastal erosion thing going on, and the loss of sea ice.   And there’s the melting of the permafrost, and the landslides, and the melting glaciers and the flooding.  And I used to talk about these things, and I used to care, but that was then and this is now.  I have tasted the power, and it’s a brave new world.

Oh, and we can’t forget the polar bears.  You want to know why everyone keeps talking about polar bears? Because they’re all white and fuzzy,with shiny black eyes and bla bla bla,  but frankly, they’re mean.  They would eat you in a heartbeat, especially since they can’t get to where the seals are any more.  And if they can’t swim that far, then *shrug*  oh, well!  

And walruses?  Seriously?  Walruses?  Who CARES? 

A lot of my friends are really into taking stuff out of the Earth and burning it.  And if I come out and keep talking about “saving the planet” and all that greenie weenie stuff, they’re not going to want to play with me any more.  And I like having friends.  They make me feel special and important.  And I’m middle aged…as much as I don’t want to think about that.  But by the time it all falls apart, I won’t be here anyway.  So, if you think I’m going to be the killjoy and tell everyone that we have to stick with all these “rules” then think again.

I got where I am through good honest hard work, and I have lots of power now.  OK, well, I got here because my dad gave me the job.  And I have lots of power because I promised to play ball so that Sarah Palin wouldn’t steal my job.  But that’s a lot.  So, everybody should just be grateful and stop sweating the small stuff, like cascading global climate instability.  OK???

At least you’re not going to be dealing with “Senator Palin.”  Gawd…   Don’t ever forget that.  At least I can stand here and be a skinny Republican woman in a red suit and actually sound smart at the same time.  So, quit whining.

And, hey…  I think I heard something about an Earth-like planet somewhere fairly nearby, in astronomical units.  So that’ll give our kids something to shoot for.  We gotta give ‘em a goal, right?

(You’ve been putting up with me now for a long time, but can’t take it any more and at last you haul off and give me a giant slap across the face to pop me out of my “I’m channeling Lisa Murkowski” trance.)

(Rubbing my cheek)  Thanks.  I needed that.  I think.

OK, Lisa Murkowski didn’t say any of that stuff.  But if it isn’t that, then you tell me what explains THIS:

Sen. Murkowski wants to take away U.S. Environmental Protection Agency authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions from oil refineries, coal-burning power plants and other smokestack industries. As reported in Environment and Energy Daily, Murkowski has filed a proposed amendment to spending legislation for EPA that would prohibit the agency from regulating greenhouse pollutants except those from cars or other “mobile” sources:

“Senator Murkowski is concerned about the economic consequences of EPA command-and-control regulation of emissions,” said spokesman Robert Dillon. The senator plans to file the amendment, Dillon said, adding that he did not know whether a decision has been made to press for a vote.

Murkowski’s amendment would thwart the 2007 Supreme Court ruling that said EPA does have authority under the Clean Air Act to deal with climate pollution, as long as the agency determines that it is a threat to health and/or the environment. EPA is moving ahead with that determination. Because the judicial branch has spoken so definitively, EPA must follow the law. By trying to block the agency through such a sneaky, back-door approach, Murkowski is bidding to become a climate outlaw.

She’s “concerned” about the economic consequences of regulating emissions?  Is she also “concerned” about the consequences (economic and otherwise) of NOT regulating emissions?

I don’t think Murkowski is becoming a “climate outlaw.”   She knows exactly what the consequences are to the state of Alaska, and to the planet as a whole.  She’s not stupid.  I think she’s becoming a climate sell-out.

Several hours after Clean Air Watch alerted reporters by email about the Murkowski plan, a spokesman for Murkowski argued she “is not trying to subvert the process”:

The senator has no interest in trampling on that Supreme Court decision as it relates to mobile sources.

Exactly our point: she does want to trample on the Supreme Court decision as it relates to stationary sources. Murkowski has shown no interest in being constructive on the climate debate, so her defense of waiting for congressional action is obviously a fraud designed only to kill the Clean Air Act. Which is exactly what the big oil companies and her other financial supporters want. Her plan to handcuff the EPA is nothing but duplicitous special-interest pandering that should be rejected out of hand.

One of my favorite panels at Netroots Nation was the panel discussion entitled Turning Red Districts Blue: Organizing for Change. Panelists were David Atkins (moderator), Darcy Burner, Adam Lambert, Democracy for America’s Arshad Hasan, Matt Browner Hamlin, and Eden James.

Matt Browner Hamlin spoke about his time as Mark Begich’s online communications director in the 2008 campaign.

MBH:  The challenge in Alaska is how do you get from a population which is only 23% Democratic to a vote of 50% +1. It was a big hurdle. Most Alaskans are registered as Non-Partisan. What helped the Begich campaign was the narrative that this was a “change election.” The nation, but Alaskans in particular, were ready for some accountability in their state government. This is a message that we wouldn’t have heard 2 years earlier.

The Obama campaign had 35 staff in the state of Alaska. There was lots of internal polling that put Obama up 2-3 points or down 2-3 points between March and August of 2008. The campaign didn’t ever put resources in the state in a public way, but they were feeling optimistic about taking the state. Even if they hadn’t won, it would have forced McCain to spend money in a traditionally red state. “Instead,” he laughed, “they nominated Sarah Palin and used the VP pick to secure those 3 electoral votes.”

Q. “You think you’ve got a candidate. What does it take? How do you message and win in red districts?”

Darcy Burner:There are two ways to do this. 1) Try to find ways to answer questions that won’t be offensive to anyone. There are candidates who win using this. 2) The other way is to be clear about your values, and hope they appreciate that you are principled and honest, because there aren’t many politicians like that. But you must make a choice of one way or the other. You can’t do both. And once you make the choice you have to stick to it. You can’t start wishy-washy and then go principled because people won’t believe you. And it works the same the other way.

Either way, it’s always helpful to focus on the things you have in common.

Q.  How do you change the way people think? There’s a difference between electing a Dem and turning a district blue.

MBH:He thinks that Mark Begich missing a huge opportunity to fundamentally change how Alaskans think about the Democratic Party. His campaign chose to go for getting 50% +1 of the vote instead, and worry about reelection in 6 years.

Arshad Hasan – You have to listen to voters. You must go out into the district and see what is important to people, whether it’s property taxes or schools or whatever? Organize people where they are. If you figure out what people want., you may find commonalities even in conservative districts.

Adam Lambert – Take what you hear about shared values and figure out how to connect. Why are you any better than the one that’s in there now? You’ve got to find a way to do it without ticking off someone who has voted for an incumbent 10 or 12 times, and also not alienate your party.

Eden James – In a red district it’s imperative to change the psychology of your supporters. They will feel like it’s hopeless. It means challenging the conventional wisdom. Have the data to support what you’re saying and message it to everyone and tel them to message it to their friends. If you reflect the message back to the district and tell them the campaign is people powered, they will start to believe it. It may take more than one election cycle, because it has to be about the people not the candidate.

Darcy Burner– We need to learn how to use more carrots and fewer sticks. We’re happy to whack people who don’t do what we want, but they don’t get thanks enough when they do the things we do want. It won’t work with every Representative, but we can’t have them feel like “I’m all alone because teabaggers are out there but my friends are not.” If we’re not there for them to protect them, then they won’t want to take big risks for people who are not adequately thanking them.

Arshad Hasan – We can call and email, whether we use carrots or sticks. We need to flex our muscles. We can be supportive, or we can be annoying, but we must be there. Primaries are the ultimate “stick.” We can give pressure from the other side by supporting progressives who more accurately reflect our message.

Q– How do you know when you’ve got a good candidate who isn’t just treating the netroots like an ATM machine?

Darcy Burner – Running for office is an enormous amount of hard work. The question I ask is “Are they willing to do the work?” Most people really aren’t. “If you find someone who is wiling to do the hard work, give them everything you’ve got.”

Arshad Hasan – Yes. That’s more important than issues, or what they have in their bank account. If you aren’t willing to commit your life, then we shouldn’t be willing to commit to you. Back someone FIRST who will put in the hours.

Matt Browner Hamlin– The other thing to look for is a candidate who will spend a lot of time talking to bloggers. They need to have meetings with bloggers to talk about how the campaign is going. There is value in candidates hearing from the progressive base. People are influenced by who they talk to. Don’t work for anyone who doesn’t treat the online community with the same respect as they do traditional media.

Adam Lambert – To a number of candidates outside the bubble, we’re just this unknown mass of people who can be loud and intimidating. But, we are the same activists and the same grass roots people they know, but we have access to a lot of other people. The online activists can use email, blogging or any other social media tool. They need to realize it’s the same grass roots but with exponential power. We’re not all that scary.

Eden James - People who donate $25 to the campaign make an important psychological step in commitment to the campaign. Democracy for America runs a grass roots All Star Competition. You can sign up to win with benefits to the candidate.

Moderator – Go to a DFA training, and encourage candidates to go too!

Arshad Hasan – It’s helpful to build local progressive institutions. Before you call in the DCCC or whatever, go to unions or faith based organizations, or clubs.  Get a network of people to go out. Both parties have used the “out of state donations” as an albatross around the neck of a candidate. Don’t fear the national organization.

Darcy Burner – There was a candidate who went door to door throughout his entire district identifying party members and creating an email list of names, which made him very successful in grassroots organizing.

Arshad Hasan – People should be running to win. Find an individual who is really motivated. Also, ask progressives to run for non-partisan offices.

Eden James – One thing to always remember is that sometimes “sacrificial lambs” actually win. Why? Because they are on the ballot. The incumbent can screw up at any time. Even a losing sacrificial lamb gets basic information they can give to the party.

Q. How do we fight against reflexive voting? There are people who vote for Republican just because they’re Republican. They don’t want to learn.

Matt Browner Hamlin – Push Republicans into a position where they say something stupid.

There was no “blogosphere” in Alaska a year and a half ago. You never know when those kinds of situations are going to arise.  Thanks to the likes of Mudflats, Shannyn Moore and Linda Kellen Biegel and others, Sarah Palin is no longer in office.  Don’t underestimate that force.

Darcy Burner – If the math is such that you can actually meet everyone in your district, do it.

Arshad Hasan – If you go door to door, you can rule out those who would always vote, or who would never vote and really focus on everyone else. Remember that we are dealing with generational and gender prejudices too.

Matt Browner Hamlin – You need to give someone meaningful ways to engage in the campaign, not just send them newsletters or just ask for money. It’s all about building community, meeting up, and going out. Supporters will take you up on opportunities if you give them.

Eden James – Build a blog team. Have weekly conferences with them. Make blog team part of the campaign.

Darcy Burner– The netroots is already good at changing the media narrative around a campaign. Reach out to local bloggers to frame things. “They can also be a good source of fundraising over the long haul. If you’re not willing to invest in building the relationships, it won’t work. It’s not instant. Spend money to make videos to give bloggers and start the relationship building. Those are the only two things we have proven. And those are two very big things.