What’s Brown and Sounds Like a Bell?
DUNNNNGGGG….
Yes, I know. I’m being juvenile. But that joke always pops in my mind when I think of Congressman Don Young, and his delightful spooneristic nickname. Yon Dung. Now you know.
What makes me think of such an unpleasant person on this beautiful summer evening, while I sip fresh lemonade and contemplate how good life is?
He’s thrown his hat back in the ring, that’s what. Yup, he’s going for #20….his 20th term in office. Looming indictments, $1 million plus in legal fees, having to step down from all his plum committee chairs? Nope, doesn’t phase him a bit. And why, oh why do Alaskans keep re-electing the most bombastic, egocentric, blowhard numbskull on the face of the Earth? Cuz he’s our bombastic, egocentric, blowhard numbskull.
“Maybe this will put to rest some of those people that are ambitious and want to run for this seat, understanding I’m there and the people will decide whether I stay or not,” he said.
Put the people to rest? Is he expecting his opponents to drop dead on the spot?
At least two Republicans are considering challenging Young in the party primary. State Rep. John Coghill and former Rep. Andrew Halcro, who ran for governor as an independent in 2006, both spoke with Young about their interest in the seat.
“I was trying to be straight with him, said that if I felt he was in danger of not being able to win that seat I would consider running,” said Coghill, of North Pole.
“If he felt he was in danger of not being able to win the seat?” You’re waiting for him to step down? Fat chance, pal. NEXT!
Halcro said he’s considering options that include running for Congress, making another bid for governor or just supporting the best Republican candidates who run. Halcro said he’s set a personal deadline of mid-September to decide.
“I had a great conversation with Congressman Young last month and told him I was considering a run for his seat and he responded he thought I should run for governor instead,” he said.
I’ll just bet he did.
And there are no Democratic challengers yet.
Despite the fact that I’m losing count of how many times I’ve voted against him, and the thought of getting someone else in that seat is irresistably appealing, there is a bonus to the ol’ curmudgeon running for the 20th time. Material.
And he is 76, so how many more terms can we reasonably expect to see this bolo tie wearin’, machine gun fundraisin’, finger in the chest pokin’, self-proclaimed “bitin’ mink” as our one and only member of the House of Representatives? 10? 12?
(thwack)
dkt6nygilv5snliiifuddf
(thwack)
se4iuvy6dus
(thwack)
siv5ytos8e7tyo8riuycn
That was the sound of my head hitting the keyboard over…and over….
Say NO to Palin in Politics–there’s still hope for her. After never voting, my ILs started voting in 2004 ’cause they were so mad about the war…this year they hosted an Inauguation watching party! (they’re not as old as your MIL, but close).
Need I remind everyone out there that don blamed the 9-11 twin towers fall on environmentalists right out of the chute? or that he was forgiven by Jesus for taking advantage of his overspending his congressional bank account (without repayment)…he is an embarrassment for our state, and needs to be replaced by someone who can REPRESENT US….ie. BE THERE…when talks are held and decisions made.
I was always partial to Dung Yung myself. Sounds like a chinese dish, huh? 😉
my 79 yr old mother-in-law has never voted! I was shocked when I found out. Seems she was brainwashed somewhere along her young adult life into believing it makes no difference, but she sure has opinions, lol. all talk and no action. But she’s a good egg.
“I don’t understand the mentality of straight party line voting.”
I do.
It’s a herd mentality, being part of a group, being too scared to stick your head out of a crowd. When your side wins, you gloat. When your side loses, you have other to commiserate with.
Voting R or D is easier than doing research, thinking for yourself, and actually finding out what the other side stands for (not just what your own side says they do.)
As an I voter for as long as I’ve been able to vote, I HAVE to research every side of every issue and candidate before I vote. It would be much easier to vote an R or D because I was raised as such just as it is much easier to stay in the same religion because you were raised that way.
Remember that open threads are current for 24 hours for o/t comments!
Thanks!
AKM
OT
Michael J Fox courageously appeared on Letterman tonight and sharp-witted and funny as ever despite the increasingly uncontrollable effects of his Parkinson’s.
He then spoke about the need to stop religion-masked politics from holding stem cell research hostage — a promise our POTUS is delivering on.
A very heroic effort!
wynspic – I agree with you – I don’t understand the mentality of straight party line voting. I think that most people just don’t read up on their choices and it’s very hard to get information on new politicians or politicians from a different area than you live in. It’s hard to know a politician just from their political ads & of course we hear more from the ones who have more money. The internet is making it a lot easier though.
Forgive my veering off topic, but Andrew Halcro has begun blogging again. There are 2 entries for 6/30. Such a refreshing change of pace – a Republican who does his homework, understands the issues and can speak intelligently about them.
#19
anon blogger Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 10:04 PM
OT Politico has an article: Palin story sparked a GOP family feud. Finger pointing time!
—————————————
Good find on that Story. And it was playing out just today… nice and FRESH!!
Yeah GINO is turning them into a pack of wild dogs biting at each other. One of their stories referred to who used the term ……
“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders definition of “narcissistic personality disorder”
His reply to questioning whether anybody used this term was this…..
“In the age of Google
, I’m confident that plenty of Alaskans know more about finding medical reference works — and all sorts of other knowledge — than Bill thinks they do.”
——————————-
I have to think that Purdums response was attributed to what the Alaskan bloggers were writing on the blogs. All the blogs were calling GINO ‘ that’. I think the Bloggers were his source or reference. Hat tip to the AK bloggers.
Here’s a new snapshot of the GOP rotting from the inside out.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24392_Page2.html
And sweet dear GINO is at the center of it all. Bless her heart!
Oh please, Sarah – run against the Dung. You can practice spelling “Representative” in the interim before the campaigning so that you have it down.
wynspic – whoa! There’s always hope for change!
I don’t mean to be the one to rain on anyones parade, but SP and DY are two peas in a pod. No matter what they do, everything slides off them like water off a ducks back. We hear about the investigation of DY, but if it is like past investigations of corrupt politicians here in AK it is tainted from the git go. We hear about the Iceberg SP is going to collide with but I think by the time it gets here it will be nothing more than a ice cube.
I hate to be a pessimist, but when DY runs he will be elected… again. We have a plurality of rabid republican voters here in AK who definitely toe the party line and have forgotten how to think (if they ever had that capacity) or reason and continue to elect who ever the Party puts in front of them. JMO.
Gotta say as much as I don’t like Don Young, I’d vote for him over Sarah!
BigSlick-
THAT would be hysterical! We could only hope!
Any chance GINO might run for Yon Dung’s seat?
L in LA,
Shannyn would certainly be a better state legislator than many we now have.
I worked on Diane’s 2006 and 2008 campaigns. In 06 she had no support from the Democratic Party. In 2008, she had better support in the primary Ethan won. She earned enormous respect in that race. Both Ethan and Don have acknowledged that.
From what I learned on those two races, Shannyn wouldn’t get machine backing.
Shannyn and I have talked about her possibilities in electoral politics. Again, she’d be great, but I think she can be more effective as a journalist and commentator at this point. A state legislative campaign might show people how resonant her voice in the community is, though.
I can make it worse.
Choose between Don Young or Sarah Palin for that seat.
OT Politico has an article: Palin story sparked a GOP family feud. Finger pointing time!
If you read Shannyn Moore’s bio at Netroots Nation Scholarship page, you will see her mention an interest in political office (response to a question asking “Where do you see yourself in five years)? Just sayin’. Oh, and if you have not yet voted for Shannyn, do it NOW – so she can attend with AKM!
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/netroots_nation_scholarships/597-shannyn-moore
Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
Congressman Don Young is still alive.
1) Although Diane has told me, “I’m not done with Don,” she hasn’t decided what to do next politically.
2) New post at PA – Saradise Found – Chapter 12 – Only Three Hours Left to the Anchorage Daily News Palin Fundraiser
http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/saradise-found-chapter-nine-only-three.html
I know exactly how you feel AKM. Waited years for the racist Senator Jesse Helms to get defeated from NC. He finally retired at the age of 82 after 5 terms as our Senator. He was a big old racist and homophobic as they come.
For those not familiar with Helms. Here’s a little info: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1871
Hang in there eventually, everybod loses or dies.
Justafarmer, you are really something when you let that righteous indignation flag fly…go, girl.
what I just sent to ADN (and cleaning up the typos here) everyone feel free to use this as a template:
I’m in eastern Kentucky and a reader of the McClatchey Lexington Herald Leader.
I can not believe that you all are NOT making the salmon story page one while making the Palin PAC begathon “news”.
Shame shame shame on YOU!!!
Get Kyle’s story on page one and talk to Dennis Zaki and those who live in the villages to get the real story about the 50% subsistence that Gov. Palin crowed about in her lame twits from Kosovo (and Moller is now quietly off on a fishing vacation????…give me a freaking break!!!!)
Get some balls and start reporting the NEWS!!!!
BTW, I donated and worked for a pressure washer for Eagle and also sent several flat rate boxes of immediate needs stuff (having been a victim of a natural disaster here in eastern Kentucky myself).
What has ADN done for the villages? Not expecting you to actually send anything or drive up there to see for yourselves, have you WRITTEN anything? Be part of a grassroots effort?
Now is your time! You have less than two months to do more than Gov. Palin has done her entire tenure as governor. Winter is approaching…
I hope Diane Benson makes a run against The Dung!!
Dang, misspelled “Bensen” (sorry)
Hey, Gryphen,
Not just those guys… Whaddya think about maybe Diane Benson?
If I lived in AK, I’d vote for her in a heartbeat.
Nan
AKM…you crack me up! Some of those head “thwacks” rendered communications more sensible that what we are seeing today in your political arena. (Tweets!)
Ever thought of running for political office? I think you are well suited and would be great. Just a thought.
That’s right folks, AKM made a poop joke!
And they say I’M the immature one, because….well……I’m the immature one. But what people don’t realize is that occasionally I am not the one making the bad puns and scatological references.
Sometimes it is…..other people.
Don Young might as well give it up. He is so badly wounded right now that almost ANYBODY could beat him. Like for instance Diane Bensen. Or Andrew Halcro. Or Diane Bensen. Or Bill Wielechowski. Or freaking Diane Bensen!
Do you think she got the hint?
Love you AKM! LOL!
jeez…if I didn’t have so many dogs and cats, and goats and chickens…I’d move on up there!
My skeletons in the closet don’t even begin to be as high a bar as those folks up there!
I’d fit right in!
Indeed why send him back. FBI has as much interest in him as they did with
Stevens.
Sheesh. It’s Alaska: you can’t make this stuff up.
Yon Dung, may he sling some of that dung on your sh1tte gov.
Oh wait, she stepped in some while practicing her run against our President.
A bit of Snark Lite
“Parnell told me in an email today that he acknowledged the past effectiveness of Young, Alaska’s lone representative in the U.S. House. But Parnell said he was surprised by Young’s decision to file yesterday to run next year for his 20th term in Congress.
“Where Don Young’s own Republican members of the House took away his clout by removing him from committee leadership, Young will be hard pressed to explain why Alaskans should send him back in 2010,” Parnell said.
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/142110
Halcro needs to run for office. I don’t believe he’s designed to sit at the sidelines and just offer support when he would be a few steps up from what is currently in the governor’s office… or in Congress. Go for it, Andrew… help Alaska rid itself of those two stupid and incorrigible buggers.
Okay, AKM, step up to the plate…and run!