Unity for Eric Croft!
What better way to celebrate this evening than to hang out with a bunch of happy Democrats at an Eric Croft fundraiser! It was held at the home of Senator Mark Begich and his wife Deborah Bonito. Little Jacob Begich met us in the driveway, and told me he’d have to “wand me” for security purposes. And sure enough he did, with a little plastic “security device”. He was having a grand time as the security guy. Very cute.
The event was absolutely packed. I don’t know how many were there total, but at times it was almost impossible to get across the room. I realized at one point that I hadn’t picked up an Eric Croft button at the sign up table. Not one to miss the chance at getting a political button, I headed over and it took me almost 10 minutes to get across the room and back with my prize.
The Senator welcomed and introduced Croft’s opponents in the primary who were now wholeheartedly throwing their support behind him. Sheila Selkregg and Matt Claman were both extremely gracious and complimentary, and agreed that Croft would make a great mayor. And non-partisan candidate Paul Honeman even made an appearance and said a few words! The troops are rallying, and they have a mission.
Sheila Selkregg and Senator Begich
Acting Mayor Matt Claman and Senator Begich
Eric Croft himself spoke last. He talked about his optimism for the city, and he thanked Mark Begich for being such a great mayor. Begich, he said, had taken the city from a “temporary city” of transient feeling, to a city where people wanted to settle and set roots. He felt that Mark Begich had been in a large part responsible for a creating the kind of city that Croft always felt it could be.
Gubernatorial candidate Bob Poe was there too! It was nice to have an opportunity to meet him in person, and he really liked the “Where’s Sarah?” button I gave him, and I got an “I Know Bob Poe” button in return.
We even managed to round up the 2010 “Dream Team” for a photo. This one’s the money shot. Can you imagine this trio in office? Nice! I don’t think Senator Begich would be smiling like that if he was flanked by Sarah Palin and Dan Sullivan.
~~~The Dream Team! Governor Bob Poe, Senator Mark Begich and Mayor Eric Croft~~
One of the most enjoyable things about the evening were the little snippets of conversations I overheard. Moving through the crowd, I’d hear, fading in and out….”She’s crashing and burning”, “I think they’re finally starting to wake up,” “This is the beginning of the end,” “I mean she’s totally come unhinged”… and there was no need to even ask what or who the conversation was about. “She” needed no further description.
This mayoral election is the Democrats’ for the taking if we can get voter turnout. So, Anchorage residents, start bugging your friends, neighbors and coworkers to get out and vote on May 5th. Otherwise we’re in for some very long years.
To see Eric’s website, read up on the issues, or donate, click HERE.
And, of course, one of the BEST things you can do is vote early HERE.
AKM thanks for covering this event. It’s like the cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae! Go Anchorage Alaskans, Go! Vote now.
WRT the comments on GINO’s painted clogs: there is no ethics complaint, she was not paid to wear them. Let’s not get crazy about this stuff. It’s perfectly normal to tell people about the especially nice apparel you pick up along the way (don’t you do that sometimes?) and if a local artist did it, a citizen, and maybe especially a governor, may want to give them a little plug. Not the same at all as the Arctic Cat situation. Now, that’s the last time I want to defend Scarah, okay?
I meant to post about this yesterday but war vote drama and victory was more important.
So, does AK have a state crime tip hotline? If not it would be a REALLY good idea to get one going!
It was reported on the news last night (Missouri) how successful the crimestopper and state anonymous tip hotline has been.
Thank goodness it’s making a difference here, because unfortunately MO has a lot of meth labs. BTW, I thought MO had the ugly title of U.S. meth capitol and the equally awful title of #1 puppy mill state. Crime, we have daily occurrences of burglaries, brutal assaults and murders, rural, small towns and cities. Springfield, pop.150,000 and it’s county (lots of small towns a rural pop.) has the highest rape and crime in the state, next to Kansas City, that’s pitiful. Almost weekly we hear about embezzlement charges filed against an individual in local town, city or county government or private company, it’s popular thing people try to get away with here. Bible belt integrity, meekness, gentleness and love? hmmmm.
I’ve lived here 3 yrs now, I’m kinda getting used to it but I’m still sickened and shocked that every single day yucky awful or stupid stuff happens, way more than normal. My theory is it’s due to backward, behind the times, messed up thinking, seriously, when I moved here I thought I was back in the 60’s or early 70’s. Add in the bible belt bible thumpin mentality and agh, what a wacko mix. It’s basically a redneck state with a church every mile in the country and every block in towns.
I honestly believe it’s the influence of progressives moving into the state, who are kindly referred to as “not from here”, who are not trusted because the old timers are literally stuck in their ways and don’t like any change, those progressives who are far outnumbered by rednecks and bible thumpers, have slowly and steadily brought about positive changes. I’ve seen quite a few in just 3 yrs, it’s catching on and becoming more excepted, things like non smoking restaurants, recycling, roadside cleanups, organic farmers markets, etc.
Anyway, just askin……seems like AK needs some help cleanin up and “progressin” in a good way.
here’s hotline example, this guy broke the hunting laws in AK and many other states, good news though, look how far one bust can go and it all began with a phone tip. People should not feel bad about stopping criminal behavior, those in AK or anywhere in our country who “know things” should do something about it. An anonymous hotline is a safe way to “share”. It’s not snitching or ratting out, it’s protecting our laws that in are place for good reason.
Maybe it’s just me, but I have a feeling if a person deliberately breaks the law in one area, they have likely justified breaking the law in other areas, kinda like Ted’s “what’s the worst they can do to us” take the risk attitude. It’s an integrity thing. And yep, Karma’s a bitch, lol. I’ll stop my rant now, lol.
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/16/man-sentenced-poaching-montana-alaska/
“His sentencing was the latest in a string of cases connected to the investigation, which began with a telephone tip to law enforcement officials two years ago. So far, 17 men from six states and Australia have pleaded guilty and have been ordered to pay fines and restitution totaling more than $57,000.”
I think the sign in sheets passed 100 around 6, I didn’t ask what the final total was. Maybe 40 more. Excellent mood.
Many people wanted the ‘SAVE US FROM DAN SULLIVAN’ buttons I had made, I could have given away many more than I’d brought.
Didn’t give away any of the now surplus ‘SAY NO TO W.A.R.’ , “I’m an anti W.A.R. lima bean lover’, ‘I’m a perverted, immoral, degenerate lima bean lover’ buttons. I’m VERY glad they are now history.
Those were AWESOME! I actually menat to mention the “Save Us from Dan Sullivan” buttons. Kudos! And the lima bean one is great too. A collector’s item now! 🙂 AKM
Appreciate the bird’s eye view of Anchorage, AKM.
Rob in Ca Says:
April 17th, 2009 at 7:56 AM
Don’t miss Halcro today on Palin:
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/wish_you_were_here
His analysis of the WAR nomination, and Sarah’s working relationship with the legislators, is….well….blistering!
It’s even more so if you then think about Bob Poe and his reasoned thinking, in comparison to Sarah’s supposed ‘executive experience’.
~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks Rob for that link, whew…he really lets her have it, both barrels!!!!
OT: I wrote my CongresswomanJackie Speier (who was shot in Guyana during the Jim Jones time and Leo Ryan was killed)
About the Paw Act. Here is what she replied;
Thank you for writing to me in support of the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act. I agree with you: airborne hunting is a cruel and unethical practice that must end.
In fact, airborne hunting is already against the law. In 1972, Congress passed the original Federal Airborne Hunting Act to prohibit shooting or harassing animals from aircraft. Since that time, however, state officials, particularly in Alaska, have licensed individuals to shoot hundreds of wolves from aircraft under the guise of wildlife management and predator control. This is in clear violation of the intent of the federal ban. As you point out, nearly 800 wolves have been killed since the ban was first enacted. In 1996 and again in 2000, Alaskans approved two popular ballot measures that banned airborne hunting in the state, but the state legislature largely overturned each of those measures.
Hunting wildlife from an aircraft violates wildlife management principles and the hunting rules of fair chase, as does the related practice of chasing animals in an aircraft until they are exhausted and then executing them on the ground, known as “land and shoot.” This practice is not only illegal and unsportsmanlike, but it tarnishes the traditions we uphold to protect America’s most majestic species. As a lover of animals, the cruelty of airborne hunting is something I cannot fathom. When more proven, humane and effective means of wildlife management are available, there is no excuse for allowing this cruelty to continue.
That is why the PAW Act is needed to restore the integrity and enforcement of the federal ban on airborne hunting. This legislation makes it clear that states can only conduct activities prohibited by the Airborne Hunting Act to respond to legitimate biological and other emergencies, not just to authorize otherwise-illegal hunting practices. The bill does not alter existing exceptions for the use of aircraft for animal control where land, livestock, water, pets, crops, or human health and safety are at risk. I fully support this bill and will vote for its passage should it come to the House floor in its current form.
Thank you again for taking the time to write to me about this issue. I value the letters I receive from my constituents and use them to better inform my decision making process. I hope you will write to me in the future on matters important to you.
All the best,
Jackie Speier
Member of Congress
Don’t miss Halcro today on Palin:
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/wish_you_were_here
His analysis of the WAR nomination, and Sarah’s working relationship with the legislators, is….well….blistering!
It’s even more so if you then think about Bob Poe and his reasoned thinking, in comparison to Sarah’s supposed ‘executive experience’.
OK the youtube is not funny but the article is!
Looks great, Alaska. Now, if all the voters turn out. . .
Just watched the (painful) ET interview with SP where she mentions her hand-painted clogs. Apparently the ethics people missed that one.
And I just watched Chris Mattews talking about the Texas governor. He then goes on to make the comparison to SP talking about the same secessionist ideas. The thing he brought up that is that to do so means going to war against the US government and that falls in the realm of treason. And then he makes the point that all these people who are blathering on, including SP, don’t know or understand our history as a country and don’t really understand the laws. Good point, that one.
Anyway, May 5 is not too far away. Glad you had a nice night out, AKM.
OK this is just Funny!
Far worse than listening to Sarah Palin speak…
Category: Fun with Politics • Society Gone Bananas
Posted on: April 16, 2009 11:51 PM, by Kevin Beck
http://scienceblogs.com/bushwells/2009/04/far_worse_than_listening_to_sa.php
Aww geez, the dream team made me tear up just a little…because I think it’s possible!
good grief………remember the guy who did the so called documentary about the “unfair” media influence on the election, the guy who “interviewed, ha” Scarah……he was arrested outside the building where Curic was being honored for the award she received doing Scarahs interview.
he claims he’s not a protester……..he seems to be having a hay day being totally uncooperative with the security.
http://en.sevenload.com/videos/Mq9kYJs-Ziegler-Arrest
Morning AKM, good job on keeping us informed on the latest happenings. As I write this, a storm is blowing into AK by way of IN. I think the next few days will be very interesting…
Lest we forget “why” we are Mudpuppy bloggers and other political bloggers…….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-daou/moral-outrage-and-the-har_b_183490.html
Good Morning AKM..Love your blog!! Great place to be .Still in my jammies in the basement…Life is good..:)
I’m still so happy for all of you in Alaska this morning. Good job everyone, Bravo. Now Texas needs some help to get rid of our crazy Gov perry. How embarrassing. Hanging head.Any suggestions ?
Have to say, the more I read of Gov Perry’s threats for Texas to secede and actually even comments about AK too, I know the other Canadians here will recall the years and years of threats we heard and watched. Rallies and demonstrations of the same threats from Quebec. I know I got to a point where my thought was — Leave, who gives a rat’s ass!!! Go fall off a cliff!! I wrote letters to let them go. Survive on your own with no federal support.
So I know I sit back watching this and actually laugh. We lived these threats for years to the point Quebec was a joke. The boy who cried wolf!!
To just think – all those pork payments — poof, they’d be gone.
Why wait until May 5th to vote? Better yet- think about early voting. There are several ways to do so.
http://www.muni.org/assembly2/absentee_ballot.cfm
You can request a mail-in absentee ballot, which will start being mailed on April 23. Or you can early vote in person at a couple of locations (City Hall and Loussac Library) starting the same day.
Put April 23 on your calendar, and get out and vote!
Hey mudpups……..go to this blog……read and listen (short video clips) to this group of people who went to London to speak against Pebble Mine at the Anglo American (big corp. funding the mine) shareholders meeting.
Remember the clean water ballet measure 4 that Palin unethically if not illegally influenced the vote on? Yep, Palin has her hand in this pot.
Regina has very detailed background on it at palingates.com
http://palingates.blogspot.com/search/label/pebble%20mine
these guys are fighting the good fight. Kudos!
http://ak2uk.com/blog/
“See these bear claws around my neck?” I said. “I shot this bear when it was trying to come into my house. In Alaska, we have to take care of ourselves. That means taking care of the things that give us life: clean water and salmon. The Pebble project is a threat to those things.”
HA! look what we did!
According to Legislative Research Services, it was the first time in state history a head of a state agency has failed to be confirmed by the Legislature.
Off to donate! in my mental pjs with morning coffee in hand, yes we can.
What a treat to wake up, relax and have a coffee and log on to see happy pictures instead of those pics of you know who pulling out their hair!! Those will no doubt appear sometime this weekend as the legislative session is not closed yet!!
honestyinGov mentioned of AKM and bloggers having a break with the night off. Hope you enjoyed it!! The BS factor will be on the rise again today!! Still a few days of filling the air since ‘IT’ should be returning today, if she’s brave enough!! The stories & press releases could be flying fast and furious!
Relax and enjoy your coffee everyone as I anticipate the fur will be flying soon!! She’ll be busy at home I suspect Saturday as it’s Trigg’s first birthday so she’ll have to make up for it today and Sunday!!
http://www.romneydesigns.com/ sry about that link above I’ll try again
Sarahpac has to report its monies received this month, right? And did SP report those $200 clogs as a gift from her sister? And how can she not be in violation of another ethics charge when she appears in an advertisement for same.
heres’s the link:http://www.romneydesigns.com/
Not including this thread, did you realize there were 1475 comments on Mudflats yesterday. Goes to show what democracy in action can generate. The feeling on election day was great but yesterday was momentous as it inspired us all. It was a great win for the people. And I’m from Canada. So glad AKM that you got to finish the day with happy and friendly people.
If Alaskakn politics can change anything is possible. Hopefully, this is an example of what’s happening to the right wing wackos everywhere in the US. They’re crazy I tell you, just nuts.
OT, but a reminder that even with WAR being smacked down, the danger isn’t over:
Southern Poverty Law Center
Homeland Security warns of dangers from hate groups
April 16, 2009
Dear Friend,
As you may recall, we’ve recently documented 926 hate groups operating
in the U.S. These organizations are being fueled by immigration fears,
the faltering economy and the racist backlash to the election of
President Obama.
Now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has just issued a new
alert warning of the dangers posed by these hate groups. It says that
“white supremacist lone wolves” and “small terrorist cells embracing
violent rightwing extremist ideology” are currently the most
significant domestic terrorism threat.
With your help, we’re fighting these groups every day by tracking and
exposing their activities. We’re also training law enforcement
officers and making sure they have the latest and best intelligence on
these dangerous extremists.
And we’ve warned the Pentagon about extremists who have infiltrated
the armed services. No one, of course, can forget the deadly toll of
the Oklahoma City bombing by Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh.
Please help us continue our critical work and counter this mounting
threat by sending a special gift today. We’ll keep you posted on
further developments. And remember to stand strong against hate
whenever and wherever you see it.
http://newsletter.splcenter.org/cgi-bin4/DM/y/mBQhA0RqSsB0FgJ0HGds0FW
Sincerely,
Morris Dees
Founder
P.S. You can get more information – and see my appearance this week on
the CBS Early Show – here.
http://newsletter.splcenter.org/cgi-bin4/DM/y/mBQhA0RqSsB0FgJ0HGdt0FX
G’Morning AK. Add me to the check the Mudflats w/breakfast muffin list. I just have to know any new developments around the planet, and you’re sure to find them first here. I’m always delighted at the numerous links to like minded place on this blog.
Your dream team looks great! I hope they are soon your “reality-based” team. Going to a fun event like this must have been nice after the teabaggery of a few days ago. Oh, and the whispers that “she’s” running off a cliff without a parachute…priceless.
AKM, please let Mark know (if you run into him again) how appreciative the democrats who would like to have the CPSIA amended are that he supported our cause. http://www.amendthecpsia.com I was in DC the first week of April at the rally and meeting with congressmen and women. It’s not an easy task trying to convince people that a consumer goods protection law aimed to keep children safe isn’t a good law. Makes us sound like heartless business people. But it really isn’t a good law. Mark apparently really got it and we appreciated his vote, even if it didn’t pass.
ps: forgot to add that I love that Bob Poe’s not only wearing an I AM (know) Bob Poe button, but he’s also wearing a Hello, My name is BOB POE sticker!
I can’t believe that I now check Mudflats for updates more often than I check Google News! I live in Boston, Mass for crying out loud! Sure, we have plenty of crazy political stuff going on here (a state senator caught on tape stuffing a cash bribe into her bra for one http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/FedCrimes/story?id=6132629 ) but I almost missed my bus home from work yesterday refreshing comments to see what was happening with WAR’s confirmation! Glad to see some good news for progressives up there!
Very nice report on a lovely evening !! Well – you didn’t mention a big screen tv , so I’m assuming that the gathering did not watch the…….uh …”whatever” in Evansville. Thanks for all you do and letting us have fun when you deliver.
AKM,
Earlier tonight after you had posted the last story I sort of made a comment to myself that I hope there is no more big breaking stories. I thought…. with all of the hard work you and the rest of your other progressive AK bloggers have put in with the WAR effort over the last few weeks that you probably deserved a night off to go out and relax with the Family. By the looks of the photos… it looks like you were ‘ with family’. A VERRRRRY happy family with lots of really positive energy. Getting the batteries recharged to face that next challenge… whatever that might be. (Mayor Eric Croft..?)
I’ll bet there will be some very interesting stories down the road that wind up on these pages as a result of ‘ your family get-together’. We can’t wait to hear them.
How do you climb a mountain….? One ‘ step ‘ forward at a time……
hey AKM, I was just wondering today when Eric Croft would appear at Mudflats!
I love that Paul Honeman came by and I’m very impressed with your Bob Poe button. And I’m certainly impressed by Jacob Begich Security Inc.
I hope you all can find a way to get out that vote, and soon.
Just going to bed here…so many delicious comments, blogs, articles to read on this fine evening. Today was the first real spring like day in south central AK. Hope springs eternal, you betcha.
What a group of ‘I can read you eyes, and I love them’. mmm…I’m dreaming, but dreams do come true!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
You can do it!
Lovely to wake up to these photos this morning. What a week, huh? 🙂
All I can say (besides “am I first commenter?”) is YAY! I agree that it would be one heck of a Dream Team! And just think, AK goes Democrat!!! I do hope people are waking up.
Great way to end the night. Happy dancing with a big smile. I wish I could vote in Anchorage.