Hashtag Mead Treadwell Staff Fail
It’s one of the most important and highly watched Senate races in the nation. Alaska is one of five states that went for Mitt Romney in 2012, and for which there is a Democratic Senator up for re-election next year. It’s a power seat, with the potential to tip the balance and change the country.
Despite that fact, the Republicans who have lined up to take on incumbent Democrat Mark Begich seem a bit lackluster. And the one lacking the most luster seems to be the one who would be most likely to pose a real challenge to Begich in the general. I speak of Mead Treadwell. He’s got pretty deep Alaska roots unlike his opponent Dan Sullivan who keeps trying to convince us he’s not an opportunitstic carpetbagger. No, really, he’s not. Really. (Hint: If convincing anyone of your AK cred is a thing, you don’t have any)
“Ohio Dan” Sullivan in red tie. If he keeps saying “deep roots in Alaska” it may become true.
He’s also got an encyclopedic knowledge of arctic issues, and is all set to pounce on those new polar shipping lanes. Don’t think of it as catastrophic climate change and melting polar ice cap, think of it as “opportunity.” And he’s also currently the Lite Gov, albeit not particularly beloved by the actual Gov.
Mead Treadwell. He’s. just… so……….
zzzzzzz.
Still, one wonders what’s behind the Treadwell campaign. Who are the power players? Why is the campaign floudering in the fundraising department? I mean, what gives?
“Our campaign finances are just fine,” Treadwell’s campaign manager Fred Brown said. “We have improved each quarter and will undoubtedly have the resources to not only win the primary but replace Mark Begich in November.”
As of Sept. 30, he only had $43,300 cash on hand. During this period, he appeared to be spending roughly $57,000 a month.
U.S. Sen. Mark Begich raised $813,000 during the same time period, and ended the period with $2.4 million cash on hand.
Hm. This doesn’t sound like good news for the campaign.
But, Fred Brown says that everything is just fine. Fred Brown is confident. Fred Brown must know what he’s talking about. Fred Brown is, after all, the campaign manager for the candidate who is arguably the most serious contender for this nationally coveted seat.
I mean, let’s check him out. You know, just to be sure he knows his stuff. Let’s see if he’s on Twitter.
Well, this appears to be him. A li’l snark about “Ohio Dan” the carpetbagging opponent. Says he’s “on the trail” with the candidate. There’s a little premature twittification there on the bottom, but an honest mistake, maybe from a phone.
The Donald Duck image is a little… odd, though.(Oregon Donald?) Not the image one would select to conjure images of high-powered political struggle for the very philosophical heart of the nation’s legislative branch. Or as they say in the Twitterverse #ProfessionalismFail
Let’s check out his little bio and see if that’s any better.
Nothing says, “believe in my financial analysis, and the work ethic of my candidate and his staff which includes me” like citing your last job as a faux latex salesman for Vandelay Industries, who in reality is an unemployment benefits cheat.
For those of you perplexed by this reference, allow me to refresh your memory. We’ll be heading back to the 1990s.
So, the Lt. Governor just hired the guy who’s face-down in the middle of the living room with his pants around his ankles?
“And you wanna be my Senator…”
Well, there’s always the campaign spokesman. He’s also a public face of the campaign. That would be Rick Gorka. He’s the guy who used to work for the Mitt Romney campaign, and pushed back against the “info jackals” in the press with the immortal line:
“Kiss my ass. This is a holy site for the Polish people.”
Let’s look at his Twitter presence.
He too is a “Seinfeld freak,” and proudly proclaims his penchant for supporting losers.
I think we could totally write a Seinfeld episode about this.
Here is the write up from DNR Dan’s campaign manager, Ben Mohr on the Pebble Partnership site:
After graduating from Alaska Pacific University, Ben was “a heartbeat away” from pursuing an advanced degree Down Under. “I decided to stay and see how things would work out with this girl, and I ended up marrying her,” he says.Originally from California, Ben has lived in Alaska for about 10 years. He’s an avid outdoors enthusiast and once worked as a National Park Service ranger in a cave in South Dakota. “My original plan was to be a sea kayaking guide during the summer and live in Baja California in the winter,” he explains.Wintering in Baja never happened, but Ben has no regrets. He joined the Pebble Partnership, in part, because he recognized a global need for copper. “We are going to continue to need copper,” he says. “If it’s not responsibly developed here, it will be irresponsibly developed in countries with much lower environmental and social standards than we have here.”Ben says the Pebble Project is exciting because it’s a well-known hot-button issue. “You’d be hard pressed to find someone in Alaska that hasn’t at least heard of Pebble,” he says. “But the most exciting thing is that we have a big opportunity here, and I like being a part of that.”Ben is responsible for helping to educate interested people about the Pebble Project. “Whether they are for us or against us, I am happy to be with people and talk about why I think Pebble is important to them,” he says.Regarding those who are opposed to Pebble, Ben says he sometimes feels bad for people who have been mislead by “disingenuous politicizing.” “I think about Novarupta, the volcano that blew almost 100 years ago today, and dumped a foot of ash on Kodiak Island,” he explains. “I think about the destruction that was caused by one natural occurrence literally on the lip of Bristol Bay and I think about 100 years later, how strong the salmon runs are. I wonder if people really believe that humans can be that much more destructive than nature itself.” –
See more at: http://corporate.pebblepartnership.com/bios.php?s=ben-mohr#sthash.aF4l0iMW.dpuf
I’ve been following the Pebble Mine for years and have never heard of this guy. Mike Heatwole has been the go to guy for communications. WTF?
A large earthen dam built on a salmon stream,full of toxic chemicals,in an active seismic zone. Whatever could possibly go wrong?
Let’s add that all of Mr. Tread(not so)well’s campaign staff are from out of state!! What does that say for his regard for Alaska ‘talent’???
Looking at Mead’s competition: DNR Dan Sullivan: It’s back to the future!
To burnish his carpetbag credits, DNR Dan’s campaign staff includes an “All Alaska Team” —
Ben Mohr of Anchorage is campaign manager. He has worked the past six years for Pebble Limited Partnership, He has lived in AK for 10 years.
Robyn Engibous of Anchorage is finance director.. She worked on the 2012 Romney campaign, the Sarah Palin political action committee SarahPac and the 2008 Republican National Convention.
Mike Anderson of Anchorage is communication’s director. H worked as press secretary for Rep. Don Young and before that, Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Pebble Mine and Sarah PAC!! Yep, that will attract some ‘rill’ Alaska voters, you betcha also too!!
🙂
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Thank you AKM. I totally get it. That episode of Seinfeld was one of my favorites.
Also, I don’t recall ever seeing Mead Treadwell smile or look interested in what he was
suppose to be doing.
I am SO sorry Alaska, these people freak me out 100%, we booked a 15k vacation in British Columbia, I just cannot go anywhere near THAT place… Alaska. Ouch, That hurt. Saying Alaska. Not spending my US$ in Canada. Your state USED to seem like “something,” since that “campaign” it’s just a creepy place with mainly scary people.
Slipstream has never had employment with Vandelay Industries.
But my resume prominently features my former post with Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems, where “the future begins tomorrow.”
Sweet merry! Some marketing doof thunk that one up all by their lonesome? Crimenently!
Does your resume include birch trees? Seems important to me.
Mead does not tread well. It is, under the right circumstances, a decent drink.
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If I thought anyone with a brain gave a rat’s ass,I’d ask what SaTo AlasKardashian thinks about the senate race. But,I don’t. Don’t like and can’t stand Seindeld,either. Never have,never will. My vote,if I had one goes equally to Pi,Jeanne,Shannyn,LKB,Slip,BL2,Beth and all the rest of the magnificent,caring people on the Mudflats.(except me) 🙂 http://news.yahoo.com/oldest-human-dna-reveals-mysterious-branch-humanity-181139436.html OT but this explains why wingnut s need to wear pointy hats. See exhibit A far right(fitting)
Got first two seed catalogs today. May be a new record for early delivery.Got onions ordered for April 7,2014 delivery.
I don’t have tv and have never really seen Seinfeld so I watched AKM’s lil video.
I know no more about Seinfeld than I did but I laughed until I almost popped at the idea that Mr Treadwell seems to have hired 2 doofs who seem to think being a “Seinfeld freak” is a positive attribute in political consultants.
I mean, rilly, as best as I could ever figure out the whole show was about a bunch of neurotic people doing nothing , a lot of nothing.
We already have way too much of that in our politicos and they hire people who support THAT to support them? sheesh!
Lucky ducky , you! No seed catalogs yet here and wind howling off the icefields tonight. April seems terribly far away…
Totally tomatoes http://www.totallytomato.com has more tomato varieties listed than even I can count. They also have bunches of peppers,chilies.cukes.salad fixin’s and one onion. Did I mention lots of tomatoes? Sub zero weather here,no snow,some wind and yesterday I doctored a sick snake gourd by gently placing it on the frozen ground outside my cellar door. If that freezing cold don’t cure it………sound of Taps playing in the background. 🙂
minus eleven this morning.
Got 45 degrees on you, mike. It’s 34 above here in Anchorage.
Try harder to make me feel bad. 🙂 It was fifty degrees last Monday here.
Minus nine today. Snow today? and tomorrow. 🙂 Winter. Who needs it?
Still 34 above here, but it’s a dangerous temperature. We have had widespread freezing rain. Wheee.
Another excellent commentary by Mz. AK Muckraker on the numbnutts that represent the Alaska Gee Oh Pee. Thanks, Jeanne.
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The kid next door has a more professional twitter account.
He rates the lunches at the elementary school.
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Well..that being our U.of Oregon duckie..I is a ducky. Well…. all Moi degrees are from there..pre-money-bucks. Ya know..the guy who’ bought’ the campus’ glass castles (several types..assorted)’… for the joy and edification of the teams..like football. Oh we have uniforms for those gods..new ones every time they..muss-up the previous ones..on the way to another ..sports gods interview. Our traditional ivy halls..house our college educators..in circa 1940s, smoky hall-lettes and such spaces..because..ya know..we gots a money-duck..as an alum. On my keychain..swings a single plastic..ducky leg..as I watch how any good intentions from our land grant days..get sideswiped by the throaty, chortle..of another planner of ..metal and glass …outcroppings…while staffs are cut, and instructors are plugging in their own coffeemakers..into the hidden 1937 outlets..between dwindling books for research. As to what this ..fellow..is bringing to the contentions..one hopes wisdom..but so sad to see ..moi historical duck..used in political combat-zone..where money..is always..the victor.