A Sullivan Win Puts Alaska Last
Poor Dan Sullivan, I think he was born with a pair of silver flip flops on. His Cleveland, Ohio, parents were caught last week by the Center for Public Integrity trying to funnel $300,000 to a super PAC supporting their son. The contribution was originally listed as coming from the Glenmede Trust Company — a wealth management company that manages over $25 billion for rich folks.
Unfortunately for the Sullivans, they mistakenly listed their $3 million beachside condo in Florida instead of Glenmede’s Philadelphia address on their filing. Oops. This donation is on top of the other $250,000 that Dan’s mommy and daddy had donated to a different super PAC to help little Danny. How this is different than what disgraced Alaska gubernatorial candidate John Lindauer did is beyond my pay grade.
It’s becoming apparent that there is really nothing Danny Boy or his family won’t do or say to get him elected. And that includes changing his positions and statements more times than diapers in a nursery — and for the same reason.
By now, we all know how, over a four-year period, Dan claimed he lived in Alaska from between zero and 10 years. In 2009, Dan applied for an Alaska fishing license as a nonresident. In 2010, Dan claimed he was a one-year resident when he applied. Then, in 2013, after filing for U.S. Senate, Dan claimed he was a 10-year Alaska resident. He’s now being investigated because from 2006 through 2010, Dan lived in his $1.3 million home in Maryland, and declared Maryland as his “principal residence” — so he could get thousands in tax credits from Maryland.
When he was attorney general, he crusaded against the Stand Your Ground bill. Politician Dan then ran ads taking credit for the bill’s passage. Politifact.com rated his claim ‘ False’. Mead Treadwell challenged Dan to produce one piece of evidence that Dan fought to pass Stand your Ground. Never happened.
Attorney General Dan waged war on subsistence and Native rights, filing lawsuits and supporting legislative initiatives and state policies against our way of life. Candidate Dan, now trying to court rural voters, talks about how he will fight for rural Alaska.
During the primary, trying to appeal to conservatives, Dan opposed increasing the minimum wage, saying it would kill jobs. In the general election, trying to appeal to moderates, Dan now says he supports increasing it — and apparently supports killing jobs.
There was the awkward 10 seconds of silence from primary Dan when asked if he wrote in Lisa Murkowski’s name back in 2010. Afraid to alienate conservatives who despise Lisa, he half-heartedly answered “no.” Now he’s cozying up to Lisa. All I can say is, Lisa, enjoy your last two years in office because, having burned your Republican bridges, I think it safe to say you have now burned your Democratic bridges.
Lisa talks about having Dan has a “partner” in D.C. What would that mean to Alaskans if Dan Sullivan is elected to the U.S. Senate? For starters, under Senate rules, seniority is determined by length of service. If there is a tie, they look at a state’s population. Which means Dan would be dead last in seniority. Number 100. Does she need a partner to keep Alaska Native women from being protected under the VAWA?
Lost would be Sen. Begich’s clout and seniority. And his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee which he used to bring Alaska over $2 billion in Recovery Act Investments — more per capita than any other state. And over $1 billion in transportation infrastructure just in the last two years. These have created tens of thousands of jobs across Alaska. Alaska is a young state and we need these investments to grow our economy.
Since Danny orchestrated the oil tax giveaway, Alaska now has billions less in revenue for our oil resources (not to mention 250 fewer jobs at BP). Now Lisa Murkowski wants to sabotage the other plank of our economy by having us lose a seat on the Appropriations Committee?
Lost would be Begich’s chairmanship of the Senate Oceans Subcommittee — which he has used to fight for the largest industry in Alaska.
Don’t worry though — Dan has a plan to make up for this loss of clout: he wants to make it harder to get Social Security by “means testing” and raising the age of eligibility. He supports a plan to slash Medicare benefits and force seniors to pay more for prescription drug benefits, costing many seniors an additional $900 per year. I guess if you can try to buy your kid a U.S. Senate seat you aren’t so worried about that $900.
No thank you. I’m voting to keep Social Security, and Medicare for folks like my parents. I’m not going to flip flop for Cleveland Dan. I’m Alaskan — and here we wear XtraTuffs.
This article is cross-posted at ADN.com
Theres also the ballot measures like protecting Bristol Bay and legalizing marijuana, that will give Mark a boost. Its hard to poll far flung areas like AK and Hi, and thats at the best of times. I think once more of Sullivans shady dealing come to light, we’ll see Begich re-take the lead. if Sullivan refuses to show up to the debates and Mark does, mark gets free programming and that moves the polls.
http://www.adn.com/article/20140929/lisa-murkowski-wont-endorse-candidate-alaska-governor-race
Alaskans please remember this when LM comes up for election next go round.
She’s not going to endorse a candidate for Governor- note her remarks about Mr Mallott
( I told you she would bite you in the hiney, Byron- remember?) and then consider her ire at Mr Begich for campaigning for Mr McAdams. Please also remember she was considered to have a next to nothing chance as an indie then. And the work of Mr mallott made a once in a bazillion thing happen.
Way to go Senator Murkowski! yee haw, yahabadooby! You are such team player R all those Ds, Ns and Us who voted for you got chucked as soon as you got back to DC, didn’t they?
Way to go endorsing the doof who won’t say whether he voted for you!
but I gotta ask- why do you think this senate race is about giving YOU what you need or want?
PffffTTT!
And here ole dummy me thought it was about Alaska having an effective person in the Senate- something Senator Begich has excelled at…
The koch suckers strike again.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/supreme-court-rules-against-early-voting-ohio?google_editors_picks=true
Dan, I guess it’s easy to be smug and self-righteous when you’re well off enough to the point that you won’t need social security or medicare. You can and should take pride in your accomplishments that got you where you are. Nobody faults you for that. But good fortune and success don’t shine on everyone. People try to make the best of their lives based on their unique circumstances. There’s something mean spirited about calling for changes to social security and medicare. People have worked long and hard to earn the benefits of these programs, not to mention they’ve paid in substantial amounts of money over the years. Not everyone can be measured by your yardstick of success. If elected to the senate, will your message to working people and retirees of our state be “you need to get by on less”?
Brava, Shannyn. I wish I could give Begich’s campaign some money, but I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.
During a speech at the conservative Values Voter summit on Friday, Sarah Palin said that truth was an “endangered species at 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue,” presumably referring to the address of the White House. The former vice presidential candidate went on to suggest that the “media’s favorite president” couldn’t stop telling lies.
The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The Willard Hotel stands at 1400 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
If ignorance is bliss,whitey wingnut must be the happiest political party in the whole,freaking WORLD!!
Sullivan can’t do math,Palin doesn’t know where the White House actually is. These people are dangerously defective. Has the warranty run out,yet?
No, the Willard Hotel is at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue. 1400 is Pershing Park (if I read the map correctly).
I saw a comment somewhere (paraphrasing) “She was headed to the White House, but quit at 1400”
The polls are absolute BS. I am working the phones for Begich and even in my very red district he is ahead 2 to 1. Very few people actually answer polls in Alaska,
Pollsters call me frequently — always around dinnertime. I just tell them it will cost them $100 to get my opinions. Cash in advance. Nobody has paid yet. They don’t know how I will vote.
Does this make me a curmudgeon? Because I aspire to that status . . .
Sure, slipstream, if that’s what you want, you are definitely curmudgeonly.
First, ask for the name of their organization and their billing address. Tell them you’re a consultant, and your rate is $262.49 per hour with a four hour minimum consultation. They’re attempting to use your personal telephone equipment to either sell you something or collect data. You can demand compensation for either or both. If (when) they balk, tell them that there is no charge for the initial call, but if they call again, that constitutes their acceptance of your terms. Confirm that they understand your terms, and tell them to call often! Then send them a bill for $1049 (Iditarod much?) when they invariably fail to take you seriously and call back.
I learned this one from my late father. It works like a charm.
Surely, Alaskans will not elect this guy. They have always struck me as pretty damned sharp, so it’s hard to imagine his appeal for them…..
On the other hand, we have continually re-elected Young.
And there it is, right there. We depend on an informed electorate for good governance, and we are reaping what we fail to sow. If anyone paid any attention to Yon Dung, no one would know who the hell he was because he would have been gone long, long ago.
actually, a surprising number of folks do pay attention and are 1-proud of him, 2-agree with him, 3- fear lack-of-seniority-for-our-lone-House-member more than they fear Mr Young’s ability to put his foot in his mouth and swallow it up to his knee or-4 all of the above.
You’re right, sadly.