Help! Help! We Can’t Find Sarah Palin!
Exxon has had some challenges in Alaska in the past. Remember that whole oil spill thing? Well, that was no walk in the park. Exxon and their legal help (including now-Governor Sean Parnell) had a devil of a time with those annoying fishermen. But finally, they ruled the day, and the Supreme Court whittled down the original $5 billion settlement to a mere $500 million owed to those whose livelihoods were damaged by the spill. And if more than 20 years of fighting feisty fishermen wasn’t enough, now they actually have to try to find all those people to whom…
Hundreds Turn Out for “It’s Our Oil” Rally
Almost 200 people turned out in Anchorage, and also a great crowd in Fairbanks for the “It’s Our Oil” rally on Saturday. These folks speak for Alaskans who are sick of getting ripped off at the pump, and are sick of being told that it will take a $20 BILLION giveaway to oil companies in order to get more oil in the pipeline. Alaskans who are tired of hearing politicians from both sides of the aisle in the pocket of Big Oil trying to sell the same song and dance every year without requiring increased production. Oil companies make hundreds…
Begich Sides With Senate Republicans
Mark Begich has become the first Democrat to side with Republicans on a big bill coming up in the Senate. This bill is sponsored by Rand Paul (R-KY), and has listed among its co-sponsors Republicans David Vitter, James Inhofe, and Jim DeMint. And I’m tickled pink. See, you thought I was going to be all mad, and say that I had a bone to pick with the Senator. Gotcha! U.S. Senator Mark Begich has added his voice to those calling for an additional audit of the Federal Reserve by the General Accounting Office (GAO). He signed on to the bill…
A Tale With Backbone
It’s story time! I know we haven’t had Mudflats story time in a long while now, but things get busy, and life gets complicated, and sometimes we forget. But right now, it’s time to snuggle in, because I’m going to tell you an important story – a story with heroes, and villains, and big dreams, and treasure. Lots and lots of treasure. It’s a story that started a long time ago, and it’s also a story that has no ending yet, because the ending hasn’t been written. It’s going to be up to all of you to decide how it…
Alaska’s Relationship of Convenience with EPA
Ever had a boss so hard to read you didn’t know if you were going to be fired or promoted? Mixed messages on a daily basis? It’s horrible. How are you supposed know what to do? A relationship in which you don’t know if you’ll be hit or hugged is much worse. “Can’t you just be a jerk all the time? It would make things so much easier.” It’s the back and forth, the uncertainty that make these situations unbearable. That’s why I feel bad for the folks at the Environmental Protection Agency. Oh, before you start calling me a…
Palin Wonders How Kerry Knows Her Name
It’s a mystery.. Former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin is apparently surprised that former Presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry even knows her name. I’m guessing he watches TV, or reads things that are put in front of him. Or goes to a bookstore. Kerry gave Palin the moment she’d been undoubtedly waiting for – attention from the big bad Democrats. Having an enemy is the WD-40 that greases up the Palin jaw hinges – Alaska Republican Party Chair Randy Ruedrich, David Letterman, President Obama, former State Senate President Lyda Green, former radio host Dan Fagan, Russia, the good ol’…
Eastwood, Palin and the Long Goodbye
Tropical Storm Isaac put a damper on the first day of the Republican National Convention. But nothing hit Tampa by surprise quite as much as what happened on the last day. Tuesday, it was announced that a special mystery guest speaker would appear before Mitt Romney on the final night of the convention. The most famous of the small tribe of Hollywood Republicans, Clint Eastwood took the stage. Dirty Harry looked a little more like Crazy Uncle Harry as he stood on the podium. But he’s 82, after all, and it happens to the best of them. The difference is…
Alaska Primary Wrap Up
Another election, another night at Election Central. This party was subdued overall, with only one or two over-eager campaigns doing the march with signs, balloons, and volunteers. Lora Reinbold, and Shelley Hughes had teams of people. Hughes also had a guy in some kind of unitard that covered his face completely in blue spandex. Not sure what was going on there, but I realized later that I’d been a bit disturbed and fled the scene before snapping a picture of him. There were quite a few candidates there, even those who had not faced a primary challenger. TV stations were…
Akin Just Saying What GOP Thinks
I’m getting really tired of the pile-on of Missouri Congressman Todd Akin. He isn’t being treated fairly, and I think it should stop. During an interview Mr. Akin answered a question regarding his views on abortion. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” The idea of ladies having a Venomous Venus Flytrap-like apparatus that slams shut when there’s an unwanted intruder sounds awesome. It’s not true. Last year 32,000 American women were impregnated after being raped. “Legitimately.” OK, women — we’re kind of mysterious. Most guys didn’t watch those…
Back to the Sidewalk – Again!
The high drama of last summer’s sidewalk sitting may be back again in September. Mayor Dan Sullivan didn’t like that a homeless man protesting his draconian attitudes and policies toward the homeless was sitting outside City Hall on the sidewalk. He glowered out of his window in the tall tower, gazing to the sidewalk below and decided to bring the long arm of the law down upon the lowly “protester.” And then, to the mayor’s horror, he realized that there was actually no law prohibiting Anchorage residents from sitting on the sidewalk. It really hadn’t been an issue during the…