You Want the Palin Brawl? Here it is.
I’ve been asked countless times over the last couple days to weigh in on the Palin’s drunken rumpus that has now dominated the national news cycle. I’ve been begged. BEGGED. “You of all people!” “I’ve been waiting!” “Don’t let us down!” Honestly, I would rather be rolled in French fry grease, sprinkled with sea salt and fed to the ravens. It may be the same reason I disdain tabloids, and rubbernecking accidents. But because I love you I will weigh in, in whatever manner there is left to weigh in on the Hindenburg that is the Palin family. I knew as…
Parnell Ignored Guard Rape for Years
“This culture of mistrust and failed leadership in the Guard ends now,” according to Gov. Sean Parnell, the failed commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard for the last four years. Unfortunately, if you’ve been paying attention, you know there isn’t the slightest chance that Parnell will hold himself accountable for ignoring years of guardsmen pleading for his help — in some cases with soldier rape victims and their advocates almost literally banging on the door of his office. Instead he’s in weasel overdrive in an attempt to escape responsibility for his inaction and blatant lack of concern. You…
Mudflats Chats: Sen Candidate Mark Fish (L)
Mark Fish is one of three Libertarian candidates running for the U.S Senate seat currently held by Democrat Mark Begich. We sat down and talked about libertarianism, the Republican field, the Republican field, abortion, mining, and corporate personhood among other things. Grab a cup of coffee, and sit in! Libertarian Philosophy JEANNE DEVON: I guess I’ll start off with a philosophical question because sometimes I think it’s difficult, especially in today’s world where everything and everyone is so interconnected, to make a case for libertarianism. MARK FISH: It is difficult. DEVON: Because we’re interconnected people, and the actions of an individual…
Reefer Madness Comes to Alaska
I knew immediately this debate was going to be contentious. I was sitting on the left side of the auditorium when the woman next to me popped out of her seat like a Jack in the box. “I’m moving!” she said. “The legals are on this side, and the illegals are on the other side. I’m going to sit with the illegals!” “I’m going to sit with the illegals” isn’t a sentence you hear very much these days. I’m a “legal” for a number of reasons, and I wanted to explain to my former neighbor that this wasn’t like a wedding with…
Marijuana Debate Wednesday!
Should marijuana be regulated like alcohol in Alaska? The third in a series of four debates on upcoming ballot initiatives from Alaska Common Ground is scheduled for Wednesday night in the Wilda Marston Theater in the Loussac Library. Colorado and Washington have recently legalized pot, and the world has not, in fact, ended. In Libertarian Alaska, it seems like a no-brainer, but there are two sides to this debate. Come see what they have to say, and arm yourself for the water cooler wars. Forum on the Marijuana Legalization Initiative Wednesday, August 6th, 7 – 9 pm Wilda Marston Theatre,…
Warren’s 11 Progressive Values for Netroots Nation
DETROIT, MI – Detroit’s Democratic Congressman Gary Peters who is running for the United States Senate addressed a packed house at the Netroots Nation convention in his home city on Friday. “I know the power you have to blog, to communicate to tell stories,” he said. “There are many wonderful stories about Detroit, and the wonderful people who make up this city, and the spirit that they have. Tell about how they have been through some very tough times, but they work hard. And if they work hard they should get a fair shot. And if they get a fair…
The Floodgates are Open
This week I listened to one of the right-wing sock puppets yammer on about what a victory for freedom the most recent campaign finance court decision was. Honestly. The guy was more about “free and dumb” than freedom. The court, in yet another 5-4 decision, basically created eBay for elections. What we didn’t need was more stinking money in our election process but the five say otherwise. Freedom of speech is now equated with how much money you have and are willing to spend. Of course, the reverse doesn’t work. You can’t walk into a store and purchase items with…
White Power, Blue Uniform
“Black people are so disgusting.” When gawking in horror at the internet’s racist underbelly during a bout with insomnia, one comes across jarring pronouncements like that one. The comment was one among a long list of similar sentiments under a Facebook meme denouncing biracial relationships. “Who says something like that in the year 2014?” I wondered while clicking through to the commenter’s profile. Well, it turns out US Army Police Officer (!) Troy Roberts of Ft. Stewart, Georgia does. He’s a big fan of a Facebook page called American White History Month, publisher of the now-removed meme. Roberts’ stated employer…
GOP Tries to Stack the Courts
When you can’t win, change the rules. I’ve wondered why our legislators have spent the better part of their time on bills likely to struck down as unconstitutional. They are trying to rewrite our constitution to hand public money to schools, deny women reproductive justice and deny citizens the right to weigh in on resource development. Lawmakers will vote on bills that they know will end up in court. That takes money that they don’t have to pay for on either side. Maybe we need an amendment that requires those who vote for bills deemed unconstitutional have to pay the…
IN Seeks Constitutional Ban for Same-Sex Marriage
As all Indiana residents know, we currently live in a futuristic golden age in which all crime and poverty in the Hoosier state has been eradicated; cars run on a combination of solar power and discarded Peyton Manning Colts jerseys while solid gold iPads are handed out to the populace on a daily basis. Faced with little else to do besides disbanding, the Indiana legislature decided to take up the last remaining controversial issue of our time: Gay marriage. And despite increasing public support for same-sex marriage, many of our elected leaders have decided to take the position of banning…