The Wrath of Captain Zero
Well, somebody’s still mad. After he didn’t get his way during the legislative session, he broke his crayons and went home. After Governor Sean Parnell’s embarrassingly botched special session that cost Alaskans upwards of $30,000 a day, in which his woefully underprepared administration tried in vain to get the Alaska Senate to green light his second $2 billion dollar a year, no-strings-attached, prezzie to the oil companies, he’s now got another plan. Revenge. It didn’t register with the governor that Alaskans actually didn’t like his oil tax plan. They didn’t like the idea of moving $10 billion over the next…
Alaska Gets Gouged
I’m never surprised by the unabashed glee with which those on the right shill for the rich and powerful, but the Republican support for the fuel price gougers here in Alaska has even me flabbergasted. Alaska’s gas prices are through the roof. Why? Oiligopoly. Two refiners control virtually 100 percent of the gasoline market — with Tesoro controlling 80 percent and Flint Hills, owned by the Koch brothers, controlling 20 percent. You know the Koch brothers: job creators extraordinaire. They’ve enjoyed a decade of low taxes, fired 13,000 workers since 2007 and seen their net worth skyrocket from $34 billion…
Parnell Continues to Fight Health Care for Alaskans
It’s been a big hairy week in Washington, D.C., with landmark Supreme Court decisions. Bigger than any of it is the way policy and politics are being touted as home runs and touchdowns by both political parties and pundits. It boggles my mind when two sides call the same point for themselves. I live and breathe politics like many people follow sports. Sometimes the stress is enough to make me want to pull the covers over my head and peek out around Thanksgiving. The tea party reaction was bizarre and almost comical. Congressman Mike Pence, R-Indiana, likened Thursday’s SCOTUS decision…
Alaska Republican Convention Gets Paulverized
I don’t mean to gloat. I’m not generally a gloater. Schadenfreude is not my thing. But if I were going to gloat, now would be the time. Hypothetically. It seems… how shall I put this delicately… the the Alaska Republican Convention has turned into what their one time golden child Sarah Palin would call – “a cluster.” @AnchTeaParty on Twitter was kind enough to tweet live from the convention: 17:20 Still no results on election of #Alaska Party Chair. Saying we must leave the hotel ballroom now. 17:21 Chair just declared the convention adjourned with no vote to adjourn and no…
Dick Puts Foot in Mouth
It’s been at least a couple weeks since Rep. Alan Dick has made headlines for jaw-dropping comments that offend large numbers of people. But now, he’s back. Last time it was suggesting that women should have permission slips signed by their impregnators before they have an abortion. Stunned at public outcry, he then issued a statement saying that what he really meant was not so much the consent that he’d previously espoused, but rather simply notification of the other party. Oh, and he was super sorry IF you were offended by what he said. He promised to choose his words…
Romney Courts the Bazillionaire Dog-Hater Vote
Looks like the Romneys are having a big fancy fundraiser at the home of the only person that could make Mitt look like the poster child for the ASPCA. Romney, who is loathed by dog-lovers everywhere for his treatment of Seamus, the family dog whom he strapped in a crate to the top of the car for 12 hours, has even inspired a website called Dogs Against Romney. Although Romney’s treatment of man’s best friend has been less than stellar, at least he has never barbecued one. You may remember back in May of 2009, Sarah Palin was invited to…
Parnell Nominee to Board of Game Rejected by Legislature
Nominee to Alaska’s Board of Game, Lynn Keogh, was rejected Tuesday by the Legislature. He had the support of Governor Sean Parnell, and of the powerful Alaska Outdoor Council hunting lobby. He needed 31 votes to retain his appointment. He got 29. As reported earlier in the week, an email obtained by The Mudflats showed Republican Party Chair Randy Ruedrich forwarding an email from Rod Arno of the Alaska Outdoor Council threatening legislators with strong-arm tactics if they didn’t approve Keogh’s appointment to the Board of Game. From: Randy Ruedrich <[email protected]> Date: March 30, 2012 8:09:07 AM AKDT To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> Subject: Anti’s go…
Read in China, but Banned in Tucson?
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Think of the symbols of patriotism used, and overused in politics – most notably the stars and stripes, bald eagles, and of course the Statue of Liberty who proudly claims the quote above. There are seven rays emanating from her crown – one for each continent. Technically, Lady Liberty is so all-embracing she’d welcome native Antarcticans… if there were any. I grew up close to…
‘Recess’ won’t set GOP-led House back
by Shannyn Moore ADN comment I remember sitting inside during recess in fourth grade. Mrs. Henwood, my favorite teacher ever, was tough as nails. Her sparkly glasses and no-nonsense teaching made me adore and fear her at the same time. My times-tables were giving me fits. “You don’t come to school for recess, Shannyn, you’re here to get your work done.” I learned more than my times-tables from her. Buckle down, get it done, then you play. When I’d passed all my timed tests she gave me a bag of jelly beans. I don’t like jelly beans, but it was…