What took you so damn long?
We all have different breaking points. I realize mine may be very different than yours, and Sens. Lisa Murkowski’s and Dan Sullivan’s, when it comes to our tolerance levels of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Both Murkowski and Sullivan recently came out condemning Trump after a tape came to light with the candidate bragging about sexual assault. He was quite proud of grabbing women in their genitalia and thought it was funny they wouldn’t do anything about it. Not all U.S. senators share the disdain of Trump’s statement. Alabama’s Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions thought the language used by Trump was…
Instead of Building a Wall, Build a Mirror
The Republican Party has been passing legislation for years that falls in line with what its nominee Donald Trump says. It’s anti-Muslim, homophobic, misogynistic, racist and rejects science. He’s actually the embodiment of Republican policy. Now Trump has mocked the pain of the parents of Capt. Humayun Kahn, a Muslim soldier who was killed in the Iraq War. He taunted Mrs. Kahn for not speaking from the stage of the Democratic National Convention. She didn’t speak because of her grief, not her religion, as he had not-too-subtlely suggested. Trump wants to ban Muslims from coming to America. He blamed President…
Seeing a Temporary Fix In Hillary
The best summers of my childhood were spent on the west side of Cook Inlet at my family’s fish site. It’s quite possible they were my favorite of my entire life. We would do a food shop for 10 weeks, pack boxes of books and batteries, rain gear and bug dope, work gloves and the La Choy double decker cans for special exotic meals when we weren’t eating what we caught. At one point my little sister asked if we could just have one day without razor clams at a meal. What? My parents figured out we were on day…
A Sad Showing for the Left in Cleveland
[Originally published in NationofChange.org] The big attraction on the protest front, during the RNC this past week was a human wall around Trump’s RNC security wall. It was an idea that seemed fantastic once you first heard it, but it was something that needed good numbers and a willing group of protestors. It made for good images – but as was the theme for the week – the numbers were too small. While immigrant rights groups like United We Dream and some others took a strong stand in Ohio – few others showed. The numbers were too small to…
Are you suffering from political nostalgia?
Are you suffering from political nostalgia? Was your dipnetting or berry picking interrupted this week by the Republican Convention? Do you long for the days where the inexperienced candidate with narcissistic qualities and a private email problem was wrapped into one person — Sarah Palin? Does it seem strange to you that David Duke, a white nationalist, Holocaust-denying, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan thinks the time is perfect for him to run for U.S. Senate instead of secretly folding white hoods and watching episodes of Archie Bunker in an actual bunker? Are you still saying “All Lives…
Cheese Whiz And Donald Trump – Why He Can Win
It’s that time of the year again … family visits. Oh, Alaska, isn’t it funny who shows up? Remember me?? Um…well, this is awkward – not really, but sure, we’ve got a spare room. Nice to meet you. Here’s a specific hint to make these visits go smoothly. Don’t talk politics. I know, it’s a prime year for it, but try really hard. You might try something like, “Let’s make our family great again …, and not talk about crazy.” Friday morning the world woke up in shock that Britain had voted to break up its longtime relationship with the…
Last Second Candidate Filings Flood In
It’s not that Alaska politics isn’t always interesting but the drudgery of the last couple of months has been draining. The Republican run state capitol has been nothing but frustrating – not passing anything of meaning for an entire session. Including a budget. So today, the last day to file as a candidate suddenly it suddenly became VERY interesting. There’s awesome news, some bittersweet news and some &^%*$ what is going on sort of news. Let’s get to the awesome news first. Friend of TheMudflats and life of the Union party, Vince Beltrami is running for State Senate. Now, while that’s pretty…
The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska ADN – State pushing feds to allow Western Arctic caribou hunt Alaska’s biggest caribou herd, one that has swelled and crashed over the past four decades, now is stirring conflict between state and federal managers over who should get to hunt the animals. The Federal Subsistence Board decided in April to close federal lands where the Western Arctic caribou herd is hunted — except to locals, those hunters federally qualified for subsistence. The year-long closure to other caribou hunters would begin July 1. Alaska Public Media – Young, Murkowski to do ‘double whammy’ on energy bill Alaska Congressman Don Young will…
NRA Chooses Trump – Photos from the Convention Floor
This year TheMudflats returned to the NRA with a much smaller crew, namely just me. Unlike in 2015 when nearly every single one of the Republican primary candidates made a speech this time there was only one big name at the show – The Donald. The presumptive presidential nominee for the Republican Party took to the stage with a standing ovation from a crowd of thousands of gun lovers that packed the Freedom Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The somewhat non-surprise surprise was that the National Rifle Association was to endorse Mr. Trump. National Rifle Association executive director Chris W. Cox with…