Could This Be the Senate Race Where the Koch Brothers Meet Their Match?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/10/mark-begich-unions-alaska-senate-election
Republicans' most likely path to retaking the Senate in November requires GOPers to pick up seats in six key states: Louisiana, Arkansas, South Dakota, West Virginia, Montana, and Alaska. Of the six, Alaska—where Democratic Sen. Mark Begich is facing off against former Republican attorney general Dan Sullivan—may be the closest race. That's why right-wing groups backed by the likes of the Koch brothers and Karl Rove are dumping millions into the state—and why Alaska unions are pulling out all the stops this year to make sure Begich, a fierce supporter of labor, carries the day.
"This is literally the most active we've ever been in an election cycle," says Vince Beltrami, the president of the Alaska AFL-CIO, which represents nearly all unions in the state.
Union members have been working the phones, pushing out mailings, and canvassing door-to-door on behalf of Begich. Volunteers have even taken the unusual step of door-knocking in areas far outside of Alaska's urban centers, says Jerry McBeath, a professor of political science at University of Alaska. Because of the unprecedented level of campaign action this year, Beltrami says, the AFL-CIO had to rent out an extra 7,000 square foot warehouse.
In addition to boots-on-the-ground support for Begich, unions are also throwing down for TV ads to help ensure the freshman senator gets a second term in office. The political action committee affiliated with the International Association of Fire Fighters, for example, recently spent $165,000 on TV ads against Sullivan. The National Education Association's super-PAC unveiled an ad in early September slamming Sullivan for a misleading claim he made about going after a Wall Street firm that gave the state bad financial advice and cost the public pension fund billions of dollars. Around the same time, four state-wide unions—Alaska Professional Fire Fighters, Alaska Public Employees Association, Alaska State Employees Association and National Education Association-Alaska—held a press conference in mid-town Anchorage to respond to the same disingenuous ad.
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I hate politics. 
99% of them seem like wonderful people when they are campaigning, but turn into someone no one knows after the election. Orman is going to caucus with whichever party is in the majority so he can get more done for his district and/or so he can get more ca$h for his next campaign two years from now.
I added IA and CO to my list. Thanks for getting me up to speed. 
I agree with you. Where is Braley??
Ernst is the WORST kind of Republican. The kind that most Independents in Iowa wouldn't vote for. Sure, she'll get the crazy contingent in Iowa, but her extreme views do not mesh well with most Iowans.
Why isn't Braley plastering the airwaves with video of Ernst peacocking her radical agenda? There's plenty of material!
Maybe he's saving the tv spots for closer to the election date?
She could be so easily destroyed. I don't know why it's not being done.
We all ready have to suffer through the embarrassment that is Steve King. We don't need another tealunatic representing our state.
(I was encouraged by the front-page Register poll that shows her lead has dwindled to one percentage point, though! 
)
