Anchorage Mayor to Challenge Ted Stevens (R-crook)

[babylonsister]

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/anchorage-mayor-to-challenge-stevens/

April 21, 2008, 5:52 pm
Anchorage Mayor to Challenge Stevens

By Carl Hulse


Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, made it official today and announced he would oppose Senator Ted Stevens in November, a decision that will put the Alaska Senate race on the watch list.

The 46-year-old Democrat serving his second term as mayor of the state’s largest city could present a formidable challenge to Mr. Stevens, the 84-year-old political powerhouse who has delivered billions of dollars to his home state during a Senate career that is the longest ever by a Republican.

Mr. Stevens remains a force in Alaska but has been wounded by a political scandal in the state and a high-profile F.B.I. raid on his home last summer. And the harsh spotlight shining on fellow Alaska Representative Don Young, a Republican, for his pursuit of federal projects, has allowed Democrats to push the theme that the two old-school Republicans from the state have crossed the line in their drive for federal aid, harming the state’s image.

“I believe the only way to restore trust in government is for government to earn it,” Mr. Begich said in his announcement. “We’ve seen here in Alaska the ultimate result of unfettered greed; grainy videotapes of state legislators in hotel rooms laughing at the citizens of this state. And we’ve seen in Washington the ultimate result of special interest and legislative indifference.”

Mr. Begich possesses a well-known political name in Alaska. His father, Nick, was the state’s young congressman in 1972 when he and House Majority Leader Hale Boggs of Louisiana were killed in a small plane crash in Alaska en route to a fundraiser for the first term lawmaker who was being challenged by Mr. Young. Mr. Young won a subsequent special election and has been in Congress since.

Mr. Stevens will not easily relinquish his seat and can be counted on to spend what it takes to remind the voters of Alaska of all that he has done and brought home for them over his 40 years in the Senate. But this race is looming as the most significant fight the senator, chosen Alaskan of the Century in 2000, has ever faced.

[Parche]

1. Go Big Itch!!

:woohoo: :woohoo:

:hi:

[Arctic Dave]

2. He has my vote and my checkbook is out.

Dear Ted,

GO FUCK YOURSELF, you cranky little turd.

Sincerely,
Arctic Dave

[Divernan]

3. Excellent ! Is anyone running against R Congressman, "Mr. Pork". Don Young?

From wikipedia:

Outbursts
Young is well known for making temperamental outbursts. He once called environmentalists "a self-centered bunch of waffle-stomping, Harvard-graduating, intellectual idiots." When John McCain asked him to give up some money earmarked for Alaska to help the rebuilding effort from Hurricane Katrina, Young replied that Katrina victims "can kiss my ear!"<3>


The "Bridge to Nowhere"
In 2005, Young and Stevens earmarked $223 million for building an enormous bridge from Ketchikan to Gravina Island (pop. 50), which also contains Ketchikan's airport. The bridge would be used for access by emergency vehicles, as well as passengers. Currently there is a small car and passenger ferry that travels the 1/4 mile (400 m) crossing in 3 to 7 minutes and runs every half hour. Critics assailed this as pork barrel spending at taxpayers' expense and dubbed it the "Bridge to Nowhere". After criticism from citizens and others in Congress, lawmakers defunded the bridge specifically, and instead funneled the money to the State of Alaska, Department of Transportation, allowing Alaska's Governor to start road construction after the Alaska Legislature funded the project with the directed monies.<9> Another bridge earmarked in the bill connects Anchorage to Point Mackenzie, a developing subdivision in Matanuska-Susitna Borough that is situated less than four miles across Cook Inlet from Downtown Anchorage. Currently, however, Anchorage is accessible from Point Mackenzie only by a nearly 80-mile route around Knik Arm, much of which is an unimproved road.<3>

[babylonsister]

4. He has a couple of more pressing problems at the moment:

the House has passed a resolution to investigate his Coconut Grove highway in FL, and then there's this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3187655

[Blue_In_AK]

6. EVERYBODY'S running against Don Young...

He has two Republican challengers, Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell and state rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, and three Democrats, Diane Benson, Ethan Berkowitz and Jake Metcalfe. My guess is any one of these people could take him out... Don's in BIG trouble here.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

5. Known for their independence

I am hoping that Alaskans will scrape the little whiny shit off their heels ("Dammit, I stepped in Ted Stevens!"). Dems have their own pork projects, but unseating Stevens would go a long way toward getting the Big North back on track, and in trim fighting form for upcoming ANWR exploration battles.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Some photos from Mark's announcement are here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3188967&mesg_id=3188967