Video Hilarity: Sarah Palin steps down and Don Lemon reads Twitter reactions

Video: Sarah Palin announces her resignation as Governor of Alaska

Sarah Palin resigns

My first reaction is woa! But that is the kind of gal I am. A little naive` and perpetually surprised.

My second reaction was to head over to The Mudflats where the celebration is already taking place.

PALIN RESIGNS!

3 07 2009

The news hit, and the servers at themudflats.net crashed immediately with all the traffic.

[snip]

There’s a story here somewhere. I’ll be writing more on this as details become available.

So, feel free to celebrate here, and I’ll be up on the regular site as soon as possible

Will this news, knock the death of Michael Jackson off the 24/7 news cycle? I'm going with, not completely, but will likely be a wee distraction for a day or two.

Alaska: Moose Twins from The Mudflats

More sweet pictures from The Mudflats...

Moose Stories

The Alaskan blog, The Mudflats brought some great 'palin comparison' stories during Campaign 2008.

This one caught my eye today. No politics. Just life. A a glorious human/critter/life (well... life in Alaska that is) read goes along with this photograph. There are more pictures too!

Check it out if you have not already done so, or as always, don't listen to me.

Either way, I think you are a winner. Have a wonderful day.

Cherry Pickin' Stimulus: Alaskan Governor rejects 31%

Don't need all of the cotton pickin' stimulus funds so cherry pickin' it is.

JUNEAU, Alaska - It's up to the Alaska Legislature to request hundreds of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds from the federal government.

Gov. Sarah Palin said Thursday that she would accept only 69 percent of the estimated $930 million dollars that could flow to the state, including $514 million for capital projects and $128 million for a hike in Medicaid reimbursement.

Palin said she would accept money that is "timely, targeted and temporary" and does not create strings that will bind the state in the future.

"I can't attest to every fund that's being offered the state in the stimulus package will be used to create jobs and stimulate the economy, so I'm requesting only those things that I know will," Palin said at a news conference at the Capitol. "Public discussion will have to ensue on all those other dollars that some will say 'you left on the table. source: read more at Examiner.com

JUNEAU: Lawmakers in Alaska debating the return of the death penalty; abolished in 1957

The death penalty was abolished two years before Alaskan statehood according to an opponent of the return of this practice, Phil Smith, of Juneau.

Testimony in two hearings held by the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, yielded more against than for this proposed change in the law.

Alaska lawmakers have begun hearings on a proposal to reinstate the death penalty, a practice abolished even before statehood was granted more than half a century ago.

The legislation, sponsored by House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, would allow execution by lethal injection in cases of first-degree murder.

source: Indianapolis Examiner

Now Tell Me What You Really Think: Brand spanking new Alaskan Senator Mark Begich calls out Senator Liebermann regarding ANWAR

After just being sworn in a few short days ago, Democratic Senator Mark Begich who won disgraced convicted felon and long time Senator Ted Stevens seat in the U.S. Senate in a tight race, makes a little noise out of the Senatorial gate.

I don't agree with Begich on the issue, but he definitely is showing a bit of moxy, but then again, he is from Alaska after all.

The former Anchorage mayor just put out a release whacking Lieberman's re-intro of a measure that would limit exploration and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge — a bill Begich (sounding oh-so-much like his predecessor Ted Stevens) decried as a "knee-jerk reaction" intended to assuage the green left.

Begich:

“Sen. Lieberman’s ANWR legislation is another misguided attempt at locking up ANWR to appease environmentalists across the country,” Sen. Begich said. “What this country needs is a comprehensive energy plan dealing with oil and gas development, as well as renewable energy resources, to ease our dependence on foreign oil. Domestic production including the enormous oil and gas reserves believed to lie beneath the Arctic Refuge must be a part of that policy.” source: Politico

Sarah Palin's Budget Challenges

Sarah Palin has budget challenges that she may or may not be aware of.

Mudflats has a good one on how things are going in Alaska now that the price of of a barrel of oil has flatlined.

Wanna see? Click on that cute little Mudflats tote over yonder.

Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) - Best Wishes and Farewell from the Senate Floor

It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

Today, Ted Stevens — Alaska’s defeated Republican senator and a convicted felon — was granted time on the Senate floor to deliver his farewell speech. Stevens said that he still can’t believe that he’s “privileged to speak on the floor of the United States Senate.” He also added that he “doesn’t have a rear-view mirror. I look only forward, and I still see the day when I can remove the cloud that currently surrounds me.”

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) then took the floor and said farewell to his “distinguished colleague.” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had previously called for Stevens’s resignation, recalled the longest-serving Republican’s “extraordinary accomplishments.” Watch it:

Matt Yglesias writes: “I cannot believe that (a) Ted Stevens got a standing ovation from his fellow senators, and (b) Harry Reid is now delivering an ode to him. I mean, the man’s a criminal. Senatorial courtesy is a really bizarre institution.” Think Progress

That's not Rachel! - Franken goes to Washington, Clinton goes to Georgia, Stevens goes home

Senator-Elect Mark Begich (D-AK) makes an appearance on

The Rachel Maddow Show

After three decades, Alaska picks a 'Blue' Senator to represent them in Congress - Congratulations Senator Mark Begich (D-AK)

OK. One down, two to go. We still the Al Franken in Minnesota looking to unseat Norm Coleman. That will be a recount under MN law.

Then we got a run off election in Georgia between Republican incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss, and Democrat Jim Martin.

Stevens was declared the loser in Alaska on Tuesday night after a two-week-long process of counting nearly 90,000 absentee and early votes from across Alaska. With this victory, Democrat Mark Begich has defeated one of the giants in the U.S. Senate by a 3,724-vote margin, a stunning end to a 40-year Senate career marred by Stevens' conviction on corruption charges a week before the election. The Associated Press called the race Tuesday evening. About 2,500 absentee ballots from overseas remain, but they would not change the outcome of the race.

Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, would become the first Democrat elected to Alaska’s Congressional delegation in nearly three decades.

Stevens could ask for a recount, but because Begich’s margin of victory is greater than 0.5 percent, his campaign would have to pay for the procedure. Begich is leading Stevens by a 1.2 percent margin of victory. for Politico source - click here

Alaska Update: Democrat Begich leads Incumbent Republican Stevens by 2,374 votes

Things are not going well for Senator Ted Stevens the longest serving Republican Senator in history. At the age of 84, he is a convicted felon, and now he is very likely going to lose his Senate Seat to Democrat Mark Begich. He's most definitely not having a very good time.

After a felony conviction finding Stevens guilty "of accepting and concealing tens of thousands of dollars in free home renovations and other gifts".

In a statement, Sen. Stevens said he will continue his campaign. He said he is innocent and will fight the verdict, which he attributed to the "unconscionable manner in which the Justice Department lawyers conducted this trial."

If Sen. Stevens is re-elected, the Senate eventually will hold hearings to decide if he should be expelled, but it is likely to wait until he has exhausted any appeals. If he is elected and later steps down, his successor would be chosen by special election under Alaska state law.

for WSJ source - click here

Talking Points Memo reports on recent vote count results here.

Moment Of Doom Creeps Closer For Stevens As Begich's Lead Grows

By Eric Kleefeld - November 18, 2008, 5:20PM

It looks more and more like GOP Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens is finished.

The latest numbers from Alaska: Democratic challenger Mark Begich 146,286 votes, Stevens 143,912 votes, a Begich lead of 2,374 votes. Begich's lead has more than doubled from the 1,022-vote edge this morning, with the vast majority of the remaining ballots expected to be finished tonight. read more here

It's hard to not feel a bit sorry for the guy and I do, but not that sorry. It's time for a change.

Nate Silver on Hardball with Chris Mattews on unresolved Senate Races AND Sean of FiveThrityEight.com with news from Alaska

I saw Nate Silver talking to Chris Mattews on Hardball. I've seen Nate with Olbermann before. I think Nate is a cutie pie. Keep up the good work Nate.

Now on to news on the Alaska Senate race from Sean at FiveThirtyEight.com.

Friday, November 14, 2008
Alaska Update: Begich Leads By 1,061
There's been an update today in the Alaska Senate race, with 11,612 more votes counted. Mark Begich now leads incumbent Ted Stevens by 1,061 votes.

Per Sean Cockerham at the Anchorage Daily News, the ballots counted today:

About 510 questioned ballots from Southeast, the Peninsula and Southwest Alaska

About 5,180 absentee and questioned ballots from Mat-Su

Questioned, absentee ballots from Richardson Highway and the Interior

About 3,600 absentee and questioned ballots from Western and Northwest Alaska, and North Slope

Monday the extra Richardson Highway ballots will be counted, and Tuesday another 24,000 or so ballots will be counted from Anchorage, Southeast, Kenai Peninsula and Southwest Alaska.


-- Sean Quinn at 6:14 PM For Sean source - click here

I have no knowledge of the 'cutie pie status' of Sean Quinn at this time.

Alaskan Horse Race: FiveThirtyEight.com calls Mark Begich is an "overwhelming favorite to win" after today's counting

MSNBC reported earlier today that there are 30,000 more to go. All counts should be completed by the end of the weekend.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Begich Leads By 814 Going Into Thursday

The Alaska Board of Elections has finally updated (pdf). With 17,728 votes counted since the previous update, Democrat Mark Begich has the lead over Republican Ted Stevens, 132,196 to 131,382.

More votes to be counted tomorrow and possibly Friday.

As we've pointed out and has been pointed out elsewhere, the remaining votes come from Begich-friendly districts. Mark Begich is now an overwhelming favorite to win the Alaska Senate seat.

God this is an awesome freaking country! It's because of the people! Yay! Go Alaska!

There is no reason to be bored in this country. We have so many wonderful people, form so many different walks of life. I can sit here in Indiana and watch the beautiful people of Alaska showing their support for Barack Obama in Anchorage.

How lucky is that? We are truly blessed.

Human Obama Logo in Anchorage - Video

by commongroundMA

Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 05:15:20 AM PDT

Here is the video from last Saturday’s event in downtown Anchorage! Hundreds of Obama supporters gathered in the freezing cold for over an hour to send this video postcard to their fellow Americans "outside." Enjoy, and pass it on!

Source: Mudflats: Tiptoeing Through the Muck of Alaskan Politics

For Kos source - click here

Irony and Hypocrisy are Close Relations: Governor Palin - Redistributor-In-Chief

Barack Obama's tax plan is not going to discourage productivity. People will not be able to pay their monthly basic expenses with a tax cut, let alone be able to get ahead, so I don't accept that thinking, except for the fact that Palin is trying to scare, scare, scare people.

Somebody please explain to me how a tax cut stifles the entrepreneurial spirit?

People in the middle will get a tax cut. People making more than $250,000.00 will see an increase back to the Clinton tax rates. That's all Obama's plan is.

The Republicans have nothing to run on, so they are trying to frighten people. Maybe it's because it is coming up on Halloween, but I don't think it's going to work this this time.

Think Progress sets it out in this way:

Palin contends that Obama’s characterization of his tax plan revealed him to be a “socialist” who wants to “redistribute” American wealth. Palin argues that the Obama tax plan “discourages productivity,” will “punish hardwork,” and will “stifle the entrepreneurial spirit.”

Watch a compilation of Palin’s recent comments about the Obama tax plan:

Conservatives in the media have echoed Palin’s sentiments, insinuating that Obama is a “Marxist” and referring to his tax plan as “welfare.”

But Palin’s criticisms of Obama’s “spread the wealth” remarks are ironic, as she recently characterized Alaska’s tax code in a very similar way. Just last month, in an interview with Philip Gourevitch of the New Yorker, Palin explained the windfall profits tax that she imposed on the oil industry in Alaska as a mechanism for ensuring that Alaskans “share in the wealth” generated by oil companies:

And Alaska—we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs. … It’s to maximize benefits for Alaskans, not an individual company, not some multinational somewhere, but for Alaskans.

In fact, Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share (ACES) program, which manages the redistribution of oil wealth in Alaska, brings in so much money that the state needs no income or sales tax. In addition, this year ACES will provide every Alaskan with a check for an estimated $3,200.

for source - click here

So Alaska operates as a 'collective'. Now is that Socialism or Marxism? I hope it isn't a Communist State. Now that would be scary.

Now don't get me wrong. I don't begrudge Alaskans anything regarding how they manage their state, or if they redistribute wealth or share in wealth or if they are Marxist or Socialists or even if they want to succeed from the union.

I bet if I met some folks from Alaska I would probably like them and have a lot in common.

The problem I have is when their Governor gets picked to be the Vice-Presidential Nominee for the Republican party and comes down to the 'Lower 48' spouting all this irony, or as I like to call it, hypocrisy with a capital "H'. I would also call it, if I weren't such a nice lady, a bunch of BS.

Give me an almighty break Sarah Palin.

PD

Wasilla, Alaksa: The 'Real' America from The Daily Show

Wasilla: The Real America or the Another America?

Real America and Fake America
Real American and Fake American
It's so confusing.

Indiana: Dan Quayle v Sarah Palin? And the Winner is... Dan Quayle!

Alaska has their Sarah Palin. Indiana has their Dan Quayle. Indiana stands by Dan Quayle, at least according to a South Bend Tribune columnist, Jack Colwell who actually knew Dan Quayle well at the time he was picked by George H.W. Bush for his Vice-Presidential running mate.

From Blue Indiana:

In short, Colwell knows Dan Quayle. Dan Quayle is a friend of his. And Sarah Palin...

Quayle left himself open in the vice presidential debate to that famous line that he was "no Jack Kennedy." He also answered the questions, didn't keep repeating rehearsed lines and didn't cheapen responses with winks, claims to be Dan Six-Pack or "you betcha" lingo.

Quayle made no claims that ignorance of Washington would make him better suited to lead Washington. That was the argument of Jimmy Carter, who campaigned as a Washington outsider and then proved to be a poor president because he couldn't figure out how to get things done as the president, the ultimate Washington insider.

Speaking of Washington, Sarah Palin makes Dan Quayle look like George Washington.

Call at 3 a.m.? There should have been no terror at the thought of Quayle answering. Palin?

for source - click here

I am in Northwest Indiana and was not active nor aware of Dan Quayle until he appeared on the stage at the Vice-Presidential debate where those now infamous words were uttered. I was young, and distracted by other things, but I watched the debate, but I didn't vote in that election cycle.

At that time especially in Northwest Indiana, not having the Internet(s), we didn't get much in-your-face news about what was going on down South (in Indiana), which was where Dan Quayle was located. Southern Indiana was like a separate country.

Unless you were a politically purposeful person, (and I wasn't at that time), you pretty much listened to the Chicago media market television programming and whatever Indiana news was offered in the local newspaper. I long for the time when newspapers were actually local.

Fact is that George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle won the election, so what was said didn't matter any old way.

My beef with Dan Quayle was the comment regarding the unwed pregnancy of the fictional character of Murphy Brown. I was unwed and pregnant myself at the time.

[ Correction: I wasn't pregnant in 1988. Quayle's comment about Murphy Brown actually came during the 1992 race. My bad. ]

I guess that should put me into the 'relateable' column with Sarah Palin, since she at least has an pregnant daughter. I can't relate to either Dan Quayle or Sarah Palin, but I'm going to go ahead and agree with Jack Colwell, and stick with state unity on this one.

PD

Sarah Palin: Video - ABC Investigation of Troopergate

For the report on the
Legislative investigation of Governor Palin
[aka as 'Troopergate']
released Friday, October 10, 2008
click here