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Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label People Stevens-Ted AK Senator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People Stevens-Ted AK Senator. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Sunday, November 02, 2008

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich: “It’s Time to Move On”

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich: “It’s Time to Move On”

Related: 20081230 An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich

10.28.08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8ZkJ-GNGRw



Comments on Stevens’ trial, Alaska’s future

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich said today that the jury has spoken, Senator Ted Stevens broke the law, and it’s time to move on. At a news conference in Anchorage, Begich said despite Stevens’ conviction on seven felony counts, Alaskans are resilient and will be able to move forward to address the critical challenges that face the state.

“The charges against Senator Stevens were serious and the conviction sends a strong message that no man is above the law,” Begich said. “Washington D.C. is broken and too many lawmakers are serving the special interests and not the people back home.”

Begich said while Stevens says he will appeal the federal jury’s verdict, Alaska’s issues are too important to have to wait for months or even years of legal maneuvering. Senator Stevens did a lot for our state, but that era is over, he added.

“We now have an opportunity to put this unfortunate chapter of our history behind us and focus on the future of Alaska,” Begich said. “This election gives Alaskans the opportunity to choose a different style of leadership, a different approach to addressing the important issues facing our state.”

Begich summarized his six-month campaign for reporters, pointing out he has released more than a dozen plans to deal with issues such as energy, ethics, health care and education. Begich said with the critical challenges facing the country, Alaska needs somebody with an independent style in Washington, working across party lines to solve the problems we’re facing.

“I love Alaska. This is my home. Every day I am in the U.S. Senate I will remember that and stand up for the issues that are important to us.”

Since announcing his candidacy in late April, Begich has received the endorsement of the Alaska State Employees Association/American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 52; the National Education Association – Alaska and the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education; Retired General Wesley Clark; the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU).


http://begich.com/content/begich-it-s-time-move

20081028 US Senate candidate Mark Begich Its Time to Move On

Saturday, November 01, 2008

RedState: Do Not Vote for Ted Stevens for Alaska Senator

RedState: Don't Vote For Ted Stevens For Senate or Don Young for House At Large in Alaska

Party Loyalty Has Its Limits by: The Directors

Monday, October 27, 2008 at 03:52PM CDT

Comments

[…]

We stand at a perilous moment in American politics, with the real possibility that the Democrats could get to 60 votes in the Senate. This is no time for litmus tests of party loyalty, for abandoning our own. But we must make one exception: good conscience compels us to advise Alaskans not to vote for Ted Stevens for Senate or Don Young for the at-large House seat in Alaska.

We leave it to the individual voter whether to abstain or take the step of voting affirmatively for Mark Begich, the Democrat mayor of Anchorage, and candidate for the U.S. Senate, or for Ethan Berkowitz for the at-large House seat in Alaska.

[…]

But Ted Stevens and Don Young have been a pox on the Republican house for too long - too addicted to the pork barrel, too fast and loose with ethics.

Stevens' conviction in federal court today is the exclamation point on an era in Republican politics in general and Alaska politics in particular that needs to end (and which Gov. Sarah Palin has been battling to clean up). Republicans need to clean our own house. Washington cannot too soon see the end of Stevens and Young.


Read the entire post here: Don't Vote For Ted Stevens For Senate or Don Young for House At Large in Alaska


20081027 RedState Do Not Vote for Ted Stevens for Alaska Senator

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Mayor Begish takes step toward Senate campaign by Sean Cockerham

Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Mayor Begish takes step toward Senate campaign by Sean Cockerham

Begich takes step toward Senate campaign

By SEAN COCKERHAM Anchorage Daily News (02/27/08 11:20:34)

Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, sounding very much like a candidate, is forming an exploratory committee and will test how much support exists for him to challenge Ted Stevens for the U.S. Senate.

"Over the next few months I'll visit communities all across this state and ask them do they think it's time for change in Washington, D.C.," Begich said.

Begich, a 45-year-old Democrat, announced the committee Wednesday at a press conference in his East Anchorage home.

Begich said he would make a final decision on whether to run well before the June 1 filing deadline. He said the exploratory committee would allow him to raise funds from donors to travel and hear what Alaskans think about the issues.

"Taking this step allows me to talk and listen to Alaskans about whether the Senate is the best place for me to work for change for Alaska's future," he said. "And, more importantly, to listen to their challenges, their needs, their hopes, and their dreams for our great state."

Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in U.S. Senate history, released a statement saying Alaska needs a senator with clout and experience. Stevens said Begich told him that he was exploring a run.

[…]

Stevens was appointed in 1968 and has been re-elected seven times since. He's never had a close re-election campaign and often has faced minimal opposition.

The 84-year-old Stevens…

[…]

"Anyone who enters this race thinking they are entering it because of issues with Sen. Stevens, they are entering it for the wrong reasons," Begich said.

Stevens is under federal investigation as part of the broad inquiry by the U.S. Justice Department and FBI into Alaska political corruption but has not been charged. Investigators are looking into his relationship with Veco, the now-defunct Alaska oil field services and construction company, including the company's involvement in the remodeling of Stevens' Girdwood home.

[…]


Read the entire article here: Begich takes step toward Senate campaign

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/328059.html

20080227 Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Mayor Begish takes step toward Senate campaign by Sean Cockerham

Monday, December 31, 2007

An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich


An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich

December 30, 2008 © Kevin Dayhoff http://www.kevindayhoff.net/


On December 28, I had a nice opportunity to talk with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich; a young and energetic rising star who will in the future make a name for himself on the national stage.

For now I’ll leave that for a future column.

Yes, he is the son of former Congressman Nick Begich. Congressman Nick Begich and Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana were the focus of a national tragedy on September 16, 1972.

Who remembers the terrible circumstances?

I was in Anchorage Alaska from December 22 – 29, 2007 and thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

As readers are aware I am not a fan of the cold or snow, but there I was looking out upon a beautiful city situated on a glacier silt plain in southeastern Alaska, picturesquely framed by the Chugach Mountain range and Cook Inlet.

On Christmas morning I was treated to a white Christmas when I awakened in Anchorage Alaska. As a matter of fact, it was a white Christmas week as it snowed everyday the entire time I was there.

I stayed at the Captain Cook Hotel which is incidentally the same hotel where one of Alaska’s heroes, our own thirty-ninth Vice President of the United States, and the 55th governor of Maryland, Spiro Agnew, stayed on an impromptu stopover in 1981.

Yes, you read that correctly, according to Anchorage Daily News columnist, Mike Dunham, who wrote a tribute to Mr. Agnew on the anniversary of his birthday in 1996; Mr. Agnew is considered to be “arguably the most important man in Alaska history after William Seward.” More on that in another column…

The temperature averaged in the teens for the entire stay – and yes, the sun only shines for about four hours a day this time of the year in Anchorage. Even then, sunlight is only distinguishable as a brighter - lighter shade of gray.

Nevertheless, I had a wonderful visiting a city I had only read about before in the context of oil exploration and politics, Native American struggles and public policy, Russian - Alaskan history, the globalization of American economic structure, and anomalies of municipal government.

For government geeks who study municipal governance, Anchorage is fascinating. Above and beyond the fact that there is no sales tax or income tax in Anchorage or Alaska for that matter, is the sheer geographic size of the municipality. The city limits of Anchorage encompasses 1,955 sq. miles or about the size of the state of Delaware. For a comparison, Carroll County is 452 square miles – and Westminster is about 6 square miles.

Meanwhile, keep an eye out for Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. Of course, as a member of the “Mayors’ Club;” those of us who are currently serving or former mayors will have a propensity to circle the wagons and close ranks around another mayor.

That said, I was extremely impressed with Mayor Begich and chances are he will eventually succeed Alaska Senator Ted Stevens some day.


20081230 An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich