Read about the ridiculous fees the State of Alaska (under former half-Gov. Sarah Palin and now) requires citizens to pay for public information!
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Thank you!
Though many of us suffer from Palin Factor Fatigue, it is irrefutable that there is a nagging curiosity to have the question answered, ?How in the world did Sarah Palin become so popular and why do we still need to hear about her?? My book answers these questions in detail and urges us all to be vigilant. She is one of a small pool of ?rising stars in the republican party? as John McCain stated as recently as January 25, 2009 on Fox News Sunday.
As unbelievable as her meteoric rise was we cannot delude ourselves, turning our backs once again, into thinking that she and those like her are going away. This woman is joined by millions of loyalists whose perception is that she was persecuted in the media, stifled by McCain, and mocked by liberals - and now the theocratic conservatives are regrouping with a vengeance!
"Blue Oasis" began in 2005 in its Blogger format (now an archive) and became possibly the first Alaska Blog on Progressive Politics. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis was honored to represent Alaska as the state blog.
Transition--Community Blog
In September 2008, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis moved to a Soapblox Community Blog format. Readers can become full participants by registering on the blog to comment and write "diaries." Diary titles appear on the right sidebar for folks to read and provide comments. Blog editors may choose to move some of these diaries to the front page.
While this Community was formed specifically with Alaska in mind, all "friends of Alaska" are welcome as members!
**Note about registering** Scroll down the right side until you find the link to register. Then, just follow the instructions!
**Note about comments** To comment on a story, click on the heading and then look for the "comment bar" at the bottom (it's light grey, I can't seem to change it). I believe the font color NOW permits you to see the "post comment" text.
YOUR BLOGMISTRESS
My name is Linda Kellen Biegel and I am a former 15-year Federal employee. Thirteen of those years were spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I am also semi-retired from the Alaska music scene (singer, sound tech, stage manager, logistics).
When the blog was chosen to represent Alaska in the DNCC State Blogger Pool at the Denver Convention, I attended with the help of Alaska Real blogmistress, Writing Raven and my daughter Morrigan. On August 29th, one day after Barack Obama's inspiring speech at Invesco Field , my life took another turn as it did for all Alaska bloggers when Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's VP running mate. Since then, I've either assisted or have been interviewed by media from the UK, Italy, Australia and Germany as well as national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC Good Morning America's Kate Snow, National Journal, Dallas Morning News, LA Times, and NPR.
Presently, I work as a freelance writer, PR, event coordinator, community organizer, wife to computer programmer Josh and mother to 11-year-old Morrigan. Our family especially enjoys our summers in Alaska where we get to subsistence set-net fish Sockeye salmon as well as halibut fish/whalewatch in the family's homemade aluminum boat, "The Neverdone" (when it's working). We reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Origin of "Celtic Diva"
I've used "Celtic Diva" as a screen name since the early 1990's on Web TV.
"Folks have asked about my Celtic heritage, especially in light of my name. What they don't realize is that I'm adopted. I was born Valerie Morehead of the Clan Muirhead. I was adopted at three-months-old by the Kellens. I always "knew" I was Celt even before really knew. I was drawn to all things Scottish, especially music. That's why my parents eventually told me at age 16."
"Linda is well-known in Alaska & beyond as the prominent progressive political blogger Celtic Diva of Celtic Diva?s Blue Oasis. But back in the day, the early 1990s, I knew her as Linda Kellen, a member of the local folk/rock band Sky is Blu, which amongst other things performed in at least a couple or so of the annual women?s show Celebration of Change, in which I also performed. And if you don?t already know, let me tell you: Linda is one fine damn singer."
I went on after the break-up of "Sky is Blu" to perform with various Alaska musicians and work with national folks like Bo Diddly, Coco Montoya, Debbie Davies, Taj Mahal, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bad Company, Creedence Clearwater, Carny Wilson, etc...
A bee on Dragon Tongue Stonecrop in my rock garden
August 2010
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
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WASHINGTON - President Obama will make his first-ever visit to Alaska next week, on Veterans Day, as part of a multi-day journey to Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore.
The president will stop Wednesday at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage to refuel Air Force One. While in Alaska, he'll mark the Veterans Day holiday with the military personnel at the base, the White House said.
As soon as I hear anything pertinent (like how to get tickets, if it's even possible) I'll post it.
*******************************************UPDATE*************************************************
It seems that they had to postpone until the day AFTER Veteran's Day...per the ADN:
The stop in Alaska was postponed a day so the president could visit Fort Hood, Texas, the scene on Thursday of a mass shooting that killed 13 at a U.S. Army base.
The White House described the Elmendorf stop as "an event with the men and women of our Armed Forces," and said that more details would be released in the coming days. It remains unclear whether the event will be open to the public.
I spoke with members of the Democratic Party. As of now, they are in discussion with the White House and at the moment it seems to be Armed Forces only. I have a veteran friend checking to see if that extends to retirees with base/post access. I'll know more on Monday.
By the way, I'm having a quiet weekend with the "fam" but I will be posting tomorrow...possibly with an "emails" update.
(Here is Jeanette's second diary entry from DC. The MSNBC article she is referring to is here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28... As I read it, I question where that information is coming from...the thing could have been written by a member of "Team Sarah." - promoted by Celtic Diva)
"The Mall" in DC (photo by Julie Hasquet)
It is early on the a.m. of the 19th. I love Martin Luther King day, and all for which it represents. I barely slept a wink last night. My partner prepares the camera while I fiddle with the GPS, my notepads and pens, the back up maps and my wardrobe.
My dad sleeps in his bedroom. He has a round of chemotherapy today. While we motor up to DC, he will be infused with the cocktail of drugs that will weed out the cancer in his body. I wish more than anything he could attend the ceremony, and that I could walk with him through the streets of Washington down the mall past the Capitol to Anacostia where he spent his teen age years. I worry about his retirement funds being consumed by medical expenses, I truly hope Obama and his cabinet can make progress in bringing about the reality of a universal health care system, but I have no doubts that we all will have to participate to make the dream a reality. I don't pin all my hopes on this man, but what a refreshing notion to have a President who can at least fathom such a possibility.
The rental car will be delivered to Dad's house after eight. Lynchburg still honors Sundays, and doesn't keep round the clock hours. We will have to be patient, and wait for the rental office to open.
With technology in hand, and a light heart, we venture forth into DC. The Metro awaits us. The crowds await us, and somewhere inside the Senate Hart building interns await us with our tickets.
I know what I read this morning on MSNBC's website, but having watched the webcast of the "We are One" concert, having viewed the live video feeds located around DC of the throngs of people gathering, and my own sense of impending excitement, I have to counter with, "Pray tell, who amongst us has lost their ardor?"
(Many of you may know Jeanette from her incredibly knowledgeable and incisive call-ins to KUDO's Cary Carrigan Show and CC's "Cutting Edge" program. I asked her if she could check in with us periodically from D.C. and the Inauguration. Here is her first post...and thanks, Jeanette! - promoted by Celtic Diva)
Inauguration tickets!!!photo by edrabbit
My partner and I arrived in Lynchburg, VA early in the a.m of the 17th. The plane ride was a long one and involved three legs beginning in Anchorage at 0800. I am tired and the activities have just begun. My father has opened his home to us as a central location for our forays into Washington, DC. Although battling cancer, he has been a tremendous help to us in planning the logistics of our visit to DC to see our 44th President take his oath of office.
We spent the day with my father going over final preparations for attending the Inauguaration. My dad and I share the same "audio/visual" genes. I had a blast plotting courses on our GPS units, printing out trip tickets and laying out backup routes. Everyone has gone to bed exhausted, but I need to make an entry into the Diary.
My partner and I will make a test run into DC via Fairfax and the Metro tomorrow when we run into DC to pick up our tickets from Murkowsi's office at the Senate Hart building. I imagine we will need patience just to acquire the tickets. 100 senators have who knows how many tickets to divvy out, and who knows how many people will have waited until the day before the ceremony to fetch them.
I am not concerned. I am with the ones I love about to pass through the city of my birth into the Capitol of the nation. My mind and heart have always been drawn to the beauty and scale of the architecture, the bustle of government taking place within and the history, both grand and infamous, of the District of Columbia.
Tomorrow, as ever, I will marvel at the site of the Capitol. The stately US Supreme Court and the Library of Congress stand at its rear watching over the home of the Congress with caution and concern for the just implementation of the Constitution. I always found it interesting that the Capital, Supreme Court and Library of Congress are all located within a block of one another, while the White House stands at a farther distance down Pennsylvania Ave as if in respect and deference for the other two branches of government.
For eight long years, the current occupant of the White House has viewed the distance to the Capitol and the US Supreme court not with respect, but with condescending aloofness. I cannot help but feel that the newest occupant will view the path down Pennsylvania avenue with honor, and having traversed its distance on his first day and taken his oath of office, stand reverently as coequal to his counterparts in the legislative and judiary branches.
The White House was designed to partially replacate but not overshadow the design of the US Capitol, and I believe it was in part to remind the President of his important, but in no way dominant role in our government.
The judiary branch also occupies a building smaller than the US Capitol, but whereas the White House possesses softer more elegant lines, the US Supreme court stands powerful and tall, not so much in the shadow off the Capitol, but as guardian.
Finally, the Library of Congress, built to the same scale and on the same level as the US Supreme court, symbolizes the importance of history and knowledge in the operation and management of our national government. True justice could not be served without what lies within its walls, and lovingly stored deep beneath ground level. Every document, speech, picture or other symbol of our Federal government is contained within the Library of Congress. Every record of our legistature has been recorded and resides therein.
All the buidings within the District of Columbia with few exceptions are open and free to the public, and until recently (the past eight years), invited exploration and contemplation of what could be found within them. I hope and pray that the next administration along with the fresh new faces in Congress can return our country to period of stability, and that our Capitol will once more be a beacon to people everywhere who seek to learn and understand our nation's history, and thereby be drawn by their own will into democracy rather than be bullied into submission by fear and lies.
This is a funny look back at the last couple of years. People always make predictions as to what will happen over the next year and we never look back to see if they have come true. So here is a chance. This was published at Foreign Policy's web site. I found it interesting. So here goes. The top 10.
1. "If [Hillary Clinton] gets a race against John Edwards and Barack Obama, she's going to be the nominee. Gore is the only threat to her, then. ... Barack Obama is not going to beat Hillary Clinton in a single Democratic primary. I'll predict that right now." -William Kristol, Fox News Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006
Weekly Standard editor and New York Times columnist William Kristol was hardly alone in thinking that the Democratic primary was Clinton's to lose, but it takes a special kind of self-confidence to make a declaration this sweeping more than a year before the first Iowa caucus was held. After Iowa, Kristol lurched to the other extreme, declaring that Clinton would lose New Hampshire and that "There will be no Clinton Restoration." It's also worth pointing out that this second wildly premature prediction was made in a Times column titled, "President Mike Huckabee?" The Times is currently rumored to be looking for his replacement.
(Also worth noting he is one of the person's responsible for Sarah Palin being introduced to us as the VP candidate for the Republican Party.)
2. "Peter writes: 'Should I be worried about Bear Stearns in terms of liquidity and get my money out of there?' No! No! No! Bear Stearns is fine! Do not take your money out. ... Bear Stearns is not in trouble. I mean, if anything they're more likely to be taken over. Don't move your money from Bear! That's just being silly! Don't be silly!" Jim Cramer, responding to a viewer's email on CNBC's Mad Money, March 11, 2008
Hopefully, Peter got a second opinion. Six days after the volatile CNBC host made his emphatic pronouncement, Bear Stearns faced the modern equivalent of an old-fashioned bank run. Amid widespread speculation on Wall Street about the bank's massive exposure to subprime mortgages, Bear's shares lost 90 percent of their value and the investment bank was sold for a pittance to JPMorgan Chase, with a last-minute assist from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man who says President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.
The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J., to intervene in the presidential election. Donofrio says that since Obama had dual nationality at birth - his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject - he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen," one of the requirements the Constitution lists for eligibility to be president.
Donofrio also contends that two other candidates, Republican John McCain and Socialist Workers candidate Roger Calero, also are not natural-born citizens and thus ineligible to be president.
The stay application came in the case of Donofrio v. Wells, Secretary of State of New Jersey (08A407). This marked the second time in recent weeks for the Court to turn aside such a challenge; the first came on Nov. 3, in Berg v. Obama (08A391). The Court, in neither instance, gave reasons for turning down the applications. In neither case did the Court seek a reponse, thus indicating it had little interest in either or had found them to be completely without merit.
Another case also prepared by Donofrio and based on the same argument as the New Jersey case, WROTNOWSKI v. BYSIEWICZ probably doesn't stand a prayer either and will go the way of these other two cases.
Let's be clear on the nature of this "dismissals." The Supreme Court only took these cases into conference to decide whether or not to hear them, than refused to do so. These are not actual decisions.
I've also received emails and comments regarding the origin of the challenge against John McCain's "natural born" status. The basis for the argument resides in the State Department manual--7 FAM 1116.1-4:
c. Despite widespread popular belief, U.S. military installations abroad and U.S. diplomatic or consular facilities are not part of the United States within the meaning of the 14th Amendment. A child born on the premises of such a facility is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of birth.
It could be stated that in some ways, Obama has a better case for the "natural born" title than John McCain. Although, denying the title to a son of a (is it 3rd or 4th?) generation military man is a foolish business.
Bill McAllister's lips are moving and we all know what that means...
I called the Governor's Office about Palin's trip to campaign for Saxby Chambliss in Georgia. First, the poor girl behind the desk didn't know anything about it, even though it's been all over CNN, MSNBC and FOX all day. Then she went and talked to Bill and he said Palin is going to Philadelphia next week for the Governors' Association meeting with President-elect Obama and discuss energy and the economy. I finally told the receptionist to ask Bill point blank "Is Gov. Palin is going to Georgia, yes or no?" It was only then that he acknowledged she was.
Palin will be in Georgia on Monday to stump for Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who is in a tightly contested runoff election with Democrat Jim Martin. Palin is being described by campaign-watchers as the closer, being brought in to electrify the Republican base in a series of rallies the day before the election.
Palin spokesman Bill McAllister said she'll make the Georgia campaign swing on her way to Philadelphia to meet with her old political foe, president-elect Barack Obama.
That's a change from earlier, when he tried to claim that Gov. Palin was going to Philly first THEN Georgia.
Palin will attend a fundraiser on Sunday night, then appear at multiple campaign stops on Monday in an effort to rally the GOP base to turn out to vote for Chambliss.
Further, according to Palin's press release:
National Governors Association Chair Governor Ed Rendell and Vice Chair Governor Jim Douglas will host the events on Monday and Tuesday.
- Duluth, Georgia to Philadelphia, PA -- about 700 miles...about 1.5 to 2 hour flight.
- Her first Georgia campaign event on Monday starts at 8:30 AM.
- Her last campaign stop in Georgia starts at 4:00 PM. It wouldn't end until about 6:00 - 6:30 PM or so.
- She'd be lucky to get to Philly by 9:30 - 10:00 PM.
So, either the Governor and her minions are lying and there really isn't anything going on with the Governor's Association on Monday OR she's blowing off Monday's activities to be in Georgia.
In other words, Saxby Chambliss should be paying for close to half of this trip.
I spoke to Governor Ed Rendell's Office (D--Pennsylvania) who is one of the hosts of the National Governor's Association (NGA) event in Philadelphia. There is an NGA event scheduled for Monday morning at 11:00 AM--a press conference.
That was the last update of the day and I'm guessing the numbers went down a little bit because Fairbanks and Mat Su Valley finished their counting.
Exciting news in Fairbanks...Republican Representative Mike Kelley (District 7) is only ahead of Democrat Karl Kassel by one vote! So, there will probably be at least one recount!
Remember, overseas absentee ballots can arrive up through Nov. 19th!
Per my phone calls to the Division of Elections:
Region 1: Juneau is done for the day but will be doing their final count (we hope) on Tuesday Nov. 18th.
Region 2: Mat Su Valley--DONE
Anchorage will be finishing their count on Tuesday Nov. 18th as well.
Region 3: Prince William Sound--DONE
Region 4: Aleutians, Western AK, North Slope--DONE
About 25,000 votes left to count between Anchorage and Juneau!
I need more cayenne for my nails!
************UPDATED NUMBERS*****************
BEGICH NOW AHEAD BY 1061 VOTES!!!!!
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I know there is a count going on today in Regions 1, 3 and 4. However it looks like they may be waiting to update until: folks are done with the count or all regions are in or all of us bite our fingernails AND toenails down to the quick!
Until then, here's something to keep your brain busy...and the good news is at the bottom!
An indicator that a) the election is really over and b) the Legislative session is right around the corner is the plethora of Legislative newsletters hitting Alaskan emailboxes around the state.
Some of the highlights:
Sen. Johnny Ellis
SENATE ORGANIZATION COMES TOGETHER
While there are still many ballots from Tuesday's election to be counted from around the state, the Senate moved yesterday to put in place its leadership team for the next legislative session. I am pleased to report that I will once again serve as Senate Majority Leader, a position which I feel has allowed me to effectively advocate for the needs and interests of my constituents.
Yesterday I joined members of the Bipartisan Working Group for a press conference to announce the Senate leadership for the upcoming 26th Alaska Legislature.
With 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans in the Senate a bipartisan sharing of power was necessary as we organized. There are currently 13 members of the Bipartisan Working Group, 12 of whom were members of last session's Majority, plus Senator-elect Joe Paskvan of Fairbanks . Senator Gary Stevens of Kodiak will serve as Senate President. At this time, only the leadership positions have been decided. Specific committee chairmanships and memberships are still being worked out, and I will update you on my other responsibilities as decisions are made.
Sen. Kim Elton
Like it or not, the taproot of Alaska's future is D.C. The feds apply subsistence rules, issue gas pipeline certificates, manage offshore fisheries, develop EPA recipes, determine endangered species, protect marine mammals, run the National Parks/Tongass/BLM lands, fund the Denali Commission, allow and regulate offshore drilling, change No Child Left Behind rules, reform health care, decide on (military) base realignments, and have their finger-thumb-fist on a host of other issues. Our economic future is more tightly tied up by the feds than Gulliver was by the Lilliputians.
Not only was the governor's 'campaign speak' harsh, during this election season we drifted back into the 'bridges to nowhere' whitewater. Our federal relationships also are changing as Sen. Ted Stevens' role is being redefined. If re-elected, Ted Stevens' policy coattails may look more like Joe the Plumber's t-shirt hanging out the back of his Carhartts than an emperor's cloak. Uncle Ted, if the election results stand, returns to a much smaller Senate minority. If it's Sen. Begich, the clout he is imbued with by being in the majority is tempered by the Senate's tenure system.
I'm scared. I'm scared by Sen. Stevens' changed circumstances and I'm scared some members of the new administration will find it difficult to remove some of the filters that arose because of campaign rhetoric by our governor.
Much as I hate to suggest this, it's time for a change in the governor's Washington, D.C. office. John Katz is a remarkable public servant who has served each and every governor since Jay Hammond. He's gracious, he's kind, he's smart, he's hardworking. His partnership with Sen. Stevens, Sen. Murkowski, and Rep. Young during their majority years has been especially productive and extremely beneficial for each and every Alaskan.
Circumstances, though, have changed dramatically. We need partnerships with senators and representatives on the other side of the aisle and we need partnerships with new cabinet and subcabinet policy makers. That's more easily done with a new, different, voice for two reasons: it's a clear sign the governor is serious about building bridges to somewhere with the new power brokers; and a person with better Democratic credentials gets better access (wish it weren't so but that's the Washington reality and we need a reality-based approach to protect our future).
Rep. Les Gara
I could be wrong about this. But it seems that Republican-leaning voters voted in much bigger numbers than Democratic-leaning voters. Poll leads for Ethan Berkowitz and Mark Begich disappeared, and a projected 15 - 20 point margin for the McCain-Palin ticket over President Obama turned out to be a rout - by 35 points. We can only speculate, but I think that many voters on the Republican side were excited to see a home state candidate on a presidential ticket - and voted. Many on the democratic side skipped voting because the national election was over by the time mid afternoon came around. This issue's started to receive some national attention too, e.g. http://www.fivethirtyeight.com... .
Regardless of whether I'm wrong - the
state's politics are in the balance because of a very low voter turnout - and 5 races that hang in the balance right now. We get this lesson in Alaska every two years, with lots of closer races. Voting in Alaska matters.
Closest to home - I need to announce that I beat no one. Don't worry (or celebrate, depending on your views). I didn't lose. It's just that no one ran against me (I did have an opponent in the August Primary). The good news - or at least what I've emphasized for my mother - is that I got something like 95% of the vote. The bad news is that 5% either didn't feel like filling out their ovals, or decided, um... Maybe it's better if I don't think about that.
In the Legislature, there will be something close to bi-partisan balance in a state that's had a heavily Republican legislature for 20 years. That could be good. Or the wrangling the next few days or weeks could be ugly. Democrats picked up 1 seat in the Senate, where we now have a 10 - 10 split between Democrats and Republicans, and Democrats appear to have picked up one seat in the House, with 5 races with results that could change that in both directions. Currently that leaves a 22 - 18 Republican edge.
As stated above, a bi-partisan Senate Coalition has been formed, and in the House Republicans have stated they'll organize along party lines - a decision many of us are working to try to change.
Shannyn Moore did a story suggesting that there may have been some type of vote suppression occurring in this election. These were some of the responses to her article:
By: Melissa Fouse on November 6, 2008
at 2:04 pm
Shannyn - I was a poll watcher for this election, a volunteer (for the Ds) and spent 15 hours Tuesday watching for any election fraud or anomaly in House District 26 (Anchorage, west side). Turnout was low - of the 1200 registered voters in that precinct, about 550 voted. Another 66 voted questioned ballots. Every ballot was properly handled; the touch-screen machine was not even used. In the middle of the afternoon, when the results of the Presidential election were announced (I suspect, we were in a news blackout in the polling place) the trickle of voters slowed even more. Of the over 300 identified D supporters on the list I had in front of me, not even 100 voted. I know there were some 200 volunteers doing what I was doing and most likely more from the Rs.
It stinks that so few people voted, but in my small precinct, it was all on the up and up.
By: mike on November 6, 2008
at 7:02 pm
Our polling place was DEAD QUIET when we voted at 6:30 pm. There were MUCH bigger crowds in the evening for at least the last 2 elections.
I hate to say it but I think once it was clear Obama won, many Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents just didn't bother to show up. My guess is a lot of people only really cared about the Obama race, and didn't care so much about our local elections.
By: Carrie on November 6, 2008
at 11:25 pm
I did exit polls on Tuesday. There was a huge line at my precinct prior to the polls opening at 7am. After about 7:30am it was DEAD the rest of the day. This is the third presidental election I have done exit polls for, and it was very clear to me that turnout was WAY down. In fact, the officials at my site were very perplexed.
Get over your conspiracy theorys and get a life. Would someone be crying foul if the Senate and House races had gone the the other way? Doubtful. For goodness sake, even the pollsters were suprprised at the low turnout. Ask the officials who were there - the voters didn't show!!!
People called into Cary Carrigan's show this morning recounting pretty much the same experience. While it sounds like polls in Homer were busy, poll watchers, poll workers and voters in Anchorage have recounted the same story; it was busy first thing in the morning and dead the rest of the day.
This completely jives with my husband's voting experience just after 6:00 PM in Anchorage District 24 -- there were two people voting when he walked in. When he was done, it was so empty he said you could practically hear the wind whistling in the rafters.
PLEASE recount your Alaska voting experiences either here on the blog or by emailing me at celticdivaak@yahoo.com.
Many people are shocked that convicted felon Ted Stevens could possibly be ahead of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich in the fight for his US Senate seat, or that under-investigation Congressman Don Young has probably held on to his seat against Ethan Berkowitz. This seems especially dubious as polls that were correct in every other state were seemingly way off in Alaska. An article in the Anchorage Daily News titled "The Pollsters missed the mark" discusses this:
"The real question is where were the all the Democrats?" Dittman said, noting the voter turnout was supposed to be in record proportions. Instead, only an estimated 57 percent of registered voters had a say - a far drop from the 66 percent turnout in the 2004 presidential election, according to state elections division figures.
The issue of the incorrect polls has triggered some concern both here and in other parts of the country, especially on the "interwebs" where folks have raised the specter of a "rigged election." It's understandable that we're all having flashbacks to Alaska 2004, where the Division of Elections reported some precincts had over 100% turnout. (Voting "early and often" is not just a tongue-in-cheek saying in Chicago!)
However, we should all subscribe to the "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" mantra of "Don't Panic!" I can think of at least four reasons why:
1) Per the Division of Elections, there are three different types of ballots that still must be counted: 1/2 of the early voting ballots (9,500), the absentee ballots (48,000) and the "questioned" ballots (16,000). ("Questioned" ballots come from registered voters who go to a different precinct and are allowed to vote the Congressional and Presidential elections or un-registered voters who go to a precinct and are allowed to register and vote in the presidential election only. All of these votes are checked by hand to determine the voters status.)
That's 73,500 ballots which equal about 15% of all registered voters in the state of Alaska. That's a lot of votes yet to be counted.
2) While Ted Stevens is making the claim that absentee votes "always break conservative," we are operating in an entirely new world because of Barack Obama's campaign strategy. As the result of an Obama and Begich Campaign "Get Out the Vote" juggernaut, it's quite possible that those absentee, early voting and questioned ballots will break Progressive (I know mine is in there)...completely turning that "conventional wisdom" on its head. Also, the absentee ballots are often military-dominated, which has caused them to trend towards conservative in the past, polls and FEC records have shown this election cycle that both the oversees and US-stationed military have heavily favored the Democratic presidential candidates...specifically Barack Obama...over the McCain ticket when it comes to political donations. The "conservative assumption" no longer carries any weight.
When they announced Obama had won, I was already crying on the phone with a friend who was telling me how proud she was of the work ALL of us did for this election. My beautiful not-so-little girl came in and put her arms around me, more excited than I'd ever seen her! While she yelled with joy, all I could do was cry.
There was noise from the front door and it was our neighbor kids from across the street. They were yelling and crying with joy and their moms were on the cell phone with their relatives in Gambia, who were already dancing and singing because our new president was now Barack Obama.
(All reports that this is happening because SARAH PALIN WILL BE VOTING VERY CLOSE BY AT THE SAME TIME AND THIS IS HER "WELCOME HOME" are PURE SPECULATION!!!! :D :D :D)
Watch the whole thing (because it's excellent) but also so you can see the part that touched me at the end...the pictures from the other gatherings all over the state!
Below are excerpts from Sen. Barack Obama's "closing argument" speech (as prepared) to be delivered later today in Ohio. Not surprisingly, Obama essentially "lays out the choice in this election and details how he will fix our economy and bring the change we need to Washington." Campaign sources say he will be giving this speech at nearly every stop he makes over the next eight days.
Monday, October 27th, 2008
Canton, Ohio
In one week, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street.
In one week, you can choose policies that invest in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy from the bottom-up so that everyone has a chance to succeed; from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor; from the factory owner to the men and women who work on its floor.
In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope.
In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need.
At a moment like this, the last thing we can afford is four more years of the tired, old theory that says we should give more to billionaires and big corporations and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. The last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed common-sense regulations. Those are the theories that got us into this mess. They haven't worked, and it's time for change. That's why I'm running for President of the United States.
Now, Senator McCain has served this country honorably. And he can point to a few moments over the past eight years where he has broken from George Bush - on torture, for example. He deserves credit for that. But when it comes to the economy - when it comes to the central issue of this election - the plain truth is that John McCain has stood with this President every step of the way. Voting for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that he once opposed. Voting for the Bush budgets that spent us into debt. Calling for less regulation twenty-one times just this year. Those are the facts.
And now, after twenty-one months and three debates, Senator McCain still has not been able to tell the American people a single major thing he'd do differently from George Bush when it comes to the economy. Senator McCain says that we can't spend the next four years waiting for our luck to change, but you understand that the biggest gamble we can take is embracing the same old Bush-McCain policies that have failed us for the last eight years.
It's not change when John McCain wants to give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO. It's not change when he wants to give $200 billion to the biggest corporations or $4 billion to the oil companies or $300 billion to the same Wall Street banks that got us into this mess. It's not change when he comes up with a tax plan that doesn't give a penny of relief to more than 100 million middle-class Americans. That's not change.
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The question in this election is not "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" We know the answer to that. The real question is, "Will this country be better off four years from now?"
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Understand, if we want get through this crisis, we need to get beyond the old ideological debates and divides between left and right. We don't need bigger government or smaller government. We need a better government - a more competent government - a government that upholds the values we hold in common as Americans.
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So the choice in this election isn't between tax cuts and no tax cuts. It's about whether you believe we should only reward wealth, or whether we should also reward the work and workers who create it. I will give a tax break to 95% of Americans who work every day and get taxes taken out of their paychecks every week. I'll eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000 and give homeowners and working parents more of a break. And I'll help pay for this by asking the folks who are making more than $250,000 a year to go back to the tax rate they were paying in the 1990s. No matter what Senator McCain may claim, here are the facts - if you make under $250,000, you will not see your taxes increase by a single dime - not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes. Nothing. Because the last thing we should do in this economy is raise taxes on the middle-class.
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But as I've said from the day we began this journey all those months ago, the change we need isn't just about new programs and policies. It's about a new politics - a politics that calls on our better angels instead of encouraging our worst instincts; one that reminds us of the obligations we have to ourselves and one another.
Part of the reason this economic crisis occurred is because we have been living through an era of profound irresponsibility. On Wall Street, easy money and an ethic of "what's good for me is good enough" blinded greedy executives to the danger in the decisions they were making. On Main Street, lenders tricked people into buying homes they couldn't afford. Some folks knew they couldn't afford those houses and bought them anyway. In Washington, politicians spent money they didn't have and allowed lobbyists to set the agenda. They scored political points instead of solving our problems, and even after the greatest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, all we were asked to do by our President was to go out and shop.
That is why what we have lost in these last eight years cannot be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits alone. What has also been lost is the idea that in this American story, each of us has a role to play. Each of us has a responsibility to work hard and look after ourselves and our families, and each of us has a responsibility to our fellow citizens. That's what's been lost these last eight years - our sense of common purpose; of higher purpose. And that's what we need to restore right now.
Blue Oasis family member and regular diarist on Daily Kos, frsbdg, has a great diary up regarding the gathering on the Park Strip yesterday. The goal was to form a human Obama logo (above).
Alaska enters its 50th-anniversary year in the glow of an improbable and highly memorable event: the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. For the first time ever, an Alaskan is making a serious bid for national office, and in doing so she brings broad attention and recognition not only to herself, but also to the state she leads.
Alaska's founders were optimistic people, but even the most farsighted might have been stretched to imagine this scenario. No matter the outcome in November, this election will mark a signal moment in the history of the 49th state. Many Alaskans are proud to see their governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage.
Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.
Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.
Since his early acknowledgement that economic policy is not his strong suit, Sen. McCain has stumbled and fumbled badly in dealing with the accelerating crisis as it emerged. He declared that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" at 9 a.m. one day and by 11 a.m. was describing an economy in crisis. He is both a longtime advocate of less market regulation and a supporter of the huge taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout. His behavior in this crisis -- erratic is a kind description -- shows him to be ill-equipped to lead the essential effort of reining in a runaway financial system and setting an anxious nation on course to economic recovery.
Sen. Obama warned regulators and the nation 19 months ago that the subprime lending crisis was a disaster in the making. Sen. McCain backed tighter rules for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but didn't do much to advance that legislation. Of the two candidates, Sen. Obama better understands the mortgage meltdown's root causes and has the judgment and intelligence to shape a solution, as well as the leadership to rally the country behind it. It is easy to look at Sen. Obama and see a return to the smart, bipartisan economic policies of the last Democratic administration in Washington, which left the country with the momentum of growth and a budget surplus that President George Bush has squandered.
On the most important issue of the day, Sen. Obama is a clear choice.
Sen. McCain describes himself as a maverick, by which he seems to mean that he spent 25 years trying unsuccessfully to persuade his own party to follow his bipartisan, centrist lead. Sadly, maverick John McCain didn't show up for the campaign. Instead we have candidate McCain, who embraces the extreme Republican orthodoxy he once resisted and cynically asks Americans to buy for another four years.
It is Sen. Obama who truly promises fundamental change in Washington. You need look no further than the guilt-by-association lies and sound-bite distortions of the degenerating McCain campaign to see how readily he embraces the divisive, fear-mongering tactics of Karl Rove. And while Sen. McCain points to the fragile success of the troop surge in stabilizing conditions in Iraq, it is also plain that he was fundamentally wrong about the more crucial early decisions. Contrary to his assurances, we were not greeted as liberators; it was not a short, easy war; and Americans -- not Iraqi oil -- have had to pay for it. It was Sen. Obama who more clearly saw the danger ahead.
The unqualified endorsement of Sen. Obama by a seasoned, respected soldier and diplomat like Gen. Colin Powell, a Republican icon, should reassure all Americans that the Democratic candidate will pass muster as commander in chief.
On a matter of parochial interest, Sen. Obama opposes the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but so does Sen. McCain. We think both are wrong, and hope a President Obama can be convinced to support environmentally responsible development of that resource.
Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career. Passionate, charismatic and indefatigable, she draws huge crowds and sows excitement in her wake. She has made it clear she's a force to be reckoned with, and you can be sure politicians and political professionals across the country have taken note. Her future, in Alaska and on the national stage, seems certain to be played out in the limelight.
Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time.
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I was just going to post this without comment while I head to bed, but PLEASE leave some comments on what you think of how they dodged the "Sarah bullet.":
The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.
Sorry I didn't get this up 'til now -- I didn't notice the Friday night RSVP deadline but RunninL8 reported on a special project for all Obama-loving Alaska women out there (and men who love them...or want to love them! Hey, you could meet your soulmate...it could happen!).
You know those stadium stunts where the audience holds up colored cards to produce an aeriel view picture? Obama supporters will get the chance to do this, too, on Saturday at the Park Strip! Check it out:
Dear Alaska Women for Obama,
Your voices are needed one more time - and for just one hour!
This Saturday from 11am - noon, Alaska Women for Obama wants to have a huge photo op in support of the Obama-Biden ticket.. This is our last organized event to show women outside that women in Alaska support OBAMA!!! And we know the votes cast by women are going to make all the difference in this election. This message will be used in key battleground states.
We have red, white, and blue materials to create a giant Alaska for Obama logo on the Park Strip (see below),
and we have plans to have pictures and film taken from the top floor of a nearby building. We are lucky to have some really talented film and video people helping us with this-and people who have done this before. The end product is going to be amazing!
We've measured the area, laid out the design and we've done the math. Now all we need is you!! We think we'll need at least 100 people to make it work. We need to know by Friday night whether we will have enough people. Please RSVP to geran@chugach.net as soon as possible. Note - Please wear black pants or dark pants if you can. It will help us emphasize the red, white and blue.
He included Gov. Palin in his explanation several times, and neither time was good for either Palin or McCain. (emphasis mine)
"I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She is a distinguised woman and she's to be admired. But at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she is ready to be President of the United States, which is the job of the Vice President. That raised some question in my mind as to the judgement that Senator McCain made"
Wait, did Colin Powell just make a subtle jab at Palin, who originally stated she didn't know exactly what the Vice President did? Colin Powell isn't really a "jabber" so I find that to be rather significant!
Not only does Powell discuss the differences in both candidate's approaches to issues (he calls the McCain-Palin Campaign "erratic") but he also expresses concern about the "narrowing" of the Republican Party:
"The party has moved even further to the right and Governor Palin has indicated a further right-ward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain Administration."
He also delves heavily and specifically into the negative campaigning that McCain-Palin have been pushing and how he is "troubled" by it. And he does something I've been waiting for a prominent Republican to do:
Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.
"The really right answer is what if he is?" Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.
This is a video that should be emailed to every single undecided voter you know. Not only that, mail it to your favorite Republicans voting for McCain-Palin. I plan on it!
NEW YORK The Denver Post, which had backed George W. Bush in 2004 and is owned by Republican-leaning William Dean Singleton, this evening endorsed Barack Obama for president. So did the Chicago Sun-Times, Kansas City Star. Southwest News-Herald (Ill.) and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And to top it off: two more Bush backers in 2004, The Salt Lake Tribune and Las Cruces (N.M) Sun-News.
This followed this afternoon's surprises: the Chicago Tribune, which has never in 150 years endorsed a Democrat, backed Obama, as did its fellow Tribune paper, the Los Angeles -- which had endorsed no one in more than 30 years. It seems like a dam broke yesterday with the unexpectedly early choice of Obama by The Washington Post.
In E&P's exclusive count, Obama now leads 62-18 in editorial endorsements. New additions for him include the Miami Herald, the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Oregonian of Portland. Check out our running list, updated Saturday here.
Oh, and let's not forget the borderline-endorsement a (not so prominent at the time) Republican gave to Obama over the summer:
Last night's debate touched on an issue that hadn't been addressed other than in false smears by Sarah Palin--abortion. While I posted the YouTube comparison of the candidates last night, it bears repeating:
This past summer, I posted that the changes on the Democratic Party Platform were an important step, in the words of Progressive Evangelical Leader Jim Wallis: "...in affirming those whose moral convictions lead them to make a different decision than abortion."
The Platform states:
"The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman's decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre- and post-natal health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs."
I believed from early in his campaign that Barack Obama was a candidate who would try to bridge the gap between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. Both sides working together is the only way he can acheive his anti-poverty, pro-family agenda. It also means that the Democratic Party must do a better job of embracing pro-life Democratic Candidates, something that Obama has said he will do. Many Democrats, especially Democratic women, are still wary.
I sense that wariness during discussions about "party inclusiveness" for pro-lifers...specifically talking about reaching out to pro-life folks who want to work together towards a goal of fewer abortions. Many in the "Culture of Life" movement have come to the realization that this can only occur through good economic and social policy verses the use of laws. No study has ever shown ANY correlation between the establishment of a more restrictive "abortion law" and a decrease the number of abortions. However, many studies have shown that abortions decline, sometimes steeply, while in a time of overall economic prosperity.
One stumbling block: "working together" requires both sides to set the larger-than-life shadow of "Roe v. Wade" on the shelf with the understanding that is one issue on which we will never agree. There are some on both sides who are unable to do that and therefore will find it impossible to work as a team.
However, tonight I get to focus on the positive.
Yesterday, RCM (Radical Catholic Mom, from the blog of the same name) made a staggering announcement: she and her husband had received their new voter ID cards in the mail with a check in the "Democratic Party" box.
When I first started this blog, I was a card carrying Republican who voted the traditional pro-life vote, but my discontent was there. My work in ESL, my marriage to a Mexican, translating for disabled families, getting stopped for an "id check" in LA, my work within the immigrant community, my frustration with deep dichotomies within the pro-life community, and my knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching all combined to bring me to where I am today.
And she doesn't pull any punches on what she believes the attitude towards abortion is in the Democratic Party:
Sen. Johnny Ellis
Sen. Kim Elton
Rep. Les Gara
