The Last Minute Sleaze Arrives - Don Young Flyer Lies About VECO Influence

[Jamglue, the site I've been using to host audio, has gotten rid of the embed code for some reason. The audio I have embedded below was the first one I did and I set it for play automatically. But now I can't turn that off. TO TURN OFF THE AUDIO, HIT THE YELLOW BUTTON TO THE LEFT OF FLOOREXCHANGE. ]

We forgot to check our mail yesterday, so I looked in our mailbox when I got home from poll watcher training tonight. In with the mail was this flyer (see below.) To suggest that Ethan Berkowitz is a VECO supporter is a totally outrageous and deceptive accusation. For the Don Young campaign to do is unbelievable. (The flyer says "Paid for by Alaskans for Clean Elections." Clearly this is NOT from the group that sponsored the clean election amendment in the primary. Only Don Young supporters would have an interest in something like this.)

1. VECO regularly hosted the pig roasts and raised tons of money for Don Young. At the three political trials last year, VECO President Bill Allen (whose picture is on the flyer) and VECO Vice President Rick Smith talked about the pig roasts, about golf tournaments, and other events where Don Young was the recipient of VECO largesse.

2. VECO doesn't exist. They were sold to CH2M Hill over a year ago. So VECO made no campaign contributions for this year's campaign. Checking the website link on the flyer, looking up contributors to Ethan Berkowitz, there is a $500 contribution from Bill Allen and one from Rick Smith for the year 2000. That is 8 years ago! Apparently that was their last contribution to Berkowitz. Since 2000, Don Young has received $116,000 from VECO!!!

(Click on picture to enlarge)

3. Ethan Berkowitz is the state representative who stood up on the floor of the House and protested that VECO officers were giving instructions to Republican legislators during the House debate in June 2006. You can hear that his comments at the link below. (Click on the Yellow button with the black arrow.)(First you hear Rep. Weyhrauch explaining why he was changing his vote. The Berkowitz comes on and argues forcefully against the VECO team telling legislators like Weyhrauch how to vote.)
[Nov. 5: I've cut the audio of Berkowitz because it is so annoying to have it come on automatically and Jamglue where it's hosted has messed with the embeds so I can't change it to NOT play automatically. You can still listen to it here.]

AARP Alaska Senate and House Debate 1

Tonight at UAA, Ted Stevens and Mark Begich debated videotronically and Don Young and Ethan Berkowitz debated live at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. KTUU's John Tracy moderated.

I wish the rest of the country could see the debate. It wasn't great. But all the participants knew their subject matter in depth and debaters were civil to each other. The country would see that Alaskans DO NOT talk with a Beverly Hillbillies twang. They can address the questions they're asked knowledgeably.




The Stevens/Begich debate was a little peculiar since Stevens was in DC and so both candidates had been interviewed earlier and we watched that hour on a large screen. Both John Tracy (the moderator) and Mark Begich were in the Auditorium watching themselves on screen.

Stevens showed his age as he frequently stuttered getting the right word out. But his cognitive processes were intact. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, and while he stumbled getting the words out now and then, this is still a minor issue. He talks as though he's had three or four cups of coffee - fast and urgently. You have no doubt that he has a grasp of a lot of information and that you get in his way at your peril. Mark Begich matched him, but without the stutter, and without the coffee effect. He spoke calmly and much slower.




Don Young belied his reputation for malapropisms and spoke clearly, on topic, without rancor. He was clearly enjoying himself. Ethan Berkowitz had a moment of where he couldn't remember his next point early on and then he abandoned his notes and spoke passionately and knowledgeably the rest of the evening. He needs to loosen up a bit, though his wit came through a couple of times. At one point, when he paused, Tracy moved on to Don Young. Ethan said he wasn't finished. Tracy said,"Well, you paused so..." Ethan responded, "I paused...for effect" and the audience burst out laughing.


The topics I can recall (sorry, I wasn't taking notes) included the economic crisis, health care, earmarks, social security, energy, and whether the candidates endorsed Sarah Palin. The last was particularly significant because, Tracy pointed out in his questions, she hasn't endorsed fellow Republicans Young and Stevens. They both said they endorsed her, though in roundabout ways. The legal problems of the two Republican candidates were not raised.

There was a significant amount of agreement between both pairs of candidates - they all would open ANWR, and none would abandon getting earmarked projects for Alaska. Differnces were in things like who to blame the economic crisis on (the Republicans blamed Clinton for the bill that deregulated financial institutions, the Democrats blamed eight years of Bush.)