Disinvited to the debate

There was a significant absence at the senatorial candidates' debate/forum yesterday: Ray Metcalfe.

He came up here from Anchorage to participate, however—he was just denied entry. He'd checked about a week before to make sure he was still on the list, yep, he was. Come on up, they said. He comes up, checks in about an hour early—and is told he can't participate. The Libertarian candidate offered to step down and give up his spot and time—nope, no way. Mr. Metcalfe is disinvited, uninvited, unwelcome. So he had to go back to Anchorage, unheard.

Rather interesting, don't you think?

More to come.

He's so indicted! He just can't hide it!

We know, we know, we know and he just can't hide it!

Senator Ted Stevens has been indicted for corruption. Here's the indictment (PDF).

It's international news.

This is mixed news for Alaska. On the one hand, it is very good to get this into the courts and dealt with: either he's innocent or he's guilty. One hopes that if they had enough that a grand jury indicted him, that the prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him, especially someone in such a public position and with such financial and political resources. You just DON'T do this without that backup. (Should always have this in any case, but when the indictee is such a powerful figure, your career is toast if you don't have your ducks lined up properly.)

So, assuming that the senator's ass is grass, Alaska has just lost the seniority, skill, and knowledge he possessed. We've lost a good chunk of that even without a conviction: his influence is now near-moot. Stevens has supported many good things for Alaska: science research, basic infrastructure funding, et cetera. He's also, to my mind, supported some horrific legislation and unconstitutional and immoral practices. So I am very glad, in this respect, for his downfall. He would have retired in one way or another anyway, and we would have lost his influence then.

It's Ray Metcalfe who kept at it and kept at it and finally exposed the maggots under the seats in our legislature and in our Congressional delegation. Vindication must be bittersweet.

Drop that Don!

The Alaska Democratic Party is finally going after Don Young with some teeth: they've created a website called DropDon.com, and it is just chock FULL of details about Rep. Young's sordid history as The Congressman for All Alaska. Blech.

Diane Benson is running again for the Democratic Party nomination; she came close in the 2006 election, and this time it's looking like she'll have more support. Act Blue has a page up for her. She'll have competition, though. Looks like Mark Begich, Ray Metcalfe, and Ethan Berkowitz are thinking about running, too.

I hope to god she gets her website updated and redesigned, though. It looks clonky and ugly and awkward...