Young aide's link to Abramoff sheds new light on Marianas bill

[maddezmom]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

By RICHARD MAUER
Anchorage Daily News


Published: April 29, 2007
The guilty plea last week by a former senior committee aide to Rep. Don Young sheds new light on the circumstances surrounding Young’s success seven years ago in blocking reforms of the sweatshop industry on the Mariana Islands.

But the plea also raises new questions about why Young, R-Alaska, took the actions he did.

Former Alaskan Mark Zachares, a Mariana Islands official when Young blocked the reforms, admitted Tuesday that he later conspired to illegally use his official position on the House Transportation Committee to enrich disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, once the lobbyist for the island commonwealth.

~snip~

Young stopped the bill cold, saying it interfered with the commonwealth’s right to self-rule. He was supported by then Majority Whip Tom DeLay, who described the Marinas as “a perfect petri dish of capitalism.”

“I’m not going to move anything,” Young said at the time. “Why should you move anything that’s really been fueled, very frankly, by hysteria reporting by the media?”

Young’s assertion was false. The measure that found its way to Young’s roadblock was fueled by the eyewitness account of none other than U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska.



Read more: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/8838800p-8739449c.html

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Thanks, Maddezmom...

I've also posted this in GD and Alaska. This is a great article prepared by a local reporter. Don Young has got to go - he's such an embarrassment to thinking Alaskans.

[maddezmom]

2. You're welcome, I'll go find your post in GD

and give it a kick. This scum buckets need to go.

[scarletwoman]

8. No link? Making us work for it, I see.

I'm off to wade through GD to find your post...

sw
:hi:

[Blue_In_AK]

10. Sorry, it's here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=782871&mesg_id=782871

It says basically the same thing as this post. I can't tell you how much we thinking Alaskans want to get rid of this guy. He is JUST HORRIBLE, absolutely one of the worst. I've been posting editorials all week from the ADN about his stonewalling. He won't talk to any of the media here (he calls the Anchorage Daily News the "Daily Worker"), and wouldn't even debate his opponent last year in the general election.

[scarletwoman]

13. Too late, I already found it on my own ;-)

Got it open in another window, so I can post something there too.

I'm still very glad you posted the link -- now the next person reading this thread will have the shortcut!

Thanks,
sw

[northofdenali]

18. The "Daily Worker" thing always tickles me -

The ADN is only a little to the right of Ghengis Khan.. :hi::hug:

[Blue_In_AK]

19. So where does that put the News Miner? n/t

[northofdenali]

20. Way, way, way more neo-con "righteous" religous and

promotes it daily. I try not to read anything but the headlines. And it's always at least a day late. Ask me! I used to work there! :hi:

[phoebe]

3. he also ties into the Medicare/GE price fixing issue that underlies the

attorney firings..

http://www.medicarerights.org/perspective06023.html

snip

Instead, the Republican plan would rely on private insurers and HMOs to provide a drug benefit to people with Medicare, even though Don Young, president of the Health Insurance Association of America has said that private insurance companies do not offer a realistic path to providing a drug benefit to older and disabled Americans.


part of that discussion can be found here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x758013

[maddezmom]

4. thanks for adding the discussion link

:thumbsup:

[happydreams]

5. A must see: "Capitol Crimes", by Bill Moyers. He really

lays the whole Abrahmof scandal out in detail revealing the culture of corruption.

[maddezmom]

6. a link to get everyone started

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/capitol/index.html

[happydreams]

9. Thanks for the link.

[scarletwoman]

7. Wow! Just Wow! Not that anything surprises me about that scumbucket Don Young,

It's just the deliciousness of this particular revelation. :D

k & r,
sw

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Isn't it great?

I didn't realize you were a follower of dear Don, Congressman for All Alaskans (NOT!!). I find it interesting that he got more campaign contributions last year from Arkansas (businesses) than he did from his own constituents, and then Huckabee turns around and names Don his House of Representatives campaign coordinator. One of those things that make you go "hmmmm." We came close to getting rid of him last year (ultra-progressive Diane Benson got 40% of the vote, despite having no national support and only grassroots contributions here), but in the end his name recognition and multi-million dollar war chest won out. Hopefully, that won't happen again. I'm thrilled that all these stories are coming to light.

[scarletwoman]

12. Well, remember, I lived 6 (1989-95) years in Alaska. Long enough to get to know lots about ol' Don.

The perception that I formed back then was that everybody pretty much hated him, but so many peoples' livelihoods depended on keeping in his good graces, that no matter how much he was despised, no one wanted to cross him.

The brazen venality of Alaska politics was really quite a shock to me.

sw

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Oh, that's right, I forgot you used to live here.

Yeah, we're a venal bunch, that's for sure. :rofl: Actually, with the FBI snooping around our state legislature all last year, they're actually starting to talk about such foreign concepts as "ethics" down there in Juneau. Things are looking up around here.

[scarletwoman]

15. Ethics in Alaska politics?!?!? Is that one of the signs of the Apocalypse?

I'm glad to hear that things are looking up! I actually have a very good feeling that this might spell the end of Don Young. I think people all over have just about reached the limit of their tolerance for corruption.

Good luck! I hope you can get rid of that asshole some day soon!

sw

[Blue_In_AK]

16. Thanks, I'll keep you posted.

Here's something that'll really make your head spin. Even though we still have more Republicans than Democrats in the state legislature, the majority caucus in the Senate is actually comprised of Republican president Lyda Green, ALL the Democrats, and a few Republicans. That left the rest of the Republicans as the minority. I just love that.

And Governor Palin, even though she's a Republican social conservative, is trying to stay as nonpartisan as she possibly can, and so far has an 80% approval rating across the state. (Of course, probably ANYBODY would after we've suffered through four years of Frank Murkowski, most unpopular governor in the country.) As I said, we're coming around.

[northofdenali]

21. Blue, you gotta remember Alaskans are lazy -

most won't go to the polls and the ones that do are usually "religiously" motivated to do so.......

[roguevalley]

22. I have kept my Diane Benson sign. I pray that this sinks old fat ass

and we can have a real leader.

[northofdenali]

17. As a long-time Alaskan, and a total Democrat -

I hope Don Young, Ted Stevens, Frank Murkowski, Lisa Murkowski (current) and our current "cute skirt" governess (she is NOT a governor)-

GO DOWN IN FLAMES

These people are, and have always been in the political arena in Alaska for the money. FOR THE MONEY. Frank the Bank had a bank go down in about 1980 and took all the investor's money with it. Do you really think he left his Senate seat to become Governor of a very small (politically) state? He wanted more money. He got it from Big Oil. His daughter (who he appointed, by the way, to his vacated Senate seat) is just as dirty.

And Don Young? Has anyone ever heard the term "snake oil salesman"? Only he's worse. He would not be welcome on my doorstep, and I wouldn't invite him in if it was 40 below. I wouldn't stop to help his disabled vehicle in the bush. I would like to vilify his mother for not having a miscarriage.

Yeah, these people piss me off. Just a little.