You might blame us for Sarah Palin, but...

[Blue_In_AK]

Last edited Tue Feb 19, 2013, 08:28 PM - Edit history (1)

Here's a really great Daily Kos diary setting out pretty clearly a small sampling of what Alaskans are dealing with these days with one-party Republican rule. Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin got nuthin' on us.

Alaska is facing attempts to fundamentally change how education is funded, change the definition of a medically necessary abortion, and destroy public sector unions in it's biggest city... all at the same time.

For those of you whose knowledge of Alaskan politics doesn’t go beyond Sarah Palin and Mark Begich (although some of you might also remember the Murkowski- Miller- McAdams race that was interesting enough to bring Rachel Maddow up here) might be surprised to learn that for the last two Senate election cycles this solid red state was actually controlled by a bi-partisan coalition of both Democrats and Republicans.

Since the Governor was a Republican and Republicans also dominated the House, this bipartisan coalition blunted Alaska from much of the anti-union and anti-abortion legislation that has swept through Republican controlled states over the last four years. However, due to redistricting, this election cycle 19 of 20 Senate seats were voted on, and while the country was celebrating the re-election of President Obama, the 10 Democrat 10 Republican tie was replaced with a 13-7 Republican majority when the new Senate convened on January 21st.

This new Senate is the first since a mini-coup within the state-level Republican Party left the Joe Miller/ Ron Paul wing of the party in control and the traditional Republicans wondering exactly what had happened. (It is also the first time the Republicans have controlled the Senate since the break-up of the aptly named Corrupt Bastards Club. That has nothing to do with what’s going on currently, but I like bringing up as often as possible that less than 10 years ago the corruption in this state was so brazen they handed out hats printed with Corrupt Bastards Club on them to each other).

<snip>

I have seen how Daily Kos has rallied around Wisconsin and Michigan in their time of need. Now Alaska is facing the same sort of legislation at both the local and state level. While I recognize it is a tougher battle that needs to be fought here than in those traditionally blue states I hope that if some national attention is placed on these bills, and the process being used to pass them, the tone will be forced to be mellowed if nothing else. I will try to keep you updated if anything changes.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/18/1187936/-You-Might-Blame-Us-For-Sarah-Palin-But

(Edit to include the link...duh)

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I don't know, North Carolina is doing pretty well in the race to the bottom....

the news is like a daily horror show....

[ananda]

3. Texas is doing its part in waging the wars on women and public education.

Sad to say.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. That's how I feel.

Every single day.

I am working on the effort to recall Lindsey Holmes, my Democratic state representative who switched to the Republican party before she could even be sworn in. (After three terms as a Democrat, she tells us that she hasn't really changed -- which leads me to believe she's been a Republican all along but has been elected as a Dem since this is a left-leaning district -- even more reason to recall her ass. I'm so pissed.) Plus it looks like I'll be chairing my precinct, which is something I've never done, but I'm just so ticked off about everything, I feel like I have to get involved, whether I really want to or not.

People in blue states have no idea how lucky they are. That being said, I love my state, so I have to stay and fight.

[mountain grammy]

2. My heart goes out to you red states. Colorado is on the edge all the time

but we get a tiny bit bluer with each election. Good luck out there, the work never ends.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. I was just gonna say, We won't bug you about Palin

if you can stay off our case about Lyin' Ryan, Scut Walker, the Fitzgeralds, Sunspot Johnson, JD Van Hollen, Justice David Prosser, Justice Roggensack, Sean Duffy…Aw, crap, the list is too long.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Alaska and Wisconsin have much in common, Jackpine.

Who knew?

[Solly Mack]

6. I'm so sorry. A ever spreading virus isn't it?

[Blue_In_AK]

9. ALEC all the way, baby.

This Kos piece is just a fraction of what we're dealing with. Every day it's a new outrage. The comments section on the Anchorage Daily News just lights up every time they pull another crazy stunt down there, but they obviously don't give a care what the people want. We were horribly gerrymandered, forcing the Democrats to run against each other in primaries in more than one district and sucking huge conservative parts of the state into reliably Democratic districts. The gerrymandering was already sent to court once, they redid it and the court sent it back to them again for being flawed, but it was too close to the election to get it fixed. Now we're stuck with these assholes for the next two years and they're just going all out to pass as much crazy stuff as they can. It hurts my heart.

[Solly Mack]

11. It's hard to watch a place you love become something ugly because of cowardly people.

I think a lot of right-wingers (of all stripes) are cowards at heart. They have to control everything and everyone to feel secure.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. That Jerry Mander fella sure gets around.

He's why WI had an overall majority vote for U.S. House Democrats but an overall majority of Republican Representatives.

[Blue_In_AK]

13. We have only one US rep,

the inimitable Don Young (R-Crazytown), who will be there until he dies. But right now it's the gerrymandering for the state House and Senate seats that's the big issue for us. We're really pretty irrelevant as far as national politics goes, aside from the fact that Lisa Murkowski occasionally votes right.

[randome]

8. You might want to include the link, too.

[Blue_In_AK]

10. Thanks. Did I forget to do that?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/18/1187936/-You-Might-Blame-Us-For-Sarah-Palin-But

[Arctic Dave]

14. The repugs are trying to loot our State as fast as possible

and give away everything that isn't nailed down.

Thanks a lot redistricting commission.