Don Young, out in the open

TO: U.S. Rep. Don Young

Dear Congressman Young,

As we're sure you know, you're known among House members for not always going along with the crowd, especially when you think you're protecting Alaska's interests. According to The Washington Post's congressional votes database, you've voted against your own party's majority 18.9 percent of the time during the current Congress. You also don't seem to mind missing important votes now and then, and you're well known for seldom attending public functions in Washington, D.C. So, we grew concerned when we learned you attended last week's tea party protest at the Capitol.

The GOP-sponsored rally on the steps of the Capitol was first called a "Super Bowl of Freedom" and later called a "House Call," also at first labeled "a rally" and later "a press conference." In a TV appearance, the event's primary organizer, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), said it would be fair to call the event "an enormous tea party" for conservative Americans to voice their displeasure with Congress's health-care system plans. Bachmann called the House bill (which eventually passed) "the crown jewel of socialism."

We were prepared to hear talk of revolution and lost freedom from the event's attendees, and even borderline sedition, and we weren't disappointed. But after we saw photos taken of a grisly protest sign that equated current health-care reform plans to socialism, and then socialism to the Holocaust, we got concerned for you. And not just because of the tastelessness or sheer inaccuracy of that sign. Even English majors know that the Nazis were fascists allied strongly with Germany's right wing, and upon securing totalitarian power, they sought to completely eliminate Germany's left wing, especially the Communists. In short, people who see Nazism as a left-wing ideology must stand far, far to the right themselves.

We're not blaming you for some random protester's bizarre, ignorant sign. But people already think you're a little "out there" yourself, and we don't think that event did much to help you. We're pretty sure you don't condone revolution, sedition or ignorance of world history and America's founding documents, so we wonder why you chose to attend this event out of countless other public functions.

We've always considered you rather partisan, and we can accept that as long as you keep Alaska foremost in your mind, but there's really no reason for you to burnish your credibility with the conservative base. Ever since Joe Vogler was found murdered, there isn't anyone left in Alaska you can't "out-right-wing." Andrew Halcro's probably your nearest conservative threat, and he looks pretty moderate next to you.

So, we were confused. But once the House vote came around for that bill, you did something that made us think we were wrong for thinking all that stuff. You stood firmly by Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.) and put up a furious defense against Republican leaders who tried to pressure him to vote against his constituents' wishes. We were touched by you holding so closely to convictions of public service during such a close, contentious vote. (We only wished you had brandished an oosik when those sharp, GOP elbows started flying.)