| UPDATED: Now Begich is ahead |
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By Amanda Coyne UPDATED: Question and absentee ballots from Wasilla, Fairbanks, Nome and some from Juneau have all been counted. Begich’s lead has now grown to 1,022 votes. About 25,000 remaining votes, to be tallied Tuesday, will come from Anchorage, Juneau, Kenai and Kodiak. As of 7:30 Wednesday night, the Alaska Division of Elections is reporting that Democratic Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich has 814 more votes than Sen. Ted Stevens. The count is now 132,196 to 131,382. There are about 35,000 more ballots left to count over the next week. Immediately after the election, Stevens led Begich by more than 3,000 votes. If you’re Ted Stevens, the lion of Alaska politics for 40 years and a convicted felon, and you’re going to lose an election, this isn’t really a bad way to do so. He got the glory of an initial win just eight days after a federal grand jury found him guilty of seven felony counts. And his fate is uncertain in the US Senate if he does return. Likely, he would be forced to step down, and this would save him that ignominy. It also puts a halt to Gov. Sarah Palin’s plan of winking and wiggling her way into his empty seat, which surely doesn't bother Stevens. Palin publicly took Stevens to task after his investigation began, demanding that he explain himself to Alaskans. Since then, there relationship is reputed to be rather frosty. And then, on the campaign trail, she said that if elected, Stevens should step down. “Even if elected on Tuesday, Senator Stevens should step aside to allow a special election to give Alaskans a real choice of who will serve them in Congress,” she said in a statement after the verdict.That real choice, of course, being her. Palin didn’t disabuse the public of her intentions today. In an interview with “Larry King Live,” King asked her about a future run for Senate. She said, “I’m not going to close any doors that perhaps would be in front of me and would allow me to put to good use executive experience and a world view that I think is good for our nation. I’m not going to close any door there in terms of opportunity that may be there in the future.” If Begich wins, that future is…well… back to Wasilla. Which is really a fine place. Not much for fancy duds, but great greasy strip malls, lots of trucks, and guns, and moose, also.
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written by sabina, November 14, 2008
Let's pray that Mark wins. We are in need of a change. Alaska is growing, but not inthe pockets of the good ole boys.
Prayer for Mayor Beigch
written by swhit, November 14, 2008
I pray that Mr. Beigch stays in the lead and wins because if Sen. Stevens wins, they will expel him. I listen to Mr. Beigch last night on the Maddow show, and he is articulate in his speech, he gave a concise view of his agenda, and he depicted such grace and humility. Plus, he is young, and he will have a great future if he stays away from corruption. Also, the citizens did elect him for mayor; therefore, they do have confidence in him. Futhemore, I cannot say the same thing regarding the governor. She has been so divisive, and she continues to show no courtesy nor respect to the president-elect. The governor is double minded, and she stated that she will aid him, then she precedes to bring up Joe the Plumber, Mr. Ayers, and the president-elect's pass voting record in the state senate; a double minded person is unstable in all their ways. Futhermore, if the governor is programmed to attack, I assume that this is all she knows, and this is dangerous territory. In additiona, the govenors in Florida were not happy to see her because they realize that they cannot win through a platform of demagoguery, drill baby drill, fear, race-baiting, and diviseness; a nation divided shall not stand. Couric was right in saying that she needed more experience and knowledge of governing on the world stage. This country is facing many crucial things, especially with two wars and the economy, and we need someone who is wise, knowledgeable, honest, dependable, accountable, transparent, and decisive. We do not need someone who will not blink nor prides themselves in a stubborn cowboy mentality as has bee the case with some of our pass leaders.
Looking up for Begich
written by Winton, November 13, 2008
When the general election results were posted I felt a little worried that Mark Begich would lose. I thought that something similar to the 'Bradley Effect' was going on. Did people polled say they wouldn't vote for Stevens knowing he was convicted of a crime but then did so anyway in the polling booth? I knew there were thousands of absentee ballots. And I had an inkling that those absentee ballots would go in Begich's favor. Maybe the polls were right after all, though it took a long time to prove out.
Stevens "tossed under the bus" after all? written by P.R. Finn, November 12, 2008
One can not help, at least I can not help, thinking back to Sen. Murkowski's comment to the editorial board of the Fairbanks Daily-Miner, that Ted was being "tossed under the bus." By by who, and why? It is most certainly true that the crimes of others are far greater, but accountability is far less.
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