What could possibly get Attorney General Kevin Clarkson and Alaska State Employees Association Executive Director together in the same room for lunch today?
Oh, maybe a fundraising lunch for Congressman Don Young, Alaska’s iconic U.S. representative, who held a luncheon today in Midtown Anchorage.
Clarkson and Metcalfe may not agree on the implications of the Janus decision, and are now on opposing sides in court over it, but they evidently agree that Don Young is still the congressman for the times we live in.
[Read: State will enforce Janus decision; employees will need to opt in]
Young talked to the group of 90 supporters — mostly from Anchorage — about the importance of bipartisanship in the House, and how he is worried about the current crop of far-left members of Congress, such as “The Squad.” He said of the over 2,000 members of Congress he has worked with since 1973, “This is the strangest set of ducks I have ever worked with, pushing a Socialist agenda.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Nancy Pelosi is practically a moderate,” compared to the growing number of Socialists in the Democratic Party, he said.
Young took the time today to announce that one of his staff members, Truman Reed, is going to head up his reelection campaign starting in January. Reed is a legislative aide to the congressman for foreign policy, government affairs, tax, judiciary, and other matters, and is a growing force in politics in Alaska.
Reed, a registered nonpartisan, is the son of well-known lobbyist and former died-in-the-wool-Democrat Ashley Reed, who today also spoke at the luncheon, and said that when he moved to the state from the East Coast in the 1980s, he was a Democrat, but three years ago registered as a nonpartisan, as he saw the Democratic Party move more and more to the left.
Also attending the lunch was Finance Chair for the Alaska Republican Party Seth Church, Alaska Policy Forum Senior Education Research Fellow Bob Griffin, and longtime Young supporter Ken Maynard, widow of Young’s longtime campaign staff member, the late Myrna Maynard.
Spotted at a table were Senate President Cathy Giessel, Senate Finance Chair Natasha Von Imhof, and Rep. Josh Revak, along with former State House Speaker John Harris and former Sen. Lesil McGuire.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Don Young doesn’t lose elections because he endorses union bosses by getting federal public works money from Congress, is a registered Republican, receives Native support because his wife was full-blooded Alaska Native, and he supports businesses and huge construction projects (even if they are located in South Florida). His ONLY opposition are Lefties, environmental wackos, and some Democrats. A pretty unique formula, by any standard. But to Arliss, he will always be plain ol, Yawn Dung.
Yeah, but don’t forget that Arliss is a “ski,” as in Sturgulewski. A family relative of our dumbo senator Lisa, who is also a “ski.” If Dungski participated in the family ski reunions, his election viability might actually be in jeopardy.
10 watt comment.
Come on. You were giggling, Geldofski. Amps are what kill. I’d give this one about 50 amps.
Nah, it’s not even close to being funny. Just dumb.
Read up on 303 Squadron and after you do, tell me what’s funny about jokes based on Polish national origin or names.
Ah, Joe……everyone here already knows that Lisa Murkowski is the dimmest bulb in the US Senate. No wattage. Of course, Frank didn’t exactly know how to flip on the lights either. So, if you are a dear, dear friend of the Murkowski family, don’t feel personally insulted. Here at MRAK, we are taught to refrain from using ethnic slurz and jokes. But you gotta admit that the “skis” are a dubious breed on to themselves.
Yep, going downhill with two poles.
Never mind draining the swamp, drain the lunch room!
You act as though this is a new occurrence. This is been going on since we became a nation.
Did Ashley die in a bundle of wool? Sounds gruesome.
In the sixties it was the “Communists” we were to fear…
Now it is the “Socialists” in Congress?
Honestly Don,
4 hard working women out of 535 Congress members scare you that much?
For years Don lauded on how he “Brings home the Pork” which is all fueled by deficit government spending…the same thing conservatives say they are against?
“The budget deficit in fiscal 2018 (which runs from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018, the first year budgeted by President Trump) is forecast to be $804 billion, an increase of $139 billion (21%) from the $665 billion in 2017”
“As of June 2019, federal debt held by the public was $16.17 trillion and intragovernmental holdings were $5.86 trillion, for a total national debt of $22.03 trillion.”
Maybe Mr. Young can speak of his plan to “right the economy” and pull the country out of our deficit spending “nose dive”?
Macarthy was right. There were communist in our mix. Now we call them socialist or movie stars.
They’re spreading too. It might be to late.
Poking ski fun aside, who will replace Don when he is gone? We can see the change when Ted left. Neither Lisa or Dan has really filled those shoes. Can anyone fill Don’s?
MQ,
I think the deeper question is can Alaska succeed with a productive private sector economy or are we cursed to stay a federally funded territory tied to political “earmarks” and deficit government spending?
As it stands nearly 1/3 of all Alaskan jobs are tied to federal dollars either directly or as a result of government contracts.
This current path is obviously unsustainable and probably one of the reasons why the feds investigated uncle Ted in the first place.
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