Just caught up to Alaska returns(I'm down in Olympia). Sorry for what looks like bad news

[Ken Burch]

From what I saw, the Senate coalition is toast. Is that an accurate assessment?

If so, I have a suggestion(if it's doable)...an initiative campaign to restore the existing oil tax if
'Lil Seanie gets his way and the Leg guts it.

Good to see Obama broke 40%, though.

Any reactions from up there?

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Yes, the Senate coalition is toast.

I think all the Republicans have joined the new majority except maybe Bert Stedman. Hopefully Stevens can keep them from going too far off the cliff. Hollis had a surprisingly tough time against the crook Bob Bell...it was a nail-biter. Wielechowski is still in. The very wonderful Harriet Drummond won a House seat, which makes me really happy.

As far as the giveaway, I read in ADN comments last week that petitions are already being drawn up for an initiative if it looks like Seanoco is going to get his way.

It's still hard for me to believe that this election was totally legitimate. I haven't trusted alaska's elections process since at least 2002. Voter turnout was only 50 something percent, and with so many races being so close, the R's really only got about 27% support. Voter apathy is a serious issue. I'm sure a lot of people think "why bother, the republicans are just going to win anyway."

[Ken Burch]

2. How many seats did the R's win, exactly?

And did anything change in the House?

P.S. keep me posted about the petition thing. I'd suggest that one as well as a petition for putting Alaska oil operations under state control(and democratic employee management, as well).

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I'm in CA visiting with the grand kids right now,

but I'll check all this when I get back to anchorage.

[Ken Burch]

4. Thanks. Have fun with the grand kids.

Especially since you're with them where it's warm.

[Ken Burch]

6. When are you back, btw?

n/t.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. I got back last Thursday night.

I've been busy getting ready for thanksgiving and haven't had a chance to check out the totals. I do see that Jonathan kreiss-Tomkins seems to be leading bill Thomas, which is definitely good news for southeast. Every democrat helps.


Ed. It looks like 15 dems and 25 reps.

[Ken Burch]

8. Our Dem senator, Dennis Egan(son of the first gov)has joined the GOP majority organization.

It's hard to type that sentence without throwing up a little in the back of my mouth.

We'll have to recruit somebody to be a potential primary challenger there.

BTW...if the Dem who's slightly ahead in the SE House race ends up winning, is it still 25-15 in the House, or 24-16?

[Blue_In_AK]

9. 25-15

I saw that about Egan and wondered if he was just trying to infiltrate, work from within or whatever. Do you have any sense of his motivation?

[Ken Burch]

10. Probably thinks he can save some of the pork.

Dennis Egan has also always had it in for the progressive wing of the party, and no doubt saw this, in part, as a way of sticking it to them.

It may also have been something he promised Palin in exchange for getting appointed to Juneau's senate seat(he was chosen to replace Kim Elton, our previous senator, who'd been given an job in the Obama Administration). The Dem caucus wanted Palin to appoint Beth Kertulla(who is the current House minority leader and is also daughter of Jay Kertulla, the former senator from Wasilla, a man that Sarah P. had always hated) but Caribou Barbie refused to choose her.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Yeah, I remember all that drama.

Hopefully, by 2014 the courts will have ruled that the gerrymandering was illegal and get us back where we should be. I'm still totally stunned that Hollis French almost lost.

[connard4534ee]

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