Is Mark Begich running for Don Young's seat?

[Blue_In_AK]

I ask because of this letter to the editor in yesterday's ADN.

I want to thank the Daily News for freeing up hundreds of hours of my time starting in June. I'm also particularly pleased that it is getting rid of that ultra-conservative Bill Tobin's weekly column. Who wants to know about Anchorage and Alaska's history?

Just think how wonderful it will be to read the views of "real Americans" like Jane Fonda, Howard Dean, Al Gore, Al Sharpton, Sen. Edward Kennedy and Jessie Jackson.

You might even consider having Rep. Mike Doogan bless us with a column twice a week. You might want to feature each of the Democrat legislators with a weekly column. Or you might want to find a bunch of Democratic legislative wannabes to feature in your "new" half-page.

Finally, think of how you can give Mayor Mark Begich -- soon to be Democrat congressional candidate -- a chance for a daily column showing us how great he is at attending every meeting in town of three or more voters and how good he is at spending and bonding our community into a fiscal black hole. I'm sure that you all agree that $1.8 billion is not enough municipal debt!

With all these new columnists, Anchorage and Alaska will move on to bigger and better heights.

I'm personally looking forward to having more time to watch Fox News.

---- Don Smith


I presume this is THE Don Smith, in which case the sentence about Mark Begich running for Don's seat is no doubt a product of his fevered imagination. Has anyone heard anything official?

[Steerpike]

1. Well I hope so...

This does seem to be just an effort to paint Mayor Begich as a overly ambitious and grasping individual. Republicans do this. They deify their own medicocre leaders and demean all liberals.
Of course personally I would love to see Mr Begich run for a higher office.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. I would, too...

...but I'll be torn if he runs for Don Young's seat because I'm a huge Diane Benson supporter. What a shame if we ended up with TOO MANY good candidates running against him after all these years of suffering with too few. I've also heard that Ethan Berkowitz and Eric Croft might go after that job.

[snowbear]

3. He sure sounded like it last week on Shannyn Moore's show..

She was really pushing him too!

She told him that it would be nostalgic to see him in his father's seat. As far as Ethan, I think he's running for Ted Stevens seat. I think Ray Metcalfe, and Andrew Halcro will also run for U.S. Senate, but Berkowitz will blow both of them out of the water in the end.

That leaves us with.... "Mayor Eric Croft"

I like Diane a lot too. But the mayor is incredibly popular across party lines; which is what it will take to win that seat.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Perhaps, but Diane pulled a ton of Palin votes last time...

We'll see.

[Ken Burch]

5. I'd like to see Croft try the Senate race...I think he could win if The Ted has to step down

or perhaps even if The Ted runs one more time. It would be interesting to see either Berkowitz or Croft try for a State Senate seat if there's a race in either of their districts. Either could win that and give us OUTRIGHT control of the upper chamber.

If Metcalfe runs, WHICH party will he run for? He pretended to be a Dem in '06 (got 35% in the primary for no apparent reason) and has lately been billing himself again as the "Republican Moderate" Party chair.

And what banner would Andrew Haircream run under this time as well?

If Diane runs again, I'd work for her, but she would really need somebody to help with writing her campaign materials. Her pamphlets and website had a lot of really clunky, cumbersome phraseology and I think this drove some people away.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. My guess is she will have a different campaign manager

this time because Kris has apparently taken some Democratic party position in Illinois or wherever it is he was from. I got an e-mail from him a while ago announcing it. Everything is still in the very preliminary stages with her campaign. What she's trying to do now is just get out and make personal contact with as many people as she can around the state so that when the primary comes up, at least people will know more who she is.

[snowbear]

7. But... Don't you think Berkowitz is more ready for....

.... the out of state move than Croft is? Croft's kids are all in Anchorage schools... his wife works here, his entire family is alos here.. they all play hockey... pretty busy family.

Ethan (far as I know) has one toddler not in school yet.. not sure what his wife's situation is?

Anyone?