Sean Parnell concedes!
This from Parnell's Facebook page:
It has been an honor to serve as Governor of Alaska for more than five years. Sandy and I will always remain thankful and humble that we could work for you to create opportunities for every Alaskan. After Friday’s vote counting by the Division of Elections, it became clear that while a win for the Parnell-Sullivan ticket was numerically possible, it is highly improbable. Where Alaska’s swearing-in date this year for the governor-elect is December 1st and where some ballots still must be counted, I deemed it in Alaskans’ interest to begin coordinating transition activities now with the Walker-Mallott ticket in the event the vote count holds.
I met this morning with Bill Walker to pledge an orderly transition. In line with this pledge, I offered office space for transition activities to the Walker-Mallott ticket as well as resources to accomplish the transition. We had what I believe to be a very productive discussion about how to work together for the benefit of Alaskans in this time of change in administration.
It is my fervent hope that Alaska’s trajectory for economic growth and individual safety and opportunity will be maintained. From bringing the Alaska LNG Project further than ever before; to creating Alaska Performance Scholarships for our young people; to being on track for natural gas to Fairbanks by 2016; to a Cook Inlet gas and economic resurgence; to reforming Alaska’s oil tax system to bring more North Slope investment and job activity than we’ve seen in decades (and more state revenue at these lower oil prices); to resolving the Point Thomson dispute and gaining first production there by 2016; and to leading our state in fighting the epidemic of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and sex trafficking – we have achieved a great deal for our state.
We respect the will of the voters, and offer Bill Walker, Byron Mallott and their families our sincere congratulations. Again, I want to thank our citizens for the honor of a lifetime.
Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.
I could NOT be happier to see this creepy little POS leave office, I only hope that Walker proves to be the Governor that Alaska needs right now and is not yet another socially conservative toady of the oil companies masquerading as a moderate in order to garner votes, who will now rip off his mask of reasonableness to reveal the slathering wolfish grin beneath.
(Well great now I have THAT image to get out of my head before bedtime.)
Alaska has a new Governor!
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| Sean Parnell out, Bill Walker in. |
Independent gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker maintained his lead after thousands of additional votes were counted Friday, leading the Associated Press to declare the race for Walker over Republican Gov. Sean Parnell.
Walker, running with Democrat Byron Mallott on an independent ticket, held a narrow advantage for the entire race starting on election night Nov. 4.
At the end of the counting on Friday, Walker led by 4,634 votes or 1.7 percent, with about 270,000 total votes counted.
The ticket is expected to become the state's first non-party team to win a gubernatorial race.
I have to admit that this is not nearly as satisfying for me as I hoped it would be. And that is for the simple reason that Sarah Palin also endorsed Walker in this race over her former Lt. Governor, Sean Parnell.
I cannot remember a time when Sarah Palin and I both wanted the same candidate to win an election, and not that one has done exactly that it fills me with concern.
No matter how you look at it Bill Walker is the superior choice to Sean Parnell. However is he a good choice for Alaska?
Walker is a strong supporter of public education, against the Pebble Mine, and for allowing the expansion of Medicaid. He also advocated the increase in minimum wage and is by all accounts a much more reasonable person than Parnell ever was on anything.
Still, did Sarah Palin endorse him simply because she is the quintessential mean girl punishing her former friend after he dismantled her tax on oil companies? Or is Bill Walker her candidate of choice even if he had NOT been running against Parnell?
It was reported that Todd was sitting with Walker's family during a recent debate, so it certainly appears that they are chummy.
All of which makes me want to keep the celebratory champagne on ice until I get a better idea of exactly who we just elected to run our state.
As if Alaskans needed another reason to vote Sean Parnell out of office.
The future of the health care program that covers some of Alaska’s poorest residents hinges largely on who voters elect governor in November.
Republican Gov. Sean Parnell refused to extend Medicaid last year under the Affordable Care Act, what he called Obamacare. In a recent interview with Alaska Dispatch News, Parnell said expansion is “overly costly” and would put “an even greater burden on an already unsustainable system," though he said he is open to other means of Medicaid reform.
Parnell's independent challenger, Bill Walker, said that if elected governor he would immediately accept Medicaid expansion, extending health care coverage to Alaskans who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $19,800 for a single adult. But Walker, an attorney and former mayor of Valdez, said that once federal funding for the expansion dips below 100 percent -- it is set to decrease to 95 percent in 2017 -- the state will have to re-examine its decision.
“If it helps Alaskans, then we should do it,” Walker said in an interview Wednesday with ADN.
Even once it dips below 100% there is no way this is still not a great deal for Alaskans, and I seriously doubt that anybody could take it away once Alaskans started to receive this benefit. But hey I understand politics in Alaska, and know that Walker has to say things like this for the benefit of the mouth breathers.
As it says further down in the article this Medicaid expansion would affect between 10,000 to 41,000 Alaskans, including your favorite Alaska blogger.
So to sum up Sean Parnell did not do his job to protect personnel in the Alaska National Guard despite the fact that he was being asked to do so for essentially his entire term in office.
Governor Parnell also attempted to stand in the way of progress by challenging the findings of a US District Court judge that the same sex ban in Alaska was unconstitutional. Even though similar attempts in other states had ultimately failed.
And now we know that the only thing standing between tens of thousands of Alaskans receiving much needed healthcare is Sean Parnell.
What more do we need Alaskans? What more do we need?
Could the outcome of the Florida gubernatorial race be decided by something as simple as a fan? It just might.
Okay I originally saw this last night on the Rachel Maddow show and I was so stupefied that my jaw was literally hanging down. I just sat there waiting for Rick Scott to take the stage, completely amazed by the fact that he might not do so simply because his opponent had a fan under his podium.
Here is how the Tampa Bay Times reported on the incident now referred to as, of course, "Fan-gate:"
In the weirdest start of a gubernatorial debate, Florida Gov. Rick Scott initially refused to take the stage Wednesday night because Democrat Charlie Crist insisted on using a fan to keep him cool.
The Republican governor finally emerged at least six minutes late as flummoxed moderators struggled on live TV to figure out what to do with a bemused Crist standing solo on stage at Broward College.
A Crist adviser tweeted this out early this morning making the case that Crist was in the right.
I think if Crist wins this election that he should get that fan plated in gold and put it up on a display case in the Governor's mansion.
Here is how the Tampa Bay Times reported on the incident now referred to as, of course, "Fan-gate:"
In the weirdest start of a gubernatorial debate, Florida Gov. Rick Scott initially refused to take the stage Wednesday night because Democrat Charlie Crist insisted on using a fan to keep him cool.
The Republican governor finally emerged at least six minutes late as flummoxed moderators struggled on live TV to figure out what to do with a bemused Crist standing solo on stage at Broward College.
A Crist adviser tweeted this out early this morning making the case that Crist was in the right.
Debate "organizers" are wrong. Rules were settled two days prior to the debate. pic.twitter.com/JIRbWAsxdr
— Kevin Cate (@KevinCate) October 16, 2014 Hell I don't know if Charlie Crist pulled a fast one, or if Rick Scott is really this petulant, but either way it is never a good thing for the state, that you are asking to elect you to their highest office, to see you throwing a tantrum and threatening to take your ball and go home over something so incredibly trivial.I think if Crist wins this election that he should get that fan plated in gold and put it up on a display case in the Governor's mansion.
