Open Thread – Homework!

Alaskans are working their tails off to bring focus and attention to the stonewalling of the Troopergate investigation by Palin and the McCain campaign. We’ve organized and pulled together the largest rally in the history of the state. We’ve gotten thousands of names on a petition. We’ve delivered the petition to the Governor’s office. We know there is information that needs to get out!

Stephen Branchflower has been interviewing many people concerning the firing of Walt Monegan from the position of Commissioner of the Dept. of Public Safety, and concerning Palin’s alleged abuse of power in several areas of government. All Americans have a right to know the findings of this investigation before they cast their vote on November 4th. This is no longer just an issue for Alaskans.

So many of you have been asking, “What can I do?” Here’s your answer. Your homework, should you choose to accept it, is to write one letter about why you want the Branchflower Report accepted and released to the public once it has been received by the Legislative Council. It doesn’t have to be long. It just has to urge the members of the Council to vote to release the report. Once you’ve got your letter, save it. Then email it to the 14 members of the Legislative Council below. (Sorry…You’ll have to cut & paste…I cannot put an email link in the post).

In the subject line of your email, remind them about the Countdown to Truth. “9 Days”, “8 Days”, “7 Days” and so on, until October 10th.

All of the members of the Legislative Council who were present at the last meeting have already voted to do the right thing once. These people are under tremendous pressure to vote against the release of this report. They need our support, and they need to be reminded that this issue is important not only to Alaskans, but to all Americans.

Have at it Mudflatters!

Countdown to Truth: October 1 thru 10

The Branchflower Report on the independent “Troopergate” investigation is due to the Legislative Council on October 10.

Alaskans for Truth has been informed that the members of the Legislative Council have been put under incredible pressure by the McCain Campaign to VOTE AGAINST releasing the report to the public.

The Legislative Council MUST accept and release to the public the final report from Independent Investigator, Stephen Branchflower. All Americans have the right to know the results of this ethics investigation.

What we can do: TAKE ACTION!

· Starting Wednesday, October 1st email and/or call all 14 members of the State Legislative Council each day! (contact information listed below)

· Respectfully urge the legislators to stand up for truth and vote YES to accept Branchflower’s report and make it available to the people!

· Alaskans, call and email the legislators from your districts. Send the message that you expect them to support the Legislative Council’s investigation and reject the McCain campaign’s attempt to stonewall the democratic process!

The McCain campaign is attempting to stonewall, subvert, and remove the Legislative Council’s investigative rights through lies, smears, and legal wrangling.

KNOW THE FACTS and include them in your emails and phone calls:

LIE: The State Legislative Council is a group of partisan Democrats.

FACTS:

· Ten Republicans and four Democrats are voting members of the State Legislative Council.

· All Council members who were present (eight Republicans and four Democrats) voted unanimously to hire Stephen Branchflower, a former prosecutor, to investigate possible wrongdoing by the Governor’s office

SMEAR: Walt Monegan was fired for poor job performance.

FACTS:

· Sarah Palin has changed her explanations as often as she changes her shade of lipstick. Since July, she has claimed that a) she didn’t fire Walt Monegan — he quit, b) she did fire Walt Monegan but it was only in order to go a “new direction,” c) she claimed it was for poor job performance; and the latest one d) Walt Monegan is insubordinate and a rogue cop. She seems unable to make up her mind.

· Walt Monegan has a record of 30 years of exemplary public service to the State of Alaska, including his role as of Commissioner of AK Dept. of Public Safety.

LEGAL WRANGLING: Talis Colberg, on the advice of the McCain campaign, has filed suit to quash legislative subpoenas.

FACT: This is an attempt by Colberg to protect himself from the consequences of his blatant and possibly illegal intrusion in the legislative investigation, and to prevent the release of the Branchflower report!

Urge our lawmakers to accept Steve Blanchflower’s report on October 10 and promptly make it available to the public. U.S. voters deserve this information!

Members of the Legislative Council:

Kim Elton (D) Senator_Kim_Elton@legis.state.ak.us 907-465-4947

Bettye Davis (D) Senator_Bettye_Davis@legis.state.ak.us 907-269-0144

Lyda Green (R) Senator_Lyda_Green@legis.state.ak.us 907-376-3370

Lyman Hoffman (D) Senator_Lyman_Hoffman@legis.state.ak.us 907-269-0269 (Not present at the last vote)

Gary Stevens (R) Senator_Gary_Stevens@legis.state.ak.us 907-486-4925

Gary Wilken (R) Senator_Gary_Wilken@legis.state.ak.us 907-451-5501

John Cowdery (R) Senator_John_Cowdery@legis.state.ak.us 907-269-0222 (Not present at the last vote)

John Coghill (R) Rep_John_Coghill@legis.state.ak.us 907-488-5725

Nancy Dahlstrom (R) Rep_Nancy_Dahlstrom@legis.state.ak.us 907-622-3783

Max Gruenberg, Jr. (D) Rep_Max_Gruenberg@legis.state.ak.us 907-269-0123

John Harris (R) Rep_John_Harris@legis.state.ak.us 907-269-0129

Ralph Samuels (R) Rep_Ralph_Samuels@legis.state.ak.us 907-269-0240

Bill Stoltze (R) Rep_Bill_Stoltze@legis.state.ak.us 907-376-4958

Peggy Wilson (R) Rep_Peggy_Wilson@legis.state.ak.us 907-747-4665

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‘Truth for Lunch’ Delivered to Sarah Palin’s Anchorage Office.

Today at lunch time, about 30 Alaskans gathered downtown outside the Atwood building to “Deliver Truth for Lunch” to Governor Sarah Palin’s Anchorage office. The core group of organizers for Alaskans for Truth were there, talking to reporters, as the crowd gathered. At about 11:30, the group, led by Linda Kellen Biegel entered the building and rode the elevators to the 17th floor, where the Governor’s office is located.

Kellen Biegel asked if the group could speak with Lt. Governor Sean Parnell. The very efficient front desk lady said she’d see if he was “available.” After a moment, we were told that Palin spokesman Bill McAllister would be out shortly. (Imagine Sean Parnell pulling the blinds, locking the door, turning out the light and sitting behind his desk with saucer eyes until everyone left).

McAllister emerged, and listened as Linda read aloud the petition demanding the resignation of Attorney General Talis Colberg. He made some official, “I-am-accepting-the-physical-petition-but-not-what-it-stands-for” statement, and then stayed for questions, many of which came from Phil Munger of Progressive Alaska and local Air America Radio personality  Shannyn Moore. Alaskans want to know who, exactly, is running our Department of Law, why the Attorney General is telling state employees to ignore subpoenas, and what the Governor intends to do about it. Several news cameras and reporters were on the scene.

So, to all of you who signed the online petition, your names are now in Sarah Palin’s office. It’s kind of like when you sign one of those online NASA things, where they put your name on a chip and send it to a comet…OK, it may not be quite that exciting, but it’s much more important.  And to those of you who haven’t signed yet, click HERE so you can join us in spirit, and take a virtual journey to Sarah Palin’s desk.

Whereas, Alaska Attorney General Colberg has tampered with witnesses subpoenaed to testify in the Alaska Legislative Council’s independent investigation of Troopergate and the pressuring of Walt Monegan to fire Trooper Wooten.

Whereas Attorney General Colberg has an admitted conflict-of-interest in the Troopergate investigation due to his acting on behalf of the Governor to pressure Walt Monegan to fire Trooper Michael Wooten.

Whereas Attorney General Colberg is obstructing the ongoing Troopergate investigation being conducted by the Alaska Legislative Council’s independent investigator Stephen Branchflower, reneged on his written commitment to the Alaska Legislative Council to cooperate fully with the Troopergate investigation, and has instructed witnesses subpoenaed to testify not to appear or comply with their subpoenas.

Whereas, Attorney General Colberg has allowed outside influences from attorneys Edward O’Callaghan and others of the McCain campaign to influence the Attorney General’s Office in the Troopergate investigation.

This petition is to demand the removal of Talis Colberg from the office of Attorney General of the State of Alaska.

About 900 signatures were gathered at the two-hour Hold Palin Accountable Rally last Saturday.  Another 1200 were gathered online in the past two days.

An interview with Linda Kellen Biegel can be seen HERE, and more coverage will be out in the next few days.  I’ll post more links as they become available.

Alaskans for Truth are not finished yet.  Stay tuned for more information.

*Pictures may be used with credit and links to Mudflats. Thanks!

Martin Costi from NPR talks to Linda Kellen Biegel!

The event got good media coverage.

A crowd begins to gather outside the Atwood Building.

An upside-down American flag, the recognized international signal for distress.

Shannyn Moore and others wait for the elevator.

Linda Kellen Biegel reads the Alaskans for Truth petition to Bill McAllister in the Governor’s office.

Bill McAllister (left) accepts the petition demanding the removal of the Attorney General from Alaskans for Truth.

Palin spokesman Bill McAllister answers questions.

Stevens Trial – Bill & Ted’s Desert Adventures

So, if I told you that an 84-year old Senator was on trial for seven felony counts of failure to disclose gifts and home renovations on his Senate financial disclosure forms, and then I told you that he wore a panda tie to the trial, and then I told you that his estranged best friend, now turned key witness for the prosecution, told a wistful story about how the two of them used to go to “boot camp” together in the desert southwest, and walk around eating hardly anything but drinking wine as a weight loss strategy…. you’d probably have to do a mental rewind. You’d ask me to repeat myself, and you’d listen again and then start to think I’d been hitting the wine myself, or at the very least was relating a weird dream in that way you do when you first wake up.

But, you’d be wrong on both counts. This is all very, strangely true. The witness in question is none other than former oil services company Veco’s former CEO, Bill Allen. And Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure really did happen.

“Allen described meeting Stevens for the first time in the early 1980s at fundraisers and events for Republican Frank Murkowski, who was running for the U.S. Senate and went on to a term as Alaska governor. Allen spoke wistfully of their former “close, personal friendship” and how they used to go to “boot camp” in the desert Southwest – where they would walk around, eating little and drinking only wine, “trying to get some pounds off.”

While Allen testified, Stevens looked down at the table, writing. It didn’t appear the two former friends ever made eye contact.”

I don’t know that wandering in the desert drinking wine is the most effective weight loss strategy, but it does get points for creativity….unless the dehydrated alcoholic heat stroke gets you. Ah, the hazards of “boot camp.”

And the panda tie? I can’t explain it. Stevens has been infamous in the past for wearing another tie, featuring the Incredible Hulk (no I’m not kidding), on the Senate floor. That’s when many Alaskans collectively sink down in their chairs with a hand over their faces trying to act like he’s not our Senator. Stevens even has a collection of Incredible Hulk memorabilia in his Senate office. The Hulk is his totem animal. Maybe the panda was meant to metaphorically show the court that deep down he’s just a big ol’ teddy bear? The Hulk can be a bit intimidating, and you could imagine him being in shackles… but a panda? No jury could be that cruel.

Most of the rest of the Stevens trial has been all about…home renovations. Electricians, photos of plugs, blueprints, telephone lines, contractors….kind of a snooze. But Bill Allen definitely spiced things up a bit.

The conversation also turned to some of the unreported gifts that Stevens has received from Allen and Veco: gift baskets, a $30,000 fish sculpture, engraved guns, a sled dog puppy, a generator to save the Stevens’ chalet from potential Y2K issues, and a foot-sewn doll. If you are more convinced than ever that I’m making this up, feel free to check HERE, where they are live blogging the Stevens trial.

Alaska Dept. of Law Gets Truth for Lunch! Do They Want Fries With That?

Alaskans for Truth will bring the petition demanding Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg’s resignation to the Department of Law.

When: TODAY, Wednesday, October 1 at 11:30am

Where: On the sidewalk outside the Atwood Building (550 W. 7th Avenue, downtown Anchorage)

Haven’t signed the petition? Click Below. We will be accepting signatures from in-state and out-of-state residents until further notice. The point is to make our presence known and our voices heard.

SIGN THE PETITION