Senator-elect Mark Begich begins transition
Published Sunday, November 23, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — When U.S. Senate committee assignments are handed out in the coming weeks, Sen.-elect Mark Begich is hoping to land in a few spots where his predecessor, Ted Stevens, wielded significant clout.
The newly elected Democrat said his requests include assignments to the appropriations or commerce committees — the two committees Stevens had been chairman of during the last decade. Begich said he’s also expressed an interest in the finance and veterans’ committees, which he said oversee areas of particular interest to Alaska.
That wish list won’t guarantee him any of those slots. But Begich said he spoke to Sen. Harry Reid last week, and that the senate majority leader was receptive to Begich’s requests.
“He was very positive about some of the issues I need to address,” Begich said.
Begich also discussed appointments last week with Alaska’s new senior senator, Lisa Murkowski. They agreed that he’d try to avoid her committees — primarily the energy committee and health, education, labor and pensions committee — so Alaska is represented in numerous areas. It’s a common arrangement among senators from the same state.
“We want to make sure we spread the load so we don’t just concentrate on those areas,” Begich said.
Begich said his other priority is making a pair of transitions — departing as Anchorage mayor, while adjusting to his new role as a U.S. senator. His victory against Stevens stalled until Tuesday, when the bulk of absentee ballots put his lead out of reach, so Begich missed an orientation session for freshman senators.
Begich said steady contact with Reid and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., are helping to ease that transition, despite his late arrival. He also expects a delayed training session will take place in early December.
Begich said he will look at “the best resources I have” in his search for senate staff members, including a look at Stevens’ staff. Applications for jobs are being taken at http://action.begich.com/page/s/jobs.
Mike Brumas, a spokesman for Sen. Murkowski, said Alaska’s new senior senator will do what she can to help Begich adjust to his new position. Murkowski was a new senator just six years ago, and Brumas said she has vivid memories of the adjustment to life in Washington.
“There is no manual,” Brumas said. “You just jump in and start swimming real hard.”
Contact staff writer Jeff Richardson at 459-7575.
Community Discussion
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Time to go to work Senator. You talked a big game and have even bigger shoes to fill. Better bring home the bacon. For starters, we need two more overpasses out here in North Pole; at the Mission Road Intersection, and at the Lawrence Road Intersection. Get to work.
Does this guy even understand how it works. You don't get Ted's nice big office, you'll be lucky if your office is bigger than a closet. You don't get senority status and your pick of committees. You have already stated that you are not in line with Kerry, Reid and Obama, so unless you accept your misguided thoughts and join the ranks of the yes men, you'll be lucky if they let you eat bean soup in the lunch room. By the way, if he thought things were expensive in Alaska wait until he tries to rent or buy a place in DC. At least he is use to failing schools for his kid. Can anyone tell me what bacon Lisa Murkowski has brought home and she had her Daddy's name to help her. You do not get much in the Senate until you've been there for a couple of terms. Your main job, Mr. Begich is to figure out how to get re elected, so when you get a call because an Alaskan's social security check is late you better jump right on it.
just wait until reid finds out that democrat in alaska = republican in the lower 48. then he'll be an outcast on both sides of the aisle. do you think that open anwr attitude is going to win him any points with the never drill anything ever crowd?
I find it ironic that you right-wingers telling Begich to "bring home the bacon or else" are the same people who criticize the poor for relying on "government handouts". Sounds like government handouts are just fine as long as they benefit you.
NO AK_WDB!! The Light...It Burns!! Stop pulling back the covers on these NEOCONS, they dont like it!!
We need them to spout their vitriol, the more they expose their true nature, the better!
Oh, and Go SARAH 2012!!
Greatest gift to Democracy!
About those overpasses - what were they thinking putting the new one where it is? And then blocking the crossing traffic at Lawrence? What a mess!
That new overpass is in the least needed place - I keep wondering if they made a mistake. And then the side going out towards Chena Lakes has a small curve in it! Craziness!
It's not important for Mr. Begich bring home any bacon. In fact, it's better he doesn't bring back any federal reserve crank at all.
It is important that he fight to defend Alaska's 10th Amendment rights.
sour, free, polar, sherry:
I don't know if you've noticed, but Begich is not even in office yet. Your whining is akin to your new boss calling you up the day before you start a new job to tell you all the things you'll do wrong.
If I was Begich, I'd represent everyone BUT you. (And there's what will keep me from ever running for office...)
Don't get your hopes up that politicians of any flavor can get things done and still abide by the constitution.
Turns out politicians when asked a broad range of questions regarding the constitution and US history have a grade below that of even the general public.
US elected officials scored abysmally on a test measuring their civic knowledge, with an average grade of just 44 percent, the group that organized the exam said Thursday.
Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 percent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).
Go take the test and see how you square against the politician's who have been elected to office.
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/res...
The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the following test was 49%; college educators scored 55%. Can you do better?
My score
You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %
Average score for this quiz during November: 77.6%
Average score: 77.6%
Are You Smarter Than a Politician?
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/200...
Maybe all transitioning politician should be mandated to study the Contitution and American history then take a test to determine there eligibility to lead the USA?
They could start here?
http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/Americ...
*Constitution* oops......
user6244---
87.88%, and I could, and would, argue the economic ones that I missed. But it was fun, thanks for the link.
I got 32/33. But according to polarmark, FreeDarfur, Andrew Briseno, etc. I'm just another evil socialist liberal who wants to surrender to the terrorists, so any intelligence I may have is invalidated. :-)
I am still shocked/amazed at the overall average of Americans after taking the test. Deep down I guess I knew that Americans are losing touch with it's very foundation.
We see it when we here polticians passing/allowing such legislation as the patriot act for instance.
We see the destruction of a Republic form of Government when Cities and States use voting by the majority(the Mob)to determine local laws without any checks to protect the minority.
Example: The Mayor of Anchorage allowed the majority to trample the rights of property owners when he allowed the majority to pervert the meaning of private and public property, The mob imposed a smoking ban for example instead of backing up freedom of choice.
The meaning of the right to "Life" and to "the pursuit of Happiness," the American philosophy defines the common good, or the general welfare, as being fundamentally and principally the sum of the well-being of all Individuals acting voluntarily--alone as well as cooperatively--in the separate and full enjoyment of their equal, unalienable rights, especially the right to freedom of choice. It cannot be saved by any sacrifice of any of these rights of any Individual--for example, by any subordination of any of them to any Government-over-Man philosophy's goals, or coercive system. Any sacrifice of any right of any Individual is morally wrong. It is also dangerous potentially to all rights of all Individuals and, therefore, threatens grave injury to the general welfare, to the common good, which depends basically upon observance of due respect for the equal rights of each and every Individual. Thus to victimize any Individual as to any of his rights--through either government coercion, or by pressures by other Individuals socially, economically, or otherwise--is to victimize potentially every Individual because this sets a precedent which is conducive to later disregard of the rights of others, to Individual Liberty's peril if not grave injury.
If he really wants to help Alaska he will do all he can to split up the 9th Circuit Court, which is way too close to Disneyland and Hollywood and way too far from Alaska to make good rulings. And because it is the most overturned court in the nation, he should make sure the Supreme Court nominees do not support activist out of control courts.
i'm excited for the stuff begich will hopefully do. i thought he ran a good clean campaign. let's see if he can cash in on those promises he made for us
For those of you railing against Begich because he won't have any seniority: I assume this means you'll be enthusiastically working to re-elect him in 6 years so that he can continue building seniority and more effectively serve Alaska. :-)
Auminer---
Sadly, the 9th Circus Court will now be the model to be replicated by the Democrats in charge. And with additional like minded Supremes, the overturn rate will be nil. This is where the real damage will be done.
lessglacier SPEAK UP!! I can barely hear you??? Your too far to the right???
one man's damage is another mans healing.
Anyone else notice the what I like to call "THE FURIOUS FIRST FIVE" whine and yell at every new story! I know, I know, they are hard to hear when they are so far off there in the right statosphere...funny
It will be a wonder if anyone succeeds with the kind of backing I see posting daily. The elections are over. OK, so your choice lost, get over it and try to help the winner get something done we can all be proud of. Nothing fails like failure. Obama is going to face the same. Everyone needs to be on the same page. Watch our electeds carefully and when you see a mistake, voice your opinion and hope for change. Sitting back and griping about how it's all wrong or you know better won't change a thing, except give you more foder to gripe about. Unite people....united we stand, apart we fall.
YMBC---
I know that you think that you are really clever, but you're not. I am going to make an exception this time, and answer you, and do something that I do try to avoid, personally insult you. This is a one time reply to you.
You're like a little barking chihuahua, or a spoiled child that keeps interrupting the adults. You never, ever have anything of substance to add to the conversation, it's just "yip, yip, yip". Please try to restrain yourself from any further imbecilic critiques of my posts as I am getting very tired of your immature behavior. As someone else pointed out about you a couple of months ago, you act like you're maybe 14 years old.
In the likely event that you cant restrain yourself, how about discussing the subject at hand instead of your typical day in and day out insults and name calling.
Ohhhhhhh,
You have been discussing the subject at hand!? So that is really what you think you are doing? I can barely make you out? Your fading, hello?????
Go Sarah.
Mark will be out in 6 years only got elected because of Bob Bird votes. Republicans will get the seat back. He'll be a yes man for Sen Reid.
Augghh so that is what you have been smoking!?? Silly NEOCONS!
All I said was I didn't want any more overpasses out here....I don't think that has anything to do with Mark Begich!
Surely not whining here, I think I am one of the few that really understand that politicians don't help me in any way at all. They help themselves and the people that help them help themselves!
Its is time to see the work he had stated on the oil and gas taxes like in the state of Louisana and Alaska needs to have that also,I am sure that he will do good work and this is a Priorty that all Alaskans will benefit from.
Overpasses at Lawrence and Mission Rd. in N.P.??? You have to be kidding me.
Sourdoughdiablo you crack me up.
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