– a guest post by Caleb Pritt on Alaska’s candidates for U.S. Senate

The upcoming U.S. Senate race in Alaska is important for more than just electing someone. It could be the one vote that matters for more than just Alaska, but our country as well.

Imagine if you will for a second a U.S. Senate where the likes of Jeff Sessions, Jim DeMint, and Tom Coburn are joined by the likes of Joe Miller, Ken Buck, Christine O’Donnell, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Sharon Angle, and Mike Lee. All these Tea Party types if they make it into the U.S. Senate will be backed up by at least twenty other ultra conservatives who are already in the U.S. Senate.

Now subtract Joe Miller and add in the name, Scott McAdams. He’s Mayor of Sitka. He’s a school teacher & a fisherman. He’s married with kids but not ashamed to embrace all Alaskans, including the GLBT Community. McAdams doesn’t boast and honestly he’s not doing this for himself. He could have remained Mayor of Sitka. I know Scott. I know the idyllic and beautiful town he is leaving behind. In fact, I was there, before anyone, when he began to think about running for U.S. Senate. He’s a good guy and like Ted Stevens who was Uncle Ted, Scott will become Brother Scott. He’s like the best friend who stands by you and will be there for you, because he’s your friend. Most of all, Scott McAdams has one major quality that Joe Miller does not have….Scott McAdams has integrity!

Politically speaking, turning back the Tea Party movement means preserving Hospital Visitation Rights, Inheritance Rights, Hate Crimes Statutes, Adoption Rights, etc. It also means preserving the Economic Security of our nation. Whether you consider yourself Democrat, Republican, or Independent, the track record of the “conservatives” is an economic policy of writing a proverbial hot check. Deficit spending, usually spent on nation building (see: Iraq & Afghanistan) or increased Defense Spending. But that doesn’t mean higher pay for our Armed Forces….it means larger financial contracts for defense contractors like Lockheed Martin & Boeing, who donate to Republican members of Congress.

Joe Miller likes to make it seem simple, and Lisa Murkowski does as well, because they talk about “Less Government” and “Personal Choice.” It sounds good but it’s really Cotton Candy political ideology. It tastes real good but it’s nothing but fluff.

Taxes are what fuels government. When you pay taxes you are investing in stronger Police forces, better equipped Fire stations, higher salaries for our Armed Forces, better roads, cleaner water, cleaner air, better schools. Taxes are needed for those things you want. It also means better health care. Yes, Joe Miller & Lisa Murkowski like to talk about health care as a personal choice and we should be able to go where we want.

Guess what, under Health Care before reform, that meant that a cancer survivor (like myself) or anyone else with pre-existing conditions could not get health care coverage. Trust me, in Eagle River, I went into a dentists office. I was told I would have to pay cash upfront. Oh yeah, did I mention I was in pain and needed immiediate care? But I couldn’t get health care coverage because I am a cancer survivor and even the state programs offered will not cover pre-existing conditions. So I had to pay $375 up front to get relief from pain.

You may like Lisa Murkowski. I like Lisa, and she was wonderful for Veterans, and though tainted in how she got to the U.S. Senate, she was a better than average Republican. But at this point, as a Write-In, she won’t make it to win. Even Wally Hickel, the great Wally Hickel, in 1978 with pre-printed stickers still only got 28% and didn’t win as a write-in. Are you going to tell me Lisa Murkowski is more popular or can do what Wally Hickel couldn’t? I don’t think so. Let’s be real.

Do I mean to say Scott McAdams will vote the way we want to see him every time? All I know is I know Scott McAdams is genuine. He will vote for Alaska. He will vote for the best option for Alaskans. And he showed as Mayor that he will not deficit spend. He has said he would vote for lifting DADT. But more important, Scott McAdams will not let basic civil rights be taken away, if he’s in the Senate.

The most important point is that this Senate race will be close. It will be extremely close. Can you imagine the importance, in a close race, while Miller & Murkowski fight for the “conservative” vote, if one of the key constituencies that elects McAdams is the GLBT Community? Can you imagine the signal our community will send? Sarah Palin is pushing Joe Miller for her own personal and political gain. Lisa Murkowski is doing a write-in for her own personal and political gain. Let us join together, in the GLBT Community, to elect Scott McAdams for Alaska’s own personal and political gain.

Check out Scott online at: http://www.scottmcadams.org/. If you can, volunteer, donate, but most of all, VOTE!

Scott McAdams is the All-Alaska choice. On November 2nd, bubble in and vote for Scott McAdams for U.S. Senate!