Bent Alaska | Tag Archive

Home » Archive by Tags

Articles tagged with: Scott McAdams

Occupy Wall Street movement spreads to Anchorage and Fairbanks

Monday, 10 October 2011 – 4:25 PM | Comments Off

Bent Alaska’s news tweets over the past few days included a few about the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has now spread to cities nationwide — including Anchorage and Fairbanks. “Occupy” demonstrations were held in Anchorage last Wednesday, and in both Anchorage and Fairbanks on Saturday.

The election is finally over. Well, not quite.

Wednesday, 3 November 2010 – 1:20 PM | Comments Off

The election is finally over. Or… not quite. With 432 out of 438 precincts reporting, the front-runner in the hotly contested U.S. Senate race is “Write-in Votes” with 41.0% of the vote — nearly 7 points ahead of Tea Party-leaning Republican candidate Joe Miller (34.2%). Democratic candidate Scott McAdams, who consistently polled with the best “favorables” — i.e., people liked him better than either Murkowski or Miller — nonetheless drew only 23.74% of the vote counted so far.

McAdams to LGBT Alaska: Full Equality

Friday, 29 October 2010 – 10:35 AM | Comments Off

Last night, the Grrlzlist, a weekly e-newsletter for the Alaska women’s community, published a special letter from Scott McAdams to the LGBT community, and this morning Bent Alaska received the link to a longer PDF version of the letter uploaded on the McAdams site:

Dear friends,

I wanted to take a moment to share with you my position on issues of importance to the LGBT community.

All Americans should have the same rights regardless of sexual orientation, and as Alaska’s next U.S. Senator, I am committed to standing up for members of the LGBT community.

I strongly believe liberty begins with the individual, from a woman’s right to choose to a persons’ right to marry their significant other regardless of sexual orientation. I believe the government has no place telling people whom they can and cannot love.

I’m also the only candidate in this race that supports the full repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Sexual orientation should not deprive anyone of the opportunity to proudly serve our country. Like many Alaskans, I am disappointed by Lisa’s weak record when it comes to standing up for equality for all Alaskans.

While Lisa says we need her seniority in the Senate, in 2010, she used her seat on the Appropriations Committee to vote with her party against every appropriations bill. Lisa voted against over $400 million in funding for critical Alaska projects and programs, including domestic violence and sexual assault prevention funding. Seniority doesn’t mean much if you put your party ahead of the interests of Alaska.

I’m also happy to report we’ve got great “McMentum.” The most recent polling is showing this race as a dead heat between Lisa and me, with Joe dropping back into third. The polling has also shown movement towards our campaign and away from Joe and Lisa among women in Anchorage. I promise if Alaskans vote their values and not their fears on Election Day, you’ll send someone who represents your interests to the U.S. Senate.

I would be proud to have your support on November 2, 2010.

Sincerely,

Scott McAdams

Candidate for U.S. Senate

Scott or Lisa? Values, not fears

Thursday, 28 October 2010 – 6:36 PM | Comments Off

With Scott McAdams gaining in the polls and Tea Party Joe slipping, LGBT democrats and undeclareds don’t have to vote for Lisa M out of fear of Joe. We can vote for the candidate who supports equality and can win, the only candidate who will vote to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: Scott McAdams.

Two months ago, when Joe won the primary and Lisa announced her write-in campaign, LGBT Alaskans were divided between Lisa and Scott. We agreed that we had to stop Joe, but disagreed on which other candidate had the best chance of beating him.

When DADT came up for a vote in the Senate, we flooded Lisa’s office with calls asking her to be the moderate Republican she claimed to be and vote for the repeal. When Lisa confirmed that she would have voted with the GOP filibuster to block the repeal if she’d been in D.C for the vote, we learned that LGBT Alaskans are not important to her. We gave her a chance, and she brushed us off.

But the real tipping point for many voters was Lisa’s speech in honor of Rev. Jerry Prevo, a baptist minister who built his reputation by spreading lies and hate against gays. The man bragged that his main legacy is blocking gay rights in Anchorage. And Lisa honored him!

HERE is a sample of anti-gay hate spewing from Prevo, a sermon he gave last summer against the equal rights ordinance, including the long list of insulting names he repeatedly calls us. (If you’re not familiar with Prevo, follow the link and watch the video so you know first hand why Lisa’s tribute to him is so disgusting.)

Lisa fawned all over this hater at the 39 year anniversary of his career at the temple of doom, Anchorage Baptist Temple. (Did I mention that they do exorcisms on gay kids? Really!)

Watch Lisa’s tribute to the leader of anti-gay hate in Anchorage:

“It is such an honor and a real delight to be with so many here today… So much of what we’ve seen that has been good and strong has been built right here at the Anchorage Baptist Temple by Reverend Prevo… We thank you for what you have given our community – the guidance you have shown, and the love for so many. Continue it for another 39.”

Enough to make you sick.

Where was Scott McAdams that weekend? Scott spoke at the annual LGBT Pride Conference, impressing us with his support of equality and fairness for all Alaskans. Lisa didn’t attend.

The good news is that we don’t have to settle for Lisa out of fear of Joe. We can vote for someone who will vote for us, someone who has a real chance of winning if we pull together. Vote your values, not your fears: Vote for Scott McAdams.

Sitka lesbians, gays & allies for Scott McAdams

Thursday, 28 October 2010 – 10:21 AM | Comments Off

Scott McAdams is a serious contender for the U.S Senate and Lisa is trying to steal votes from him with an ad featuring her supporters from his home base of Sitka. It’s a low blow to turn someone’s neighbors against him, especially in a small town. But it doesn’t seem to be working with LGBTA Sitkans. The few gays, lesbians and out-spoken allies that I could find in Sitka are all voting for Scott.

When Scott won the democratic nomination and Joe won the GOP primary, I contacted a straight friend of my lesbian friend who used to live in Sitka. What did she think of Scott, I asked, and did she know any gay or lesbian Sitkans who might educate me on his attitude towards us?

She knew someone, and they knew someone, and we started a conversation. Three of them gave me permission to publish some of their comments – one lesbian, one gay man, and one ally – but only Mo, the ally, is comfortable including her real name with her comments. The others are ‘out’ about voting for Scott, but they (or their partners) do not want to be known as gay or lesbian to their employers.

The gay man summed up the thoughts of many LGBT Alaskans:

Scott would be a big improvement on what we have had and would get otherwise.

Our ally Mo McBride worked with Scott and had more to say:

I know Scott very well having worked in the school district he was on the board for. I will give you my impression which has its own biases… He is mayor of our city and was on the school board here for about 10 years. He has served on the statewide school board and even did some work with the national school board… I did not agree with his decisions many times when he was one the school board but I did not find him to be biased in his approach to his decisions. He has political speak which for me is like coctail speech, can talk briefly on many things and has good sound bytes but not good depth… He is a quick learner and can search out info when he wants to. He is supportive of gay issues, he has openly gay people who are working under him and they say he has not ever made that a concern for them… He is the first to say he is still learning, but he also now has experience in goveernment… I plan to vote for him even with my disagreements on his school board stuff. I think he can be an advocate for Alaska… I just hope we can keep Miller out. So my vote is for him and I think he is the most GLBT friendly vote of the three.

The lesbian and her partner both like Scott:

[My partner] liked working with Scott… I have dealt with Scott in a different capacity. He was on the local school district school board when I was a teacher within that school district. I dealt with him occasionally and it was always professional. He is our current mayor and seems to be doing okay. There have been concerns that the meetings are not as thorough and inquisitive when the assembly should be delving further into issues. Also, there are concerns that he has conflicts of interest between being mayor and working for Community Schools, which is a part of the school district. [He is currently on Leave of Absence from Community Schools, and Cheryl Westover is the new mayor.] I don’t know Scott on a friend level so I really can’t speak to more than this.

I’m pleased to hear that he attended [the LGBT Pride Conference]. I will be voting for Scott on Tuesday. There is no question about that for me.

There you have it – the word from LGBTA Sitkans: Vote for Scott McAdams!

Thanks to my Sitka friends for adding their voices to the conversation.

Scott also has a Sitka ad. Watch:

Miller to Maddow on gay rights: "I wanna be straight with you"

Wednesday, 27 October 2010 – 2:10 AM | 5 Comments

Rachel Maddow broadcast her show live from Anchorage on Tuesday night, after interviewing our U.S. Senate candidates and their supporters. Well, she interviewed Democrat Scott McAdams and write-in Lisa Murkowski, and finally got Tea Party Joe Miller to answer a few questions while walking through a building.

At one point she asked Miller, “Do you agree that homosexuality can be cured?” and he responded “it’s a state issue.” (Huh?) When she asked if he thinks being gay is a choice, he began part of his answer by saying “I wanna be straight with you.” (I guess he doesn’t know that she’s a lesbian.) Later in the interview, she corners him on the federal marriage ban, which he supports despite the fact that he thinks it’s a state issue. (Gotcha.)

Watch the Miller “interview” here:

The other segment that covered LGBT issues in Alaska was her candid talk with Tank Jones, bodyguard for Levi Johnston and tour guide for Rachel. At one point she asked if people here are conservative on social issues and are anti-gay, and he gave an interesting response:

No. Not here because we have… 3-4 gay bars here in this small town of Anchorage, and probably over half of the people that’s in these campaigns are secretly gay but they won’t come out. So we don’t really have a anti-gay movement here like they have in other places because… diversity runs big here, very very big here, so we don’t have that problem.

Well, there wouldn’t be so many people afraid to come out if they felt accepted by the community, and we obviously do have that problem here. We also have an anti-gay movement. On the positive side, his answer is the only comment on the show about gay life in Anchorage, and it completely denies the existence of the anti-gays. Anyone who disses the local bigots is OK by me.

Watch the Tank segment:

The best part of the evening was Rachel’s interview of Vic Fisher, a delegate to the convention that wrote the Alaska state constitution, and radio host Shannyn Moore. Vic points out that a constitution is designed to be a living framework, not a static document, and asks us to vote our values, not our fears. Shannyn notes that this election is part of an on-going feud between the Murkowski family and the Palin family. They both explain why we need to support and vote for Scott McAdams.

Watch the Vic and Shannon segment:

The other Alaska segments can be viewed on The Rachel Maddow Show and include interviews with Scott and Lisa and their supporters, and a great segment with ignorant Joe supporters. Between the taped sections, Rachel reported live from the Taproot Cafe in Anchorage. (Guess which bloggers can be seen behind Rachel?)

Thanks to Rachel and her crew for reporting from Alaska, and thanks to Shannyn Moore, Taproot and everyone who encouraged Rachel to visit. She rocks!

E Pluribus Unum

Tuesday, 26 October 2010 – 5:03 AM | One Comment

– a guest post by Abel Spark (not his real name), a member of our community in Anchorage, Alaska.

In case you haven’t noticed, there is an election happening. The polls are open today and people are deciding who is most fit to represent Alaska in the US Senate. We have three choices this year. Well, really two. And for me, making this decision has required a great deal of emotional evaluation to determine who I will support.

I don’t count Joe Miller a candidate. He is a palinesque joke and a thug.

This leaves Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams as the viable options. Being one who waits until he has as many facts as possible before making an informed decision, I really benefitted from the opportunity to listen, watch, and interact with them both at the same time.

He is well spoken, affable, and funny. She is smart and she is so kind. Really kind. She is no more a monster for being Republican than I am evil for being gay. And I challenge you to find any Alaskan who loves Alaska more. So this year’s ballot has been a really difficult decision for me.

Lisa Murkowski is running on the proof of the record, while Scott McAdams is running on the promise of the future.

Joe Miller is an epic failure.

Lisa’s best argument, and it is a good one, is that Alaska will become powerless, having the delegation with the least seniority in the Senate, a body in which seniority is everything. McAdams’ argument is that he is not beholden to corporate interests and is best positioned to beat Joe Miller because his name is on the ballot. When Scott McAdams promises not to take corporate contributions I hear echoes of George Bush saying “read my lips.” But I try never fault a person for optimism.

Joe Miller’s best argument is that the Koch brothers thinly veiled as a populist movement want more control of the Senate.

Joe Miller? Lisa Murkowski? Scott McAdams? Yikes. This stuff is scary.

The America I was raised in told me that we are all due equal protection under the law. The America I was raised in showed me this is not the case. The Pharisees of today are leading a jihad against the LGBT community. They are making life so unbearable that young people are choosing to kill themselves rather than face the brutal reality of our culture. It has to stop. We must stop it. So which candidate is best prepared to join this fight?

On this point many votes will turn.

Joe, you are as bigoted an individual as they come. Your self-righteousness will prove its own reward.

Lisa, your record on LGBT issues reflects alignment with the forces that have allowed systematic demoralization of millions of Americans. You have disavowed the quote by the Lizard King Jerry Prevo that it is impossible to be gay and Christian. But last week you supplicated at his altar of bigotry. You have voted consistently against the LGBT community and in your response to their survey this summer, you promised nothing will change. It has been painful. You had many chances to help in the struggle. But you didn’t. Here is what you told the Alaska Family Council; the Alaska version of Focus On The Family, a religious group with the blood of LGBT youth on its hands:

Scott, you have obviously not spent too much time contemplating the day to day reality of LGBT existence, but it is clear you understand the underlying issues. You unequivocally stated you support equality, that every citizen is sovereign, that no laws should be passed that create inequality in our system, and that we must do away with those that already do. I try never to fault a man for being an idealist.

I have a handful of LGBT friends who will disagree with me. There is only one genuine choice on this ballot for LGBT voters: Scott McAdams.

To those of you fearing change, I offer this. A long overdue generational shift is under way. An emerging generation of leaders now assumes its rightful place at the table. We are up to the challenges of the future with the same energy and acumen as those who crafted our state and those who have lived here for untold generations.

And to those who claim that Lisa and seniority are the only answer to the problems we now face, and that we are going to be the weakest Senate Delegation because our senior Senator will have only two years of seniority, I have a different perspective to offer.

When Scott McAdams is elected to the US Senate, Alaska might have the least seniority of any State delegation. But it will also be the youngest. In a body where seniority matters, perhaps Alaska is embarking on the first steps of a long journey.

Now for a little history lesson. The youngest and least senior delegation in Alaska history began on December 24, 1968. On January 3, 1969, Alaska enjoyed 11 days of seniority in the US Senate. Look at what Ted Stevens built: the most prosperous era of Alaskan history. Perhaps past is prologue.

Turn back the tide

Saturday, 23 October 2010 – 2:26 PM | 3 Comments

– 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!

Unions oppose anti-worker (& anti-gay) Rep. Mike Kelly Vote for Bob

Tuesday, 19 October 2010 – 5:37 AM | Comments Off

Alaska union members are going door-to-door in support of Democratic challenger Bob Miller in hopes of unseating Fairbanks state representative Mike Kelly for his “abysmal record” on workplace issues.

LGBT Alaskans know Kelly as co-sponsor of the statewide vote to take away the same sex employment benefits that were granted by the Alaska Supreme Court. He also referred to gay and lesbian couples as “homosexual pairs” in editorials against the benefits.

Alaska AFL-CIO President Vince Beltrami told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that

[O]rganized labor takes issues with Kelly’s work to eliminate Alaska’s defined benefit pension plan for state workers, as well as his votes against outlawing mandatory overtime for nurses, raising the state minimum wage and providing presumptive disability benefits for firefighters.

“In short, Mike Kelly has been no friend to working families,” Beltrami said.

Following a few chants of “Vote him out,” the union members from the Local 1547, Local 942, teamsters, carpenters, Alaska Public Employees Association and other groups went door-to-door to campaign for Kelly’s opponent, Democrat and TV anchorman Bob Miller.

In 2008, FieryBlazingHandbasket compiled a list of reasons to oppose Kelly, and he was re-elected by only 4 votes. So spread the word and vote for Bob Miller – every vote counts!

###

UPDATE: Bob Miller introduced Scott McAdams at Scott’s well-attended Fairbanks Town Hall meeting. Check out Bob’s TV ad (with a humorous dig at his opponent):

Alaska Native youth for Scott McAdams

Monday, 18 October 2010 – 3:20 PM | Comments Off

Verner Wilson III, who spoke at Pride Conference last year, is at the Alaska Federation of Natives Elders & Youth Conference this week and is one of four Alaska Native youth in a new video for U.S Senate candidate Scott McAdams. McAdams grew up in rural Alaska, worked as a fisherman in western Alaska and supports the teaching of Native languages. He also supports LGBT equality.

Here is the video:

Verner shared more reasons for supporting McAdams:

5 things you might not know about Scott McAdams

1) He was born to a single mother in rural Alaska, and admitted they didn’t always have food in the cupboard of their small house growing up.

2) He fought at School Board conferences to allow schools to teach Alaska Native languages.

3) He’s just 40 years old, and wants to gain seniority in the US Senate and use this power to make Alaska energy-independent and help us in the long run while voting for Democratic values (unlike Lisa who is entrenched by big oil and Republicans).

4) As a fisherman in Sitka alongside his indigenous wife, they understand and will fight for subsistence…HE’S ONE OF US!

5) He’s within striking distance of beating both the Republicans in the latest polls and if you vote for him you can put him over the top, really pissing off Joe Miller!