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Candidates Line up to Take on "Wounded Bear" Young
Two more challengers have signed on to campaign against Rep. Don Young (R-AK), making it a field of four vying for his seat, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
Former Alaska state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz (D) and former state Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux (R) both said on Wednesday they are entering next year's U.S. House race. Neither openly attacked Young, who another opponent, former Alaska Democratic Party Chair Jake Metcalfe, called a "wounded bear."
Wounded? Maybe. But here's what Young had to say about that in August:
Q. Do you think you’re vulnerable?A. No. I think it’s going to be a different race....
Q. How?
A. It’s different in the sense that it may be, we’re no different from any other group of animals. You know, they look at me and they see me, I’m 74 years old, and they figure he’s a little old, he’s been wounded, he’s been nicked by the media, and this is going to be interesting when this thing is all over, because then I want to see what people say, you know? ... Well, have at it. They have never been in a race until they’ve been in a race with me. ...
Q. Any idea what we’re going to see differently?
A. Well, I think the standard thing will be raising all these cloudy questions. That’s fine just remember; those that cast stones better damn well better not live in a glass house.
Q. You know stuff?
A. Let’s put it this way, I’m not just going to sit and let everybody beat me up. It’ll make for an exciting campaign.
Comments (12)
Anonymous wrote on October 11, 2007 12:17 PM:no easy VECO gravytrain
Might involve work and thinking -something VECO bought off Alaskans are not accustomed to
Ed*ard Teller wrote on October 11, 2007 12:32 PM:If Young didn't think he was vulnerable, he wouldn't be spending so much time on the phone screaming at interest groups and people who used to toe his line. Can't wait to see this quarter's FEC filing. I still predict he'll be a no-show soon, one way or another.
heh wrote on October 11, 2007 1:00 PM:feisty old coot isn't he?
Anonymous wrote on October 11, 2007 1:18 PM:Oooh, scary! Is he going to bite us like a mink?
It think he'll find that cartoony threats don't work so hot on the FBI.
Kuparuk wrote on October 11, 2007 2:41 PM:"If Young didn't think he was vulnerable, he wouldn't be spending so much time on the phone screaming at interest groups and people who used to toe his line. Can't wait to see this quarter's FEC filing. I still predict he'll be a no-show soon, one way or another."
At least you got that one right :)
<3 Ed...
Kuparuk wrote on October 11, 2007 2:46 PM:From the Juneau Empire, the main reason I support Ethan over the other two candidates.
Again, Diane's community efforts are legendary, and Jake is old-school slime, but there's a reason to be *for* Ethan:
___
Last year during the legislative debate over the Petroleum Profits Tax, Berkowitz angrily denounced oil industry influence reaching onto the House floor during the debate.
"This is our floor, our floor," Berkowitz said in an angry speech denouncing phone calls and notes from the gallery that were influencing votes.
___
He was the only one to see the evil and speak out against it as it was happening.
AlaskaVet wrote on October 11, 2007 3:03 PM:
Ed*ard Teller wrote on October 11, 2007 7:18 PM:Diane's efforts are indeed legendary, but mostly in her own mind -- and Ethan's grandstanding on the floor of the House was not an act the other candidates could have emulated if they wanted to (neither were members of the House). "Old-school slime" is an interesting way to characterize a 4th generation Alaskan; perhaps you could elaborate on that?
Berkowitz is energetic, fairly savvy and wealthy. He did, however lose in his most recent political venture. Spending quite a bit of money, he and Tony Knowles garnered only a few more votes against Sarah Palin than did Diane Benson in her first race against Don Young.
Alaska Democrats have been out of power so long that they've almost forgotten how to do a statewide race. Knowles was initially elected governor by a fluke - his main opponent in his first successful bid as governor, John Lindauer, imploded so late in the campaign, the corrupt GOP machine couldn't deal with it effectively.
Berkowitz has some good ideas, but will he resonate with Alaskans? He's seen by many here as an outsider - he only came to Alaska around 1990 - after Don Young had been in office for 18 years. He's only won office in a small, affluent district in Anchorage, which many Alaskans don't even consider to be a real part of their state. He needs to be explicit in descriptions of how what he's learned from his "innovative energy company" will serve the needs of real Alaskans, and turn that into a viable part of his platform that sounds realistic. Good luck on that, Ethan!
A friend who isn't a Benson supporter told me today that at yesterday's Anchorage Democratic Party fundraiser, when Les Gara introduced Jake Metcalfe's people at their table, most of the applause for Jake's group came from several Benson supporters there. Metcalfe's folks seem despirited by Berkowitz's entry into the race. Benson has expected either Ethan Berkowitz or Eric Croft in the race from before she entered herself.
alaska votes wrote on October 11, 2007 8:01 PM:I'll be that Young was the school bully. He is such an embarresment to Alaska.
At least STevens is half likable despite the investigations...lots of Alaskans really care about Ted. But not Young.
It'll be a joy to see him hauled away in handcuffs. Alaskans (and conservatives) are SICK of him and his bully talk.
JEP wrote on October 11, 2007 11:32 PM:Beware the cornered beast...
bwindrip wrote on October 12, 2007 10:09 AM:The wounded mink
Will have to slink
Off to a prison cell, I think.
Raindear Dawg wrote on October 14, 2007 4:01 AM:I agree with AlaskaVet on this one. Diane's "kind of a big thing" in her own mind. I had experiences with her in the past, she is definitely not someone we want in Congress. I actually think she would be effective in more of a city council venue maybe. Definitely not Congress though. She just doesn't have the skills. Ethan, where do I even begin with Ethan. If the Democrats give Ethan Berkowitz their nomination, Don Young will eat him alive. The whole elitist, San Francisco back story won't fly with Alaskans. We moved up here to get away from those types, and all be damned if I help put one into office. Especially one that didn't do a thing about lil Benny Stevens.