Special Election Is Over – Almost – Edition

I-I-I-I-I’m Back!

Yes, it’s true. Once again the good citizens of Spenard, and points slightly north and south and a smidgen west, have made me a powerful member of the Alaska House of Representatives. This proves once again that these citizens are either (a) fine, fine judges of political ability or (b) pulling a great practical joke on the rest of Alaska.

Either way, thanks.

Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh’e Back!

The voters of the United States, however, decided not to make Gov. Sarah Palin vice president of the United States. Boy, did they decide not to do that. The electoral vote was the sort of beating we haven’t seen in recent years, and even though everyone says that people vote for the presidential candidate and not the vice presidential candidate, it can’t have been fun to be that close to such a monumental beat-down.

Just what happens now is unknown. Some people think that Palin would be a fine presidential candidate in four years. If she decides to try for that, she’s not going to be doing much heavy lifting in the governor’s office for the next two years. She may not even be in the governor’s office in two years, if there is a sudden opening in the U.S. Senate. It’d be a lot easier to run for President from Washington, D.C. than Wasilla.

And then there are the lingering problems of Troopergate, the hash the administration has made of public information and records laws – can you say $15 million for some e-mails – and the relish Palin seemed to have for the politics of personal destruction that still dominates partisan politics Outside.

We’ll have to see how Palin handles this. But here’s an early clue. If she brings former campaign attack dog Megan Stapleton onto the payroll, Palin is more interested in running than governing. Which will only increase her problems with the legislature, which are already many and serious, no matter what pious disclaimers you may hear.

Th-Th-Th-They’re back!

The state Senate has announced an organization of 10 Democrats and three Republicans, with the Republicans getting the posts of Senate President (Gary Stevens), Rules Chairman (Charlie Huggins) and Finance co-chairman (Bert Stedman). Repeat after me: It’s good to be a Republican in the Senate organization.

So good, in fact, it will be interesting to see if all seven Republicans currently on the outs stay there, or if some of them quietly slide on over to the majority, where apparently the fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high.

Th-Th-Th-They’re back, too! Maybe

House Republicans announced an organization, too, but that one seems a bit more problematic at this point. For example, two of the seats on the powerful Finance Committee are slated for people who might not actually survive the election: Mike Kelly and Alan Austerman. Kelly has just a 136-vote lead over Democrat Karl Kassel, which is less that 2 percent of the total vote cast in that race, and Austerman leads Andy Lundquist by only 111 votes, less than 3 percent of the vote in that race. There are enough uncounted early votes and absentee and challenged ballots to easily change those results.

On the flip side, the organization doesn’t include four Republicans who still have a shot at being elected. Democrat Bob Buch leads Republican Bob Lewis by just more than 1 percent of the votes cast in that race -- or 67 votes. Democrat Scott Kawasaki leads Republican Sue Hull by less than 2 percent (87 votes). Democrat Pete Petersen leads Republican Bob Roses by less than 3 percent (136 votes), and Democrat Chris Tuck leads Republican Ron Jordan by less than 4 percent (158 votes).

Does it seem to anybody but me that far too many of these people are named Bob?

As usual, the state Division of Elections isn’t being very precise about when the outstanding votes in those races will be counted. We could know something today, or it could be another 10 days before the final tally tells us who won. And then, of course, there could be recounts and – who knows? – another coin toss.

All of which makes the current Republican House organization more than a little iffy.

Th-Th-Th-That’s all, folks

In the meantime, there is the more prosaic business of governing, like actually having to work as a powerful member of the powerful Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, and trying to get some bills together for the session that begins in a couple of months. Don’t know if I’ll be e-ing again before the session – it’ll depend on events – but if not happy holidays and all that.

Later,