Begich Slams Lieberman On ANWR

It's only January and already we have the first Democratic caucus blood feud.

Alaska Democratic freshman Mark Begich is slamming Joe Lieberman on the one issue that has made the renegade Connecticut Independent a darling of the left -- the environment.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[hortonhearsawho2]

Someone put a lock on the door, of Alaska.

[Shashi0224]

But then how will we see Putin's head floating over? Oy vey....

[rockyb26]

Booooo!

[huffcookies]

Don't you hate the distortions and lies you just read? Here are the top 10 political lies of 2008.

http://theliepOlitic.com/2009/01/10-biggest-political-lies-of-2008/

And the Israeli Hamas Lie

http://theliepolItic.com/2009/01/the-israeli-hamas-lie/

[hortonhearsawho2]

Oh No, not another Snowflake.­..

[truthyguy]

Someone is planning for a run at higher office.
I won't say who it is, but his initials are Mark Begich.

[gcallaghan]

If my home was Alaska, I'd have my sights set every day on not going back. Higher office is one way out.,

[hortonhearsawho2]

Make him take the Saks Test...

[hortonhearsawho2]

We are glad you defeated Uncle ted, albeit you damn near lost to a convict, we do appreciate that Senator. However, we would prefer that you not become ,shall we just say, an upper echelon Alaskan hillbilly. The voting patterns up there in the Great White North have us lower 48's concerned somewhat. In conconclusion, you might wanna check with Our President on the 20th of Jan. Last but not least, remember, Alaska is part of the U.S., Russian views ( pun intended of course ) aside.

[FreedomAgain]

Lieberman sways like a flag in the wind. He just goes to whatever side has the power at the moment. Please vote this guy out when he comes up for re-election.

[Carolab]

Just remember Lieberman has ONE key motivation.

[Cybersquirt]

Oh? And what's that, Carol. Never-ending war by disallowing drilling?

Whatever. Your credibility = 0

[AsianAfricanAMERICAN]

Democratic blood feud????????? LMAO

Since when has Lieberman been a Democrat?

[Cybersquirt]

"democratic caucus"

[JackNasty]

Are most Alaskans really this greedy?

[Cybersquirt]

..I've a feeling most alaskans are this attached to their (oil) welfare check.

[swo68]

Seriously, you know every other state is jealous.

[JhNyc]

He has to be elected in Alaska, and those voters want that oil and gas money.

[Carolab]

It's NEVER that simple.

[ObjectiveRealist]

No, but every voter in Alaska gets a check every year from the state from the petroleum surplus instead of paying taxes. It doesn't make that the only issue in Alaska politics but it makes Alaska politics totally different than any other state.

[PhilipTaylor]

He sounds like Palin and lets be real without Oil and Gas what is Alaska!

All that is left is hunting and fishing in the summer.

More than 80% of the state's revenues derived from petroleum extraction!

[Cybersquirt]

Really? But it's, according to you, as simple as all that untapped fossil fuel that we're letting go to waste...

[hortonhearsawho2]

Then explain palin...

[1differentdrummer]

It may be posturing for the locals.

[JoeAlvord]

(...contin­ued...)
I do believe that drilling in ANWR is not the boogie man that many environmentalists make it out to be.

I have been all over the state and by far the cleanest part of the state I have seen was on a tour of the Prudhoe Bay drilling and pumping sites. It is true that the buildings are quite ugly, but there is not one scrap of paper, beer can, or anything else on the ground. Even the workers have to fill environmental paperwork if they take a leak outside. Drilling there has not made any significant adverse effect on the local environment. In fact the caribou population right now is six times what it was before drilling began. (The caribou love the raised gravel roads which get them up into the breeze and away from thick swarms of mosquitoes­.)

I don't expect drilling in ANWR to get anywhere given current attitudes, but it would help our country if it were possible.

[Cybersquirt]

Prudhoe Bay is cleaner than Glacier Bay Nat'l Park, cleaner than the Aleutian Islands? Really?

Current attitudes, indeed.

[JoeAlvord]

Yes indeed,
All the coastlines are fouled with discarded and lost fishing gear. I've been there and it's depressing.

[dadw5boys]

Why not drill where they already have right and leases ?

Giving them more leases NOT TO DRILL ON is stupid.

We need to change the leases. US THEM OR LOSE THEM !

[Jetling]

Exactly...­although I'd just as soon we take them now.

[Beninn]

The primary reason oil companies want these leases is to increase their stock value.

Begich is in for a rude awakening when he realizes that America is over, fini.

[Beninn]

I'd love to know where you get the idea that the caribou population has increased six times what it was before drilling began, since like everything else during the last Bush-Republican controlled years, there's been no census done. Or how you know what the caribou "love".

Don't you have any moral center, or, like your governor, lying to you both comes as easy as winking seems to for her?

The problem has always been about having to build a huge footprint, an infrastructure, to get to the oil and ship it out. It's not just a matter of dropping a pump, but building roads throughout the region to get to the oil and get it out (and workers' homes, supplies, etc.)

From the G'uitchens' calculations, the caribou herds have diminished, and spills occur throughout Prudhoe along existing pipelines. It devastates more than the caribou, but the entire ecosystem.

[JoeAlvord]

The state of Alaska routinely does wildlife censuses every year. The one I refer to is from about eight or ten years ago (after 20 years or so of drilling and development). That is approximately when my tour of the facilities was. I stand by my numbers. (The caribou may not love the roads, but they do hang around on them a lot).

As for my governor, I am frustrated and embarrassed by her. She in no way represents my thoughts in any way. Thank god we have her back here in Alaska instead of in DC. I can't wait to vote her out in 2010. Unlike her and you I have no need of insults to make my point.

As for the Gwitchen, check out this: http://www.anwr.org/features/players/gwichin.htm

We need to develop wind, solar, electric vehicles, and a better grid desperately, but it will take years even with a cooperative government. In the mean time this will keep a few more American dollars in the country and help a little until we can close ALL of the wells.

[Igetitnow]

Begich should have gotten braces when he was a kid.

[xmw]

OMG...he was a kid. Take it up with his parents.

[one4obama]

And you truly need to get a life if that is all you can comment on about this piece.

Pretty shallow, huh?

[JoeAlvord]

He was busy helping to raise his family after his father died.

[Prattvictory2]

Every Alaskan it seems is in the tank for the oil money and will rationalize why they need it six ways to Sunday. I don't feel bad about you living in an environment better suited for fish and caribou, I'd rather have the fish and caribou. In Alaska you get can get a good paying job in the oil business. In the rest of the 48 you'd be working at Wendy's. I'm supposed to care? Even you're governor is a joke. Get a job at Wendy's.

[swo68]

"In Alaska you get can get a good paying job in the oil business. In the rest of the 48 you'd be working at Wendy's."

This struck me as one of the dumber comments on this article. Equating skilled labor to working at Wendy's is complete idiocy. It's not stupid people doing that work.

[Prattvictory2]

Smart people don't have to go to Alaska to get a good job.

[Mikeeee]

I'm confused, why didn't alaskans vote for stevens? sounds like the same guy.

[drock973]

He has an A rating from the NRA too.

[Carolab]

Well, of course, I mean it's Alaska.