Third Party Movement

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich views what is occurring to him like he is a fish in a fishbowl. In his interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday today (8-22-10), he makes rational and intelligent folks puke—and this is being said from someone who is not even a Republican! Our legal system needs to ferret out such scum, though we know that if history is any guide, long after we are all gone, such corruption will not disappear. It is our hope, though, that with today’s (legal) efforts, the likelihood that there will be more of the Blagojevichs of the world will diminish greatly.

A decision announced Thursday in Anchorage by The Alaska State Personnel Board was the most adverse ethics decision yet regarding former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin: She is required to repay donors to her Alaska Fund Trust, set up in April 2009, almost a half million dollars.

Running against Rep. Kendrick Meek in FL for the Democratic nomination for Senate, Jeff Greene has unique credentials. His billions were made off the bailout of AIG, so technically, he’s receiving public funds.

While the concept of public funding envisions relieving campaigns of the need to raise funds and therefore peddle influence, Greene’s case stands out. His unsavory past helps as well, to make his candidacy one of unrivaled strangeness as material for public office.

Gulf of Mexico oil catastrophe

I don’t think she does a very good job, though. Even worse, though, is David Frum’s counter-essay, titled “Do Jews Hate Palin?” Even worse – by a good Cheechako mile (that’s 150 yards) – is the coverage of both articles at Conservatives4Palin.

Should soon-to-be-ex-Gov. Sarah Palin’s attorney, Thomas van Flein actually go ahead and sue Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore, or any of the rest of the Alaska bloggers or citizen activists for “malicious” whatever, one of the very likely consequences would be a deposition or depositions of the ex-Gov.

At a news conference, held in front of the windows in her home that look exactly like the windows in the Wasilla Sports Complex (Palin’s most dubious achievement as Wasilla mayor), Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced she will be resigning her duties in two weeks. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, the man who put the “lack” in “lackluster,” will assume her duties at that time.

As part of the firedoglake preparation for the author’s appearance at fdl’s Book Salon on Sunday, here’s an update on what Eric’s subjects of Chapter Thirteen, Saradise Lost, have been up to since early November, 2008:

Dennis Zaki hasn’t made it to Bethel yet, let alone Emmonak. He is stuck at what he calls the “Jay Hammond International Airport.” That’s what a lot of us have begun calling the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage. The Weather across Alaska has been ferocious for weeks. First, very cold – now warm, windy and wet.