Politics Alaska-Style

Here at home the three younger children are working this week on some geography, specifically memorizing the locations of all 50 states. As part of that, today we discussed some of the history of Alaska, also once known as Seward's Folly.

Thus, it was with particular interest that I came across the above-linked John Fund article at Betsy's Page.

I was dismayed by Republican Senator Ted Stevens' recent grandstanding on the Senate floor in favor of his state's pork barrel projects, specifically "the bridge to nowhere." (Stevens threatened to quit if the funding was pulled from the budget.) Fund's article gives a great deal more background on Alaska politics. Sadly, it doesn't seem there are any real Republicans there willing to stand up for fiscal responsibility.