From Alaska Independence Party candidate for U.S. Senate, Bob Bird:
To the IPR Crew:
More on Palin and the Alaskan Independence Party.
Sarah indeed gave a brief DVD speech for the AIP faithful back in March, which I attended, along with conservative Republican Dave Cuddy, as we both were sending out feelers for a Senate run. Cuddy was toying with the AIP at that time, too, but when he didn’t switch, I decided to make the plunge myself. Like Palin, I had been a Buchanan supporter in ‘96 and 2000, but joined the AIP in 2004.
Palin had attended the 2006 AIP convention to give a speech (I missed that one). This was astute, because in a small state where we are all friends and neighbors, showing up at cross-party functions is not that unusual or seen as duplicitous.
But now HERE is the biggest piece of angst amongst long-time Alaskans: the AGIA project, the TC gas line and the All-Alaska gas line. You probably haven’t heard of it. But State Senate President Lyda Green (Palin’s down-home nemesis) and I both agree on this:
1. AGIA stands for “Alaska Gas Inducement Act”. The legislature decided, in order to attract the construction of a line to get the Prudhoe Bay natural gas to market (it’s been sitting there for decades now), to award $500 million to the company with the best plan.
2. In 2002, Alaskan voters, in an important initiative, voted roughly 65/35 for an all-Alaska line. Such a line would NOT go through Yukon to Alberta and to the lower 48, but stay within Alaska to Valdez, where it could be liquified and sent to the far more lucrative Pacific Rim spot markets.
3. Former Governor/Interior Sec’y Walter Hickel, in his late 80s and still sharp as a tack, became campaign chairman for Palin’s 2006 governor run, with the specific assurance that she would support the 2002 initiative.
4. This summer, I attended either legislative hearings (held in numerous places throughout the state) or Hickel’s private-invitation meetings, in an effort to clearly understand which was best for Alaska. (There was even another plan, called the “Denali project”, but forget about that one). The legislature was obviously leaning towards a Trans-Canada Line, and everyone knew that Palin had used her influence to win legislative votes for it. Hickel was puzzled, disappointed, surprised.
It didn’t take long for me to see that an all-Alaska line was the smartest move for us, despite very un-capitalist ideas like “owner-state” concepts. My party was four-square against a TC line, a plan so convoluted and messy it looked like a plate of spaghetti. You can see the clever 2-minute video my son produced on this on YouTube or on my website under “Bob Bird Videos” and “Gasline”.
The AGIA was awarded to the TC company. Stevens did all he could to keep the legislature in line, with statements about “No export license”, yet which already exists as gas is sent not 2 miles from my home several times a week at the Nikiski Phillips plant to Pac Rim markets.
5. Palin’s VP nomination now shows the secret dynamics that were likely in place: her nomination, the TC gas line — and the likely “bone” they will throw to us in probably opening up ANWR at long last—makes Alaska far more beholden to economic control from the Lower 48/East Coast elite than ever before . . . exactly where they like to keep us, and where they have had us all along, before and after “statehood” (quotes on that last word are intentional).
A friend of mine, a confused conservative, shouted triumphantly upon hearing of Palin’s nomination: “At last Alaska has joined the union!” Indeed it has, but only in the sense of “empire”, and a clever move that will do much to destroy the independent-minded spirit we have seen eroded by Steven’s and Young’s manipulation of federal funds, such that Alaskans are addicted to pork instead of freedom.
Update from Bob Bird: It should be noted that the comments about Palin and the all-Alaska gas line are my own speculations and do not necessarily reflect the Alaskan Independence Party, and that Lyda Green’s animosity towards Palin are far more than simply the gas line. And yes, the AIP will be placing the Constitution Party’s presidential/VP candidates on the ballot. The CP endorsed me at their April KC convention, which I did not attend.
19 responses so far ↓
1 richardwinger // Sep 1, 2008 at 6:05 pm
So does this mean the Alaskan Independence Party is currently hostile to Palin?
Will the Alaskan Independence Party still be putting Baldwin-Castle on the November ballot, as AIP nominees?
2 G.E. // Sep 1, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I used to think Ron Paul was peerless in the political arena.
He’s not.
Bob Bird 2012!
3 G.E. // Sep 1, 2008 at 6:38 pm
“There is nothing that requires the president to enforce court decisions . . . the chief executive has all the powers of enforcement.” — Bob Bird.
Bob Barr, the “libertarian” presidential candidate, doesn’t see it that way… and he says that HE understands the Constitution? He should enroll in Mr. Bird’s high-school class.
4 Ross Levin // Sep 1, 2008 at 6:43 pm
The DailyKos had an article on its front page about Palin’s ties to the AIP today. I posted this and a link to it in a few comments.
5 Spence // Sep 1, 2008 at 7:10 pm
We need 49 more Bob Birds.
6 G.E. // Sep 1, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Bob Bird sent me this:
“It should be noted that the comments about Palin and the all-Alaska gas line are my own speculations and do not necessarily reflect the Alaskan Independence Party, and that Lyda Green’s animosity towards Palin are far more than simply the gas line. And yes, the AIP will be placing the Constitution Party’s presidential/VP candidates on the ballot. The CP endorsed me at their April KC convention, which I did not attend.”
7 Hugh Jass // Sep 1, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Why was their any doubt about whether Baldwin/Castle would be the AIP nominees?
8 citizen1 // Sep 1, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Hugh for one thing the Keyes wackos were trying to get them to put him on the ballot because they supported him at the convention and two they are not an official affiliate.
9 Trent Hill // Sep 2, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Bob Bird and the powerful AIP make you want to live in Alaska, dont they?
Amongst third-parties, the strongest are Vermont’s Progressive Party and the Alaskan Independence Party.
10 Mike Gillis // Sep 2, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Does the AIP have many elected officials?
11 G.E. // Sep 2, 2008 at 5:09 pm
If only the Progressives would see the wisdom of federalism/decentralism. Of course, they have no incentive to, when Vermont is one of the rare blue states that is on the net-receiving end of the federal tax racket.
12 Trent Hill // Sep 2, 2008 at 5:29 pm
GE,
The Progressives certainly do see SOME of the widom of federalism or decentralism.
13 Trent Hill // Sep 2, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Mike,
The AIP right now only has a couple of elected officials, city council members and such.
But they have elected multiple members to the State House and State Senate and, in 1990 they elected Walter Hickel/Jack Coghill as Governor/Lt. Governor. I believe former State Senator Jerry Ward and former Lt. Governor Jack Coghill are both still members of the AIP.
14 Mike Gillis // Sep 2, 2008 at 5:51 pm
That’s an impressive elections record.
15 G.E. // Sep 2, 2008 at 6:17 pm
As left as he is, as literally Socialist as he is, and as indebted to the Democratic Party as he is, Bernie Sanders is still probably one of the better (i.e. least evil) senators. The Progressive Party is the organization that sprang up around his earlier runs for office. I certainly see NO evidence of federalism on his part, nor on the part of the one Progressive who almost ran for Congress in ‘06, but backed down due to Democratic pressure.
16 G.E. // Sep 2, 2008 at 6:18 pm
But yes, Trent, decentralism is the one issue that SHOULD unite all third-party and independent minded people on the federal level. Because even liberalism is better applied on the state level, as evidenced by Vermont.
17 Spence // Sep 2, 2008 at 8:24 pm
“Because even liberalism is better applied on the state level…”
Then it’s not liberalism at all. That would involve the most massive concentration of power we’ve ever seen and would not be compartmentalized at all.
18 G.E. // Sep 2, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Liberalism is still liberalism no matter what level its applied at. You can have a socialist world, nation, state, or commune.
19 Trent Hill // Sep 2, 2008 at 10:29 pm
“That’s an impressive elections record.”
Mike–Any AIP candidate is virtually gauranteed to get 3% in any race. If the Bird could get the endorsement of Dave Cuddy (who likes the AIP and is a fan of Ron Paul) then I’v no doubt he could make the race competitive.
Leave a Comment