The discussion opens on the Big Indictment of Alaska’s Senator “for life,” Ted Stevens, and what might happen in the Alaksa senatorial race. Naturally, that raises the question of whether Alaska is in play for Obama. Goldy wonders if Obama will visit Washington state, and why didn’t Obama show up at Netroots Nation, anyway? Is McCain too old, mean, and angry to be President? Or is it his technological ineptitude that should rule him out? In three years, will anyone even remember free plastic bags? Finally, the panel makes their predictions about whether the transit measure will pass in November.
Goldy was joined by Seattle P-I columnist and Strange Bedfellow senior contributor Joel Connelly, Washington state Communications Director for Obama for America Josh Field, Cogitamus contributor Nick Beaudrot, and The Stranger’s and Slog’s Eli Sanders.
The show is 50:59, and is available here as an MP3:
[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_july_29_2008.mp3][Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the Podcasting Liberally site.]
I think Stevens was already on the ropes with the fact of the allegations and the investigations about him, his family, and his cohorts. But I’m not about to hazard a prediction of what effect the indictment would have on the Alaska Senate race. Alaskans tend to be a very independent lot, and they are just as likely to consider it unwelcome federal interference in their voting decisions as they are to consider it as a determination that the allegations are well-founded.
I think you’d enjoy this video of Ted Steven’s conversation caught on FBI wiretap:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nHR-E_tZTE