It was hard not to notice the Republican double whammy that appeared in the Sept. 14 ADN. First, Ann Brown, the chairwoman of the Alaska Republican Party, made a case for defeating Mary Peltola in the November election by “ranking the red” and ultimately electing Nick Begich. Brown touted the worn-out argument that claims more Republicans got votes than Peltola in the recent ranked choice election, suggesting that Begich — or even Palin — would win if only one of them was in the running against Peltola. What Brown fails to acknowledge is that the majority of Alaska voters are registered independents who vote for the best candidate, not just for the Republican Party. Those independents will likely put Peltola in the winner’s seat again, deservedly so.
On the page opposite the Ann Brown commentary, Sen. Lindsey Graham unveiled the Senate bill he introduced to create a nationwide abortion ban prohibiting the procedure for any woman more than 15 weeks pregnant, except in rare instances. Isn’t it reassuring to see that Graham knows what’s best for all women, in spite of the fact that most women and most states see the matter in a different light? The article noted that passage of Graham’s bill is unlikely, but Graham, ever the opponent of abortion, gratuitously argued that states with more stringent abortion bans will not be affected by his bill. Thanks, Sen. Graham, for being so accommodating.
— Mike Jens
Anchorage
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