Young fires back at Parnell
Published Wednesday, April 30, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Don Young fired back Tuesday at his leading challenger in the fight for the Republican nomination in the hotly contested race for the state’s lone seat in the House of Representatives.
Young called Sean Parnell a “little man that’s lying” for comments the lieutenant governor made to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner last week.
In an interview with the News-Miner editorial board on Friday, Parnell described a conversation he had with Young last October regarding the growing rift between the congressional delegation and the governor’s office. At the time, Gov. Sarah Palin had just called for Sen. Ted Stevens to explain his involvement in a federal investigation into political corruption in the state.
“He was very angry, very animated at the governor, and he basically told me, he held out his hand and said, ‘She’s like a crystalline figure in my hands and I’m going to crush her,’ and he basically said I’m going to do the same thing to you,” Parnell told the editorial board.
Young remembers the conversation differently. He said Parnell asked to meet with him in his Capitol Hill office to try to smooth over the differences between Palin and the delegation and that he was just trying to give Parnell some friendly advice.
“He was in this room to try to find out why we couldn’t get along better, and I was trying to explain to him that you don’t attack your senior member (in Congress), especially since Palin is supposed to be a Republican,” Young said.
Young said he compared Palin’s political career to a delicate piece of crystal.
“It’s the finest glass in the world, but when it breaks, it shatters,” Young said he told Parnell.
Young said he didn’t mean it as a threat.
Young’s relationship with the governor’s office was certainly shattered in March at the party’s state convention when Parnell announced he was challenging the incumbent in the primary.
Parnell sat at the same table with Young and his wife for 45 minutes, but never mentioned he planned to announce his candidacy at the convention. Young, 74, said Parnell showed a lack of respect that night.
“Here’s a person running for the seat who doesn’t even have the courage to tell me he’s running, which means he’s not a man at all,” Young said.
Parnell’s candidacy was immediately endorsed by Palin, and Young believes her criticism of the delegation was orchestrated to boost Parnell’s standing with voters. Young said he no longer has a good working relationship with the governor’s office.
“I work with the Legislature real well, but how can I work with someone who is supporting my opponent?” he asked.
Young has successfully defended his House seat since 1973. However, some pundits believe he’s vulnerable this year because of multiple ongoing federal investigations into his use of congressional earmarks and connections to lobbyists.
Young denies any wrong doing, and he has not been charged with a crime. But the race has attracted a number of strong challengers.
In addition to Parnell, state Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux of Kodiak is running in the Republican primary.
Parnell, 45, says the controversies surrounding Young have weakened him politically and damaged the state’s reputation. He questions whether Young can pass a Democratic challenger in the general election in November.
Young has been uncharacteristically quiet during the past year, biting his tongue in the face of near constant criticism from within the state and on the national stage.
But with the primary a little more than three months away and rumors of additional state lawmakers considering an entry into the race, Young pulled no punches Tuesday in going after Parnell and the governor.
Young, gruff and visibly irritated by a reporter’s questions, waved off allegations by Parnell that he’s harmed the state’s reputation and that he’s lost clout in the Capitol.
Even in the minority, Young said he is still able to move legislation through the House Natural Resources Committee, of which he is the ranking Republican member. Young said he’s gotten six pieces of legislation passed out of the committee this year, one more than chairman Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.V.
“I’m no longer chairman, but I’m still effective,” he said.
Young said he also has measures beneficial to Alaska in the Coast Guard reauthorization bill and the highway corrections bill.
The Senate voted last week to authorize the Justice Department to investigate how an earmark for a Florida interchange study that Young placed in the 2005 highway bill was changed after both chambers voted on the final bill, but before it reached the president’s desk.
Young is expected to defend the Coconut Road earmark when the corrections bill comes up on the floor of the House today.
Parnell said Alaskans are tired of the controversies dogging Young and are ready for a change.
“I think the years of employing name calling, intimidation and fear as tactics have caught up with him,” Parnell said. “I think Alaska voters are ready to make a positive change by electing someone else.”
Young’s rough and tumble frontier character no longer fits the state, Parnell said.
“Standing up for Alaska means fighting for what is right and true on behalf of all Alaskans,” he said. “It doesn’t mean one always has to bully or demean others to get his way.”
Parnell, a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative, has said he would support a one-year moratorium on funding special projects through lawmaker-requested earmarks.
“I am fully aware that some good projects get done with earmarks,” Parnell said. “But I would support Alaska getting its fair share instead of excess.”
Young, who’s regularly criticized by government budget watchdog groups for embracing pork-barrel spending, said such an attitude is naïve.
“I don’t understand how someone expects to be elected to Congress who can’t represent the people,” Young said. “If that’s the way he says he’s going to restore the reputation of Alaska, that shows how little he knows about the legislative process.”
Young has consistently defended the earmark process as the most direct way for the state’s elected representatives to shape federal spending priorities. He said Parnell shouldn’t run for Congress if he’s not going to meet the funding needs of Alaska communities.
“What’s he going to do, go over and vote?” Young asked. “You can teach a monkey to vote.”
Young remains unapologetic about his use of earmarks to funnel federal money back to the state, saying those who criticize Alaska are jealous of the state’s natural resources and the $40 billion Permanent Fund.
“They ought to elect better congressmen for their states,” he said.
The state received $13,805 in federal funding for each resident in fiscal year 2006, making it third in per capita spending, according to the Census Bureau.
Community Discussion
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Don Young...what an arrogant pig. Can anyone really believe what he says? I would rather see that voting monkey he mentioned sit in his DC office than have him re-elected, to the continued embarassment of our state.
It's time to go Don. Enough is enough. How many years in office and still Alaskan don't have a stay on what happens in Alaska. ANWR is prime example. Time to GO. Also the $13,805 is a drop in the bucket on how much the Feds make off Alaskan Oil Taxes. Should be quadruple that
Africa has Mugabe.
Alaska has Young.
Arrogance and pettiness keeps them from retiring gracefully with honors.
“What’s he going to do, go over and vote?” Young asked. “You can teach a monkey to vote.”
Mr. Young proved that statement when he went to work for his handlers.
Parnell's version sounds more like Don Young's Way. You would think he should retire and drink himself to oblivion in Fort Yukon, but the fact is that Coconut Road isn't finished. Where do you think he will go when he's defeated?
Don Young cares NOTHING about regular Alaskans, he cares more about Texans or Floridians than he does about us. Lets get rid of Don!!
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Reminds me of a bumper sticker a few years ago
Anyone but Frank
In this case it is anyone but Don
Notice that Don Young's threats are getting a lot more genteel as he ages ... 15 years ago it was an oosik, now it's fine crystal.
Don young is the result of single mindedly voting for a party and not the man. I should also say the result of fear but real Alaskans would not admit to being manipulated with fear.
Don Young is sweating in his seat. Even without Palin's endorsement, Parnall has this one-out with the old, in with new. We are TIRED of Young's politics!!
Don, you are a bitter, angry man with delusions of grandeur. We're tired of your arrogance. You have become an embarrassment to Alaskans. If you really cared about us, you'd step aside gracefully.
I would like to see a poll of the race between Parnall and Young. It's got to be at least 10 to 1 for Parnall. Give up now Don and save yourself the embarrassment that Murkowski had in the primary. You will be lucky to get even 5% of the vote and those will be people who haven't read a newspaper or watched the news since the last election.
What's really going to be fun is watching Don spend all his campaign money running against Parnell and losing and when the FBI finally arrests him he will be a broke peckerhead. He won't know whether to pee or go blind. And the little childeren will see him wandering the mud trails of Ft. Yukon, spit running down the side of his mouth talking about biting minks and how he could have been somebody. Poor poor Don. He will be such a good example of a tragic figure.
Don Young, Congressman for all Alaska. You have earned my vote. Thanks for the years of service and contributions to our great state. Your Naysayers are putting down all of the Alaskans who believe in you, and have voted for you throughout your years of service.
Don might have his critics, and be a lot more crankier in his older age.... but he HAS and will continue to do Alaska good! Is it time for someone new because of an accusations? Is he convicted of a crime? No. Why do we risk years of public service on someones accusations and jealousy's? Would you trust someone that has no experience to lead you up Denali? I wouldn't. Don is Proven leadership for Alaska and has brought us lots over the years, roads infrastructure, village improvements the list doesn't end. You Alaskans who make all these comments against Don have not been here long and it shows, There are many of us who have been around since birth 50years and remember what Alaska was brought up on, which is Grit and Hard work, both of those describe Don Young, thanks Don for your help and commitment, you got my vote.
akuzilvak,alaskabooger = see Don you have 2 votes in the fall, good luck with that.
It is time to dump this loser. And send him to prison.
If Don Young no longer, as he himself claims, to have a good working relationship with the Governor's office, then he's obviously putting his own ego above the needs above the state. He's not in Washington to be be respected, praised, or fawned over. He's there to serve the people of his state and dance like a monkey for them if that is what they (the people) require.
Time for Don and his ego to take a hike down Coconut Road. I'm sure they'll fawn over him down there.
Don Young reportedly called Sean Parnell a "little man that's lying"...
if I'm Sean Parnell I'm thinking ..'uh-huh..fat man in a little coat'.
Yes, in the years I have been here Don and Ted have done a good job for us and look how Alaska and our families have prospered. We have a lot of issues that need to be dealt with, but who can honestly say that Don did not do his job and did not do it well? I really think we owe some gratitude to him. The article above shows your typical political moves. Who knows who is telling the truth? Who can you trust-why wouldn't you go wtih experience?
Don (most likely his staff) disregarded 5 letters we wrote him about a federal pay problem we were having in Fort Yukon. Every letter was mailed from the post office in Fort Yukon. We never received ONE response. We knew Don...was working/living in his "hometown". I can only believe that his staffers thought, these letters are coming from some native in Fort Yukon and threw them in the round file. We offered to take him to our best fishing hole up on the Black River when he came up to the Fort, offered to have a few drinks with him, and we never received a response from him. He could have cured our problem with one phone call or letter!! All it tells us is that Don Young did not care for his constitutients, not a bit!! We should have mailed the letters from Houston, Tx, maybe that would have warranted a response. Send Don packing!!! He doesnt care for us, and he is an embarrasment to our great State. Hey, remember the address he gave to the Senior Class that time back in the early 90s?? Personally, I dont like the Bu********, when asked a question of why he was so against the gays?? This is our Congressman, lets send him to pasture!!!
Sean Parnell is a great guy, but I'm rooting for Ethan Berkowitz.
To supporters of Young it's not politics, it's the man. In my experience
here, 30+ years, I'd have to say Don Young has neither been effective or very helpful to the State. Stevens, himself past his time, was at least both effective and helpful. I've never heard anyone say Uncle Don did this or that. Young hitched himself to Stevens and the Republican Party and got a life long job cause people became convinced a unified Congressional delegation would be best. It never was and we have suffered with incompetence.
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