Washington Post: Mark Begich's Phone Rings

Even some dear contributors to Isengard.gov may be mystified by the floating face of an amiable, confident white guy with the slightest hint of a disco haircut floating to the right of our banner. This is the estimable Mark Begich, Democratic mayor of a Republican city where a full complement of far north Denny's somehow dominates the skyline- the former Air Crossroads of the World and now the Fed Ex crossroads of the world, where a $500,000 70's California-style split level is available in three shades of beige, grey-blue or light beige with blue-gray trim, and where if Frank Gehry were ever talked into designing a building there, he would be required by ordinance, apparently, to include T-111 siding with a choice of bluish grey, beige, or mauve, or possible all three at once. We speak of course of the charming frontier shopping camp of Anchorage, Alaska.

Most of us were born and raised there. Some of us still live there. We watched a rough Alaska town of unparalleled social, political and economic opportunity turn into mostly a corporate town of medium corporate opportunity for corporations, as beige, gray-blue and mauve buildings sprang up, or rather out, overnight, leading to the greatest set of architectural atrocities since Albert Speer unveiled Hitler's plans for the Volksmini-Mall. In the years leading up to Mark's election as mayor, years of tax-breaks, tax-breaks and tax breaks made Anchorage, to coin a phrase, Beige-hot.

Begich rode in a platform of just tax-breaks and tax-breaks, rather than tax-breaks, tax-breaks and tax-breaks, a policy which would allow a bit of public investment in education, infrastructure and paving the well-traveled Grovel Road that leads to BP's beige-ish-mauve office tower, improving life in the City that Refuses to Acknowledge that it is a City. He is known for an inexhaustible ear and a decisive manner, and deftly vexes Republicans on their own issues: roads, business development, and the city's alarming shortages of beige, blue-gray and mauve paint (the latter problem he solved by observing that the type of pallid, dusty mauve most often used to decorate major buildings and could be obtained by simply combining the blue-grey and beige. )

For five years, Begich ruled Anchorage with an iron fist. Then, with a wooden foot. And finally, with a piece of string.* Now, as the tower of Stevens and Young begins to crumble, an opportunity arises.

A moderate Democrat, he navigates a path that bridges Alaska's progessive past and its foaming right-wing present, reminding Alaskans what they once knew: that if you don't hang together, you're all going to fucking freeze to death.

Personally, there are other Alaska Democrats- other Begichs in particular- whose politics I am much closer to. But Mark's success has been built on tremendously hard work and attentiveness to the minutiae of local policies - he is a tremendously able politician succeeding in a politically hostile enviroment.

Will Mark run for the U.S. Senate or the House, and return an Alaska Democrat to D.C. for the first time in 35 years? We hope he considers it seriously (and if not him, perhaps another Begich. There a several. Why not one for each seat- double your chances. ) And it is high time for the younger, post-oil Democrats to take charge.

It is in any event a moment Alaska Democrats must take advantage of. The Rs are weakened, aside from their blithe governor, and will be more so as these stories develop; they should be taken down before they can rebuild. More, much more than Alaska is at stake here. The United States must rebuild the rule of law and prepare for a tough environmental future. A strong Senate majority must be built. It is not a moment to stay comfortable.


* This classic quip belongs to the 50s BBC comedy, the Goon Show. (The color of the string? Beige. )