Outside contributions play too much into Alaska politics

Spectrum, by David Cuddy

Establishment man knows no political ideology. Establishment man supports either party. Establishment man's focus is on himself, special interest, pork, power, short-term benefit. Establishment man will sacrifice his children, his country, his future -- because he's sold out. Establishment man presently controls both major parties.

Tony Knowles and Lisa Murkowski are presently supported by "establishment man." Their fund-raisers are held in Dallas and Washington, D.C. Their handlers tell them that they must cater to these establishment players to win. These players care only for their own special interest. Their power to elect and control our Congress is taking us down the wrong road.

We are leaving our children with a huge and unpayable national debt; they will hate us for this. Through legal and illegal immigration, our population is expanding faster than we can create jobs and protect our natural resources. Our children will hate us for this.

By rapidly expanding the number of low- income, undereducated people, we artificially keep entry-level wages low and trap workers as "working poor." Our children will hate us for this.

We are bankrupting Social Security and Medicare. Our children will hate us for this.

Our republic is not to blame for this. Democracy is not to blame for this. Capitalism and free enterprise are not to blame for this. Rather, self-serving people who seek to profit at our country's expense are to blame.

Lobbyists and special interests devised the seniority system so that we can't get rid of the worst of our politicians.

Massachusetts's voters are persuaded that they must re-elect Sen. Ted Kennedy because he can bring home so much pork and special favors to their state. Big corporations get special tax breaks. Defense contractors get government contracts for projects that the Department of Defense says it doesn't need or want. Corporations get cheap labor and greater domestic markets -- at a huge cost to our young people.

The real heroes in our U.S. Senate race are the independent candidates. These people have no hope of attracting the big special-interest money. Special interests only give to likely winners viewed as "controllable" and "ownable."

Mike Miller, Jim Dore, Wev Shea, Theresa Obermeyer, Jerry Sanders, Jim Sykes, Daniel DeNardo, Scott Kohlhaas, Ted Bianoutsos, Marc Millican, Ray Metcalfe and Don Wright are the heroes. They have little chance of winning. They cannot attract the special-interest money. They are running because they have a vision for our country that they want to bring to Alaskans.

If Lisa and Tony continue to be the candidates of the special interests, these independent candidates will deserve a second look.

Lisa and Tony are experienced, intelligent, educated people. They would prefer the role of "statesman," not politician.

But their handlers have convinced them that the only way to get elected is to play the game, and to cater to the "Outside" power players.

If we Alaskans let them know that we won't vote for them until they quit accepting Outside contributions, and until they deal with our country's national issues, they will do the right thing. They would love to tell their handlers and backers to shove off. They would love to be able to talk to Alaskans about our country's national interests.

If either one of them abandons their present "establishment man" track, and joins the independent call for reform, they will instantly become the front-runner in this U.S. Senate race.

David Cuddy is a lifetime Alaskan, former state legislator, former banker, former candidate for the U.S. Senate and is presently working in the film industry. He lives in Anchorage.