Mark Begich for U. S. Senate -

Our latest ad, "Car Wash," goes on the air statewide today. For more on the Begich Ethics Plan, check out our Issues Page.

In an effort to help Alaska families who are struggling to pay for rising energy and food prices, health care and education costs, today Mark Begich outlined his Middle Class Tax Cut Plan.

The Begich plan will help Alaskans reach the goals they have for getting their children off to a good start, sending them to college, buying a home, moving up in the job market and saving for a comfortable retirement. In his remarks Begich said:

“This plan will help Alaska families get ahead and reclaim the opportunities our state has to offer. As a mayor I’ve worked for Alaska families and small businesses. As a U.S. Senator, I’ll continue to fight for Alaska families and make the middle class the priority of economic policy, not special interests and the wealthy.”

You can read the full Begich tax cut plan here and get more background information about how the plan works here.

"Path"	"Energy Leader"

Our first ads are being broadcast statewide around Alaska. You can make a contribution to help us keep the ads on the air.

When Mark Begich announced his Protecting Alaskans' Rights plan, he also launched Gun Owners for Begich.

The list of the Alaskans who have joined Gun Owners for Begich includes Eric Croft, Mike Bonito, Lou Bonito, Harry Crawford, John Palmatier, Chris Coreg, Peggy Wilcox, Theo Graber, Fate Putnam, Sanna Green, Mark Caudy, Jim Colver, Brooks Chandler, Jim Nordlund, Todd Montalbo, Mike Macy, John Mouracade, and Jamie Barkley.

You can join Gun Owners for Begich by signing up on this page.

Today Mark rolled out his plan for Protecting Alaskans' Rights at a press conference at the Rabbit Creek Rifle Range. He discussed his support for the 2nd Amendment, announced the creation of Gun Owners for Begich, and laid out his plan to protect Alaskans' civil liberties.

“On every issue, I am an Alaskan first and I know the Second Amendment is part of the fabric of our lives in this state,” Begich said. “I have always believed that responsible gun ownership is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution and no government can take that right away.”

The Begich plan includes:

• Standing Up Against Government Interference - including warrantless wiretapping, the assault on habeas corpus, the pursuit of Real ID cards, and retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that illegally helped the federal government spy on Americans.
• No Surveillance on Law-Abiding Americans – Begich opposes efforts since 9/11 to take advantage of public fears, bypassing the courts and Congress to eavesdrop on Americans.
• Repeal the Patriot Act – Begich believes national security resources should be built on human intelligence and Special Forces that will identify and respond to real threats of terrorism, not monitoring what books Americans read.
• Restore Habeas Corpus – Begich called the Military Commissions Act, passed in 2006, the lowest point in our country’s response to the threat of terrorism. The Act suspends habeas corpus for millions of Americans, and that right needs to be restored.

I just uploaded pictures from last night's "Pizza in the Parking Lot" party at Begich Campaign HQ to Flickr. Below are a couple of my favorite pictures from what turned out to be a great time on a beautiful Anchorage evening.

Retired General Wesley Clark today endorsed Mark Begich's candidacy to represent Alaska in the U.S. Senate. During 34 years of service in the United States Army, Wesley K. Clark rose to the rank of four-star general as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.

“Mark's commitment to America's veterans and his record of getting results for Alaska families makes him the right person to lead Alaska in a new direction,” General Clark said. “I'm proud to endorse Mark Begich for the U.S. Senate.”

“It's rare that voters will get the opportunity to cast their ballot for someone who keeps everything out in the open,” Clark said. “Mark will restore Alaskans trust with his commitment to honest leadership.”

“General Clark is a true patriot who has dedicated his life to public service on behalf of America,” Begich said. “I am humbled by his endorsement.”

You can read the full release here.

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich today said he agrees with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the District of Columbia’s 32-year-old ban on handguns. In a 5-4 decision announced this morning, the Court said the ban was incompatible with gun rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment.

“The Court today affirmed what Alaskans already know,” Begich said. “Responsible gun ownership is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution and no government can take that right away.”

Today the Supreme Court slashed the punitive damage award for Alaskans hurt by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the worst oil spill in U.S. history. The court reduced the $2.5 billion award to just over $507 million. Mark just responded to the decision:

“The thousands of Alaskans whose lives were devastated by this disaster are hurt, once again, by this ruling," Begich said. "What we’re seeing today is another example of how Washington is out of touch with real people. The justices have sided with corporate America rather than with Alaska families who have suffered for nearly 20 years.”

Begich added that while the livelihoods of thousands of Alaska fishermen and others were destroyed by the spill, Sen. Ted Stevens has continued to work to serve the interests of big business, rather than put pressure on Exxon to settle the lawsuit or drop its appeals.

“Sen. Stevens continues to show he works hard for special interests, but where has he been when it comes to doing what’s right for Alaskans?” Begich said.

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez spilled more than 11 million gallons of crude oil in Alaska’s Prince William Sound decimating fish and wildlife populations. In 1994, a federal jury in Anchorage awarded more than 32,000 plaintiffs harmed by the spill $5 billion in punitive damages. Exxon appealed and the award was reduced by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to $2.5 billion. Exxon appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled today.

With Exxon’s net income last year of over $40 billion, Begich called on the oil company to pay up within 30 days.

“No more delays. Exxon needs to write those checks today,” Begich said.

Today Mark sent a letter to Senators and presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, urging them to include Alaska’s proposed natural gas pipeline in their respective energy plans. In the letter Begich writes:

“Alaska is poised to help relieve this burden on America’s citizens by providing our nation a long-term, reliable source of clean-burning natural gas that also would create thousands of good-paying jobs for U.S. workers. I am disappointed neither of you have mentioned the proposed Alaska natural gas pipeline as an element in your presidential energy or economic plans.”

This weekend, Mark had a one-on-one meeting with Senator Obama at the US Conference of Mayors meeting in Miami. In the meeting, he discussed the importance of the Alaska natural gas pipeline and offered to provide Senator Obama additional information about the project.

A copy of Mark's letter to Obama and McCain is attached to this post.