A Talk With Mark Begich

Last week, in the comments to a post at Progressive Alaska about U.S. Senate Democratic Party candidate Ray Metcalfe's Wednesday April 16th meeting with the Party's Central Committee, Mayor Begich asked me to call him. I left a message for him, and he returned the call yesterday. He's been busy.

Although he said he wanted to answer any questions I have about Ray's statements regarding Mark's real estate dealings, or on any other matter, right then and there, I was busy thinning plants in my greenhouse and getting dinner on the table. So I asked that we set up a meeting sometime in the near future through his scheduling people. That's what we're going to do.

I've only met Mark once, at a ceremony honoring America's POWs and MIAs, at Bartlett High School on April 9, 2007, at which he spoke and I played bugle.

I suggested that Mayor Begich might consider finding some appropriate time in the near future to give credit to Ray Metcalfe for the efforts that the latter has made over the years to clean up corruption in Alaska politics. Mark doesn't appear to be any closer to that than Ray is to acknowledging the good things Mark has done over the years.

I had hoped to attend Mark's announcement - it will be made in about five minutes from now - but I've got way too many student term papers and reports yet ungraded to drive 100 miles today.