Mark Begich has played his campaign up as 100 percent Alaskan and said that Alaskans don’t like outsiders coming in and telling them what to do:
“Even before he had an opponent, back in February, Begich framed his upcoming reelection race — and his Senate service — in these terms: ‘Alaskans don’t like outsiders coming in.’ Begich trained that viewpoint against his potential opponents later this year, telling the Anchorage Daily News, ‘I’ve been in a lot of tough races. Bring it on. I was born and raised here. Those guys are visitors. Come on in, outsiders, and see how Alaskans treat ya.’”
But it has been revealed that the “Alaskan” super PAC that has been putting up pro-Begich ads is actually almost entirely funded by money from the Washington D.C.-based Senate Majority PAC:
“But the pro-Begich Put Alaska First also relies heavily on out-of-state support, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission. Nearly all of its funds have come from the national Democratic group, Senate Majority PAC, and most of that money has been paid to a Democratic media buying firm created to work with Senate Majority PAC and other national super PACs.
In total, Put Alaska First has received $645,000, or 82 percent of its total contributions, from Senate Majority PAC since it was founded by Alaska lobbyist Jim Lottsfeldt in May 2013.”
Senate Majority PAC has also received large amounts of money from New York City Billionaire Michael Bloomberg; the same big-gulp banning, anti-gun New York City mayor that Begich was talking about back in June of 2013:
“In an interview, Mr. Begich, who, like Mr. Pryor, faces re-election next year, said he was unbowed by the threat of a Bloomberg-led attack. Indeed, he seemed to almost relish the thought of one. ‘In Alaska, having a New York mayor tell us what to do? The guy who wants to ban Big Gulps?’ Mr. Begich asked incredulously. ‘If anything, it might help me,’ he added.”
If Begich thought Bloomberg’s attacks would help him, what does Begich think now that all that non-Alaskan money from D.C. and Bloomberg is coming his way?