The Distorted View

You have to marvel at Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski. Described rather diplomatically here as "an ardent advocate of controversial development projects," including the now-infamous Bridges to Nowhere -- the poster children of pork barrel spending -- the governor is now playing victim, claiming that his state has "been held up to public ridicule by the special-interest extremists." That would be us.

Thank you, Governor, but actually, we didn't ridicule Alaskans -- most of whom were ashamed of their legislators' harebrained schemes to fleece American taxpayers of $450 million, (during wartime, no less) -- just the elected officials who thought they could get away with it. Now, in order to polish what he claims is an unfairly tarnished image, Murkowski is urging lawmakers to fund an ambitious two-year public relations campaign to cast his state in a better light.

"The nation's views of Alaska are sorely distorted," Murkowski groused.

Huh, Governor, wonder how come?