Anchorage Daily News

The race to become Alaska's next governor is ending in a boxing match. Both leading candidates threw punches Wednesday.

Democrat Tony Knowles called out Republican Sarah Palin for a curious comment she made at a Wasilla debate Tuesday, while the Palin campaign knocked Knowles for getting campaign help from the Washington, D.C.-based Democratic National Committee.

In her opening remarks to the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Palin told the crowd: "You will have an advocate down there in Juneau, of course. Certainly people will assume that I am biased toward the Valley in the decisions I make. So be it, because I will be."

"The Valley is a wonderful place to be. You can be setting an example for the rest of the state of Alaska," she added.

What did that mean?

Palin spokesman Curtis Smith said the former two-term Wasilla mayor was reassuring her neighbors and defending her town from critics, not promising favors.

"It meant she'll always have a special place in her heart for the Mat-Su, but that will in no way manifest into favoritism."

The Knowles campaign called the remark pandering.

"She may have meant something else, but what she said was -- 'I have a bias for the Valley,' " said Knowles spokeswoman Patty Ginsburg.

Knowles and Palin started Wednesday early, joining independent candidate Andrew Halcro on the "Bob and Mark Show" on rock radio station KWHL. There, Palin criticized Knowles for benefiting from Outside help when the DNC paid to research her mayoral record at Wasilla City Hall.

In late August and early September, DNC researcher Shauna Daly asked for copies of financial disclosure reports and ordinances for Palin's years as mayor. The request generated hundreds of documents, said Wasilla deputy city clerk Jamie Newman.

Less than a month later, the Knowles campaign accused Palin of hypocrisy for saying hers was a frugal, grass-roots campaign while benefiting from frequent TV commercials paid for by the D.C.-based Republican Governors Association.

Wednesday, Palin said the Democratic committee's help amounted to third-party influence with an Outside group spending money on the election.

Ginsburg disagreed, saying there's a big difference between the DNC paying no more than $10,000 to research Palin's background -- which she said is a typical move for any campaign -- and the Republican Governors Association spending $250,000 or more on commercials that promoted Palin.

The RGA is a "527 group," meaning it can accept unlimited contributions but can't coordinate with any political campaigns. The group hasn't said how much it spent in Alaska this year.

The Democratic National Committee, which is not a 527 group, runs the Democratic party and works with state branches of the party to get candidates elected.

HEALTH FORUM

As soon as a forum on health and social services ended Monday night, Halcro made a beeline for a man who raised his hand. The man had wanted to ask a question of the three gubernatorial candidates but was told the format didn't allow that.

The forum, sponsored by the newly formed Anchorage Alliance for Health and Social Services, was a highly structured event.

The candidates got the questions in advance and gave what seemed like mini-speeches when asked about priorities and funding. None shot back at each other.

About 350 people packed into the gymnasium at The Arc of Anchorage. Some were in wheelchairs. A few were former commissioners in Knowles' previous administrations, but they said they didn't want their old jobs back.

Afterward, Halcro sought out Steve O'Brien, the man who raised his hand. O'Brien told Halcro that his family had to move to Anchorage from Bethel to get services for his disabled son after a residential program in Bethel closed. The state essentially operates a two-tiered system, O'Brien said, with help in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks, but much less in smaller communities.

Halcro told him he knew that people are best served close to home.

"You are very eloquent," O'Brien told him. "I wish you had a chance to get elected."

Halcro, who is running as an independent, said he hears that all the time but he's trying hard to get his message out.

During the forum, Knowles, wearing a tie from the national Save the Children group, reminded the crowd of how his previous administration succeeded in bringing new services on line including Denali KidCare, which provides Medicaid coverage for kids and pregnant women. But he said that under the Murkowski administration, substance abuse and alcohol programs have been scaled back, and that needed to change. He suggested the state operate Medicaid on a sliding fee scale so more people would qualify. He said his administration had a little trick. They used to get the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to pay for half of a needed program, then pitch it to the budget-cutting Legislature as a bargain.

Palin said she wanted to diminish the oppressive hand of government while still providing needed help. Services, the Republican candidate said, shouldn't be dictated by government; ideas should come from the bottom up. Topping her list of social and health priorities: housing, a trained work force and containing costs. She glanced at sheets of notes as she spoke. She also talked about her young nephew, who has autism, describing him as a "red-headed angel."

Halcro was quickest with hard numbers. Seniors are the fastest-growing demographic in the state, he said, yet the Pioneer Homes are underfunded and taking in residents with ever greater needs. Alaska must address shortages in just about every health care profession: lab technicians, nurses and doctors. He said the state needs stable funding so it can pay for preventive services because $1 spent today saves $2 or $5 or $10 tomorrow. There's nothing wrong with using Permanent Fund earnings, but the others aren't willing to commit to that, he said.

In the end, all three candidates vowed strong support for health care and social services, said Steve Lesko, executive director of Hope Community Resources, which serves people with developmental disabilities.

But the real point may have been not what they said but what they saw.

"We wanted the forum to end with each major candidate saying, 'Boy, that was a lot of people in Anchorage who care about these issues,' " Lesko said.

BINKLEY AIDE JOINS PALIN

Mike Tibbles, who was Republican candidate John Binkley's campaign manager in the primary, has joined Palin's team. Tibbles was with the Palin camp at a school principal forum Monday, and Palin adviser John Bitney said later that night that he's volunteering with the campaign.

Tibbles worked on Gov. Frank Murkowski's 2002 campaign and later as deputy commissioner of Administration.

Also this week, Palin announced an endorsement by the United Fishermen of Alaska, a collection of more than 30 commercial fishing groups. The organization had endorsed incumbent Murkowski during the primary election, but Palin defeated Murkowski and Binkley to become the Republican candidate in the Nov. 7 general election.

Contact Daily News reporter Kyle Hopkins at khopkins@adn.com and read his campaign blog at adn.com/thetrail. Contact reporter Lisa Demer at ldemer@adn.com.

GOVERNOR'S RACE

COMING SUNDAY: What should be done to improve schools? Does Alaska need a death penalty? Should the Knik Arm bridge be built? We asked the candidates more than two dozen questions. Compare their answers.

In News

THE BLOG: View Andrew Halcro's latest ad.

www.adn.com/thetrail

STORIES: Check out past articles and find links to candidates' Web sites.

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