When he served in the Alaska Legislature from 1979-82, his colleagues called Ray Metcalfe "Disco Ray." This weekend at the Cook Inletkeeper Muckrakers Ball, Metcalfe collected another nickname: "Muckraker" Ray, for receiving the Homer environmental watchdog group's Muckraker Award.
Photo by Michael Armstrong
Ray Metcalfe
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If Metcalfe has his way, he intends to get another distinction: Giant Killer. Last Friday on KTUU television, Metcalfe announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Ted Stevens, one of the most senior senators in Congress. Officially, Metcalfe started his campaign on Sunday in Homer with a fund-raiser and meet-the-candidate coffee at the Mermaid Caf. By Main Street, he hung a sign supported by a rake that read, "He will stop the bribes and pass the savings on to you."
Rocky Caldero of Dutch Harbor and Frank Vondersaar also have filed for the Democratic Party nomination. Gerald Heikes of Palmer has filed to run for the Republican Party nomination. Stevens has not officially filed, but announced in 2006 that he intended to run for re-election, said Tim McKeever, the Stevens for Senate press secretary. According to the Federal Election Commission, for 2007-08, Stevens has a $1 million war chest.
Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is considering running for the Democratic Party nomination, but has not announced a decision, said Julie Hasquet, a spokesperson for the mayor's office. He is discussing the possibility with his family, and has had discussions with Democratic National Committee officials.
"As Mark says, 'The filing deadline is June 1, so what's the hurry?'" Hasquet said.
Metcalfe said the DNC also talked to him about running for a seat held by Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage. They wanted him out of the way so Begich could run, he said.
"I intend to do to the Democratic Party what Sarah Palin is doing to the Republican Party," Metcalfe said in an interview with local media on Sunday. "I expect the leadership of the Democratic Party is just about as happy to see me as Randy Ruderich and the Republican Party was to see Sarah Palin."
Metcalfe formed the Republican Moderate Party after he said Veco targeted him for not playing the oil industry tune in the Legislature. The Alaska Republican Party sued Metcalfe to keep him from using the word "republican." When the Republican Party lost and was ordered to pay $12,000 in court costs, Metcalfe said the payment came from Veco. He found that out in a phone call from a state senator he wouldn't name.
"They said they want to settle this judgment on behalf of Veco," Metcalfe said the senator told him. "And he coughed and coughed a little bit. Veco had agreed to cover all costs."
The Republican Moderate Party is all but dead, Metcalfe said, its demise accelerated by Republican Party efforts to make forming minor parties difficult.
Metcalfe earned his Muckraker title after years of pointing out corruption in Alaska state politics and from a time when he was a lone voice alleging former Alaska Sen. Ben Stevens was being bribed by Veco executives. Metcalfe tried unsuccessfully to start a recall campaign against Ben Stevens, but the Division of Elections threw out his petition. Metcalfe also filed complaints against Ben Stevens with the Alaska Public Offices Commission that went nowhere.
"I was losing all the battles, but I was winning the war," Metcalfe said. "The public was beginning to figure out what was going on."
Metcalfe said he's put together a 1-inch thick packet alleging bribery and corruption throughout Alaska politics, not just involving the oil industry, but tourism and fishing. No one in Alaska would investigate his allegations. He said he sent the information to federal prosecutors.
"Eventually those packets found their way to the (U.S.) Office of Public Integrity, and I'm going to guess you know what happened next," Metcalfe said.
Metcalfe's campaign platform is simple: to clean up Alaska politics.
"Open, honest, ethical government is the number one ingredient missing from government today," Metcalfe said.
"The good old boy network virtually controls every industry in Alaska," he added. "I'm going to do everything I can to confront people in government until this practice stops."
Metcalfe said he thinks it's possible Ted Stevens could be indicted and would still run for re-election even if he was. FBI agents searched Stevens' Girdwood home this summer, but no charges have been filed.
When asked how Stevens would respond to a campaign by Metcalfe alleging corruption by Stevens, McKeever said the Stevens for Senate campaign would not comment on hypothetical possibilities.
"(Stevens) is a candidate for re-election because he believes that Alaskans continue to need a strong, effective senator to fight for them in Washington and his record establishes that he is ready, willing and able to defend Alaska's interests in Washington," McKeever said.
Metcalfe said Begich also comes under a cloud of suspicion.
"I think if you take a hard look at Mark's track record you'll find a whole bunch of various things that's been widely exposed already," Metcalfe said. "If you simply change from one bunch of good old boys to another bunch of good old boys willing to bend the rules and hand their buddies sweetheart deals, you haven't fixed a thing."
Hasquet said Metcalfe's allegations don't have merit.
"Mr. Metcalfe should be very careful about spreading wild accusations and lies about Mayor Begich," Hasquet said. "Metcalfe has absolutely nothing to back it up. There are no dirty deals that have gone on. It's sad: In an effort to prop himself up, he's trying to slay the character of others without anything to back him up."
As the trials of former legislators like Pete Kott, Vic Kohring and Tom Anderson have gone on and resulted in convictions Metcalfe said he feels vindicated.
"Everybody should be having as much fun as I've had," he said. "My guess is that the trials will go on for a long, long time," he added.
Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.
