Alaska's "bridge to nowhere" would really be a bridge to sprawl -- and that's why it'll be a crucial issue in the upcoming Senate re-election campaign of 84-year-old Ted Stevens against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.
Last week, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a 46-year-old Democrat, created an exploratory committee to run against the powerful six-term incumbent. Stevens is damaged by a passel of ethics problems, but he's also dogged by the fact that his "earmark" for the Knik Arm Bridge in Anchorage has become the poster child for Republican pork.
But there's more to the "bridge to nowhere" than pork. Whether or not the bridge is built is likely to fundamentally shape future growth patterns in Anchorage - as Begich well knows.
Thanks to Bill Fulton
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