Now is the time for Alaskans to vote for the future.

So tomorrow is November 4th, election day.

I am very confident that many of those who visit here have already decided to vote for Barack Obama. So I will shift my focus from banging the Obama drum to bringing you information on Mark Begich.

For forty years Alaskans have sent Ted Stevens to Washington to represent our state. But with Uncle Ted's recent conviction it is clearly time to make a change. Mark Begich is that change.

Here is Mark on the issue of education:

Mark favors local control and accountability of America’s schools. Mark believes that the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind law has been a disaster in Alaska and as Senator will work to return to an education policy that respects community values. He will fight to return control to Alaska’s parents and educators and for the millions of dollars in federal support promised, but not delivered, to Alaska schools. Mark will also work for federally-supported voluntary pre-K education to ensure that Alaska’s children get a good start on learning for the earliest age. He also supports expanded support for higher education so Alaska students don’t have to graduate from college or vocational school in debt. As an Anchorage assemblyman for nearly 10 years and now as mayor, Mark has analyzed and approved more than a dozen school district budgets. The students in Anchorage schools, where more than 90 languages are spoken, continue to outperform the national average of college entrance exams. Sadly, America is no longer the best educated country in the world, with a dangerous “achievement gap” among U.S. students.

On energy:

Alaska’s economy was built around its status as America’s leading energy producer. We sell almost 10 times as much energy as we use, but these benefits have not been adequately reinvested to help Alaska families and communities facing today’s energy crisis. Instead, oil companies are posting record profits while hard-working Alaska families are struggling to meet rising energy costs. We need to take steps now to help Alaska families and invest in Alaska’s energy infrastructure to ensure that we have a strong, sustainable economy. As U.S. Senator, Mark Begich will work across party lines to implement a new Alaska energy plan that works for Alaska families and communities.

On taxes:

Mark Begich’s middle class tax plan will help Alaska families get ahead and reclaim the opportunities our state has to offer. As mayor, Mark has always worked for Alaska families and small businesses. As a U.S. Senator, Mark will fight for Alaska families and make the middle class the priority of economic policy, not special interests and the wealthy. Mark’s plan will help Alaska families reach the dreams they have for their families—getting their kids off to a good start, sending them to college, buying a home, moving up on the job ladder, saving for a comfortable retirement.

And on the war in Iraq:

Mark believes that it is time for America to safely and responsibly redeploy our troops out of Iraq. Our troops have served admirably, but political leadership has failed them with no plan, inadequate equipment and diplomatic neglect. Simultaneously, we need the Iraqi government to take responsibility for its future. While we have high expectations for the Iraqi government taking a larger responsibility for their future, Mark recognizes that the current leadership has not addressed the destabilizing nature of the humanitarian crisis stemming from the sectarian civil war.

We must end our military's participation in Iraq's civil war so we can shift our attention back where it belongs: fighting al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere. Mark Begich will ensure that our military is not stretched too thin to meet other national security needs by using all the tools at his disposal as a senator to chart a new course the Bush/Stevens administration's failures in Iraq. Restoring our military will mean providing the resources to replace damaged equipment, investing in necessary training for our troops, and providing our servicemen and veterans with the full education and medical benefits and care they deserve from the country they served. With new ideas and a determination to find solutions, Mark Begich will provide the leadership needed to bring an end to the war in Iraq and restore security at home.

So I think the choice is clear. A vote for Mark Begich is a vote for the future of Alaska.

A vote for Ted Stevens, who if elected will be forced out of the Senate, is just to delay Mark's victory for a few more precious months.