Ted Stevens indictment clearly puts his Alaska Senate seat in play

Led by the ever-feisty Sen. Chuck Schumer, the New Yorker who heads the committee devoted to electing more and more Democrats to the Senate, party chieftains had been insisting that Alaska -- normally a solid Republican state -- was a prime pickup possibility for them this year.

That obviously became the case today, with the federal indictment on corruption charges of the venerable Ted Stevens, the Republican who first assumed his Senate seat by appointment in December, 1968 and quickly became politically invincible. See news video below.

Not to make too fine a point of it, but this whole investigation actually resulted from a Times investigative story by Chuck Neubauer and Richard Cooper back in 2003.

Stevens' standing has suffered over the last couple of years, however, as he became ensnared in an ongoing and exhaustive federal probe of wrongdoing by a raft of Alaskan politicians (detailed in this overview by the Anchorage Daily News).

Nationally, he also was targeted for criticism from government watchdog groups and others for his advocacy of federal funding for what was known as the "bridge to nowhere" -- a proposed project in his home state that, as CNN noted, emerged as a "symbol of federal pork-barrel spending."

If the 84-year-old Stevens persists in trying to hold onto his political career, his immediate challenge will be winning the GOP Senate primary on Aug. 26 -- a contest that in the past has been a mere formality for him.

Now, he'll be fighting the gale winds of an extensive Department of Justice probe that concluded, as the Associated Press reports, that during the last several years, he illegally concealed “his continuing receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of things of value from a private corporation.”

The Associated Press story said the items included home improvements to his vacation home in Alaska, "including a new first floor, garage, wraparound deck, plumbing, electrical wiring." Our colleagues over at the Swamp have their own take here.

In short, the type of perks and privileges that won't sit well with the average voter.

Whoever triumphs in next month's primary will face -- for Alaska -- an unusually strong Democratic challenger, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.

The last Democrat to represent Alaska in the Senate (from either party, the state's total number of senators since it joined the union in 1959 is only six), was the fellow who in this campaign cycle tried unsuccessfully to roil the Democratic presidential primary -- Mike Gravel.

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Getty Images

Comments

[GW]

Took them half-century to finally figure out he was corrupt? way to go guys!

[KYJurisDoctor]

Politics and CORRUPTION seem to go hand in hand.

*SIGH* OsiSpeaks.com

[Ryan Roberts]

About time. Stevens was a God back home, and his untouchable philosophy finally caught up to him. He did a lot of good for Alaska, but in his final years as senator may have hurt the long term prosperity of the state.

[Martin Gorski]

Let's see this is the same Senator Schumer that caused a run on a major bank and has through his negligence caused the hard-working (and saving) taxpayers $500 million.

Why should I believe anything his office comes up with.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laland/2008/07/feds-cite-schum.html

[theantibush]

Im sure he justified the perks to himself, as criminals do when committing a crime.
But its still amazing to see someone live as long as he and still put himself first, above the people he is trusted to represent. Accordingly, the trait must be psychological, intrinsic, and detectable. Representatives of the people should be screened for psychological disorders. Such disorders are not their fault, but given them they should not represent the people, anymore than a blind pilot be entrusted to captain a passenger aircraft.

[Yuri]

I'm not sure its really going to be in play considering Alaska's history of exclusively voting for conservative politicians. they will just replace him with another similar guy no? http://www.digitalfuntown.com has more information

[beth]

Wow - this was a paid, professional journalist that wrote this? I'm a relatively intelligent person, and write myself, and this story was confusing - at best. I stopped reading. Boo hiss - the title promised something juicy and good.

[Watching CD42]

Hopefully "Congressman" Gary Miller is next! His opponent, Ed Chau, is poised and ready to take over the seat in November.
www.edchau.com

[Trucker in KC]

Where is Alaska, and why do I care?

[William Hale]

Dear Ted:

Bass-akwards way to honor the President Pro-temp of the US Senate!
Here's a courtesy cc: for you to use your influence to leave a living
legacy: compressed air cars for evacuation drills to the wide open
spaces... Let's form a US House of Elders: for anyone with more than 14
years in the house or Senate: life time position, non-binding votes...
Offices on the hill.

Dear rkgupta@tatamotors.com

Thank you for your timely reply.

Please help me stop this cruel rumor comment that was posted
in response to my proposed Tata compressed air
car ad on You tube:

cokie58 (4 hours ago) Show Hide
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Sorry friend. But Tata Motors isn't going to produce this car-ever!
The air car doesn't work. Don't believe me? Click onto their website
and ask them yourselves. Yet another missed production date(Aug 08,
remember?) in a long line of same. MDI is a fraud company. It makes
money selling bogus dealerships, fraudulent manufacturing rights,
advance payments for non-existent vehicles, and stock with a ZERO
price-to-earnings ratio. It just doesn't get any more dishonest than
this!
charger223 (19 hours ago)

I apologize for having to even mention this cruel rumor, but it was
posted to my You Tube video site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctHgUBD_meE

Please help me refute it.

Thank you,

W. Hale, aka, Haji Mohammed.

More offers:

US stocks are down. Investors are looking for
a good opportunity.

Would your Business Strategy permit you to partner with
Ford, or GM, or Toyota, to partner with you, so we here
in North America could "Buy one, Get one"?

Buy one gas car, get a package deal on a Tata
compressed air car at a good price- if you buy
both vehicles?

This way many North American retail outlets
could be made available to Tata motors.

Or perhaps Steve Jobs and Apple computer
would be willing to partner with Tata given
Mac Air Book computers and "Mobile me"
being the new name for the *.mac network?

Or perhaps we're [Whuhn. Whewww heww...
(nearby siren starts up) 15:51]
simply too far ahead of the learning curve here.

When, if ever, do you think Tata Motors might
offer the compressed air car anywhere?

Will we ever get a chance to buy one here in North America?
Can we buy one in India and import it to the US?

Are rumors that the air car is a failure and will
never be brought in to production true?

One such rumor has already been posted
on my You Tube requested ad I sent you.

Tata Motors has become a highly respected name
in the transportation pages of the internet.

I was pleased to see your prompt response in this regard.

I understand you are not manufacturing compressed air cars
AT THIS TIME, but you do have plans to do so, don't you?

Do you still have an equity position with the [sound of metal]
French man who invented the compressed air car engine?

Are you aware of the Australian man who has invented
an even lighter version?

Maybe [metal sound] your Business Plan requires the price of
oil to go higher before you bring the compressed air car into
production?

How high would you like the price of oil to go so we [sound of metal]
can justify bringing the compressed air car into production?

Sometimes you read about wealthy interests buying up an invention
and simply sitting on it, to PREVENT it from becoming a competition.

I would never expect Tata motors to engage in such a practice.
[sound of metal]

Given the internet interest in the compressed air car, do you
have any links yet at your Tata motors.com web site
that fill "We the people" in on what your are looking for
from us in the way of sufficient demand to justify you,
Tata motors, to take the risk of entering into production
of a new kind of vehicle?

Pre-selling can often reduce the risk.
Creating a Tata Motors Compressed Air Car Club
for families and children to join.
Having a demo fleet in Tiananmen square to demonstrate
smog solutions for China.
Partnering with the lovable folks at Disney World, and Disney Land
to offer compressed air vehicles for visitors, and employees [metal
sound]

Tata has the opportunity to ally with some of the most influential
opinion
forming corporatons in the world via the Air Car.

Bollywood made the movie "Water" after I requested, "Gunga River Water
clean enough to drink by 2250 [sound of metal rebar]"

Surelyy [siren starts in distance] Steven Spielberg, Dream Works,
Amblin films in partnership
with Bollywood film [rebar sound] industry can place Tata compressed
air cars in good
light as part of the "WALL-E" (PIXAR films, Steve Jobs, Apple
computer) trend toward
loveable technology: remember George [rebar sound] Lucas: "Star Wars"
R2D3? and
R3PO?

Meanwhile, I hope your business plan is calling for the integration
[rebar sound] of safe,
secure bicycle transport inside and outside Tata vehicles: Elevated
bike trails for Miami
school children [rebar sound] are in our business plan, and when Mom
or Dad pick up the kids...

I can understand you wanting to be tight lipped about your business
plan.
Fortunes are made by out flanking the competition - catching them by
surprise, etc.

But the compressed air car represents such a quantum change in energy
and clean air
progress, Tata should remember the Parable of the Talents from Christ,
Jesus who rewarded
the servant who invested and 'grew' the talent he was given [hn hnn
hnl: near by
car horn sounds several times]

I look forward to learning anything more you can enlightening me about
Tata
compressed air car. I am willing to travel to India if necessary.

Is a tour of your Tata motor car factory available to the public? Do
you
disclose anything about the air car in your tours?

I leave you with a sad example of the cruel disinformation that can
grow when issues are not addressed openly.

I pray you will provide me with any information your Business Plan
permits so I might dispell the following rumor:

cokie58 (4 hours ago) Show Hide
0 Poor comment Good comment
Marked as spam
Reply | Spam
| Remove | Block User
Sorry friend. But Tata Motors isn't going to produce this car-ever!
The air car doesn't work. Don't believe me? Click onto their website
and ask them yourselves. Yet another missed production date(Aug 08,
remember?) in a long line of same. MDI is a fraud company. It makes
money selling bogus dealerships, fraudulent manufacturing rights,
advance payments for non-existent vehicles, and stock with a ZERO
price-to-earnings ratio. It just doesn't get any more dishonest than
this!
charger223 (19 hours ago)

I apologize for having to even mention this cruel rumor, but it was
posted to my You Tube video site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctHgUBD_meE

Please help me refute it.

Thank you,

W. Hale, aka, Haji Mohammed.

Our Creed ate, or... abatained
Perpetually and amazingly graceful be our idea of thee.
Thy stand with, or stand alone, come.
Thy will be loved, and done:
Here. As it is here-after. [[rebar sound]]
Thee do we open to first and always, and thy daily bread,
thy daily fun, thy daily rest we do seek.
Show us thy straight way:
The way of those who forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
The way of those who lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
The way of those who are not tormented,
and who torment others not [rpms, accelerate]

Amen.

Say, 'Our ultimate principles and realities are one:
the root directory of all creation is one God:
Yes Yahweh,
Yes Jehovah,
Yes, the Great Spirit [[Whump. whn]]
Yes Brahma, the creator God,
Yes The Great Tao
Yes, who, or why, does not need any, but who [rebar sound] creates,
sustains, welcomes, perfects, returns, and invites any...
Yes, Allah.

K.n.o.w. there are at least three telephone [rebar sound] lines to and
from the one God:
Whose windy elements {{xref: 'Element' car name appeared after first
[rebar sound] posting this prayer}}
nature: alhumdullilah [rebar sound] - a telephone line to and from you
the one God.

Whose stern and powerful rules, books and teachers, our messiah, Jesus
Christ, or one of the five main prophets of the 25 or more, your
choice, who is coming again: a second telephone line to and from you
the one ?God,

Whose decision making traffic [whump] - whenever two or more are
gathered to gether in whose name, there shall who be? Because we
correct one another's false short cut taking, and we strengthen one
another's true short cut taking - a third telephone line to and from
the one God,

And whose soothing, [tone] healing, prayer:

At least three, or four, telephone lines to and from the one God.

Alawackbar! God is the Greatest - [whum whnm] and or the least, and
or everything...
Yes,

cc:

Office of the President
1 Nassau Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544
Phone: (609) 258-6100
Fax: (609) 258-1615

On Jul 29, 2008, at 8:22 AM, rkgupta@tatamotors.com wrote:

Dear Sir,


Thank you for your interest in TATA cars.


As per our Business Strategy, we are not looking at our market entry
in North American markets. Sorry, we will not be able to offer you TATA
cars for sale in this region.
For your information, we are not manufacturing Air cars.

Kind regards,


Ravi Gupta
Regional Manager(Latin America)
Passenger Cars-International Business
Tata Motors Limited,
Block-A, Shiv Sagar Estate,
Dr. A.B Road,Worli
Mumbai(India)-400 018
Tel: +91 22 67577212
Fax:+91 22 67577275 / 276
e-mail: rkgupta@tatamotors.com
web: www.tatamotors.com

[dave]

america still has a chance to reclaim its freedom and its future, by crossing the damaged bridge that is the constitution. for small, accountable government to serve the interest of the people, and not for the people to serve corrupt interests of their government, or tolerate abuse of power. RON PAUL is the candidate for president who represents the principles and values of the constitution.

('at a time when aspiring presidential candidates following their agenda of the demolition of america, threaten to completely usurp and seize the powers left with the sovereign states, they might be reminded of the constitution. amendment X (1791) states clearly that all
'the powers not delegated to the united states by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.'
the constitution also carefully laid out as a permanent provision, the balance of powers between the federal government and the states, as in article I: 'the senate of the united states shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the LEGISLATURE thereof, for six years; and each senator shall have one vote.'
as to amendments to the constitution, article 5 states:
'that NO STATE, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the senate.' this means that amendments concerning the selection of senators, and their suffrage, would not be valid without unanimous assent of ALL states. the 17th amendment - invalid, as never ratified by 10 states - was an attack effectively undermining the states' equal suffrage in the senate, as the vote was cunningly turned over from the states to popular vote. competition between the self-governing states that had had a vital self-regulating corrective function was eliminated, thereby inviting federal corruption, assumption and abuse of power ever since. so it might be time to give back to the states their constitutional powers.')

[No fan of Schumer]

In the same class as the Spitzer cheater. This man is an
avowed follower of doctrinaire sectarian G. Soros,who
says capitalism is humanity's greatest ennemy. No wonder he helped bankrupt a financial institution and
deprive countless small investors of their life's savings.

[rmem]

Don, maybe you weren't paying attention, but since Begich was already leading in every public poll even before this unsurprising indictment, wasn't this seat already clearly "in play"?

[Alessandro Machi]

Alaska is another one of those Republican leaning "caucus contests" that went for Barack Obama by an unrealistic 75% to 25% margin.

This years democratic process was rigged.

http://www.CAUCUSCHEATING.com
http://www.PROTEST-POSTCARDS.com