Down the Tubes: Sen. Ted Stevens (R) indicted
Exactly one year ago this week, agents from the FBI and the IRS raided Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R) home in Alaska — the first ever such raid on a sitting senator’s home — as “part of a broad federal investigation of political corruption in the state that has also swept up his son and one of his closest financial backers.” It was a sign that Stevens’ future looked rather bleak.
Today, the other shoe fell — Stevens has been indicted.
Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate and one of the chamber’s most powerful members, was indicted Tuesday in Washington, a result of a year-long investigation into corruption in Alaska politics.
The indictment comes nearly one year after federal agents raided Stevens’ home in Girdwood, a resort town about 40 miles south of Anchorage.
Looks like the senator best known for his “bridge to nowhere” may be heading down the bridge to jail.
To be sure, everyone deserves the presumption of innocence, but the details of this scandal look really bad for Stevens. The central focus of all of this stems from Veco Corp., an oil-services company, which generously remodeled Ted Stevens’ house in an exclusive ski resort area, adding an additional floor to the home. After the lavish renovation was complete, Stevens steered $170 million in contracts to Veco, which, wouldn’t you know it, looked suspicious to the FBI.
Complicating matters, Stevens has simultaneously been under investigation for “a series of earmarks pushed through Congress over the past several years by Stevens for an Alaska nonprofit tied to Trevor McCabe, a former Stevens aide and a business partner of his son, Ben, sources familiar with the investigation said.”
So, what happens next?
Ted Stevens is, of course, up for re-election this year, and recent polls show him trailing Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D). Conceivably, the Alaska GOP could try to force Stevens from the ballot, but it’s more likely that he’ll continue to seek the Republican nomination — he’s facing a couple of largely-unknown GOP challengers in a primary scheduled for Aug. 26.
In the Senate, Republican leaders will no doubt face some pressure to deal with Stevens immediately, though it’s unsure what, if any, actions the caucus would take. In the short term, though, we know that Stevens will no longer be able to serve as the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee (caucus rules prohibit an indicted member from serving as either chairman or ranking member of a committee).
Should Stevens resign, Alaska’s governor is a Republican, who would no doubt appoint another Republican to fill the seat.)
For more on Stevens’ extensive and humiliating scandals, I’d encourage folks to check out TPMM’s overview, and the “Retire Ted” site created by the Alaska Democratic Party.
As for the big picture, I think it’s fair to say the Republicans’ Culture of Corruption hasn’t been front-page news for a while, but it hasn’t gone away, either.
Occupational Hazard for a Republican.
Now here’s a good business Idea. Corruption insurance for congressmen. You’d charge them a hefty premium (extra if they are a republican) and if when they are indicted ,a swift action team of PR consultants and attorneys would swoop in and handle the initial stages of the indictment.
I imagine it’d sell.
I think it’s time for Ted Stevens to stand tall. Hold your breath, Ted, stamp your feet, and threaten people. Roll those indignant whiny tirades you’re so good at, after all, you’re being railroaded!
Jebus I just ran out of popcorn.
“the first ever such
rainraid on a sitting senator’s home…”To Stevens, no doubt this feels like rain on his parade.
It’s an election year, and the Republican “culture of corruption” ought to be getting more coverage than we have been seeing. This is a great start.
Down the “tubes” – I love it!
TGC, I think the premiums for ranking Republicans would make flood insurance in New Orleans look cheap.
“Down the tubes”? Ever heard the old reply about being only two-thirds of a pun?
😛
I hope the next one to be indicted is Don Young (R-Alaska), tied to a scandal about appropriating money for an interchange in Southwest Florida that NO ONE WANTED except a developer who supports him with lots of money.
Ah, you knew this was coming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtOoQFa5ug8
I gotta an ode to Ted Stevens send off, Series of Tubes Editions here.
Remember that the internet is a series of tubes and is definitely not a big truck or something just on dump stuff on. If I learned one thing from uncle Ted, it is this.
Wasn’t the bridge to nowhere Young, not Stevens?
Can anyone explain to a layman/novice what is driving this and any similar investigation of
Republicans in this thoroughly corrupt Executive Branch?
Why don’t they just bury it and/or fire the zealots investigating?
i don’t mean this to take the heat off of Stevens at all, but doesn’t it take two to tango? why isn’t this being used for/having more impact on the shaming and discrediting of the oil services industry? you know – the companies Cheney ran, the ones who would be building the offshore drilling platforms, the ones now giving big money to McCain?
geez, the Democratic powers-that-be have no imagination.
It gets better. Both Don Young, the sole congressman for the state, and Sarah Palin, the governor, are also under investigations of their own. The entire state GOP is imploding.
I met Ted Stevens once. Back when he spoke at my High School. He always struck me as slime ball. Its taken far to long for his looonnggg history of corruption to finally catch up with him.
I glad to say I never once voted for him or Young or Murkoski Sr when he was in the Senate.
TR said:
It gets better. Both Don Young, the sole congressman for the state, and Sarah Palin, the governor, are also under investigations of their own. The entire state GOP is imploding.
Add to the list, AK state Senator John Cowdery, under indictment for bribery and conspiracy. Anyone else remember when the Republicans were known as “the law and order party”?
I’m puzzled along the same lines as Bud Erland (10). This is the US DOJ we’re talking about, right? And they’ve indicted a sitting Repub in an election year? Why has this been allowed to happen?
What’s next for Stevens?
Scream and shout about the “unjustus” of the investigation, of course.
Plain old greed is kind of tame for the GOP now. I doubt his Republipals are that angry. We are way overdue for a sex scandal. I’m thinking Inofe with a diaper wearing billy goat.
I guess this news will remove Ted Stevens from McCain’s short list of VP nominees… or maybe not.
Gov. Sarah Palin was the AK GOP’s reform candidate. She beat out a sitting governor for the nomination, which shows you how unpopular Murkowski was.
Begich is a shoe-in at this point. As for Sen. Ted, I wonder if he’ll show up for court wearing his “Incredible Hulk” tie.
Cut to Stevens making a beeline to rehab.
Roll tape of Republican apologist explaining that Stevens was misled.
Cue Fox News blaming Democrats in general and Obama in particular for a witch hunt. Mention every Democratic Senator even suspected of breaking the law in the past fifty years. Also mention Monica Lewinsky, Travelgate and Vince Foster in passing.
Oh goodie…
Now we can get a large dose of the Morning JoKe and other Corporate Media Commentators being ‘fair and balanced’ and telling us all about Dumbocrats who have been indicted for corruption – even if they have to go back 15 – 20 years ago.
And, after all, just because Stevens received a half million or so in ‘gifts’ from a company and they received political ‘favors’ does not mean that they are linked. Everyone knows that Republicans do so many good deeds that they are naturally blessed with gifts.
As the saying goes: There was a time when the United States had the best politicians that money could buy – now we just have politicians that money can buy.
I wonder if the well documented politicization of DOJ had anything to do with the timing of this. No doubt this is bad for the repubs on just about every level. But, it would have virtually guaranteed a Senatorial seat flip, in a bankably red state, had this indictment come along a month later. Just wondering.
Dennis, you forgot Fox news labelling Stevens as a Democrat (by accident of course), and endless comparisons to William “Cold Cash” Jefferson.
I guess Obama won’t have to campaign in Alaska!
Anyone want to go in on a case of popcorn?
There’s nothing for Republicans to lose in a Stevens indictment, especially now that the Senate is sure to end up with a 4-7 seat Democratic majority following the 2008 elections regardless. People already know what Stevens is, so they don’t even get to lose his reputation. And there’s a lot for the party to gain by having the DOJ seen to be prosecuting a corrupt Republican.
The reason the indictment came out now is that Stevens is no longer relevant, and may, in fact, have been ready to lose the election even without an indictment. This indictment is all upside for the GOP. The Bush DOJ’s mission isn’t about protecting individual Republicans; it’s about protecting Republican power.
Gee, it seems like there are only two kinds of Republicans, those who are indicted and those who are about (should) to be indicted. Ya gotta SMILE folks! 😉 🙂 😉 🙂
Hmmmm….I smell “Pardon”!
He’s been indicted only for making false statements. Failure to disclose a few “gifts.” He’s 84 years old and probably forgot. McCain forgets a lot more than that and gets away with it.
I don’t see anything here except another example of how the system doesn’t work. They got him on a technicality. Not the core of the matter.
Or maybe he’s not really guilty. We’ll never know. The American people will never know about Bush’s crimes.
I wonder how many Congressmen fail to disclose the little favors they receive in the form of their being wined, dined, and provided with, shall we say, pleasurable companionship for an evening?
bum…bum…bum…and another bites the dust!
Ah scheudenfraude; horrible, but at least it’s funny.
Hark –
Read the indictment – it’s more than a technicality. It’s five years of bribes in the form of substantial construction work and gifts, with Stevens caught red-handed acknowledging them in email communications.
This is one more step in an investigation of interlocking corruption and bribery. Steven’s son Ben is yet to come, and the smelliest fish will most likely be former senator and governor Frank Murkoswki. It is yet to be revealed who Murkowski’s chief of staff, Jim Clark (sentencing date in September) squealed on as part of his plea deal in February, 2008.
Former state representative Bruce Weyrauch (R-Juneau) was also indicted and is awaiting trial.
The whole Palin family has an odor, and sitting Senator Lisa Murkowski got herself out of a jam on a “beneficial” real estate deal last year.
Alaska is ripe for wholesale change – many thought it would start with Palin, but that’s turning out not to be the case.
Won’t it make our red state blue?
Gee, it seems like there are only two kinds of Republicans, those who are indicted and those who are about (should) to be indicted. Ya gotta SMILE folks! -jayinge
Actually there are three kinds. You forgot the self-loathing closet homosexual champion of ‘family values’….who is about to be indicted.
…Ted Stevens’ house in an exclusive ski resort area…
Girdwood isn’t exclusive. It’s just that nobody wants to live there except ski bums, potheads, pothead ski bums, and rich folks.
The GOP must be plenty ticked off at him for not bowing out of the race while there was still a shot at putting in a better candidate.
I’m also wondering about the DOJ’s pursuit of this case. But it is possible, that despite their best efforts to thoroughly politicize the DOJ, the BA has not been able to eliminate every pocket of integrity remaining there.
Those “gifts” have an estimated value of $250K btw, including construction work on his home. Hard to blow that off as a string of slight improprieties here and there, a ball game or a bottle of booze at Christmas.
My prediction is that Fox/RW pundits will not report this story, or if they do will do so only in a fleeting, non substantive manner. They tend to ignore stories they don’t like. Or if in the interest of appearing “balanced,” they do cover it in some depth, they will of course be dismissive of it as a Republican thing, pointing out, as a previous poster predicted, all the slimeball Democrats. They could also use it as an opportunity to show how blown out of proportion the DOJ scandal is.
It’s worth the long wait to this crook taken out.
This indictment just might be a big truck.
Couldn’t happen to a more deserving person…ah, then again it could. Steven’s threatening hypocrisy has had the longest run in the senate but frankly it took $170 million bribe to get the FBI interested. Most GOP senators are only up to $100 million.
IO would feel sorry for him but he’s always been such an authoritarian prick that I’m actually very glad he’ll get to spend his last days in a community prison, hopefully with Don Young and a pack of rabid minx.
Even though he’s more than deserving of this, Stevens is a powerful Republican who’s being hit by Bush’s DoJ. Has anyone thought to wonder how that is?
My guess is the old coot wasn’t playing by Bushylvanian rules. He wasn’t “loyal” enough. He couldn’t pass the Karl Rove/Monica Gooding “litmus tests.”
And the Bush/McCain cartel’s number one goal is to have a base of fanatics—of which Stevens is not one….
Hmmmm. where was the outrage on this blog when William “the Refrigerator” Jefferson was found with thousands in his cooler. Oh or am I a racists for bringing that one up…
Oddly enough, I seem to recall a good many people on this blog—myself included—who wanted Jefferson hung out to dry for his stupidity, and his crimes.
Still do, as a matter of fact.
It was flubba-schlubba’s “friends” who didn’t want that to happen, because it might shine some unwanted light on THEIR transgressions.