That was the headline news this morning in our local paper, and I am SOOO glad.

Stevens being the notorious felon and porkmeister general of the Senate--who darn near won re-election even AFTER his conviction on seven felony counts. This would have, IMHO, made Alaska even more of a laughingstock than did Sarah Palin , and the bridge to nowhere.

Better still, this brings the nuimber of Senate Dems up to, I think, 58--two shy of the magical , filibuster-busting 60.

The Dems have also been sucking Lieberman's dick lately, so that's quite possibly one more. I really don't want to see a filibuster-proof Senate. :(

They'd have to be pushing one hell of a radical agenda for the republicans to actually be disciplined enough to filibuster much even with the numbers as they stand.

Though I am not a huge fan of either party, I do like to see opposition in the government. I really doubt that the republicans will provide any real opposition anyways, the same way the democrats didn't provide any real opposition against Bush the last 2 years... Even though we elected them to impeach Bush.

At least Kucinich tried, its good to have some principled people in the government even if they are few and far in between.

They'd have to be pushing one hell of a radical agenda for the republicans to actually be disciplined enough to filibuster much even with the numbers as they stand.

Good point--but I suspect that we define "radical" differently than most Republicans. Don't forget, the Shrub vetoed health care for poor children because it was "socialistic."

Stevens being the notorious felon and porkmeister general of the Senate

This should be in Bitch and Moan, I see very little besides personal rancour. What do you believe Begich will do better, or differently after Stevens vacates his office?

Stevens may be a prime example of the need for term limits in the Senate, but don't forget the role he played in the Alaska Statehood Act, his military service and his role in the state's economic development.

Mention of some of these things might make this thread a little more legitimate.

This should be in Bitch and Moan, I see very little besides personal rancour. What do you believe Begich will do better, or differently after Stevens vacates his office?

Stevens may be a prime example of the need for term limits in the Senate, but don't forget the role he played in the Alaska Statehood Act, his military service and his role in the state's economic development.

Mention of some of these things might make this thread a little more legitimate.

Point is, it's one less corrupt weasel in politics. Or, if you want to be cynical about it, Alaska's got the lesser of two evils now. Merit alone does not exonerate wanton corruption, and Stevens is no exception.

Arms, you and other Alaskan voters did our nation proud by relegating that man from office, thanks :)

Oh, so some furniture in his home is now "wanton corruption"?

Look at Venezuela or many countries in Africa if you want to know what "wanton corruption" really is.

You ought to be a social experiment in American cultural influence.

Oh, so some furniture in his home is now "wanton corruption"?

Look at Venezuela or many countries in Africa if you want to know what "wanton corruption" really is.

You ought to be a social experiment in American cultural influence.

So corruption in American politics is acceptable as long as it isn't on the massive scale of say, Amin Uganda?

Corruption is Corruption, no matter how big or how small. (to Misquote the Hon. Dr. Seuss)

Oh, so some furniture in his home is now "wanton corruption"?

Look at Venezuela or many countries in Africa if you want to know what "wanton corruption" really is.

You ought to be a social experiment in American cultural influence.

Way to display a complete lack of understanding of the Stevens issue. It's not just about the furniture. Where'd that come from? VECO.

Now, if you know anything about VECO (an oil company)and the recent slew of scandals they've been involved in, you'll know that their CEO and someone else was busted, and the FBI came down on five or six different Republican lawmakers in connection with illegal gifts and bribery. There was no contest - the VECO folks flipped and turned them in, and it was a matter of collecting evidence.

If you don't call that "wanton corruption", an oil pipeline company bribing lawmakers in a state where oil is THE industry, there is something fucking wrong with you.

Comparing it to the corruption of some scumbag dictator country is a bullshit act of diminishing the importance of the issue.

I don't need your press release summary of the events, I've read the original documents (http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/us-v-stevens/), moreover I believe Stevens was tried and convicted fairly.

No, I still don't believe that any reasonable person familiar with the course of events would call this "wanton corruption," it's a relatively minor issue considering his lengthy career in the senate. Calling Stevens nothing more than a "notorious felon" is ignorant and discounts the importance of his career. Were I an Alaska resident, I would have voted for Begich, but I still have a great deal of respect for Stevens and what he has accomplished.

You clearly have some personal investment in this issue, for instance you mention "Republican lawmakers" as opposed to simply "lawmakers," as if corruption has a political bias. I won't discuss this with you further.

The reason I mentioned Republicans is that it seemed relevant. That bothers you? Get the fuck over it. If I were talking about Tennessee, I'd be talking about Democrats and the Tennessee Waltz. Corruption is bi-partisan. Spare me that fucking cop out just because you can't hack it.

I don't need your press release summary of the events, I've read the original documents (http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/us-v-stevens/), moreover I believe Stevens was tried and convicted fairly.

Right, and if it hasn't occurred to you to reason this out -further- you'll understand why that conviction is more serious than "omg he accepted some furniture". These companies don't just offhandedly hand shit out and break laws for no reason - they EXPECT something in return. It's probably going to go unanswered by anybody, but the question is "what did he give them?" It's a disturbing question when you consider exactly how much influence and power the man had.

No, I still don't believe that any reasonable person familiar with the course of events would call this "wanton corruption," it's a relatively minor issue considering his lengthy career in the senate.

The fuck? The man accepts bribes to do who knows what the fuck for these people, and that's a minor thing? You act like its "just" furniture, but if the man is willing to commit a felony, break the law for some lousy furniture, then what the fuck else has he been getting away with over his lengthy career? Exactly how hard has he been fucking the state while using the whole cover of porkmeister? And yeah, that's a great cover - be the big daddy to Alaska at the expense of the rest of the USA, then screw over Alaska on the side while he's at it. Fucking great. The dude smeared shit all over his long and proud service.

Calling Stevens nothing more than a "notorious felon" is ignorant and discounts the importance of his career. Were I an Alaska resident, I would have voted for Begich, but I still have a great deal of respect for Stevens and what he has accomplished.

Good thing I didn't call him that. As far as his career, we're talking about the same moron that campaigned and campaigned hard for the Bridge to Nowhere bullshit, using his influence to support it. The man's not a political messiah, and he fucked his own reputation by breaking the law.

Does that mean he's completely unworthy of any respect? Of course not, but he's rendered his whole career suspect at his own fault and nobody else's.

You clearly have some personal investment in this issue, for instance you mention "Republican lawmakers" as opposed to simply "lawmakers," as if corruption has a political bias. I won't discuss this with you further.

As far as that goes, like i said - I'll piss on the Democrats for the same bullshit when I see it happening. Alaska just happened to get the choice crop of lawbreaking Republicans, Tennessee got the Democrats. We've got a few fucking morons in the Democrat party as well, evidenced by the Troopergate jackassery.

As for my personal investment, it comes from being an Alaskan for nearly 20 years and having someone I considered upstanding and respectable (for the most part) turn out to be another part of a fucking wantonly corrupt machine.

And yeah, it IS fucking wanton when you've got a bevy of lawmakers breaking the law on behalf of the oil industry, an industry that is supposed to be in PARTNERSHIP with the state they're representing.

Iehovah, you're right on the money.

I did not mean to say that Stevens' efforts as senator were unimportant or void just because of his corruption, but the fact that a man who is appointed and respected by his constituents would take bribes is a powerful swipe to the face of Alaskans everywhere, and deserves no pardon.

Also, I did not mean to imply that I cherry-pick political issues on partisan lines. If any party commits a fault to its constituents, I'll be on their ass like Michael Jackson at a Boy Scout conga line.

You mentioned how so called "wanton corruption" was only a couple pieces of furniture. That's like alluding in court to only killing half a man. Any sort of behavior like this by a politician denotes a lack of judgment, wisdom, and acumen.

The sad part is, the man was honestly respectable from both sides of the political aisle. Not only did he single-handedly extinguish an honorable career, he brought a negative stigma to the position, and screwed over constituents which had for so long held the man with credence and in high regard.

Oh, so some furniture in his home is now "wanton corruption"?

Look at Venezuela or many countries in Africa if you want to know what "wanton corruption" really is.

You ought to be a social experiment in American cultural influence.

What happens to you at your job if you are found to be stealing....just a little?

Would you simply tell your boss "Well gee, look at Enron they stole way more than me", and be able to keep your job?

Fuck off now.

Oh, so some furniture in his home is now "wanton corruption"?

Look at Venezuela or many countries in Africa if you want to know what "wanton corruption" really is.

You ought to be a social experiment in American cultural influence.

Yoiu ought to pay more attention to the news.

A guy in FLORIDA gave Ted $50,000--Ted saw to it that he got $10,000,000 for some road construction in Florida.

And that helped Alaska HOW?

Most of the money he did get for Alaska didn't help poor folks like me--it mostly helped rich white people get richer.

Yoiu ought to pay more attention to the news.

A guy in FLORIDA gave Ted $50,000--Ted saw to it that he got $10,000,000 for some road construction in Florida.

I believe you're thinking of the other Republican asshole, Don Young. Stevens is the Bridge to Nowhere jackass.

n 2006, Young added to a transportation bill a $10 million earmark for the construction of an interstate interchange for a short stretch of road (known as "Coconut Road") near Fort Myers, Florida. Some puzzled why a congressman from Alaska would earmark for a little road in Florida that the local community opposed. A June 2007 article in the New York Times reported that a local real estate developer, Daniel J. Aronoff, who owns 4,000 acres (16 km²) along the road helped raise $40,000 for Young shortly before the earmark was inserted. Young's spokeswoman Meredith Kenny initially said that the local Republican congressman, Connie Mack, had requested the funding; in fact, both Mack and local Republican politicians opposed the funding.

And that helped Alaska HOW?

Most of the money he did get for Alaska didn't help poor folks like me--it mostly helped rich white people get richer.

In addition, I'd like to point out that while those nifty little deals are to Alaskans' benefit, they're still getting fucked as American taxpayers. That ten million dollars for Young's road, the multiple millions Stevens got for the Bridge to Nowhere bullshit, all of that comes out of our pocket in the form of taxes.

^My bad--thanks for clearing that up.

Still--big oil has done everything to our politicians except refine them.

Wow, I read "Begich topless Stevens" and stumbled into and out of the thread hopelessly confused.

Wow, I read "Begich topless Stevens" and stumbled into and out of the thread hopelessly confused.

This.

What about the senate race in Minnesota with Al Franken?

*checks*

Ah I see it is indeed not over yet. Funny.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/796525.html

But Palin stumped for the corrupt, draft-dodging asshole in Georgia, he won the run-off, and so the Dems will NOT have a filibuster-proof Senate, which probably isn't that big a deal anyway.

But Palin stumped for the corrupt, draft-dodging asshole in Georgia, he won the run-off, and so the Dems will NOT have a filibuster-proof Senate, which probably isn't that big a deal anyway.

I would say that not only is it not a big deal, it's a damned good thing. Unhampered control is a bad thing. I don't know how good or bad that is for Georgia, because I don't really care about Georgia all that much, but on a national level, I find it peachy-keen.

But Palin stumped for the corrupt, draft-dodging asshole in Georgia, he won the run-off, and so the Dems will NOT have a filibuster-proof Senate, which probably isn't that big a deal anyway.

Eh, the Democrats have enough power right now. I think any legislation they would be pushing through that warranted a filibuster in the senate probably wouldn't have much public support. And don't think for a second they're actually going to leave Iraq. That won't come into play in the Senate.

The important thing is a few Supreme Court justices will be retiring under Obama's administration. Time to pump it full of some moderates, hopefully, and someone other than old white males, assuming they're qualified.