Most Teabaggers per capita found in Alaska. Well shit!

Courtesy of the Washington Post:  

Maybe it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Alaska, a state known for its independent streak, is a hotbed for tea partiers. It’s home to the most members per capita, according to data from a new report. 

The states with the largest populations were, of course, home to the most in absolute terms, with the South leading the nation by region. The data was part of a larger report on the status of the movement produced by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, a liberal group based in Kansas City, Mo. (Sources for the report’s data included political contributions and the Web sites of several tea party organizations.) 

The movement lays claim to a small slice of the nation, with its more than 450,000 members accounting for a 0.14 percent share of the population. The South is far and away home to the most tea party members, with nearly 190,000. Nearly 110,000 live in the West, and nearly 93,000 live in the Midwest. Slightly more than 64,000 live in the Northeast. 

In Alaska, tea partiers account for 3.57 of every 1,000 residents. 

Sometimes I just hate my life.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful states in the country, with a population of some of the dumbest people on the planet.

I often get asked why we don't get more progressives in office, or why we don't challenge Mark Begich with a more liberal primary candidate, and my answer to this is, "Boy you sure aren't from Alaska are you?"

We have people up here that are so libertarian that they throw a fit when their town installs a new speed limit sign, or put in stoplights at a dangerous intersection.

These are the people who are ether members, or supporters of the AIP, but since that is not nationally recognized feel they might as well jump on the Tea Party bandwagon as well.

Though Sarah Palin has proven to be a national embarrassment to our state, her politics were right in line with how a lot of people, especially those in non-native rural communities, think.

And of course the funny thing is that Alaska would be a virtual wasteland without the federal money that Ted Stevens, Don Young, and the Murkowski's have brought up here for decades.

Sure we have oil, but without the roads, airports, and infrastructure provided by the federal government we would probably still be trying to find it, or if found, trying to figure out how to process it and get it out of here.

But none of that means anything to the Alaska AIP/Teabaggers, as far as they are concerned the regulations imposed on them by the Feds are simply there to ruin their fun, and the money sent up here by the boatload to support the state is of no use to anybody who considers themselves a REAL Alaskan.

Of course the sad fact is that most of those who consider themselves members of the Tea Party are not Alaska natives, ie "real" Alaskans, nor are they people who have been here since before the oil boom. They are Southerners who came up here when the smell of crude hit the air, and brought their fundamentalist religions and conservative politics with them.

I would be willing to bet that of this 3.57 percent who identity as members of the Tea Party, that the vast majority of them have not been up here longer than 30 years. You know before the red rash of conservatism spread across our political landscape.

Whoa Nelly! Alaska domestic terrorist Schaeffer Cox turns the crazy up to 11.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

Acting as his own legal representative, convicted militia leader Schaeffer Cox filed an appeal with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month, claiming that he is the victim of government misconduct. 

In a document he sent from federal prison in Illinois to the San Francisco-based court, Cox claims that federal officials lied, withheld key information, failed to supervise informants, tampered with evidence and witnesses and set up a sting to entrap him. 

Cox said he was the innocent victim of the same prosecution team that mishandled the case against the late Sen. Ted Stevens and others, but his court-appointed attorney won’t raise the issues he wants to pursue. 

“Suppression, concealment, false statements and use of known perjured testimony are the hallmarks of this prosecution team and of this present case,” Cox wrote. 

Cox wants to have his case returned to U.S. District Court in Alaska and asked that a new attorney, Robert John of Fairbanks, be appointed to represent him.

Can you believe this schmuck is trying to link his case to the Ted Stevens case in order to suggest it was mishandled? I am no fan of Uncle Ted, but he deserves better than to have his name associated with this crybaby.

As many of you remember Cox has a history of conflicts with his attorneys, and always seems to believe they are working against him. Almost like he is a paranoid schizophrenic or something.

And it may just be that his attorney has similar concerns.  

After Cox filed his appeal, dated Dec. 4 and received by the appeals court Dec. 11, it appears that his attorney in Seattle filed a separate document with the court, seeking a competency hearing. That motion was filed with the court “under seal,” meaning it is not available for public review.

His own attorney asked for a competency hearing?

Just how far off the deep end has Cox gone?

Cox claims that he became a target of the so-called “Polar Pen” investigation set up by the Justice Department to sniff out corruption among Alaska politicians. 

According to Cox, the two key federal attorneys prosecuting his case took their names off of future legal filings about his case three months after he was arraigned, “once it became apparent that the misconduct would be made public,” he wrote. 

He said his attorney, Suzanne Elliott, is not familiar with the federal investigation of political corruption in Alaska and won’t take on the feds. 

Writing about himself as the “Movant,” he said that his attorney is “adamantly disinclined to raise appellant’s issues in regard to the denial of admissibility of evidence Movant needed to assert entrapment, prosecutorial misconduct” and other violations, he charged.

Well hello psychotic break. 

Now this "Polar Pen" investigation that Schaffer is speaking of is the nickname given to the investigation into the Alaska political corruption probe that focused on the oil industry, fisheries, and prisons for profit programs up here.

Essentially it was the program that brought down the Corrupt Bastards Club.

So Cox seems to be claiming that HE was a target of this investigation due to his closeness to certain political types, who were also the target of the investigation.

In a note to his appeal, Cox said he admits “to letting his ego run away with him and becoming full of himself. Rubbing shoulders with state senators, representatives and other political leaders coupled with having hundreds of followers come to his rallies was heady territory for a 24-year-old home-schooled political newcomer. And it was not well handled.”

Now of course I think that Schaeffer Cox is completely out of his damn mind.

However it is worth noting that he DID rub shoulders with Rep. Don Young, Joe Miller, and, of course, Sarah Palin.

So the question remains, even if Cox is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, is there information on these individuals still rattling around in that pointy head of his that would be of use to in future investigations?

Might be, but if there is then it would seem likely that the Feds already know most of it.

And the rest? Well the rest is so marinated in paranoia who would believe it?

Strangest video of the day. Senator Ted Stevens participating in martial arts tournament in 1973.

Here is the description:

Nine minute, 23 second, color with sound film clip of a Jhoon Rhee martial arts tournament held in Washington, D.C., or Maryland, probably in 1973. The film depicts a competition between three Republicans and three Democrats, which ended in a tie. Among the politicians featured are Representative Tom Bevill, Senator Quentin Burdick, Representive Flyod Spence, Delegate Walter Fauntroy, and Senator Ted Stevens. This film clip is excerpted fromTSCM-1970-1 of the Ted Stevens Collection held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of the Alaska & Polar Regions Department in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Wow does watching that take me back or what?

I actually had my first competition in 1972, when Alaska martial arts were still in their infancy.

This 1973 competition was clearly an exhibition, where it was predetermined that there would be no declared winners. Which I am sure is the only way they could have coaxed three Democrats and three Republicans to participate.

It is painful to watch these men attempt a sport that they are clearly not well trained to compete in. The lack of balance and flexibility is especially distracting for me. 

Still I have to hand it to them to put themselves out there like that. Could you even imagine this kind of thing happening today? Somebody would undoubtedly get killed.

The officiator is Jhoon Rhee, who EVERY martial artist from the seventies and eighties knows all too well, because we were all forced to use his Jhoon Rhee Safe-T-Chop gloves and Safe-T-Kick footgear in order to compete. I HATED those crappy things, and must have ripped or split at least six or seven pairs of them over the years. (I once punched my way right out of a pair of Safe-T-Chops during a competition.)

I just have to add that during this time, even though I was only twelve or thirteen, I successfully competed against full grown men, and I would have DESTROYED Uncle Ted Stevens in a competition. I'm just saying.

(H/T to the Alaska Dispatch.)

Murkowski unleashes the Big Dog!

Many political observers agree that if Ted Stevens had lived, and campaigned strenuously for Murkowski, that Joe Miller would have had NO chance of winning the Republican nomination.

Miller stands in direct contrast to the man who helped build Alaska's infrastructure by bringing home buckets of federal dollars. And believe me, an endorsement by "Uncle Ted" beats a Sarah Palin endorsement in a Republican primary every time.

However that ship has sailed, and it is VERY unlikely that even if Ted Stevens were to miraculously rise from the dead that it would be enough to help Lisa win this election as a write-in candidate.

Really the only hope Alaskans have of stopping Joe Miller, the teabagger agenda, and Sarah Palin's aspirations, is to vote Scott McAdams.

Author Geoffrey Dunn calls Sarah Palin out on her attempt to revise the history of her relationship with our recently deceased Uncle Ted.

From the Huffington Post:

Palin can fabricate the status of her relationship with the dead all she wants. Only earlier this year she did the same with the late Wally Hickel, who told me last summer that Palin had "lost her ethical compass."

The record speaks far more honestly than Palin's hollow and vacuous sound bites for Fox News.

During Stevens' darkest hour -- when he was convicted by a federal jury on seven charges in October 2008 -- Palin, then running for vice-president on the GOP ticket, plunged the stiletto into Stevens' back:

"After being found guilty on seven felony counts, I had hoped Senator Stevens would take the opportunity to do the statesman-like thing and erase the cloud that is covering his Senate seat."

Even though Stevens' aides begged her to back off, Palin didn't stop there. "Even if elected...," she declared, plunging the blade deeper, "Senator Stevens should step aside to allow a special election to give Alaskans a real choice of who will serve them in Congress." There were many who speculated that Palin's position had everything to do with her own ambitions for Stevens' seat. When Stevens lost to his Democratic opponent, Mark Begich, by only a few thousand votes, many Alaska Republicans pointed the finger at Palin's 11th-hour betrayal as providing the difference in the outcome of the election. They were livid.

I encourage all of you to read the rest of Geoffrey's post.  As usual it is spot on and very well written.

As I mentioned before I had my own issues with our Uncle Ted, but I always gave the man his due for how he provided for my state and its people.  He certainly did some bad things too, many of which the public will probably never learn about, but when weighed against all of the billions of dollars he brought to the Last Frontier it is impossible to say the guy did not do the job he was elected to do.

Alaska's Uncle Ted Stevens is confirmed dead.

From the CNN:

Former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has died in a plane crash near Dillingham, Alaska, a source familiar with ongoing rescue efforts confirms to CNN.

The private plane carrying Stevens and a former head of NASA crashed Monday night in a rugged stretch of Alaska. The crash left at least five people dead, but at least three survivors.

Maj. Guy Hayes, a spokesman for the Alaska Air National Guard, said rescue crews were working to get at least three injured people away from the scene. He said it's possible there may be more survivors.

As much as I did not like Ted's Stevens politics, I have to say that I am stunned and saddened by this news.

Death in Alaska by small plane accidents happen with alarming frequency, and in some ways it is almost the MOST Alaskan way to perish. I almost believe that if Ted could have chosen how he was to shuffle off  of this mortal coil, that THIS would have been how he wanted it to happen.

Alaskans owe Uncle Ted a huge debt of gratitude for all of his tireless work on our behalf, and I for one will withhold any criticism I may have had of him on this extremely unhappy occasion.

Rest in peace Senator Stevens.

Breaking news! Plane crashes near Dillingham, Senator Ted Stevens may have been aboard. Update!

From ADN:

Severe weather has hampered the rescue operation for eight people believed to be on board a GCI-owned aircraft that crashed near Dillingham on Monday night with possible fatalities, according to state and federal officials.

Friends of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens said he was traveling Monday to the GCI-owned Agulowak Lodge near Lake Aleknagik, and they were concerned for him.

A woman who answered the phone at the Anchorage home of retired Air Force Gen. Joe Ralston, a good friend of Stevens, said Ralston was with Stevens' wife, Catherine, comforting her and trying to find out what was going on.

No one answered the phone at the homes of Stevens' daughter, Susan Covich, in Kenai, or his son, Ben, in Anchorage.

From KTUU:

Numerous sources feared former Sen. Ted Stevens was on board the flight, but officials have not been able to confirm that.

A woman who answered the phone at former State Sen. Ben Stevens' home said they would not comment.

Not to jump to any conclusions here, but the fact that the woman at Ben Steven's house would not comment does not exactly put anybody's mind to rest that Senator Stevens is okay.

I will update as more information becomes available.

Update: Five confirmed dead, no word on status of former Senator Ted Stevens thus far.

Shannyn Moore shines a much needed spotlight on the corruption of Alaska's recent political past.

Look I know you are busy today. Since you are a visitor to this blog you probably have to sacrifice an animal on an altar, or dance naked in the moonlight, or perform some other pagan religious right to celebrate ALL Saints day.

But once you are finished I would like to suggest that you get yourself a cup of some steaming beverage, curl up in a cozy afghan, and spend a few minutes reading through the amazing opus that Shannyn produced on Friday.

If you are at all fascinated with Alaskan politics it is a MUST read. No, it does not have much to do with Sarah Palin. But it does contain quite a lot of amazing detail about the often overlooked yet still very pernicious potpourri of predatory political pricks that populate our state government. (Sorry the "P" button was stuck on my keyboard)

Just click the title and enter the world of oil soaked politicians that is the Alaska state government. But don't you fear! Shanyn is waiting there to hold your hand and guide you through to the end. I promise you will return safely.

Ex-VECO kingpin Bill Allen gets three years in prison and a $750,000 fine.

A district court judge sentenced the key witness in the federal government's wide-sweeping investigation of Alaska political corruption to three years in prison and a $750,000 fine on Wednesday.

Former VECO Corp. CEO Bill Allen, 72, pleaded guilty in 2007 to bribery, conspiracy and extortion. Allen and VECO Vice President Rick Smith bribed numerous state lawmakers, and then helped federal prosecutors with wire taps, video-taped conversations, and testimony to convict most of the legislators caught up in the scandal.

Later in the day Smith received a 21-month prison sentence and $10,000 fine."Democracy doesn't work if it's corrupt," Judge John Sedwick said before giving Allen his sentence. "We enjoy the benefits of a true democracy, and from time to time that democracy is threatened, as it was here."

If only the Alaska politicians had any idea just how damaging their relationship with Bill Allen would turn out to be, they would probably have run screaming in the other direction the minute they saw him approaching.

Associating with him sent Pete Kott, and Vic Kohring to prison, and got Senator Ted Stevens indicted.

In the not too distant future he will probably be instrumental in putting both Congressman Don Young and Teddy's little acorn, Ben Stevens, in jail as well.

Dennis Zaki filmed Allen and his family doing the "walk of shame" as they left the federal courthouse together. They were NOT in a good mood.

Shannyn Moore has a few things to say about House Resolution 10, demanding an apology from the Federal government to Ted Stevens.

Shannyn really brings the snark

A girl after my own heart.

Rachel Maddow goes through her "Holy Mackarel" stories of the day. So you know Sarah Palin is in there somewhere.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Wow! They are actually going to allow gay marriage in Iowa, while we are stuck with a bizarre fundamentalist believing Governor who still thinks that "abstinence only" birth control works despite the evidence in her very own home. I never thought I would be jealous of Iowa.

And of course Rachel points out that Sarah Palin's demand for a "do over" of the Senate race between Mark Begich and Ted "got off on a technicality" Stevens is completely ridiculous.

And her question of "what did we have to talk about before Alaska politics" is the same one that many of our Alaska bloggers have been having as well. Only instead of "Alaska politics" we substitute "Sarah Palin".

Case thrown out or not the Washington Post is not willing to forgive Ted Stevens for his unethical behaviors.

Ted Stevens should be jumping for joy. The Justice Department Wednesday announced that it would ask a judge to dismiss the conviction of the former Alaska Republican senator, who was tried last year on charges of failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts from an Alaska oil services firm and its former chief executive, among others. The government also announced that it would not seek to retry Mr. Stevens, 85, who lost a reelection bid last November.

Yet this extraordinary reversal cannot erase or forgive the ugly behavior that gave rise to the indictment in the first place. Trial records and testimony painted a picture of a man so consumed with his own sense of entitlement that he did not think twice about accepting such expensive freebies as a Viking gas grill, a vibrating Shiatsu massage lounger and a five-foot sculpture of migrating salmon -- not to mention extensive plumbing, electrical and carpentry work on his "chalet" in Girdwood, Alaska. All told, the government calculated that Mr. Stevens took gifts worth in excess of $250,000.

Gross breaches of law and fairness by prosecutors are the reason that Mr. Stevens will walk free.

The subject of this shocking turn of events in the Ted Stevens case was a source of constant conversation yesterday among Alaskans.

Many are very angry at the justice department for screwing this case up so much, and the more conspiratorial among u wonder if it was not purposeful.

Then others are beyond thrilled that "Uncle Ted" has been vindicated, and are even suggesting that he run for Governor. Could you even imagine such a scenario?

Some have even called Mark Begich's Senate seat illegitimate since they believe he only won because of the seven felony convictions against Stevens.

As far as I am concerned I never really wanted Stevens to do time, but I very much believe that he needed to be held accountable for a lifetime of graft and corruption. However the man is eighty four years old and building a new case against him now that he is a private citizen is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

The case against Ted Stevens has been dropped! No this is NOT an April Fool's Day joke!

The Justice Department has dropped its case against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, a department source told CNN on Wednesday.

I am absolutely flabbergasted!

If Ted had not been convicted on those seven felony charges our entire Alaskan political landscape would have been changed.

And now it turns out the conviction did not stick.

I am just too stunned to think of anything smartass to say about this.

The Immoral Minority political roundup for this Wednesday morning.

Judge in Steven's trial rejects motion to dismiss trial.

Judge Emmet Sullivan rejected a motion to dismiss the case Tuesday morning during a status conference.

Stevens' team made the request in October, arguing VECO records used in the trial were false.

Sullivan struck those records from evidence, but does not think they corrupted the case.

Sometimes I fear that this trial will literally last until Ted Stevens takes his last breath. Even though he is corrupt, I sometimes wish that Alaska Democrats showed Uncle Ted's tenacity.

Sarah Palin's gas line initiative DOA for this legislative session.

Gov. Sarah Palin's biggest initiatives for this legislative session appear dead on arrival, at least for this year.

"Those are pretty heavy lifts for one session and having them introduced right in the middle of session makes it difficult to do," said North Pole Republican Rep. John Coghill.

Anchorage Democratic Rep. Mike Doogan was doubtful the market would support both an in-state pipeline and a Susitna hydro project. Doogan said it's highly unlikely that Palin's gas pipeline and utility plans will pass under the circumstances.

"If they were really serious about those things, they would have had their ducks lined up on the first day of the session," he said.

I will once again express the opinion that Governor Sarah's pet pipeline project is a non-starter. Not only is the idea poorly constructed but ANYTHING with Palin's name attached is going to have trouble working its way through a legislature filled with lawmakers who have been insulted, betrayed, or ignored by Caribou Barbie.

Senator Murkowski receives spanking from Mt. Alyeska.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski suffered a serious knee injury while skiing and will be confined to a wheelchair for several days, her aide said Tuesday. The Alaska Republican tumbled as much as 300 feet at the Alyeska Ski Resort south of Anchorage, according to the ski patrol.

"She's bruised and a little battered," he said. "Otherwise, she's OK."

Murkowski, 51, is an expert skier but she "lost her traction" while skiing Sunday on Alaska's Mount Alyeska, Brumas said.

I am one of those non-skiing Alaskans, but once I was in love with a skier so I have also experienced falling down Alyeska. Gosh that was fun.

Anyhow I hope that Senator Murkowski recovers soon, and continues her good work of reaching out to the rural native communities like Emmonak.

Juneau Democrats are fighting back against Palin and her "Anybody but Kerttula" campaign.

"From my perspective, the Juneau Democrats have overwhelmingly voiced their support for Beth Kerttula, the people of Juneau overwhelmingly support the selection of Beth Kerttula, and she's clearly qualified for the position," Sen Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, said. "I can't imagine why the governor wouldn't select her."

Some suspect it could be political payback for Kerttula's criticism of Palin during her campaign for vice president.

Gee ya think?

Nobody in Alaska, and certainly nobody in Alaska politics, should express any dismay at how Governor Sarah treats those who have dared disappoint her. She is a vindictive little girl trapped in a rapidly deteriorating middle aged body.

She did not get her way and blames Alaska Democrats, the media, pajama clad bloggers, and John McCain for her failures. Her Narcissistic Personality Disorder means she can NEVER look inward for any blame and therefore must look to others as the cause for all of her failings.

Beth Kertulla is the right person for this job and I certainly hope that the Democrats stick to their guns and force the Governor to respect their overwhelming choice.

Judge finds prosecutors in ex-Senator Ted Stevens trial in contempt. I'm sorry, what?

A federal judge held Justice Department attorneys in contempt Friday for failing to deliver documents to former Sen. Ted Stevens' legal team.

Last month, Sullivan ordered the Justice Department to turn over all the agency's internal communications regarding a whistleblower complaint against the FBI agent leading the investigation into the former Alaska senator.

Stevens and his lawyers complained during the trial about prosecutors withholding information. In December, they asked for his conviction to be tossed out. As part of their request, they asked for the documents related to Joy.

During Friday's hearing, Sullivan repeatedly asked three Justice Department attorneys sitting at the prosecution's table whether they had some reason not to turn over the documents. They finally acknowledged they did not, and Sullivan exploded into anger.

"That was a court order," he bellowed. "That wasn't a request. I didn't ask for them out of the kindness of your hearts. ... Isn't the Department of Justice taking court orders seriously these days"

He said he didn't want to get "sidetracked" by deciding a sanction immediately and would deal with their punishment later. But he ordered them to produce the material by the end of the day.

"That's outrageous for the Department of Justice -- the largest law firm on the planet," he said. "That is not acceptable in this court."

Sullivan held all three attorneys sitting at the table in contempt and demanded repeatedly to know who else was involved in withholding the information. Another government attorney sitting in the back of the courtroom stood up and gave her name.

I imagine that when you read this you had the same response that I did.

"Oh my God, isn't this damn thing over yet?"

The man is in his EIGHTIES! How long is this case going to drag on?

Look usually I am "all about justice", but for fuck's sake enough is enough! How much more time and money needs to be spent on this case? I mean come on, is there really a chance the judge is going to send this old man to prison? Of course not.

Look here is my solution. Just have the judge bring him into his chambers and make him promise not to do it again. He is no longer the Senator, he can't do it again even if he wanted to!

Besides I would like some space opened up in the courts so that we can start putting the Bush administration on trial. Now that is a criminal case that I WANT to read about in the paper! (Like Karl Rove being found in contempt for ignoring subpoenas for instance. Ooh be still my beating heart.)

(You know I was just thinking. Ted Stevens is such a stubborn old bastard that if the judge DID ask him to promise not to do it again, he might just refuse. Yep, I could totally see Uncle Ted doing just that. The old fart!)

Lisa Murkowski's letter to Ex-President Bush asking for a pardon for 7 time felon Ted Stevens resulted in an EPIC FAIL!

You can read the entire letter, courtesy of the ADN, and see it in all of its "too little, too late" goodness right here:

January 7, 2009
Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Mr. President:

Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution empowers you to grant pardons for offenses against the United States. This power has been characterized as broad and unfettered. I ask that you exercise this constitutional authority to fully and unconditionally pardon my colleague, Senator Ted Stevens.

Ordinarily a pardon request originates with the individual who is seeking the pardon. Senator Stevens has indicated that he does not intend to seek a pardon. I am pursuing this request, on my own initiative, in the interest of justice and out of compassion for a man who has served our Nation and the State of Alaska with great distinction for all of his adult life.

On the matter of justice, Senator Stevens insisted on a speedy trial in the hope that his name could be cleared before last November’s election. His faith in our Constitution led him to believe that our system would deliver an impeccably fair trial in a narrow slice of time. US District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, who presided over Senator Stevens’ trial, publicly expressed that this was his goal as well.

Senator Stevens’ motion to be tried in his home state before a jury of his peers was denied. His trial in the US District Court for the District of Columbia was riddled with irregularities that were fully documented in the transcript of the proceedings and by the media. In the face of a strong reprimand from Judge Sullivan the prosecution team was required to report irregularities in the disclosure of potentially exculpatory evidence to the Office of Professional Responsibility of the US Department of Justice. It seems that every week since the District Court proceedings concluded the newspapers identify a new irregularity in the trial or the conduct of the prosecution.

Senator Stevens’ defense team regarded these irregularities, individually and cumulatively, as highly prejudicial to a fair trial and a just outcome. Given the gravity and materiality of the trial irregularities it is understandable that Senator Stevens’ would ask Judge Sullivan to order a new trial, or in the alternative, pursue an appeal.

Senator Stevens’ efforts to protect his rights might cause some to suggest it is premature to consider a pardon. In this instance I submit that the equities weigh heavily in favor of a pardon. Senator Stevens is 85 years old. Further proceedings in the courts will be lengthy and costly. It is not unreasonable to suggest that they could dominate Senator Stevens’ attention for the remainder of his life.

I believe, as I think many Alaskans would, that this is a shame. Nearly 148,000 Alaskans expressed their view last November that Senator Stevens should remain in office while he works to clear his name. Nearly 152,000 voted to send a new Senator to Washington, DC. Senator Stevens has accepted this outcome with grace. Senator Begich has expressed his viewpoint that Senator Stevens should not be incarcerated in the event that he cannot successfully clear himself of the charges.

I would prefer to see Senator Stevens’ devote his remaining years to chronicling his extraordinary life of public service for the benefit of generations to come than continue to pursue justice in an adversarial environment.

Alaska is wrapping up the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of its admission to statehood. Senator Stevens, as a young attorney in the Department of the Interior, emerged as the Eisenhower administration’s point person on statehood. Others might have stopped there and pursued private sector opportunities. Senator Stevens instead chose to devote his entire career to public service representing the people of Alaska. As a consequence of this decision, Senator Stevens is regarded as the single most influential figure in shaping the history of our forty-ninth state over the past fifty years.

Over the course of his forty years in the Senate many will say Senator Stevens gave his all to ensure that the federal government lived up to its commitments to Alaska. In reality, he worked even harder to ensure that Alaska could live up to its commitments to all of America. He was the leading force in pursuing the 1971 settlement of the land claims of Alaska Natives which enabled construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System to proceed. He was the leading force in moving the Trans Alaska Pipeline System Authorization Act to President Nixon’s desk in 1973. During the energy crises that followed the Iranian Revolution in 1979 our Nation could count on a secure domestic supply of Alaska North Slope crude oil thanks in no small part to the efforts of Senator Stevens.

Less well known are Senator Stevens’ successful efforts to maintain America’s sovereignty over its fisheries, many of which lie offshore Alaska. Before Senator Stevens joined with his colleague, Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington, to enact the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976, America’s fisheries were heavily overfished by foreign fleets. This legislation, which came to be known as the Magnuson-Stevens Act, helped put America back in the fishing industry.

It was at Ted Stevens' insistence that the United States negotiated an agreement to stop illegal fishing in the international waters of the Bering Sea. This agreement has restored the Alaska pollock fishery from near collapse. He has been an absolute champion of ocean conservation. He pushed the United Nations to ban high seas drift net fishing, a practice that was devastating our salmon fisheries. These are but a few examples of Senator Stevens’ conservation legacy. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act is another.

Senator Stevens is also known for his support of public broadcasting, which earned him two national awards, and his undying commitment to the Olympic movement and amateur athletics. His longstanding efforts to improve the third world living conditions that plague Alaska’s first peoples living in the traditional villages of rural Alaska earn him a place among America’s most compassionate conservatives.

On behalf of the people of Alaska, and in recognition of Senator Stevens’ significant contributions to our freedoms, our economy and the quality of life that our Nation enjoys, I appreciate your consideration of this request.

Respectfully,

Lisa Murkowski
United States Senator

I have already expressed my feelings about a pardon for Senator Stevens, so I will not bother going into it again here.

But I will say that if I ever need a letter of recommendation I will totally hit Murkowski up for it. You have to admit the Senator gives good letter! I mean it doesn't seem to help much, but it sure sounds pretty.

No pardon for Ted Stevens!

So just today George Bush pardoned those two border agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, who were sent to prison for shooting and seriously wounding a Mexican drug dealer in Texas in 2005. The case got tons of press attention and many on both sides of the aisle thought that their sentence was too harsh. So no surprise there.

Speaking of pardons as many of you know Lisa Murkowski recently asked for a pardon for her friend and mentor Ted Stevens. Well today was the last day for Goerge W. Bush to grant pardons, did Uncle Ted make the cut?

There had been speculation that President Bush would grant clemency to some high-profile defendants, but the White House official said the two ex-agents would be the last to benefit.

I. Lewis Libby Jr., former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, could have been granted a pardon for his role in the leaking of a C.I.A. agent’s name and an attempted cover-up. In July 2007, Mr. Libby’s prison sentence was commuted. Nor was there any clemency for former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, who in late October was convicted of ethics violations for not reporting gifts and services given by friends. Mr. Stevens would lose his bid for a seventh term.

I am not all that surprised that Ted did not get a pardon, but Bush left Scooter Libby flapping in the breeze. Methinks that someday Libby may want to reward George W. with a tell all book.

What do you think?

Do you remember how you thought the Ted Stevens corruption trial was over and done with? Well not so damn fast there my friend.

A whistle-blower inside the Justice Department has accused members of the team investigating public corruption in Alaska of official misconduct, according to the judge who presided over Sen. Ted Stevens' trial in Washington, D.C.

The whistle-blower's complaint, dated Dec. 2, is now the subject of an internal investigation by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, according to a memorandum and order signed Friday by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of the District of Columbia.

Wait, what happened?

Sullivan said little about the nature of the alleged misconduct. Among the allegations was that a government employee accepted "multiple things of value" from sources cooperating in the investigation, Sullivan said.

The judge also reported that the whistle-blower accused at least two federal employees of intentionally violating government policies in the corruption investigation in Alaska and in connection with material that was supposed to be provided to Stevens for his defense, Sullivan said.

So what we are hearing here is that somebody may have bribed the people who were working on Ted Stevens bribery case? Is there no end to the drama that surrounds Alaska and its politicians? What could possibly be so tempting that a person associated with such a high profile case would accept it knowing the potential fallout?

The complaint alleged a person involved in the investigation accepted "multiple things of value," including "artwork and employment for a relative" from cooperating sources, the judge noted with some irony.

Artwork? And a job for your sister's lazy ass teenage son? That is worth getting this whole case thrown out? Who are these prosecutors, Larry, Curly and Moe?

Does anybody recognize the irony in this?

"Surely the court does not need to remind the government that the defendant in this case was convicted for failing to disclose that he had accepted multiple things of value and, in fact, the trial included testimony about his receipt of artwork and employment for a relative," Sullivan wrote.

Yep! I guess they do.

So now we may have to sit through this entire case again. God I don't think I can take it anymore! Aren't there more pressing things that Alaskans can focus on instead?

By the way, does anybody know if Bristol has had that kid yet?

Brand new Alaska Senator Mark Begich does not want 7 time felon, and ex-Alaska Senator, Ted Stevens to go to jail.

While Begich stopped short of saying Stevens should be pardoned by President Bush, the mayor of Anchorage and soon-to-be senator said putting the 85-year-old in the slammer would be “wrong.”

“I think for an 85-year-old man to serve time in jail, that’s not the appropriate thing to do,” Begich said in an interview with Politico. “There are some real bad characters in there. There are sex offenders and people convicted of doing some pretty terrible things.

“I’m not sure that’s the best use of space and time,” Begich said.

You know in Alaska we Democrats don't win as often as I would like, but damn we know how to be a gracious winner when we do.

Begich is exactly right on this one.

I disagree vehemently with many of the things that Ted Stevens has done in the past, and I believe his trial was fair and that he deserves to pay for his crimes, but I just do not think he needs to do prison time.

He has lost his reputation, been the butt of more jokes by late night comedians then I can count, and lost the only job he has had for the last forty years. That is enough.

Progressives pride ourselves on our empathy, and I think that this is one time when we should take the high road and let Uncle Ted leave the political stage without having to duck thrown vegetables or hearing insults from the audience.

We are better then that, and so is our new Senator.

Judge grants Ted Stevens defense team a new hearing.

Sen. Ted Stevens' legal defense team will have a lot to say when it argues he should have a new trial -- so much so, they've asked the judge to allow them to submit a legal memorandum of 75 pages, 30 more than usually allowed in the D.C. district courts.

It didn't take Sullivan long to read the government reply. Eight minutes after the government filed, he granted the defense its wish. He also allowed the government to use the long-form approach in its response, due Jan. 9.

A hearing on the motion for a new trial -- a prerequisite to an appeal -- is set for Feb. 25. By then, the question of a pardon by President Bush will be long resolved.

There are some who think that despite his protestations to the contrary that Stevens is looking for a pardon from still President Bush.

These people are usually not Alaskans. Alaskans know that Uncle Ted does not stop fighting, ever! He does not want to be rescued, he want to win.

For Ted Stevens a victory would allow him to believe, at least in his heart, that he did nothing wrong . And to also believe that this entire trial was a trumped up case pushed forward by his Democratic rivals, who could not beat him in the political arena and took the cowardly approach of framing him.

THAT is how ex-Senator Ted Stevens thinks. That is how a fighter thinks. And that is why so many Alaskans still have great affection for him.

Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war! The battle continue to rage despite the temporary respite for the election, and I would not put it past Stevens to actually achieve victory.