Democrats Pick Up Senate Seat in Alaska
[Guest post by DRJ]
Democrat and former Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich has apparently beaten Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history:
“Tuesday’s tally of just over 24,000 absentee and other ballots gave Begich 146,286, or 47.56 percent, to 143,912, or 46.76 percent, for Stevens.
A recount is possible.”
The decision came on Stevens’ 85th birthday, less than a month after his federal conviction for lying on his disclosure forms. The win would give the Democrats a gain of 7 seats in the Senate from this election, with two seats still undecided in Minnesota and Georgia.
— DRJ
When our candidate was a convicted felon, I guess we can’t combitch about this loss.
The depressed Dana (556f76) — 11/18/2008 @ 7:03 pmStevens deserves ever knock he gets. Being old isn’t an excuse for being a criminal. That’s why we need term limits, the longer the retards stay in D.C. the more they think they deserve whatever they can steal. He didn’t have the ba*** to resign so I hope he gets a nice long sentence with Bubba as his caretaker.
Scrapiron (c36902) — 11/18/2008 @ 7:34 pmOh. They’re all crooks. All the lifers are getting rich being what the founding fathers wanted to be “part-time” politicians.
Is there a difference between Republican and Democrat anymore? Is there any way to vote them all out, every term limit, and infuse Washington with a fresh power base every couple years?
No. There’s not. I’m convinced it’s the only answer, and it will never happen. Too much money to be made. It will keep attracting the professional pol; and he or she will stay in office as long as they can.
I’m leaving politics. It’s a lose/lose. Let the country/world/universe go to pot; I have a family to feed.
rick (de9292) — 11/18/2008 @ 7:50 pmThe very idea of running for the Senate when you are 84 . . .
Just retire and enjoy the rest of your life at that point.
Aplomb (b6fba6) — 11/18/2008 @ 7:52 pmYou’ve still got Cold Cash Jefferson, who’s trial starts right around the same time as his runoff election. Hey, I always keep $80,000-$100,000 of marked bills in my freezer too. They stay fresher that way. But I’m only holding them for somebody else, of course or assisting in an investigation I can’t talk about. Yeah, that sounds right.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 11/18/2008 @ 7:59 pmGood riddance!! Get rid of all the crooks, Dems or Repubs, it makes no difference. If all you have to hold off 60 is Stevens then give it to them.
What a scumbag.
rls (14b9d3) — 11/18/2008 @ 8:31 pmLet that be a lesson to Republicans that when you don’t get rid of a corrupt Senator you stand to lose the seat for at least six years. It’s sad that only two years after Sarah Palin challenged Frank Murkowski and sent him into early retirement that no other Alaska Republican learned the lesson and did the same to Stevens.
JVW (89c289) — 11/18/2008 @ 9:33 pmJVW: the AK Republicans and the RNC didn’t learn the lesson and lean on the crooked bastage to step down……..
the st00pid fools got what they w*rked for.
too bad we have to get screwed too.
redc1c4 (27fd3e) — 11/18/2008 @ 11:43 pmTerm Limits for all!
I care not how well we, their voters think of them, after two terms they are all baby wipes and need to know such by those voting for them as well.
I guess citizens are the ones going to have to pursue such, hopefully with votes. But leave the door open for alternatives.
I love the MSM that totally and constantly ignores where the REAL decisions are made in this country, and it don’t cum from the white house either.
CONGRESS, CONGRESS CONGRESS!
I’ll stop now. Sans super, to aplomb!
TC (0b9ca4) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:53 amTerm limits are NOT the answer.
Once you put in term limits, all you get in the House/Senate are inexperienced newbies . . .
90% of the experienced politicians kept out by term limits become lobbyists, and run the show from behind the scenes (because the newbs rely on them)
Term limits is a backwards and unsophisticated idea. We need to stop electing *ssholes, is the answer.
Representatives are a lot like *ssholes: everyone thinks their own doesn’t stink.
Fixing Congress starts with YOUR district, and YOUR stupid Representative who can’t spend our money fast enough.
Daryl Herbert (4ecd4c) — 11/19/2008 @ 1:13 amThis puts dems in the senate close enough to the 60 number to cut off debate and vote up or down on whatever issue comes along.
james conrad (6bb6e6) — 11/19/2008 @ 1:28 amGenerous (20 year?) term limits ARE at least part of the answer, but for the House, not the Senate. I still remember when term limits were part of the broken Contract with America.
THE answer is for people to take more time making themselves aware of the issues. As long as people are dupes, political ads will work, money will matter, and corrupt incumbents will be reelected. Unfortunately, our nation is very good at raising dupes trained to respond to advertising and do what they are told.
Alaska Republicans had a primary choice, but they chose to shoot themselves (and us) in the foot.
Amphipolis (fdbc48) — 11/19/2008 @ 5:21 am56, 57, 58…..Georgia, Minnesota, We’re screwed.
J. Raymond Wright (0440ef) — 11/19/2008 @ 6:02 amCan’t vote them out
Term limits are “backwards and unsophisticated”
Newbies become corrupted and wealthy
Lobbyists and staff run the show
Republicans are split. Democrats poised to take complete control
Oh dear..what are we to do?
Go on strike the best you can. Reduce your tax exposure.
Starve the beast. Deny it your abilities. Deny it your brainpower.
Go John Galt on the system.
Don’t complain. Don’t whine. Become invisible.
“Impossible”, you say? No.
Difficult? Absolutely.
But short of violent revolution (not going to happen) or leaving the US (for where exactly?) what options do you have? Continue to feed the Looters? Continue to aid in your own destruction? Produce so others don’t have to? Create so others can take your creations? Earn more so others can appropriate your earnings, and hope you can live on what’s left?
Or simply quit.
The choice is yours. The system is broken. The really capable Looters arrive 1/20/09. The clock is ticking.
Horatio (55069c) — 11/19/2008 @ 6:06 amAt least with 60 in the Senate, the American people will finally see what one party government truely looks like. Of course muchof the nation already has such governments locally so maybe they won’t be all that shocked. :/
Soronel Haetir (644722) — 11/19/2008 @ 6:10 amThe people in Congress are the result of a political system that drives away anyone with career options that don’t involve constant fund raising and pandering to every single issue group that says it will deliver votes to you. We get the worst people because they are the only ones who will participate in this farce we call politics and governing.
Fox News this morning was interviewing Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, on the Big Three bailout hearings. One of the Fox people asked him about the health and pension costs of the Big Three compared to the Japanese cars. It turns out that Ford, GM, Etc have costs of 2000 dollars per car more than the Toyota and Honda competition. Of course, a lot of that is the result of the UAW. Sherman, the Congressman who will vote on the bailout, commented that the Japanese cars “have 500 dollars per car transportation costs” so the differential isn’t that great. I have to think that he doesn’t know that Toyota and Honda cars are made in the USA ! A Congressman who is voting on a bill is so ignorant that he doesn’t know about all the non-union car plants in the southern states.
Mike K (2cf494) — 11/19/2008 @ 6:26 amThe recent Blue Book ratings just came out today for used cars – and surprise, the bottom of the barrel is festooned with American cars/trucks – none reached the top 10. Nada. Nice argument for a ginormous bailout, wouldn’t you agree?
Either blow it up and start over, or admit that another huge extension of gov’t welfare is being enacted.
Dmac (e30284) — 11/19/2008 @ 7:32 amSince they are this close they will likely change the rule to allow cloture with fewer votes.
If this happens the Republicans should just walk out.
Amphipolis (fdbc48) — 11/19/2008 @ 8:02 amWhy, oh WHY couldn’t we get this asshole out in the primaries??
Techie (62bc5d) — 11/19/2008 @ 8:08 amComment by Techie — 11/19/2008 @ 8:08 am
Two reasons:
1- The Governor was otherwise distracted;
2- Ted Stevens, et al, are the leadership of the GOP in AK, not Sarah Palin.
“When you strike at a King, make sure you kill him!”
Well, now he’s dead.
Another Drew (a9b92d) — 11/19/2008 @ 10:40 amWonder if he’ll survive his confinement?
Stevens’ loss shouldn’t exactly cause Republicans to shed a tear. He has his closets full of skeletons. Let’s just hope that with Congress being run by the leftist illuminati Dems that there will be a few with a shred of moral decency.
Jeff (49888f) — 11/19/2008 @ 10:52 amWell that’s odd. Just one reference to William Jefferson until now.
What’s wrong with you all? Don’t you see that talking about Democrat William Jefferson et al will make you feel much better about Republican corruption? We’re not bad if we can portray the other side as worse. And it would make a handy distraction.
Or maybe we could talk about the nasty war in Iraq. Or homophobia. That’s what real bloggers would do.
Amphipolis (fdbc48) — 11/19/2008 @ 11:40 amTed Stevens lost by a slim margin.
What this tells me is that an extremely large number of Republicans wanted their party member to win the senate so bad that they overlooked his wrong doings.
These are the same people that voted for their Governor.
Palin 2012
Oiram (983921) — 11/19/2008 @ 11:57 amFucking-A!!! It’s one word: wrongdoings.
Seriously. I think I need to write a book titled Compound Words For
Icy Truth (aedb2f) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:07 pmLiberalsDummies.Comment by Icy Truth — 11/19/2008 @ 12:07 pm
love2008 (0c8c2c) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:14 pmHey Icy, chill out. We all make mis takes. 😉
Patterico – as a not-yet-citizen, I have a question …
Disclaimer: I am not yet fully convinced that Stevens is guilty, nor that he is innocent …
As I understand things, Stevens was found guilty by a jury, has not yet been sentenced, and is appealing …
If his appeals succeed, is he a felon ?
Until his appeals fail, isn’t he still considered innocent ?
(Post-claimer – if his appeals fail, he should serve appropriate actual “hard time” …)
Alasdair (e7cb73) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:25 pmIcy Truth #24 – in *your* eyes, Oiram committed a wrong doing – which is a valid way to express things in English (and probably even in American) … perhaps, in your heart of hearts, you can find the good Christian forgiveness to allow you to overlook his wrong doing ?
Especially since, in your own belief system, “LiberalsDummies” seems to be a sorta-tautological compound word ?
Alasdair (e7cb73) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:30 pmI always know I’ve gotten to ICY when he feels the need to correct vulgarly my minor grammatical mistakes.
Mission Accomplished 🙂
Oiram (983921) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:37 pmAlasdair, does the strike-through (there’s a good compound word) function not display properly on your monitor screen?
Icy Truth (aedb2f) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:46 pmComment by Oiram — 11/19/2008 @ 12:37 pm
No Oiram. It is Missionaccomplished. And Gram matical mis takes. 🙂
love2008 (1b037c) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:47 pmLOL Thanks love2008.
Oiram (983921) — 11/19/2008 @ 12:48 pmHe, Stevens, shouldn’t have been in the running anyway….felon. Good ridance and I hope the rest of the crooks take heed.
Rachel (319d81) — 11/19/2008 @ 3:06 pmUntil his appeals fail, isn’t he still considered innocent ?
This really depends on where you draw the line.
He’s been convicted. The law considers him guilty. The presumption of innocence stops, in my mind, once the jury finds you guilty.
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 11/19/2008 @ 4:51 pm