Anchorage Daily News

From Politico:

Beleaguered congressional Republicans woke up Tuesday morning thinking they'd gained traction with their focus on offshore oil drilling and hoping that they could pin the "culture of corruption" on Democrats. By lunchtime, the longest-serving Republican senator in history had been indicted on charges that he hid $250,000 in gifts from an oil company looking for favors.

From An Alaskan Abroad:

Another interesting angle to this story that still has to be followed up on is what the Alaska Republican Party will do. Stevens needs to - and there's no doubt that he will - stay in the race through the primary for Republicans to have a chance at holding the seat. If Stevens can win the GOP primary next month, the Republican Party could appoint a successor to stand in for him in the general. Of course, Stevens would have to agree to step aside, something I'm not convinced he'll do. No, Stevens will stay and fight.

From The Hill:

As far as the rest of Stevens's Senate term goes, if Stevens were to resign, Republican Gov. Sarah Palin has the option to replace him. If she does, she must do so with a Republican and it must occur within 30 days. No special election is required, since the Aug. 26 primary is less than 60 days away.

From Seattlest:

So long, Uncle Ted.

From The Washington Post:

Stevens has survived many attacks on his pork-barrel politics. He is a hardened politico who flew fighter jets during World War II and survived a 1978 small plane crash in Anchorage that killed five people including his first wife, Ann. ("It's my Scot's blood," he said from his hospital bed at the time.) But (Tuesday's) federal indictment presents the greatest threat yet to his political career.

From The Moderate Voice:

The Democrats could easily pick up 15 to 17 House seats and, with the indictment of Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), possibly reach 60 members in the U.S. Senate. The cloture threshold would be in effect and allow the Democrats to control the possibility of a Republican filibuster in the 111th Congress.

From The Guardian:

As the US political world takes stock of Alaska senator Ted Stevens's stunning fall today, it's worth noting what Congress would lose if the man ends up resigning or - heaven forbid - in prison. Yes, Stevens is a notorious scoundrel. But he's also a hilarious scoundrel.

The stories and comments on the indictment of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on federal corruption charges are stacking up rapidly online. Here's some of what's appearing in newspapers, broadcast media and bloggers' sites today regarding the charges and what some of the consequences might be:

From the Los Angeles Times:

The indictment increases prospects for Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, Stevens' Democratic opponent in this year's Senate election, to pick up his seat.

From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:

Ted Stevens has by all reports been successful in steering money toward projects in Alaska. The state's image, however, has steered toward that of a "pork barrel" state over the past couple of years, partly due to a controversial bridge project proposed to be built largely with federal funding.

From The New York Times:

"His ability to bring back the bacon to Alaska is legendary," said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget watchdog group. "No other senator fills so central a place in his state's public and economic life as Ted Stevens of Alaska," the Almanac of American Politics says. "Quite possibly, no other senator ever has."

From ABC News:

The former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee has held his Senate seat since 1968 and has become known for his temper, his Incredible Hulk ties, and for the profligate spending he showered upon Alaska, perhaps best encapsulated by the infamous "bridge to nowhere." Stevens is only the 11th sitting U.S. senator in American history to be indicted.

From Bloomberg News:

"I think it probably means the end of Ted Stevens's career,'" said former House Republican leader Dick Armey of Texas.

From The Young Turks:

When the probe began,Ted urged constituents "not to form conclusions based upon incomplete and sometimes incorrect reports in the media." Dont worry Ted, your constituents can now form conclusions based upon indictments.

From The Juneau Empire:

Stevens' indictment further damages Republican prospects in the November election as Senate Democrats, who now enjoy a 51-49 majority, try to capture a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority. Stevens faces both Democratic and Republican challengers who are trying to capitalize on his legal woes.

From NPR's "All Things Considered":

The indictment said the gifts Stevens allegedly received included improvements to his vacation home in Alaska - a new first floor, garage, wraparound deck, plumbing, electrical wiring and furniture from VECO and its founder, Bill Allen. Prosecutors said Stevens concealed "his continuing receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of things of value" from the company.

From Talking Points Memo:

We now have the first reported case of a Republican Senator getting rid of (money contributed from Stevens): Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, who is facing a well-funded challenge from Democrat Kay Hagan. Campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley just told Election Central that the campaign has written a $10,000 check - the amount Dole has received this cycle from Stevens' leadership PAC - to the Society of St. Andrew.

From American Politics Journal:

Stevens is up for re-election this year - and it's more than a buit noteworthy that the Republican senator, a former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is being indicted by a GOP-dominated Justice Department in connection with a marathon federal investigation into corrupt dealings involving Stevens's family in Alaska.

From National Review Online:

Stevens is of course innocent until proven guilty of the crimes with which he is charged. But even if he committed no crime, the facts that have emerged over the course of the federal investigation into his personal finances are damning enough on their own. The indictment was just the last straw.

From Wired:

The alleged free work on his Alaskan vacation home included plumbing.

It's not clear yet if Stevens' defense will be that the alleged gifts weren't a big bribe, they were just a series of tubes.

From National Journal:

While the investigation was no secret, the announcement of charges against the 40-year Senate veteran seemed to stun colleagues from both sides of the aisle. The mood at the Democratic policy luncheon was "somber," said Senate Majority Whip (Dick) Durbin. "We fight like cats and dogs over issues and amendments, but you can't wish ill will to your colleague," Durbin said. "It's a sad day for him (and) us, but I believe in the American system of justice, that he's presumed innocent," Senate Majority Leader (Harry) Reid said.

From Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis:

(Prosecutors' statements that bribery is not part of the allegations) is significant because bribery is very hard to prove. However, "making false statements on Federal documents" is one of the violations every new Federal employee is told that if proven would get them automatically fired, if not jailed and fined. Think of it as Capone getting busted for tax evasion.

From Jackson Williams column at The Huffington Post:

But here's my question: who's going to pay for changing all the signage when they turn "Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport" back into plain 'ol Anchorage International Airport, its name before 2000?

From Politico:

Beleaguered congressional Republicans woke up Tuesday morning thinking they'd gained traction with their focus on offshore oil drilling and hoping that they could pin the "culture of corruption" on Democrats. By lunchtime, the longest-serving Republican senator in history had been indicted on charges that he hid $250,000 in gifts from an oil company looking for favors.

From An Alaskan Abroad:

Another interesting angle to this story that still has to be followed up on is what the Alaska Republican Party will do. Stevens needs to - and there's no doubt that he will - stay in the race through the primary for Republicans to have a chance at holding the seat. If Stevens can win the GOP primary next month, the Republican Party could appoint a successor to stand in for him in the general. Of course, Stevens would have to agree to step aside, something I'm not convinced he'll do. No, Stevens will stay and fight.

From The Hill:

As far as the rest of Stevens's Senate term goes, if Stevens were to resign, Republican Gov. Sarah Palin has the option to replace him. If she does, she must do so with a Republican and it must occur within 30 days. No special election is required, since the Aug. 26 primary is less than 60 days away.

From Seattlest:

So long, Uncle Ted.

From The Washington Post:

Stevens has survived many attacks on his pork-barrel politics. He is a hardened politico who flew fighter jets during World War II and survived a 1978 small plane crash in Anchorage that killed five people including his first wife, Ann. ("It's my Scot's blood," he said from his hospital bed at the time.) But (Tuesday's) federal indictment presents the greatest threat yet to his political career.

From The Moderate Voice:

The Democrats could easily pick up 15 to 17 House seats and, with the indictment of Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), possibly reach 60 members in the U.S. Senate. The cloture threshold would be in effect and allow the Democrats to control the possibility of a Republican filibuster in the 111th Congress.

From The Guardian:

As the US political world takes stock of Alaska senator Ted Stevens's stunning fall today, it's worth noting what Congress would lose if the man ends up resigning or - heaven forbid - in prison. Yes, Stevens is a notorious scoundrel. But he's also a hilarious scoundrel.

ADVERTISEMENT