Former Senator Ted Stevens Deserves Praise From Alaskans

Reader Comments
Back to blog

Conservatives get indignant when a drug user's case gets dropped because of a technicality, but just let an Ollie North or a Ted Stevens get their conviction set aside because of prosecutorial screw-ups, and they are praised as heroes of the right.
Where's the consistency?

word2thewyz of MD 7:07PM April 05, 2009

Any Senator that doesn't deserve praise from his constituents didn't do his job as Senator. What has that go to do with the fact that a proven crook got out of prosecution because of an inept Department of Justice run by his own party.

GTFOOH of CA 2:39PM April 05, 2009

Interesting to see those Repubs like Barone and their cohorts praise Stevens' innocence. He violated the law, plain and simple. The Bush Justice Dept. was corrupt and inept, and it blew the case.
That does not mean that Stevens was innocent. It just means that Holder realizes that this case expressed the view of the judge and jury about his corruption. If the judge was so outraged about the Justice Dept.'s errors, he would have thrown out the case.
Why didn't he? Because Stevens was guilty as sin.

Brady O'Ryan of PA 11:21PM April 04, 2009

Republican Ted Stevens and Rod blagojevich have something in common, and that is they are corporate politicians!
All to often, one hears, hey your Democratic guy committed a crime, so its OK for our Republican guy to commit a crime.
Globally the Corporate New World order has brain washed people to think of Politicians as sports players.
Its our team against yours!!!! Ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Follow the money trail and you will find who your politician serves, he or she serves big money, not the Average person.
I remember a poll that was done years ago, people where asked who do you trust more, a Politician, a rapest, or a murder.
Most people responded none of the above. I expect before long Politicians will be dressed up like Nascar Drivers wearing their corporate
sponsor labels, at least then the average Man will know who is sponsoring their local Corporate political hoar.

GW of TX 12:38AM April 03, 2009

I wonder if Mr. Holder was thinking about Chris Dodd's future. I doubt Senator Dodd reported getting a gift of a favorable mortgage from Countrywide, though surely as Chairman of the Finance Committee he knew he was getting a good deal for no legitimate business reason. It can't be proved a bribe, but what about the statute that Stevens was indicted on?
But maybe Holder will say: We don't prosecute those any more.

Eric Rasmusen of IN 10:29PM April 02, 2009

I thought it was important to note that Ted Stevens in fact did hire a contractor to whom he paid (I believe)approximately $160,000 for renovations. Bill Allen was the owner of an Oil Services Company, not a lobbyist, and a close friend who offered to keep tabs on the renovation as the Senator was rarely in his Alaska home during this time due to his duties.

Jane of VA 6:53PM April 02, 2009

So, a Democrat decides to pull the plug on a Republican initiated process, because of a technicality? IMHO, if the situation had been reversed, the Republicans would scream to high heaven about turning a criminal loose on a "technicality".
So, now the Republicans scream that he is "innocent" and demand a special election so that they can run Stevens again. Wow! Talking about going to the well twice.
Maybe the Republicans can pull this same scam in Minnesota. Claim that they lost the race on a technicality and demand another vote. Otherwise, they will file suit after suit until the next senatorial election in 2014.

Ron Williams of TX 6:52PM April 02, 2009

This is so typically republican. Senator Stevens gets a buy on lying 7 times about his lucrative friendship with Bill Allen of Veco because Bush's Dept. of Defense purposely or thru ineptness bungled their handling of his case. More to the point, under Bush the DOJ was nothing more then another wing of the republican party. It isn't because he was found not guilty, it is pretty much a given that he did use his position as senator to reap atleast a quarter million dollars in free work on his home. So now were supposed to think he should be re-instated by the republican party who so badly want to claim another seat in the senate. No matter that he's a disgraced crook. Accountability is the last thing any republican , who goose-stepped behind the Cheney / Bush administration would want.

don knutsen of WA 6:48PM April 02, 2009

DOJ CAREER LAYWERS tend to hide behind the federal bureaucracy cloak of "apolitical" protection. Yes, they may be "apolitical" when it comes to political parties, but they are definitely "political" when it comes to furthering their own career ambitions, and protecting their pensions. Nobody ever wants to put the spotlight on these corrupt individuals because doing so doesn't fit the convenient mindset of Republican vs. Democrat, instead of ABUSE OF POWER, and DISREGARD FOR THE CONSTITUTION.
It seems like these DOJ CAREER LAWYERS have this attitude of winning at all costs, even if it is in violation of the law. Forget about the civil service protections for these POLITICAL HACKS and fire them all.

Paul Wogamune of MD 5:17PM April 02, 2009

Can you imagine Alberto Gonzales doing something based on what was right?
In fact, can you imagine any Republican attorney general since Elliot Richardson (1973) doing something like this?

Archie Cox 4:54PM April 02, 2009