‘Bridge to Nowhere’ Senator wronged
Truth is, the nation’s far better off with a pork-barrel politician like Ted Stevens, the Alaska Republican, out of the U.S. Senate.
After being convicted on seven felony counts just before last November’s election, the six-term "Bridge to Nowhere" senator was defeated by Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by just over 1 percentage point, or some 3,000 votes. Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in Senate history, was convicted in Washington on Oct. 27, days before the General Election, on seven counts of failing to disclose gifts and home renovations valued at more than $250,000 from a wealthy oil contractor. He awaits sentencing.
The shocking news now is that the U.S. Justice Department is asking a federal judge to dismiss the indictment against Stevens and to set aside his conviction based on prosecutor misconduct. The final straw was acknowledgment that prosecutors had failed to inform Stevens’ defense, as required, that a key witness, Bill Allen, said in an interview last April that he did not recall talking to a mutual friend about handing Stevens a bill for the work. At trial, however, he testified that he did have that conversation. Stevens’ lawyers were not informed of the contradiction.
"I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial," said Attorney General Eric Holder Wednesday.
The Senate’s a better place without Stevens. But there’s no justice that can repair the damage done. The felony convictions cost him a seat in the U.S. Senate and, but for Holder’s decision, could have cost him his freedom as well. This is as scary as misuse of power gets.
It’s premature to speculate on whether prosecutors were pressured to move quickly on Stevens to demonstrate that Republicans in power would deal with political corruption, even when it involved a powerful figure like Stevens just before a crucial election that could decide control of the U.S. Senate. The dismissal of the nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 doesn’t raise questions with me. This does.
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82 comments Add your comment
DB, Gwinnettian
April 2nd, 2009
8:00 am
The dismissal of the nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 doesn’t raise questions with me. This does.
Well, better late than never, I guess.
Mac
April 2nd, 2009
8:41 am
An old Republican crook escapes on a technicality. I thought you’d be happy.
Redneck Convert
April 2nd, 2009
8:51 am
Well, this is what you get when you don’t use the Death Penalty real quick. Now we got a crook that’s going to walk free just because the people trying him cut a few corners. Everybody knows in their heart that if you ain’t guilty you wouldn’t of been arrested in the first place. We won’t never get Justice if they keep dropping cases against the crooks.
Anyhow, he was a crook but he was our crook. Some way the librul Democrats found out how to get inside the Justice Department when the godly Republicans were running it and kick him out of office. He got replaced with a librul Democrat. So here we are, just a vote or two away from them ramming librul bills up our rear end, and Minnesota ready to send another librul Democrat up there.
It just keeps getting worser and worser for us godly Conservatives. Have a good day everybody.
Road Scholar
April 2nd, 2009
9:19 am
And where were Sen. Steven’s lawyers during the deposition for this guy? Wouldn’t you ask that question as a matter of thoroughness?
Dave
April 2nd, 2009
9:26 am
So he isn’t going to jail, a series of bars.
Ga Values
April 2nd, 2009
10:01 am
The senate would have been a better place without Saxby Special Interest Chambliss (Socialist, Ga) but you did everything possible to elect this crook.. same as Stevens except Stevens brought home to his home state while Saxby’s main concern is helping his lobbyist son Bo..
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:02 am
A collective shudder rippled through Silicon Valley on Wednesday
morning, as Rackable Systems announced its purchase of Silicon Graphics
Inc. for just $25 million in cash.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:03 am
United States regulators have reached the closing phase of “stress
tests” to gauge the health of the nation’s top banks, and are bracing
for a battle to get those firms to accept tough appraisals.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:03 am
Bank of America chief executive Kenneth Lewis told CNBC on Thursday
that his company made a mistake in taking too much financial aid from
the government, and indicated it would be “several quarters” before it
could pay the money back.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:05 am
Partners of Fairfield Greenwich Group, one of Bernard L. Madoff’s
biggest feeder funds, were on track in December to collect a combined
$117 million in compensation for 2008, according to documents made
public as part of a lawsuit.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:05 am
PNC Financial Services said this week that it will raise $1 billion
through the sale of floating rate senior notes under a federally
guaranteed program.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:07 am
Maurice R. Greenberg, the former chief of American International Group,
is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee this
morning at a hearing on A.I.G.’s near-collapse and rescue. He told The
Wall Street Journal in an interview that he felt no responsibility for
the problems at A.I.G. since they occurred after he left.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:07 am
The House has approved yet another bill to restrict bonuses and
compensation at financial firms that have received government bailout
money, as Democrats muscled the legislation past angry Republican
opposition.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:08 am
The Justice Department has opened about 100 criminal investigations
into wealthy American clients of the Swiss bank UBS,
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:08 am
KPMG was sued by the bankruptcy trustee for failed mortgage lender New
Century Financial, who alleged that the firm’s “grossly negligent
audits” helped trigger New Century’s collapse.
Big Bucks GOP
April 2nd, 2009
10:10 am
Thornburg Mortgage, a specialist in jumbo home loans, said Wednesday
that it planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and go out
of business, making it one of the largest casualties of the nation’s
housing slump and credit crisis.
Davo
April 2nd, 2009
10:14 am
The guy is a crook and lost because he stole from his state, hence it’s people. As a public servant he should have had the common descency to bow out and retire from govt all-together. Yet JW here hits him with kitten paws argueing that ‘the Senate is a better place without him’ but not copping to the fact that this was more than politics as usual, he was indeed getting kickbacks.
When are you republicans going to start owning up to this idea of ‘personal responsiblity’?
Bo Chambliss LOBBYIST
April 2nd, 2009
10:21 am
Daddy is afraid that I might get laid off because he can’t deliver to the Lobbyist. Saxby took $2.5 Million from the banking, insurance ane real estate interest, guess who he works for.
“This is a defining moment, and there is overwhelming empathy with folks who are scared to death about the direction this country is going,” Sen. Saxby Chambliss (S-Ga.) told POLITICO. “All of a sudden, you have the president taking over General Motors, the president taking over the financial industry and now the health care industry? I think there will be even a larger outcry coming from our constituents at the ballot box next time.”
Churchill's MOM
April 2nd, 2009
10:27 am
Jim, why write about an old has been Senator when you can write about our next President. How about a story about all the Stevens pork she turned down?
Canetus Poontang
April 2nd, 2009
10:50 am
Jim likes old has beens. He’s comfortable with that crowd. Fits right in.
Merry
April 2nd, 2009
10:52 am
Anyone find it interesting that NO WHERE in the column does Jim mention it was Bush’s Justice Department that did this? Probrbly just an oversite….
No…wait a second! That’s right! Bush never did anything Wooten didn’t like!
Steven Daedalus
April 2nd, 2009
11:00 am
Sarah Palin makes Ted Stevens look like pure white driven snow and she’s still free, whats the big deal, and Alaska must be real easy.
Churchill's MOM
April 2nd, 2009
11:19 am
It’s great to see a man stand behind his wife.. Redneck you need to take Todd as your example. When is she going to play bridge with my club?
WASHINGTON — The husband of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says the Republican Party’s lavish spending on her wardrobe during the presidential campaign was “out of our control.” In the May issue of Men’s Journal, Todd Palin was asked about the more than $150,000 that the Republican National Committee spent on clothes, accessories and beauty services for the GOP vice presidential nominee. He defended his wife, saying she was focused on preparation for her debate with Joe Biden.
“She never went to Saks, or any of that stuff,” he said. “You come into a campaign late, you put all your trust into the team, you got people who are working on VP ops for a long time, and we’re just focused on debate prep. I couldn’t give a rat’s (expletive) about clothes. Please. I mean these are my Sunday go-to-meeting jeans!”
Sarah Palin and Republican presidential nominee John McCain faced a storm of criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at high-end stores to dress the Alaska governor and her family. Some of the purchases included a $75,062 shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, one for $49,425 from Saks Fifth Avenue and $4,902 at Atelier, a stylish men’s store.
The buys were a stark contrast to Sarah Palin’s image as a “hockey mom” who calls herself part of an average, middle-class American family.
Sarah Palin has said she neither wanted nor asked for the wardrobe.
Some of the clothing was returned immediately because it was the wrong size, or for other reasons, the McCain-Palin campaign said at the time. The Republican National Committee has said the remaining items would be donated to charity.
Todd Palin told the magazine that his wife had been through tough campaigns before becoming McCain’s running mate.
“You got to remember, it’s not like they just plucked us off the fishing boat with scales still under our nails, you know?” he said.
Todd Palin, a champion snowmobiler racer, also told the magazine about his temporary Secret Service protection during the campaign.
“They liked cruising around with me,” he said, “because we went to the Arctic Cat snowmachine factory and then drove up to North Dakota, went to a Penn State-Michigan football game, went to a NASCAR race. Rough duty, hanging out with me.”
Gregg
April 2nd, 2009
11:22 am
What no Obama or Democrat Bashing! I hear a slight tinge of praise in there however you forgot to mention the party of the true crusaders of justice. You mention them when you are hell bent on proving them wrong. I wonder if this sort of conduct is possible in death row cases? If so, we got a real big problem on our hands, huh?
Why are you not commenting on how those sore (Republican) losers are dragging out re-counts in the best interest of their voters, oh sorry I meant party. Costing states more money during the turbulent time. Was it not long ago when you said that they (Democrats) should just bow out and save the American people the disgrace?
Redneck Convert
April 2nd, 2009
11:24 am
Tell this Churchill’s Mom I can’t stand behind my wife. When I do you can’t even see me.
Gregg
April 2nd, 2009
11:25 am
Yeah, Churchill’s MOM he is saying that now when they initially denied it. saying they were the average people they are. She turned down the stimulus money worth millions to her state. You mean she couldn’t tell them no, some maverick she is.
Gregg
April 2nd, 2009
11:27 am
Churchill’s MOM tell me if this is wasted tax payers dollars:
Todd Palin, a champion snowmobiler racer, also told the magazine about his temporary Secret Service protection during the campaign.
“They liked cruising around with me,” he said, “because we went to the Arctic Cat snowmachine factory and then drove up to North Dakota, went to a Penn State-Michigan football game, went to a NASCAR race. Rough duty, hanging out with me.”
Algonquin J. Calhoun
April 2nd, 2009
11:36 am
This old, Nazi cadaver was, and is, guilty as hell. There may have been prosecutorial misconduct here but it pales in comparison to the crimes committed by this ancient Republinazi boob. He’s out of the Senate and that’s the most important thing. One less Republinazi to defeat. Now, bring your empty-headed, tundra slut on!
Dorsey Hill
April 2nd, 2009
11:55 am
Road Scholar,
There is no deposition practice in Federal Criminal Courts, you moron. Because in large part of the influence of big business in our court system, and the relative little influence accused criminals have, civil defendants have more rights to know what the other side will present at trial than criminal defendants. Afterall, when it comes to taking money from a corporation for its wrongs we take all the precautions in the world, but when it comes to taking someone’s life and liberty it’s “horeshoes and hand grenades.”
The real story here I think is that by first cutting a prominent Republican loose gives the Holder AG’s Office political cover to review and perhaps to correct some of the excesses of DOJ vs. Dems over the last several years.
neo-Carlinist
April 2nd, 2009
11:55 am
talk to your colleague Bob Barr to see about lifting his Casablanca “…shocked…” analogy. Or, file this under “no honor among thieves”. here’s an idea; Stevens was wrong AND Stevens is a crook. you said it yourself, he was a pork-driven influence peddler. So, for those keeping score, politicians do not represent citizens and the U.S. Department of Justice does not administer justice. my only question is; when will Congress demand the DOJ clowns who mucked this up return their “bonuses” (salaries). I am shocked to conside the Department of Justice “rewards failure” and employes “incompetent” litigators/investigators. oh, and while we’re all wringing our hands and gnashing our teeth, the politicians continue to trade in pork.
REPUBLICANS EVIL TIME IS UP
April 2nd, 2009
12:18 pm
REMEMEBER GOP SUPPORTERS WHO SCREAM THAT THE LIBRULS LET HIM GET AWAY WITH A CRIME,IT WAS THE BUSH ADMINSTRATION WHO GOT RID OF THE LIBRUL JUDGES AND PUT IN GOP JUDGES,SO PLACE THE STEVENS BLAME ON THE CORRUPT GOP PROSECUTOR.
Canetus Poontang
April 2nd, 2009
12:47 pm
Hey, where is @@ to tell us why today’s stock market rally is all Obama’s fault?
Whadda rube…she makes Dusty seem marginally intelligent.
Bill Case
April 2nd, 2009
12:51 pm
So eager Dems were to condemn Senator Stevens that they’d believe any lie, omission or fantasy.
The accusing finger has a stink on it. Please, clean up your own act instead going after good men.
Merry
April 2nd, 2009
12:54 pm
Awwwwwwwwwww! Come on, Canetus Poontang, give us a break! NOTHING can make Dusty seem marginally intelligent.
Merry
April 2nd, 2009
12:56 pm
Sorry, Bill Case, get your instructions straight! It wasn’t the “Dems” that went after Stevens, it was Bush’s Department of Justice! BUSH’S!
Canetus Poontang
April 2nd, 2009
12:59 pm
One would have thought, Merry, but hat tip to @@ for achieving the inconceivable.
cliff zeider
April 2nd, 2009
1:07 pm
Hey, The stock market went up because Obama is out of the country, hope he stays out for a month more, I just might recover some of my losses.cliff
Merry
April 2nd, 2009
1:08 pm
Canetus: I guess the only reason Dusty’s not on here right now is that she can’t figure out a way to logically blame Bill or Hillary for Steven’s being brought before the bar.
Oh, wait a second….logic’s never stopped her before!
Gregg
April 2nd, 2009
1:10 pm
For all the Obama bashers please note how they are welcomed aboroad!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090402/ap_on_re_eu/g20_michelle_obama
Gregg
April 2nd, 2009
1:12 pm
Cliff at 1:07: I guess it’s his fault that you took some loses too huh. Face it you are just a loser.
ncgreybr
April 2nd, 2009
1:17 pm
Don’t mean to burst your bubble, Merry, but Alaska has 2 “a’s” in it and Hillary has an “a” in her name! PROOF that she had something to do with it!
Fred
April 2nd, 2009
1:24 pm
The partisan nonsense on display here overlooks the basic truth that if Bush’s DOJ could do this, so can Obama’s… and whoever succeeds him. The problem isn’t who’s in power, it’s the amount of power we give them and blind faith we show.
I weep no tears for Ted Stevens but hope whoever at the DOJ is responsible for this serves hard time.
Witch Hunt
April 2nd, 2009
1:28 pm
It really comes as no surprise that Sen. Stevens was wronged. The foul, wretched left wing liberal dungholes were after every Republican, and any many cases, still are. Slick Willie Jefferson was caught with cold cash, and the snakes on the left said it was a Republican witch hunt. The only thing Scooter got nailed for was not remembering what he said word for word many years back, and therefore he was lying and obstructing justice. I challenge ANY of you liberal moonbats to remember what you said on this freaking BLOG word for word in years past. You can’t do it, I know you can’t do it, and the prosecutors on Libby knew it – that’s why many have pleaded the 5th. Shut the witch trial down before it starts. But enough of that. We’ve got an administration to call out overseas:
Obama bows to the Saudi King (the only leader of the G20 to do so). Americans do not bow to foreign monarchs because that act signified the monarch’s power over his subjects. Great job, Mr. President.
Obama gives Britain’s Queen Elizabeth an Ipod loaded with his speeches. Surely that’s some sort of media April Fool’s joke. Was there a free teleprompter too?
Michelle touches Queen Elizabeth first, another Faux Pas of Monarchy.
If a Republican or his wife had done any of the above, the snob lib media would have printed and broadcast it around the globe as poor judgment and a reason why he shouldn’t be in power.
Then back at home, we have Biden taking credit for something that happened, or more accurately was procured, under the Bush administration last year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PIKEVILLE, N.C. — Vice President Joe Biden brought a clear message to this tiny Eastern North Carolina town Wednesday: The federal recovery money isn’t just for big banks and auto companies.
Biden and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced a new wave of $10.4 billion in federal stimulus money for home loans across the country, and billions more for essential services in rural communities such as Pikeville, which is getting money for a new fire station. Biden used the outdated, current station as a backdrop. Pikeville is just north of Goldsboro in Wayne County.
“We’re investing in places like this all across the country,” Biden said, “to demonstrate the vital role towns like this play in the recovery.”
Most of the money for the station that was announced Wednesday, however, had been secured last year under the Bush administration, according to fire department officials.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And finally, we have the lunacy of liberalism in full bloom with the “DC PC Awards.” Guess who’s coming to the awards dinner? Hah.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is helping strike another blow for cable “diversity” today by hosting an award ceremony for the media-company AIDS/HIV-awareness group Cable Positive in Washington.
Cable Positive chief Steve Villano, a former Mario Cuomo aide, is the kind of political-correctness cop who tends to hound the media because “Diversity Isn’t Diverse Enough,” because a month isn’t enough time for pride for the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender community, or because black and Latino churches, for example, are still “hotbeds of homophobia.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yeah, America still isn’t diverse enough in libtard land: straight white Christians are not the minority yet.
DJ
April 2nd, 2009
1:34 pm
Irrespective of Stevens’s rejection at the polls and irrespective likewise of the Justice Department’s misconduct, the Senate Ethics Committee, if it’s not to remain oxymoronic, should move at once to censure Stevens and prevent their colleague from voting on the Floor during his remaining days in office. They won’t do, because his own conduct ebarrasses also their own house, but yet they should do. They won’t, but they should.
It’s a cherry-pickin’ shame.
Canetus Poontang
April 2nd, 2009
1:38 pm
witch: “Yeah, America still isn’t diverse enough in libtard land: straight white Christians are not the minority yet.”
True, but the day is coming, and none too soon. Pray real hard and maybe your sky fairy will come to the rescue.
Just Nasty & Mean
April 2nd, 2009
1:47 pm
Hello Jim, et al,
A couple it items to your remarks:
· Indeed, it was Bush’s justice department that pursued Sen. Stevens. It turns out, the prosecutors had exculpatory evidence that Stevens had NOT committed crimes that they failed to turn over to the defense.
This was not “ineptness” but instead an intentional and malicious intent to distort Steven’s fair trial. There is some discussion of charges being leveled against those who perpetrated the acts.
HOWEVER, could you imagine the backlash, the unlimited torrent of fire that the press would have been leveled against Bush or his Attorney General had they intervened in ANY WAY, including providing simple oversight of the prosecution to ensure it’s proper role.
· Secondly, Bush received a thrashing in the press for firing the dozen or so Justice Dept. attorneys, which is EVERY President’s prerogative. What turned out to be just another double-standard, Clinton received ZERO negative press when he fired 95 attorneys the 1st week he became President, and was not mentioned when Bush was being pummeled for firing the dozen.
· Lastly, you might remember the DemocRats saw a chance to get a filibuster-proof Senate. They looked for all types of tactics to pick some Republicans off. This included the off-handed “macaca” remark to a stalking reporter paid by his DemocRat opponent. from leading Va. Republican Senate candidate George Allen. Macaca had no meaning until the press decided and widely published that is was a slang derogatory remark.
Summary, I believe the handling of this case was much more POLITICAL than inept. Exculpatory information was withheld, a double-standard press held Bush’s Justice Dept. at bay, and the DemocRats were looking for ANY crack to bring down sitting or leading Republican candidates.
It was politics….pure and simple.
"Charles", The Original
April 2nd, 2009
1:54 pm
Glenn said, “quitting this site. We’ll leave it to those approved by the inane subalterns at the AJC”. You are right Glenn. You’ve got to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them…just maybe it’s your time to explore selective talk radio…Dr. Stanley Monteith @ http://www.radioliberty.com. A brief conversation between you and Dr Stan would serve an audience well. Clearly, both of you are well read… And there is Alex Jones @ http://www.infowars.com. Alex certainly is at the top of his craft.
The subalterns at the AJC believe that some of us have nothing to do with our precious time but blog most of the day. That’s why they have the audacity to ban or block reasonable comments not understanding the sacrifices we’ve made just to blog. And some of my comments have fallen into a black hole too. I used to find time in my busy schedule to call in on a News and Talk radio show, 1380 waok. For almost a year, the integrationist Negro subalterns over there would put me on hold for almost two hours, and when I did get a chance to speak, I had only one minute to speak before the break… And there was no such thing as holding me over. Most of the callers over there are approved by the inane subalterns at 1380, waok. So we’re not too surprised that bloggers at the AJC have to be approved too.
Our criminal justice system should be about justice and justice only for its citizens. But it isn’t. I bid you all the tea in China that the Alaskan Republican, Ted Stevens, didn’t get justice. Any time average citizens in Oakland California etc can clearly demonstrate that police officers plant drugs on suspects to obtain wrongful convictions, and there is tacit approval from government and a host of minions in the media, it’s a forgone conclusion that no one in our country can receive justice. And this is as scary as misuse of power gets.
DJ
April 2nd, 2009
2:06 pm
it figures Wooten – right-wing apologist that he is, would have a big problem with this admittedly bad situation (caused by the BUSH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT), but has no problem with the BUSH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT firing competent jurists for not being ideologically slanted like he is.
SAD, BUT EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM THE CLUELESS RIGHT WING THESE DAYS.
Jack P
April 2nd, 2009
2:34 pm
Ted Stevens ranks among the most corrupt politicians in the history of our republic. His colleagues in the Senate were well aware of the corruption but none of them, because they are also corrupt, did anything to stop it. Ted was a good old boy who helped his colleagues obtain under the table rewards. How much did the Oh!Bama administration get for dropping the charges? Stevens is out of office now never to return but there are others in the wings just waiting to take his place.
DJ
April 2nd, 2009
2:38 pm
Excuse me, but I just don’t see the Stevens Scandal as a partisan issue. Almost all politicians are dirty. Some are dirtier than others. And the rare clean ones, a Danforth or a Bradley, can come from either party yet invariably are sent packing. Joni Mitchell wrote 20 years ago, “‘Money talks’, and Power walks it on crooked legs.”
We just have to keep throwing the bums out, every chance we get. In Alaska they’ve got the right idea. At least they stepped up to the plate. This never would’ve happened to ol’ Strom (that bearded billy goat), or to the porcine Jesse, from that state where they take mustard with their pork.