Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) Arranged Fed Funded Bailout for Former Aide = TPM

[L. Coyote]

Paper: Docs Show Stevens Arranged Fed Funded Bailout for Former Aide
By Paul Kiel - February 12, 2008, 2:20PM - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/paper_docs_show_stevens_arrang.php

The feds are probing whether Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) was on the take from execs at the oil company Veco. One focus in particular has been whether CEO Bill Allen paid for Stevens to jack up his Alaska home and another floor. Allen, cooperating with investigators, even taped phone conversations with Stevens. That much is clear.

But there's another angle to the investigation which seems to center on Stevens' possible use of earmarks to stuff his buddies' pockets. One of those earmarks that's getting a lot of attention is a $1.6 million appropriation Stevens made in 2005 to the Alaska SeaLife Center for it to buy property partially owned by Trevor McCabe, a former aide and close associate of Stevens. McCabe is also tied up in another area of investigation with Stevens' son Ben.

According to this detailed blow-by-blow account of the deal by The Anchorage Daily News, an aide from Stevens' office and a lobbyist teamed up in order to make sure that McCabe and his partners got their money. They had some trouble finding the right organization to close the deal. The City of Seward, where the property is located, was eventually ruled out, because the requisite public oversight would prove too hairy -- it wasn't a sure thing. That's why the funds made their way to the SeaLife Center, a marine research center and tourist attraction that's grown up on $50 million in public money.

As the ADN summarizes the deal: .........

[Winterblues]

1. There is a slim chance that he may not win re-election

Alaska is a very Red State but both Young and Stevens have been in the news so much for being under investigation that even some Republicans are disgusted. Only some though...

[salin]

2. I would guess the question would be whether he stick out "the fight"

or their comes a point where the heat is to high - and he decides not to run for reelection, and whether that would happen early enough for a different republican candidate to mount a campaign.

A quick question - I understand little of the political dynamics of Alaska - what makes it so red? Here in Indiana it used to be the "main street republicans" but in more recent years it has been more the religious right (ugh!)

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I think Alaska's "redness" comes from the influence

of Big Oil. Back in the old territorial days and early days of statehood, we were a much more Democratic state (remember, Mike Gravel was one of our senators from 1968 to 1980), but with the construction of the pipeline and the influx of a load of Texas and Oklahoma oil men, plus the Big Three oil companies, the rightward shift happened pretty quickly. The religious right doesn't really play that big a role here, in my opinion -- not saying that we don't have plenty of them, but I think the business Republicans are more influential.

With all the recent scandals, though, a lot of people seem to be waking up. Even our Republican governor, Sarah Palin, is pretty much an anti-establishment populist who soundly defeated Frank Murkowski and other well-financed candidates in the Republican primary and then went on to win the general against Democrat Tony Knowles, who in some ways was more oil-influenced. Gov. Palin is a social conservative, but so far at least she hasn't tried to cram that down anyone's throat and has an 80+ percent approval rating. And she has had no problem at all standing up to Big Oil, pushing through a big petroleum tax increase, adding millions to the state coffers.

[salin]

7. thanks ... sounds like the coming years could be some interesting

political drama per elections (actually the knocking out of Murkowski was probably the first shoe dropping in the interesting political era up there.)

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Like this guy?

[L. Coyote]

6. Thank you very, very much. We need more disgusted pigs like this.

[Arctic Dave]

5. No surprises here.

Why does this not surprise me. The state Repugs have been in the paper so much I could definitely see Ted losing his seat. These guys have had it so easy up here, I think they were beginning to think the rules just didn't apply them anymore.


A little off topic:
I used to work with Pete Kotts son and it would only take five minutes him talking to figure out how crooked these guys were. They have nothing but contempt for anyone other then themselves.

Also, Did anyone other then me notice that when Kott first went on trial that it had video footage of him and son and daughter. After the the first day they would show the same video footage but with Pete Jr. cropped out. I know he has dreams of following his Dad's footsteps, I'm wondering if the local news is trying to shield him. At least Channel 2 was doing this.

[L. Coyote]

8. Welcome to DU. YES, Alaskans have had enough of the Corrupt Bastards Club!

and will vote them out.

[Initech]

9. It's a series of tubes!!!!

[SoCalDem]

10. Damn. my heart skipped a beat.. I thought the word was "arraigned"

aaaah.. I can dream :hi:

[L. Coyote]

11. Coming soon in a courtroom near you, but don't hold your breath

Stevens is still wearing a wire to ensnare Bush and Cheney :rofl: