TheAgitator.com
The Honorable Creep from Alaska
Sunday, November 23rd, 2008Last week, defeated Sen. Ted Stevens’ colleagues in the U.S. Senate spent a full three hours lavishing praise on the convicted felon.
“We all make mistakes,” Sen. Robert Byrd, celebrating his 91st birthday, said from his wheelchair. “I’ve made more of them than I have hair follicles.” The West Virginia Democrat, in failing health, read his colleague of 40 years an old Irish blessing (“May the road rise up to meet you . . .”) and, with faltering speech, said, “Bless your heart, Ted. I love you.” Stevens crossed the aisle and held Byrd’s hand.
In a soft voice, Sen. Daniel Inouye, 84, a Hawaii Democrat whom Stevens called “my brother,” told colleagues that “the events of recent weeks have been less than pleasant, and at times dismal and heartbreaking. But to my friend, I say: Stand tall, Ted, because you have every good reason to do so.”
[...]
There was celebration of the bacon he brought to Anchorage, everything from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to the new VA outpatient clinic in Anchorage. “No senator in the history of this country has done more for his state than Senator Ted Stevens,” said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Not to mention himself. The L.A. Times reported in 2003 that in the late 1990s, Stevens concluded that a man with his power and influence should be quite a bit wealthier than he was at the time. So he decided he’d use his power to make himself richer. He started selling favors and federal contracts in exchange for sweetheart jobs for his relatives and no-risk investment opportunities.
This is beside all the perfectly legal pork barrel stuff which, as my colleague Jacob Sullum has pointed out, in many ways is more offensive than Stevens’ ethical and legal transgressions.
Yet in spite of Stevens’ contempt for taxpayers, his vanity and sense of privilege, and his brazen corruption, he had no problem persuading the likes of Colin Powell, Orin Hatch, and Ted Kennedy to testify as character witnesses at his trial, nor did his Senate colleagues–from both parties–seem to have any reservations about feting and making a martyr of him before sending him back to Alaska.
It’s all pretty sickening.
In the interest of fairness……as if that has anything to do with American policitcs……when are you going to comment about that pillar of society from New Orleans, the Honarable William Jefferson……you know…..the one with all the cold cash in his freezer…….?
All true, but you said:
The reason for this is that, from their point of view, “there but for the grace of God go I”; that is, similar things can be said of almost any member of Congress. The spotlight simply has yet to be turned on them.
And it wouldn’t matter, because the hordes of morons in their states will keep voting for them anyway.
Is this surprising? It’s not like any of them are in a position to judge him, they’re just hoping they don’t get caught too. They’re probably still pissed that someone had the gall to investigate him.
And for Jefferson, he hasn’t actually lost yet, I’m sure he’ll get just as much fellating if Louisiana pulls its head out if its ass and doesn’t re-elect him in December. Although the fact that he and Stevens got to runoffs is a pretty damning indictment of voters in New Orleans and Alaska.
Um, a couple of years ago?
I agree with j.d. I think most of Congress with any seniority would not stand up to scrutiny if any serious investigation was done. I also question whether the Executive branch would either. And the same for the Judicial. And the state and local governments. And the police.
Reading through many of Radley’s posts, we seem to have created a country where the poison that comes with power is growing. The powerful have removed the moral hazard for themselves and they are now getting elected by removing it for the common folk as well.
What an awful culture we are creating.
“What an awful culture we are creating.”
True statement and the right way to write it, but I don’t take any blame for creating this mess. I’ve taken my hard lumps over the decades from those responsible (that wouldn’t listen) to take ANY blame.
Folks, Congress is the first and most important thing that is wrong with America.
You can catch them with hookers, doing blow, tapping the glass crack pipe, cash in their bra and freezer, lying, having kids with their mistress(es), getting people killed, not knowing basic history or geography, and stealing*…but they still stay in Congress. It’s enough to suggest maybe there is some great conspiracy.
Just don’t catch them burning a flag (precious symbolism–highest priority to guarantee servitude). THAT is political suicide.
*Not all of these things are “bad” in my opinion, but none are considered “good” by those in Congress.
“It’s all pretty sickening.”
Have to agree with you there, Radley.
Statism, in all its variants, is sickening.
Gotta disagree with you here. I do not like Stevens and that the Bush Justice Dept. got him is irony, but in fact it was a horrible prosecution and if Bush had any brains (I know he has proven he doesn’t) He would pardon him now. Further if he fails to pardon him, this case ought to get over turned. It is the poster case for prosecutorial misconduct and Government overreaching.
TLD