Former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Dies in Plane Crash at Age 86

(USA Today) Former Senator Ted Stevens, who was the longest serving Republican ever in the U.S. Senate who represented the state of Alaska for approximately 41 years, died Tuesday in a plane crash.  Stevens was a central figure in Alaska history, who never apologized for using his power in Congress to funnel billions in federal money to the beautiful and sparsely populated state.  Stevens, 86, was confirmed dead Tuesday, following a plane crash Monday in southwest Alaska.  Decades earlier, Stevens was one of two survivors of an airplane crash in Anchorage that killed his first wife, Ann.  He was the longest serving Republican in Congress before he narrowly lost his re-election bid in 2008.  He was convicted of concealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in home renovations and gifts from an oil executive.  He lost to Democrat Mark Begich.  A federal judge threw out the conviction in 2009 for prosecutorial misconduct.  President Obama stated the decorated World War II pilot "devoted his career to serving the people of Alaska and fighting for our men and women in uniform."  Republican Governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell, said the state's residents "have a long road of grieving" ahead.  "He built Alaska.  He stood for Alaska.  He fought for Alaskans," Parnell said Tuesday.  "Ted was a lion who retreated before nothing. 

During the four decades that Stevens occupied the Senate, he was an unabashed advocated for the state who often donned his trademark "Incredible Hulk" tie before waging battle on the Senate floor."  He was a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee--he was chairman when Republicans controlled the chamber.  Stevens supported defense spending and sent billions of dollars in federal money to the state.  He was famously known for backing the now-infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" in 2005.  It was a multimillion-dollar span intended to provide access to Ketchikan's airport on Gravina Island, which had 50 residents in the 2000 census.  He was also known for his heated outburst such as when he tried to appropriate funds for this particular project.  When a Republican colleague attempted to strip money for the Gravina Island bridge from a bill in 2005 and redirect it to hurricane-ravaged Lousiana, Stevens angrily threatened to resign,  "if the Senate decides to discriminate against our state."  He should've resigned then.  If the Republicans who occupied the Senate had any audacity about them, they should've told him to go ahead because they're not going to back down to his outbursts.  He wouldn't have resigned anyway, in my opinion.  He was bluffing.

Citizens Against Government Waste, a budget watchdog group, routinely criticized Steven's work as an appropriator and said the state ranked first in "pork per capita" in 2008, the last year he served in the Senate.  His work was celebrated by many in the state.  He was known as "Uncle Ted".  In 2000, he was named "Alaskan of the Century" by the state's Legislature.  That year, Anchorage Airport was renamed the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. 

Ted Stevens is just another example what's wrong with today's politicians: they're out to perpetuate their power base.  I know some would support him with all the money he funneled to Alaska.  However, some of the projects he funneled money to was wasteful, such as the "Bridge to Nowhere."  Corruption is a trademark of politicians who have their hands on the money.  He played a role in funding having chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee when the Republicans were in charge.  These career politicians need to be voted out.  It's good that Alaskans finally voted him out in 2008.  It was overdue.