Blogging Ted Stevens

While checking how people got to my blog, I found a link from Political Blogging - US Senators where you can look up any US Senator and see what people are blogging about him or her. The link above is to the Ted Stevens pages - 10 pages, each with ten trailers for blog postings that mention Stevens. Most are rehashed stories most aware Alaskans already know about. But the cumulative effect of scanning so many blogs is telling. Our senior senator is now an American symbol of corruption in the eyes of the rest of the world.

Drew Carey's comment in a YouTube segment at Government Bytes (National Taxpayers' Website) about hosting both the Price is Right and a new game show The Power of Ten is probably the most telling. His mention of Ted Stevens is so off the cuff, as though everyone should know what he's talking about.

I thought about it. You're giving away prizes all day and making everybody happy. I really can't complain. Honestly, my whole take on it has turned around now. Now I think you couldn't do better. Here's a car, here's some money. And it's not even your money. You're giving away money and getting credit for it. I feel like a congressman. I'm like the junior Ted Stevens.

While this Seattle Times article on a BooMan post on Taylormarsh.com writes about what a consummate politician Stevens is, the general tone is that a dark cloud now hangs over him.

Stevens is known for his blustery, sometimes combative demeanor in public.

But behind the scenes, he's acted as a dealmaker in an increasingly fractious Senate, orchestrating compromises and pushing legislation through committee.

Stevens' work on the Appropriations Committee, pushing earmarks to fund his projects and backing those of other senators, may help explain why Democrats aren't celebrating his potential fall.

As I said above, not too much that informed Alaskans don't already know and a fair amount of silliness at Stevens' expense. But it's a reminder to those of us who know how profoundly Stevens has positively impacted this state, that many people Outside only associate Uncle Ted with the 'bridge to nowhere' and tubes.