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Stevens to Media: You Better Watch Your Mouth
Look out Anchorage Daily News (and maybe others)! Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is gonna get ya! He's not saying how, but he's gonna get ya.
Just because two oil executives have pleaded guilty to bribing Stevens, his son, and a handful of Alaska state lawmakers, and a grand jury is hearing evidence against Stevens and his son, the Daily News keeps on reporting that Stevens is mixed up with the wrong crowd. And probably just to sell more papers, whenever one of those Alaska state lawmakers gets convicted of taking bribes from the executives (Bill Allen and Rick Smith of Veco), the Daily News feels compelled to mention Stevens and his son. Stevens spoke his mind to the Daily News in an interview:
"Your papers print (the names of) those people who have been convicted and my son's name and mine at the same time. As far as the public is concerned, it's all the same ball of wax," Stevens said. "I'm not going to comment on that ball of wax."
Just for example, take the trial of former state pol Vic Kohring for taking Veco bribes. The paper reported comments by both Kohring's lawyer and jurors that Stevens and his son were really the ones who should be on trial. And during former Alaska lawmaker's Pett Kott's trial, the paper reported when Veco exec Bill Allen admitted that he'd paid for renovations on Stevens' Alaska home. Now, is that fair?
And is it really that big of a deal that one the most powerful, longest-serving senators in the Senate's history is under investigation?
"I don't see any reason why we should have had this massive press interest in what's going on," Stevens said. "It's just an investigation of a federal agency. They go on all the time. No one else talks about them the way they talk about the one involving me."
So put two and two together: 1) the paper has been unfairly tying him to crooked locals and 2) the investigation isn't that newsworthy anyway. Clearly, the ADN is on a smear campaign. As Stevens said before, the paper's trying to "assassinate" him. And that's a crime that will not go unpunished:
"Because when it's all over, some people are going to have to account for what they've said and what they've charged us with."It was unclear whom Stevens was threatening. When asked if he meant libel or perjury, Stevens said: "No. I'm just saying there are ways to account for this in the future."
When asked if he meant political retribution, he remained vague:
"I think the people out there ought to worry about that the way I worry about the investigation. There are myriad things you can do. Just a myriad of things."
When pressed, he wouldn't elaborate further:
"I've said it," Stevens said.
Seems to me that Senator Stevens should be a bit concerned about a potential charge of obstructing justice here. News media reporting public information (such as testimony, statements in plea deals etc) is certainly covered under free press protections. So what is he trying to do with his "threats?" Is he trying to make people frightened to testify or talk about public information that may suggest he or his son is under investigation for wrongdoing? Isn't that an attempt at interfering with the investigation, and therefore potentially a crime too?
November 16, 2007 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
watch out...he is going to burn up the series of tubes called the internets..
November 16, 2007 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least he's consistent with GOP orthodoxy - thuggery and vindictiveness. Conduct unbecoming of a US Senator.
November 16, 2007 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
After he arrives in PMITA prison, the good senator will have an opportunity to get his own intertubey thingeys unclogged for him.
I can't wait.
November 16, 2007 2:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking as an Alaskan constituent of Stevens, this is how he and Don Young have kept the state media puppies of Alaska Public Radio News cowed into submission and operating not just under the radar of basic skeptical inquiry of journalism, but eliminating the problematic practice of probing questions entirely.
"Nice News" protects the AK Delegation's porcine potential, that way the news puppies get fed regularly, the public's trough get's their Bridges to Nowhere, and most importantly, the military industrial complex gets their toys under our trees.
November 16, 2007 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111607A.shtml
this is good reading. McKay wrote a law review journal story about the attorney firing.
Fired Attorneys Build Case Against Gonzales
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Report
Friday 16 November 2007
In an upcoming issue of the Seattle University Law Review, Mckay said the firing of at least two US attorneys, David Iglesias of New Mexico, and Carol Lam of San Diego, appears to demonstrate Gonzales and top DOJ officials may have obstructed justice by interfering with public corruption cases and ongoing criminal investigations Iglesias and Lam had been involved in at the time of their dismissals.
John McKay, the former US attorney for the Western District of Washington, pieced together thousands of pages of internal Justice Department (DOJ) emails released earlier this year, reviewed public documents and pored through hundreds of pages of sworn testimony his former boss, Alberto Gonzales, gave to Congress about the firings of at least nine US attorneys last year.
McKay said evidence in the public record demonstrates the former attorney general and his underlings may well have obstructed justice.
McKay was one of the nine US attorneys fired in December 2006 for reasons that appear to be politically motivated. The DOJ's inspector general, Glenn Fine, is conducting an investigation to determine whether Gonzales perjured himself before Congress or sought to influence the testimony of Monica Goodling, the DOJ's former White House liaison who used a political litmus test to hire and fire attorneys, and resigned in disgrace earlier this year. McKay said that a special prosecutor should be appointed to further probe the circumstances behind the US attorney firings if the inspector general's report determines federal laws may have been broken.
November 16, 2007 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow! Who would thought that Ted Stevens' career would close with a Scooby Doo ending?!
November 16, 2007 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why does Barbara Flanders make $150,000 as a clerk?
Are privatized Elmendorf AFB housing units on the Anchorage tax rolls after it was privatized?
Was there a Alaska state law changed to ensure Elmendorf units were not paying the same amount as the average taxpayer? Who passes that bill?
November 16, 2007 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ted Stevens vs. "Smatter of Anonymous Chatter"
November 17, 2007 12:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see: Uncle Ted, talking about the on-going investigations regarding himself and little Benny, says he won't talk about the on-going investigations, i.e., the "ball of wax."
So, please, don't ask any questions during this on-the-record discussion about the on-going investigation regarding Uncle Ted and little Benny, 'cause Ted was once a U.S. Attorney, and he *knows* about these investigations, better than "any U.S. Senator." So don't ask me about the investigation that I'm discussing with you to not discuss.
If you can, please follow Uncle Ted on this: "Because when it's [investigation] all over, some people are going to have to account for what they've said and what they've charged us with."
Continuing: "I think the people out there ought to worry about that the way I worry about the investigation."
And how does Uncle Ted "worry" about the investigation? "It's just an investigation of [by?] a federal agency. They go on all the time."
So, to wrap things up, in Uncle Ted speak": it's just an investigation which I won't talk about in discussing the ball of wax, but reporting on it should make you worry as I don't."
An aside: here in Alaska we're referring to today, November 16, 2007, as Alaska Liberation Day. Our Legislature concluded a Special Session today by passing a modified oil tax on the major producers doing business in the state (Exxon, BP, Conoco), raising taxes and imposing additional taxes on oil as the per barrel price rises. This comes following trials and convictions of leggies taking Veco bribe money. Little Benny is strongly suspected. Veco helped Uncle Ted add a second floor to his home down in Girdwood.
Liberation Day. The shackles of the oiles are being thrown off.
And Uncle Ted says everyone is trying to "assassinate" him.
November 17, 2007 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
The article is way off. This author has really twisted a self-refferent citation to say that "two oil executives pleaded guilty to bribing Stevens". That hasn't been said ANYWHERE in open procedings.
What has been said is that the Oil Executives who also own an engineering/service company performed jobs for which they didn't bill in full.
To date, there is no evidence or testimony of Stevens knowingly receiving a bribe.
Quick lying, and then referring to your previous lies to prove that your successive lie is true.
This country is too big and your lies are too easily taken as fact.
Do You DAMN Homework before spreading accusations and personal smears.
November 17, 2007 2:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
I beg to differ with you.
Court transcripts of the last two 'innocent' legislator's state in Mr. Allen's own words that 'he pled guilty to bribing Ben Stevens'.
This was a direct question from the defendant's attorney and a direct answer from Mr. Allen.
Don't you 'get it'? Ted and baby Ben LIED to you.
Supporting friends in their time of need is one thing; encouraging rampant 'cronyism' and 'an entitlement mentality' is another.
Face it, unless you could do something for him, Uncle Ted treats you with contempt. And this is NOT new. He has always been crabby and a bit of a jerk. He just has more practice now -- and worse -- doesn't appear to feel he HAS to be polite because of who he is. And he doesn't have to answer to the voters. Don't they know who he is?
Pitiful. Time to step down.
November 17, 2007 3:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Aricept much, Ted?
November 17, 2007 4:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Be Bitter All You Want. Bill Allen's testimony does not equal proof of bribery. Until it is proven Ted Stevens knew he was getting a discount ride from VECO, it just isn't true.
Ben Stevens is a very different story. They are not the same animal.
I restate...be bitter all you want, but it doesn't make it so.
Look at the last posting on this blog about Ted Stevens. The last line of the story is a correction saying that VECO had given more than $400000 of "illegal benefits" correcting their previous fallacious assertion of bribery.
Give the Feds a chance. You aren't a court of law.
November 17, 2007 4:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Corrections on Ted and actual freedom from BIG OIL & reported $1,500,000,000 revenue tax increase from least accurate KTUU & ADN
1. Taxes went up 2.5%?
700,000 barrels per day @ $95.00 per barrel
=$66,500,000 per day in TOTAL revenue
*365 days
=$24,272,500,000 BILLION (Total Annual)
* 2.5% increase= $606,812,500
Either oil needs to be $95.00 x near 3 times the price = $285 per barrel or the tax increase needs to be at LEAST 6.2% to get $1,500,000,000:
$1,500,000,000 to equal "News" reports of higher revenue from "Tax Change"
NO WAY WE WILL GET $1,500,000,000. Its total Bullshit
Sarah Palin still does not own a f*ing calculator.
That is only too if its a gross tax (Sarah Palin LIED and reversed on Gross tax post election)
So we didn't get GROSS and because they can still deduct gold handled and fur sink Port-a-Johns (made by VECO probably) for all the Slope workers and those Port-a-John cost say $7,000 each. Its deductible and no where near freedom from BIG OIL
BP/CIA kicked out Mossadeq in IRAN in 1953. Iranians kicked out BP in 1979
1979 was when IRAN was free of BIG OIL
today was not the same day!
-------------------------------------
Also Ben Stevens made $750,000 from corporate donation to Winter Special Olympics years ago. You cannot make this shit up. Who takes that much from Down kids and sleeps at night?
November 17, 2007 5:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's good to see Ted posting here as AKCONSTANT,
AT LEAST WE GET IT DIRECTLY FROM THE FISH'S MOUTH!
November 17, 2007 9:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's Funny.
I only wish I will have a life of accomplishment like Mr. Stevens. He is a giant of Alaska History.
November 17, 2007 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
And I started simply pointing out the fallacy of a circular argument where this TPCrapSpewer has used an article in which it published a correction because it was obviously wrong, as a source for the content of this article.
November 17, 2007 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
AKCONSTANT sounds like one of the few who still believe Iraq attacked us on 9/11. Only one comment...... when you all gather to send teddy and benny off to prison .....Dont drink the cool-aid ... remember jonestown.
November 17, 2007 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Valley Trash huh?
I never believed Iraq attacked us. I am a rational nonpartisan middle of the road contemplative individual, not a knee-jerk nabob like some of the commentors here.
Again, I like to see the evidence before I judge.
It sounds like you are one of those noose bearing Democrats of old, who has decided the case and moved to execution to the best of your mental capacity.
I feel sorry for you. Really.
November 17, 2007 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
AKCONSTANT sounds more like Ben than Ted to me.
November 17, 2007 11:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nope,
I want to see Ben go to jail. I have personally been impacted by his illegal backdoor deals and I watched him openly ie on Gavel to Gavel, Alaska's public service broadcast of Alaska's political events and activities.
November 18, 2007 11:40 PM | Reply | Permalink