TPMMuckraker | Talking Points Memo | Stevens Resigns from Two Committees

Stevens Resigns from Two Committees

By Kate Klonick - July 29, 2008, 4:30PM

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who has been indicted on seven counts of making false statements on his financial disclosure forms, has stepped down from his post atop two committees, according to a senior GOP aide.
Republicans may vote as early as Wednesday afternoon to select replacements.

Consistent with GOP bylaws that require Members who are under felony indictment to relinquish their ranking posts on committees, Stevens, the longest-serving Republican Senator, has officially stepped down as ranking member of both the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

6 Comments

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First question:

With Stevens at least temporarily out as ranking member of those committees, who will be stepping up to fill the void? Democrat? Republican? Not Insane?

Posted by macartisan
July 29, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink

So do they have Internet classes in the federal pokey?

It was 2 years ago this month that Jon Stewart immortalized the cluelessness of the "crazy old man in an airport bar at 3 AM", aka Senator Ted Stevens, then chair of the Commerce Committee:

"The internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's ... it's a series of tubes.
And if you don't understand that those tubes can be filled, and if they're filled when you put your message in it, it gets in line, it's gonna be delayed by anyone who puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.

Ten movies streaming across that, that internet, and what happpens to your own personal internet? I... just the other day, got internet was sent by my staff at 10:00 in the morning on Friday, I got it yesterday."

There may be even more delays for Ted's personal internets where he is going. He should consult with his friend Duke on how well the government supplies Internet service for its involuntarily incarcerated.

Posted by seashell
July 29, 2008 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink

"...stepped down as ranking member of both the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense."

Commerce, SCIENCE, and Transportation Committee.

Science? Is this the long suit he used for his tubular bells and whistles?

Posted by 714Day
July 29, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink

Daily Show video is not available but it's on YouTube.com.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=f99PcP0aFNE

Caution, it is very painful to listen to. Listening to this Senator could even be defined as torture.

Posted by Agathena
July 29, 2008 11:25 PM | Reply | Permalink

Yeah, it's pretty painful. And as has already been pointed out: He was chair of the SCIENCE committee?! Republicans love testing: I think there ought to be a proficiency test for that committee of all committees.

Posted by matyra in reply to a comment from Agathena
July 30, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink

He turns my inner cynic into a ball of happy yumbos!

Posted by Roadkill
July 30, 2008 9:34 AM | Reply | Permalink