It's Over In Alaska -- Ted Stevens Concedes Defeat
And so the Alaska Senate race has truly come to an end: Ted Stevens has conceded the election, after Democratic challenger Mark Begich built up a small but nevertheless insurmountable lead in last night's vote count.
Stevens shocked the political world when the ballots counted on Election Night originally showed him winning the race, despite the fact that he'd just been convicted on multiple felony counts in a corruption trial. This sent organized punditry and Capitol Hill into a frenzy wondering how Stevens could have possibly been re-elected -- but it wasn't over yet.
Begich had banked a lead in absentee voters that happened to not be counted yet -- indeed, he quipped during an appearance on the Rachel Maddow TV show last week that his own early ballot had only just been counted the day before. And when those votes were all tallied, Begich was the winner.
Begich is the first Democrat elected to represent deep-red Alaska at the federal level since Mike Gravel was re-elected to his final Senate term in 1974. And Ted Stevens, who in the 1950s was a U.S. Attorney known for fighting crime and busting corruption, is a lame-duck convicted felon, who even if he had won would have faced possible expulsion from the Senate.
Takes a big man to accept the fact that you're not going to win reelection to the Senate and quickly be booted out for committing multiple felonies.
November 19, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ted, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
November 19, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
don't want to break a hip...
November 19, 2008 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
OT, It's strange to see that MO is finally filled in on the TPM 2008 election results map. Got used to that big white hole in the middle.
November 19, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know what bugs me about mentions of Missouri?
With all that talk of MO being a bellwether state, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, in finitum, the media never ever ever mention that one freaking election that MO didn't vote for the eventual President. NEVER. Do you know which election it was?
I think it was 56.
November 19, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I mean they mention it as in "MO has voted for the eventual President in every election but one" and then that's it.
November 19, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Once again, this time in English plz.
November 19, 2008 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't know if you'll get this, but if they're going to mention that political factoid, wouldn't it be nice if they actually mentioned who Missouri voted for and who the winner was? Today's (yesterdays) AP piece on it finally mentioned the year, but no reference to who won.
November 20, 2008 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah!
Party in the Democratic House!!!
November 19, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
So who wants to bet he's pardoned by Bush on his way out?
November 19, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if Alaska will rename its airport now that its namesake has been defeated and is a disgrace.
November 19, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
First of all, it is NOT Alaska's Airport, it is Anchorage's airport. Contrary to popular belief there are other places in Alaska.
Secondly, we probably don't want to throw that option out until Caribou Barbie is gone. Otherwise, it will be named Sarah Palin International Airport.
BTW, I am from an island (literally) of blue in Alaska.
November 19, 2008 7:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't drop the soap, Ted. Or you very well may learn what a "series of tubes" really is.
November 19, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know I'm going to probably pick up lots of clicks on the "Report Abuse" button, but I feel sorry for Stevens whenever I see him on the TV. He's such a little man--he looks like an adorable grandfather....What can I say?
The adorable tiny grandfather look really does it for me.
November 19, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
November 19, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
On another superficial note, he does know how to tie a mean windsor knot on his neckties.
November 19, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah - all warm and snuggly, like the Killer Rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He is a mean, nasty little felon who does not deserve our sympathy. It’s a shame he will probably not serve any jail time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg
November 19, 2008 10:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not surprised he chose not to pay for a recount. He was miserable in the Senate this week, as it became clear to him that the Republicans did not want him around, would strip him of committee assignments, membership in the caucus, and anything else they could. Not as much fun as being committee chair of the commerce committee, as he was prior to the Democratic takeover.
November 19, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh the new button. Where's RobertHewson when I need him?
November 19, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL.
I wonder what this feature really does.
November 19, 2008 9:35 PM | Reply | Permalink