Let's paraphrase a popular saying about members of Congress when it's time to dole out public money for pet construction projects: It's not pork if it's in my district.
Those really good at consistently bringing home the bacon can curry a lot of favor with voters, and that comes in handy at re-election time. And few in Congress can rival Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens as a master of pork-barreling, which over the years has earned him the affectionate title of "Uncle Ted" to many Alaskans.
So, we would guess that the 84-year-old longest-serving Republican in Senate history was counting on calling in some markers from the past to help him in a tough re-election fight this year. That is, until he was indicted on federal charges last week.
The Associated Press reported that federal prosecutors claim Veco Corp., which gave Stevens about $250,000 worth of home improvements, has simultaneously asked him for numerous federal grants and contracts benefiting the company, its subsidiaries and business partners. Veco normally builds oil processing equipment and pipelines, but its employees helped do the work on Stevens' home. Stevens is accused of concealing the gifts.
Noted for a bulldog's tenacity and aggressive pursuit of his interests, Stevens quickly pulled a pretty nifty public relations ploy. He has asked for, and received, a trial date in September. That means eight weeks from arraignment to trial, which is warp speed for sticky cases such as this. But it also is before the general election and Stevens, besides being a prince of pork, is very politically savvy.
Anyone who could get the federal government to pay for the infamous " bridge to nowhere" certainly knows how to play the game. That bridge plan, since abandoned, was estimated to cost up to $1.5 billion to connect Ketchikan, a town with a population of about 14,500, with an airport now served by ferry service on tiny Gravina Island.
When you are a member and former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, you do have clout.
The expedited trial date seemingly sends a message to the folks back home that he's serious when he says he's innocent of "knowingly" submitting a false disclosure form.
We'll see. Stevens strikes us as someone who knows exactly what he was doing at all times.
And it has paid dividends over the years. We chuckled at the comments of Anchorage home-builder Chuck Spinelli:
"People of Alaska have hired him to bring money back to this state," Spinelli told AP. "He has done that over and over and over again. Whatever these charges are, he deserves the respect and our admiration. We should wait to see what actually happens before there's a call to do anything."
Stay tuned. This one could get interesting and either make Stevens senator for life or help end an era of old-school backscratching and pork barreling, at least as practiced by Stevens and others of his ilk.
* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.
E-mail
Print
Comments
Weather/Forecast
