And, as a Democrat, I will happily repeat what I’ve said more than once:

Rep. Jefferson needs to go.

Corruption is a scourge that hurts us all, regardless of party.

… I’d say they need to replace Stephens on the ballot with a better candidate the way the Democrats did in New Jersey a couple elections ago.

Unfortunately it is too late due to absentee ballots.

… I’d say they need to replace Stephens on the ballot with a better candidate the way the Democrats did in New Jersey a couple elections ago.

Unfortunately it is too late due to absentee ballots.

Otherwise, this crook will be hung around his neck.

The left is already crowing about how Palin was the head of his PAC–She need to call for his head loud and long.

“This is not the Ted Stevens I knew.”

I think Gov. Palin should put on her “Governor” hat for the afternoon, announce today that she has a public statement to make in her capacity as governor and not on behalf of the McCain campaign, and publicly request that Stevens resign immediately. She can appoint Lt. Gov. Parnell to the remainder of Stevens’ term so that Alaska can be represented for the next 2+ months by someone who is not a convicted criminal. Furthermore, she should say that if Stevens is reelected she will ask that he agree not to be sworn-in (again, appointing Parnell instead). And if he refuses to resign, then she can say that as soon as he is forced from office by the other senators, she will appoint Parnell.

I concur 100% with Young. Like with Foley (although Young is nowhere near as bad as the homosexual Foley), we can replace his replacement with a decent Republican in 2 years. In the Senate, I can only endorse voting against Stevens with 94.19% enthusiasm. That is 6 long years (given the last 1.5 years, Sen. Begich would be a Landrieu-like “moderate”). But this is another vote for the far-left Judiciary Comittee’s shenanigans on judges, another lapdog for the far-left Senate majority. Damn this is a nightmare!

and an additional House member.

This goes to the root of why parties like the AIP thrive here. I’ve made the arguments many times about Alaska’s having been ruthlessly exploited by the United States both before Statehood and after. We were the major contribution to the joint Anglo-American initiative to break the OPEC price after the ’74 Embargo and we GAVE OIL AWAY in the late ’80s and early ’90s so YOU could have a two decade boom. We tried to get some of the things you take for granted by reaching in that burgeoning federal Treasury. Now we know how you feel about us and about people from NOWHERE generally. Most of you know I don’t like Sarah Palin much, but I like the way she’s been treated by people who purport to be my “fellow Americans” even less. Wait until you see what the price of oil will be by the late second or early third year of a BHO Administration, and guess where you won’t be able to turn to for the oil to save your butts. I really like expensive oil and really don’t give a damn what that does to the Lower 48. Aligning oneself with the Republican Party is extraordinarily difficult for any Alaskan; just look at how Palin has actually governed and, more to the point, look how she’s been treated by the Republican illuminati. We’re no more comfortable with the would-be Theocrats of the Right than we are comfortable with the lower-case theocrats of the Left. You just made it easier to drop the pretense and just admit that it is all up for the highest bidder. Got oil?

Alaskan Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for once again nominating these crooks.

I can’t think of any other members of Congress that have done so much to tarnish the Republican brand.

I also would urge Republicans in Alaska to either vote 3rd party (first preference) or vote for their replacments.

Alaska is a conservative state, and the Democrat replacements will be short lived, especially if they walk lock-step with Pelosi and Reid.

I wouldn’t work to help a convicted criminal get elected, so you won’t see moe endorsing Ted Stevens, but I wouldn’t cooperate with the wickedness that is the Democratic Party in Washington.

Stevens took gifts illegally. Begich and Berkowitz will aid in legalized infanticide.

So while I understand the sentiment behind this post by the Directors, I have to disagree.

Stevens or Young, but that doesn’t mean you have to endorse the Democrats. Good grief!!

As a diehard poster who comes here and to see this and it makes my skin crawl. Next Tuesday is going to be a disaster for us!

You guys have no idea what the implications we are going to face with Dems getting close to 60 Seats in Senate and long term implications and to do this?

I am sick over what has happened today for next 2 days Palin/McCain will have to deal with this issue. Forget it

Bush ruined this party

Sorry guys, but this is really more about your perceived political self-righteousness than about reality. Endorsing Democrats? Please. Call for Stevens and Young’s resignations but actually endorsing their opponents?

How colligiate of you.

Perhaps you would care to give us a polling so we know who are the soul cleansers and who realists?

Caveat: I am a liberal democrat. please do not assume i am a troll. (i attend one of the most conservative law schools in the country and enjoy healthy political discourse.) corruption is not a partisan issue. public corruption is a crime against every american. bravo to red state for a bold stand that many posters here will not agree with. i could not agree with you folks more about the situation with bill ‘cold cash’ jefferson. i had hoped we would lose both mcckinney and jefferson in the last election. shame on louisiana voters for returning this obvious crook to congress. the most disgusting part for jefferson, in gaining re-election, was his use of the absolute worst kind of divisive race baiting in order to eke out victory. this race is probably headed for run-off (stupid napoleanic code!), and i endorse republican (fill in the blank) against this cancer in the congress.

the Senate and House at Large races on their ballot instead of voting FOR a Dem?

Both should have never made it out of the primaries this year, and they have cost the party dearly. Should have flushed them out in the purge of 2006.

I tried to comment before you were so severely reprimanded by your members but the site was too slow, as it often is.

That’s ok. I just figured God smote you for your blasphemy.

I don’t live in Alaska so this is not a choice I have to make but if it was I would simply not vote for this office.

I can’t vote for a crook and since all Democrats are crooks there is no one to vote for in this instance.

Geez! Endorsing a DEM in this day and time who will stab you in the back?

Are we ever going to learn that DEMS will stab us in the back every single time? Just like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown.

Just like Norm Coleman taking the Bush “high road” suspending all negative attacks on Franken. What a pansy.

Grow a spine people. No need to punish ourselves anymore. Quit reaching across the aisle. McCain does that enough for all of us.

Is this the “change” we want?

Talk about emboldening the other side.

Have you endorsed every deserving Republican here? I think that would be the first priority.

Country first! Not some righteous cleansing.

Thank you for retracting the endorsement of the Dems.

Personally, I have no love lost for Stevens. http://pawatercooler.com/?p=8089

But http://www.begich.com/content/redstatecom-endorses-markfor a good reason why it’s not a good idea to endorse the Dem in any race:

RedState.com, a national Republican blog, has endorsed Mark Begich in the Alaska U.S.Senate race.

They had this to say:

“We stand at a perilous moment in American politics, with the real possibility that the Democrats could get to 60 votes in the Senate. This is no time for litmus tests of party loyalty, for abandoning our own. But we must make one exception: good conscience compels us to advise Alaskans to vote for Mark Begich, the Democrat mayor of Anchorage, for the U.S. Senate. And we also endorse Ethan Berkowitz for the at-large House seat in Alaska.”

It is clear that it is time to put party politics aside and elect leadership that will fight for Alaska families. People of all parties and political views are drawn to this campaign because they know it is time to move Alaska forward!

Vote for a 3rd party.

(crosses fingers for no 500 error)

especially in light of the possibility of a GOP caucus with <41 votes, but this part makes my skin crawl:

We have changed the title and amended the post to retract the formal endorsement out of respect for RedState Contributors who did not feel they could be associated in good conscience with an endorsement of two pro-abortion Democrats

I’d appreciate knowing now if pro-choice Republicans are also persona non grata here.

Okay we tried to get Young out. I hope Parnell will want to run for the House seat again. Of course technically it will be better if Parnell has to assume the post of governor because Sarah is Vice President.

I hope the national Repulican Party will learn it’s lesson finally.

Delay you can argue was targeted by a Democrat prosecutor.

Foley was a nut!

But we saw this coming.

Of course with Democrats apparently gaining large majorties it will be easy to have our earmarks shut out so the entire House and Senate Republicans should pledge not to take a single earmark.

We can also put out a contract with America (that would’ve helped this year, but our Congressional leadership didn’t care)

Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN

Sorry, these stalinists deserve no quarter at all IMHO. The Constitution Party or the Bull Moose Party, anybody but the stalinist Democrat Party would have been fine.

with his convinction today, he has no future as an United States Senator. There is no way Stevens will serve any time of his new term. For all practal purposes the AK senate race is a question of electing Begich or having a special election. Anybody in Alaska who does not want a 60 vote Democratic majority needs to bite the bullet and vote for Stevens. I wished the directors realized this before endorsing Begich or encouring people not to vote for Stevens. I wholeheartly agree with the Diectors on Young as the house seat wont matter and can replaced in a couple of years anyway.

If it were any other time, I’d be singing your praises… This is NOT a normal circumstance (with Dem’s poised to possibly – no I’m not giving up the ship, we ain’t done yet – have a SuperMajority).

Regardless of the new Title for this Diary and attempt at nuance… I STILL DON’T AGREE.

1. Stevens must be voted in to HOLD THE SEAT

2. He must then RESIGN (OR Republicans in Senate demand Ethics hearing and ultimate REMOVAL/DISMISSAL)

3. Whatever AK law allows, GOV. APPOINTMENT of new Senator or Special election (should as allow us) TO HOLD SEAT.

McCain/Palin need to just not allow themselves to be distracted, which is what the MSM will do to/with them, on this. “That whole situation is unfolding in the Courts, and we will with-hold comment until it has played out there fully! We want to TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES FACING THE NATION…” and go on with whatever else to say…

PERIOD! SIMPLE!

… but YES… scum from both Parties needs to be weeded out.

First you endorse the enemy instead of a protest write in like say (Yeller Dog) and the you tell the good people of Alaska how NOT to vote.

At LEAST you could have asked for Achance as he would be better than the lot of them.

The Directors’ make a valid argument in favor of voting against Stevens, but I’m inclined to disagree.

If the choice was between another 6 years of Stevens polluting the Senate and our party, vs. Begich filling the seat for 6 years, I’d probably agree vote for the Democrat. In this case though, if Stevens wins, Republican senators would promptly move to expel Stevens from the Senate.

After maybe a few months’ soap opera, a reelected Stevens would be sent home to Alaska to get his affairs in order before going to prison. Then however Alaska law handles vacancies, eventually we get a special election to fill the remainder of the term – and maybe then Alaska Republicans can manage to nominate a candidate who doesn’t reek.

As for the other embarrassment Don Young, I’ll agree, vote for the Democrat Berkowitz. We don’t have the benefit of an impending prison sentence to promptly get rid of a reelected Young, and anyway in 2 years Berkowitz would face a GOP challenger.

If you are going to write this then you need to let the Paultards back onto Red State.

There is no way that you can write this and endorse two Dems over two Republicans at this late in the game and beat the crap out of conservatives who like Paul (I don’t … I think he’s crazy on a couple of levels) and others who pound on McCain.

You wax eloquent on “the primary is over its time to get behind McCain” and then pull this stuff.

Stevens — okay .. maybe … but TACTICALLY, it’s better to elect Stevens and then have him kicked out of the Senate and replaced in an election then to put a Democrat in now. Stevens wins and is kicked out or resigns then you have a pretty good chance to run the AG or the Lt. Gov against a Dem in the special election.

Don Young — hate his guts, but he’s not convicted of anything. I sent Parnell money.

This is a tactical mistake and hypocritical as well.

And that’s coming from someone who (95% of the time) thinks you guys walk on water.

Nobody in the Senate is a bigger crook than Dirty Harry of Nevada. He has spent his career using public money and his Senate seat to make his family members rich. Hopefully they’ll get him before the next election. Unless the Dems have made his corrupt actions legal.

He and Stevens should be bunk buddies in the slammer.

Elect Stevens, force him out when he is sentenced, and hold a special election.
Why you are against the house member, I don’t know. But do the same thing.
Democrats are stealing our milkshakes, using rules on us that they never follow.
The heck with voting out Stevens.
When I see Feinstein and Reid and Rangle under indictment for their respective crimes, I will start worrying about a guy who got a deal on his remodeling.
Heck, where is that Grand Jury probe into Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, anyway?
I am sick and friggin’ tired of laws that only apply to Republicans. Almost as tired as us cheerfully cooperating with democrats in applying those laws to us.
Jefferson is going to get re-elected for the second time since his money was found.
That racist Florida impeached judge is getting re-elected.
Teddy Kennedy has spent going on 40 years in office.
We toss out guys for making sexist comments to women.
Democrats know just how to play to win.
We are the ones they play.
I am for one tired of being their fools and giving away my milkshake.

Any thoughts on a coordinated “endorse the third party” statement? That might be most effective.

Senators are nothing wore than glorified yea/nay voters on issues that are usually very clear cut. They are a proxy vote.

No need to insist one’s barber be a saint either.

The damage from an Obama with a 60 votes senate would be incalculable and permanent.

more later

but I’m not a Director.

Stevens lost to Begich by less than two percentage points. Subsequently, the U.S. Attorney General dropped all charges against Stevens, due to prosecutorial misconduct. The investigation of the prosecutorial misconduct is still ongoing.

This week, Begich provided the deciding sixtieth vote to approve a takeover by the federal government of the health care industry, including penalties for citizens who do not purchase federally-approved health insurance plans, some of which will provide abortion coverage. This legislation has not yet become law, because it still has to be reconciled with the House version, which may prove difficult.

Ted Stevens dies in a plane crash on August 9, 2010. Investigation into the people who wrongly prosecuted him continues.

R.I.P.