Stevens indictment a blow for all Republicans
Today’s federal indictment of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens will reverbrate throughout the Republican Party.
The Democrats had already targeted Stevens, who had been the subject of a long-running federal investigation linked to renovations at his Alaska home, as a possible seat pickup this fall, as they aim for the coveted “super majority” in the U.S. Senate. If not this year, the Democrats hope to reach 60 seats in the Senate by the 2010 midterms. An Obama presidency, coupled with a super majority in the Senate, would make the Democrats an almost unstoppable force in Washington for the next 4 years, as the GOP would be powerless to stand in the way of the left’s agenda.
Stevens, the longest-serving Republican Senator in history, was already embroiled in a tough re-election campaign against Mark Begich. The Begichs may not be Alaska’s version of the Kennedys, but they are a popular family nonetheless (Mark Begich enjoys high favorability as the mayor of Anchorage. His father, Nick Begich, was a U.S. Representative from Alaska at the time of his death in a 1972 plane crash. That had already moved what is perhaps the safest GOP state in the union to the toss-up column. In fact, most polls have found Begich narrowly leading the race. A Rasmussen poll released last week found Begich 8 points ahead of Stevens with only 4% undecided.
Rules of the Senate will require Stevens to give up his leadership positions, but do not prohibit him from seeking re-election.
Stevens should abandon his plans for re-election. For one, because it’s the right thing to do. An elected official cannot properly govern when under the cloud of suspicion of criminal wrong-doing. And, for another, because it’s best for his party. Several Republicans have filed paperwork to oppose Stevens in the state’s Republican primary, and a fresh face will give the GOP an opportunity to hold on to Stevens’ seat, despite Begich having a head start.