AMERICAblog: BREAKING: Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens loses re-election bid
Dave of the Jungle
· 1 year ago
Down the Tubes.
henrythefifth
· 1 year ago
Of course he won't ask for a pardon! According to him, he hasn't been convicted of anything, remember. :)
houstonray
· 1 year ago
Thank GOD!
No "Senator" Palin....brrr...sent shivers down my spine just thinking about it....
An_American_Karol
· 1 year ago
Good. We voters did our job. I wish the ones we voted into office would do theirs.
rcm
· 1 year ago
Will the Senate Dems reach the magic number? I hope so! And it's nice to see this door lock shut on Palin's stairway to political heaven.
An_American_Karol
· 1 year ago
Good one.
tacitus
· 1 year ago
Oh, it does matter. A lot. We just got rid of a powerful Republican senator (even if he was effectively neutered by his own criminality already). I'd rather have a sometime caving Democrat than an always blocking Republican.
KLG
· 1 year ago
What a way to go! Thank you Senator Toobz. Now, everybody help out Jim Martin in my home state!
davidi92260
· 1 year ago
Bye bye senator Palin.
LCM
· 1 year ago
Sarah must be sobbing over her moose chili somewhere in the Yukon.
cordovadiva
· 1 year ago
wowsie! Bye Bye Senator Ice Princess! Bye Bye Uncle Ted.... can we change the name of the airport now?
smiling dog
· 1 year ago
I will try to stay excited about this and hope that the Lieberman thing is not a sign of futility and centrism to come.
Bush_Bites
· 1 year ago
Lamont sounds like he wants to run again.
We got three years to load up his war chest this time.
He'll KILL Lieberputz.
Bush_Bites
· 1 year ago
Out of office and into prison.
susanai56
· 1 year ago
This is great news. I really have the feeling that the Dems will get Georgia, with a little help from above. But wouldn't it be bloody nice to have on their resume!
Anders Wente
· 1 year ago
Good riddance to Stevens and good thing not to have the post in the hands of Palin. But can anyone explain for me how Alaskans get annual payoffs from the oil companies -- I think several thousand $$$ every year to every man, woman and child in Alaska. My state produces a lot of coal -- When do I and my family get paid by the coal companies?
1970cs
· 1 year ago
My guess is that the coal companies in your state own the land. The oil companies in Alaska lease the land they drill on from the State, and the payments are written into the lease agreement.
Sage24
· 1 year ago
It is such a relief that Stevens is out of the Senate, and that the witch from Wasilla, will NOT grace the Senate floor, with her gotchas and betchas. At least this is some good news today. The disappointment I felt today, was when the spineless Dems voted to keep Traitor Joe in their circle.
I understand that they are desperate enough to put up with a traitor, but it does send the wrong signals to future traitors.
seamusiv
· 1 year ago
C'mon, John. Quit the whining. You have to have *some* pragmatism. These guys haven't even taken office yet -- heck 2 races aren't even decided yet -- but here you are crying Charlie Brown on a football that hasn't even been teed up. <sigh>
It's not like Clinton was the king of the liberal agenda yet after 8 years of W you somehow expect that a Democratic majority + a Democratic President is just going to be able to flip the switch and reverse this trainwreck? Fixing what Bush/Cheney has done will likely take *at least* another 8 years.
After this past week I'm starting to think the last 8 years has made you buy the GOP line -- that governing is just a game and it doesn't involves real people and a real world.
Laur
· 1 year ago
Can't blame people for wanting all the bad shit to go away immediately. But I'm with you here--it's much easier to demolish wholesale than it is to construct something substantial, and we're definitely faced with a task of reconstructing AND reinforcing our institutions so that they'll be optimally functional and beneficial to our diverse citizenry.
As opposed to only benefiting corporations and their interests.
Sean
· 1 year ago
C'mon, John. Quit the whining. You have to have *some* pragmatism. These guys haven't even taken office yet -- heck 2 races aren't even decided yet -- but here you are crying Charlie Brown on a football that hasn't even been teed up. <sigh>
It's not like Clinton was the king of the liberal agenda yet after 8 years of W you somehow expect that a Democratic majority + a Democratic President is just going to be able to flip the switch and reverse this trainwreck? Fixing what Bush/Cheney has done will likely take *at least* another 8 years.
After this past week I'm starting to think the last 8 years has made you buy the GOP line -- that governing is just a game and it doesn't involves real people and a real world.
lucky hussein
· 1 year ago
ya know, 'whining' is often a term used by the reich-wing when describing the left... if we're going to fix anything, we are not off to a great start: rahm, shillary, summers maybe as t-sect, gates to say on maybe, traitor joe. AG - ok, 1 good.
Sean
· 1 year ago
Touche, hussein. You, too, have seemed to buy into the GOP/FOX News strategy of hammering home one word in the hope it catches on. But glad someone can play Linus to John's Charlie Brown.
I'll forgo the 5ยข I normally charge and say again, this is a sh*tstorm of problems that is going to require some time.
If you actually bought into anything from the campaign, you know that we are in a mess of a mess and this going to require a full court press for all 60 minutes.
If anything, I am encouraged to know that the president-elect is thinking about winning the game not just the 1st quarter.
lovepeaceandallthat
· 1 year ago
I think he just mean whining is unrealistic in it's own way.
lovepeaceandallthat
· 1 year ago
I totally agree. My comment was going to be more "whoo-whoo" (warning for those who don't get what I am saying and want to puke).
It is difficult to challenge the cynicism I hear all around me without sounding like I am hopelessly naive and just don't get it. Well, I do get it. I know how bad things are and I am VERY well aware of the nature of enabling, complicity, back-room deals, corruption, and most of all lack of courage. Not to mention pure evil. But I will try.
John, your "they will cave anyway when it matters" comment as well as your "won't make a difference" comment reveal a mental attitude that it really hard to self-identify and even harder to change. You could call it cynicism, negative thinking, hopelessness --- I know you would call it realistic thinking! And it is, in so many ways that I highly value. But I think a person needs to be careful when weilding that "reality" sword.
Because (whoo-whoo alert) -- we really do create our own reality. Obama knows this!!!! Just because a pattern has existed (and one could argue that the pattern of politicians caving has existed "forever") doesn't mean it can't change. In fact, it is always changing and modifying and sometimes going through radical changes. No, the current Dems won't change radically and suddenly become courageous change-agents that make history. But there is ALWAYS an immense capacity for change that goes untapped. (Largely because we are all so cynical.) We need to always be mindful that that is what we are doing... our goal should be to expand our own personal capacity for change and to always communicate that to others and demand it of our elected officials.
You say having another Dem in the Senate won't make a difference? Are you supporting your ideas on the Lieberman thing, or do you really truly think it won't make a difference? I know that is a figure of speech, but truly everything always makes a difference. If one voter voting makes a difference (we hear this endlessly) then of course one more Democratic Senator makes a difference. In Lieberman's case, it ended up making a yucky difference but ... a difference no less. Let's hope it is positive change this time.
Plus, John, it all sounds so depressing and uninspiring and .... boring. Old. Broken. How is you being cynical different than the dude down the street who refuses to ever vote because "I'm not poltical plus they're all assholes anyway. My vote won't really change shit."?
I don't want to switch to suddenly being "oh, everything really is going to be fine". No. I am very skeptically minded myself and I (and others who understand what Obama meant by "hope") are just as grounded in reality as you.
The only difference is that we are acutely aware of how our thoughts/words/attitude can POWERFULLY influence our actions and thus the actions of others and so on and so on. Personally, I am trying to work hard for change but also THINK hard for change. Dream, imagine, visualize, demand.... let's really think and feel and "know" in our hearts that we can heal this country and this world. I can't see how we can unless we insist on it, and to insist on it we need to truly believe it is going to happen.
Sorta weird, hope that made some sense. And I really don't want to imply that I think John is always cynical and that he has no hope or that I can read his mind.... it is just pointing out a language/thought/action connection. I just needed to vent because I feel those of us who are trying to avoid cynicism and speak up about it often are pigeonholed into being naive silly-willy's who don't know shit about what it going on.
Quite often this assessment of the person is way off. Many of our most successful people in the world have trained their minds to "think positively" and to rid themselves of cynicism. You know, like that really famous dude with the funny sounding name.
DJ Tran
· 1 year ago
Maybe they can send him to Guantanamo with Delay, Abrahamoff, Cheney, Gonzo, Rummy, Bush, Wolfowitz, W. Foley, etc. etc. etc. Their should be plenty of room once the torture programs are dismantled. Maybe the new Rethuglican Guantanamo can be the Beta Test facility for new, humane ways of extracting information the public needs to know.
Cheers to the criminal elite. They had a good run, but its over now. I hope!
lucky hussein
· 1 year ago
I'm definitely happy about this, but it's certainly not as exciting as it should be, due to today's news. I wonder if obama will come out and campaign in georgia - if not, why not?
Laur
· 1 year ago
So, it seems that Sarah doesn't get to just plunk herself into the Senate just now, since it won't be necessary for her to make up her tiny mind about what to do about Stevens stepping down.
She'll claim credit for reforming the Republican party in her state. Five seconds later she'll get head-butted by a bunch of angry moose.
That's my kind of Palin! :)
An_American_Karol
· 1 year ago
God slammed the door in her face. lol
Bill from Dover
· 1 year ago
When we were kids we played Chutes & Ladders. Guess Sarah played Doors & God.
Laur
· 1 year ago
Sort of like the Monty Python sketch that Palin's political career seems to have become. Sorry, I just can't let go of the Python imagery--or perhaps I should say that the Python doesn't let go of me! :)
Ann Hughes
· 1 year ago
The news just keeps getting better and better. November, 2008 has been a great month!
dacnova
· 1 year ago
Alaska has a Democratic Senator and Virginia has TWO.
CHANGE
RIPWAMU
· 1 year ago
Whoo hoo! Let's hope it sticks so we don't have to deal with Palin in Congress anytime soon
Butch1
· 1 year ago
No, he won't ask for a pardon because, Georgie was going to give it to him anyway.
Jay
· 1 year ago
Fantastic news! This almost makes up for Lieberman.
Pechorin
· 1 year ago
Life is a series of tubes, and Ted just went down one of them.
Speaking of dumbasses - Alan, I seek the spotlight, Keyes is a big one.
DeanGreen
· 1 year ago
Forget Lieberman-gate. It is over now. Just hold Obama accountable on all the things progressives care about- an end to the war, economic justice, an end to torture, closing Gitmo, a new energy economy and -for god's sake- health care, health care, health care. If he can deal with these, Lieberman-gate will be forgotten and forgiven.
Joneses
· 1 year ago
Bush will pardon him no doubt about it. But at least no Palin for his seat!!!!!!!!!
eamon
· 1 year ago
This is marvelous news out of Alaska. Perhaps we should all send Ms. Sarah a condolence card since she isn't going to DC anytime soon, unless she wants to watch Inauguration festivities from the National Mall.
KarenMrsLloydRichards
· 1 year ago
Cariboo-boo has got a HUGE budget deficit looming, thanks to $1.99 a gallon gas. So: no free lunches from her to those freeloadin' Alaskans next year, and her approval ratings will go down faster than Bristol on Levi. Heh.
All Comments
No "Senator" Palin....brrr...sent shivers down my spine just thinking about it....
We got three years to load up his war chest this time.
He'll KILL Lieberputz.
At least this is some good news today. The disappointment I felt today, was
when the spineless Dems voted to keep Traitor Joe in their circle.
I understand that they are desperate enough to put up with a traitor, but
it does send the wrong signals to future traitors.
It's not like Clinton was the king of the liberal agenda yet after 8 years of W you somehow expect that a Democratic majority + a Democratic President is just going to be able to flip the switch and reverse this trainwreck? Fixing what Bush/Cheney has done will likely take *at least* another 8 years.
After this past week I'm starting to think the last 8 years has made you buy the GOP line -- that governing is just a game and it doesn't involves real people and a real world.
As opposed to only benefiting corporations and their interests.
It's not like Clinton was the king of the liberal agenda yet after 8 years of W you somehow expect that a Democratic majority + a Democratic President is just going to be able to flip the switch and reverse this trainwreck? Fixing what Bush/Cheney has done will likely take *at least* another 8 years.
After this past week I'm starting to think the last 8 years has made you buy the GOP line -- that governing is just a game and it doesn't involves real people and a real world.
I'll forgo the 5ยข I normally charge and say again, this is a sh*tstorm of problems that is going to require some time.
If you actually bought into anything from the campaign, you know that we are in a mess of a mess and this going to require a full court press for all 60 minutes.
If anything, I am encouraged to know that the president-elect is thinking about winning the game not just the 1st quarter.
It is difficult to challenge the cynicism I hear all around me without sounding like I am hopelessly naive and just don't get it. Well, I do get it. I know how bad things are and I am VERY well aware of the nature of enabling, complicity, back-room deals, corruption, and most of all lack of courage. Not to mention pure evil. But I will try.
John, your "they will cave anyway when it matters" comment as well as your "won't make a difference" comment reveal a mental attitude that it really hard to self-identify and even harder to change. You could call it cynicism, negative thinking, hopelessness --- I know you would call it realistic thinking! And it is, in so many ways that I highly value. But I think a person needs to be careful when weilding that "reality" sword.
Because (whoo-whoo alert) -- we really do create our own reality. Obama knows this!!!! Just because a pattern has existed (and one could argue that the pattern of politicians caving has existed "forever") doesn't mean it can't change. In fact, it is always changing and modifying and sometimes going through radical changes. No, the current Dems won't change radically and suddenly become courageous change-agents that make history. But there is ALWAYS an immense capacity for change that goes untapped. (Largely because we are all so cynical.) We need to always be mindful that that is what we are doing... our goal should be to expand our own personal capacity for change and to always communicate that to others and demand it of our elected officials.
You say having another Dem in the Senate won't make a difference? Are you supporting your ideas on the Lieberman thing, or do you really truly think it won't make a difference? I know that is a figure of speech, but truly everything always makes a difference. If one voter voting makes a difference (we hear this endlessly) then of course one more Democratic Senator makes a difference. In Lieberman's case, it ended up making a yucky difference but ... a difference no less. Let's hope it is positive change this time.
Plus, John, it all sounds so depressing and uninspiring and .... boring. Old. Broken. How is you being cynical different than the dude down the street who refuses to ever vote because "I'm not poltical plus they're all assholes anyway. My vote won't really change shit."?
I don't want to switch to suddenly being "oh, everything really is going to be fine". No. I am very skeptically minded myself and I (and others who understand what Obama meant by "hope") are just as grounded in reality as you.
The only difference is that we are acutely aware of how our thoughts/words/attitude can POWERFULLY influence our actions and thus the actions of others and so on and so on. Personally, I am trying to work hard for change but also THINK hard for change. Dream, imagine, visualize, demand.... let's really think and feel and "know" in our hearts that we can heal this country and this world. I can't see how we can unless we insist on it, and to insist on it we need to truly believe it is going to happen.
Sorta weird, hope that made some sense. And I really don't want to imply that I think John is always cynical and that he has no hope or that I can read his mind.... it is just pointing out a language/thought/action connection. I just needed to vent because I feel those of us who are trying to avoid cynicism and speak up about it often are pigeonholed into being naive silly-willy's who don't know shit about what it going on.
Quite often this assessment of the person is way off. Many of our most successful people in the world have trained their minds to "think positively" and to rid themselves of cynicism. You know, like that really famous dude with the funny sounding name.
Cheers to the criminal elite. They had a good run, but its over now. I hope!
She'll claim credit for reforming the Republican party in her state. Five seconds later she'll get head-butted by a bunch of angry moose.
That's my kind of Palin! :)
have become. Sorry, I just can't let go of the Python imagery--or perhaps I
should say that the Python doesn't let go of me! :)
CHANGE
57
You keep counting Liebermann
Please sir may I have some more.