Yesterday the FBI and IRS investigators raided the home of Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, the dean of the Senate Republicans. And at this point it’s widely rumored that all three members of the Alaska Congressional delegation are in very deep trouble with corruption probes.
Stevens got prominent coverage about two years back when his famous “bridge to nowhere” porkbarrel project came under sharp attack in the Senate. Stevens responded in a near-hysterical meltdown on the Senate floor that was widely disseminated in the media and made for comic footage on Comedy Central’s Daily Show. At the same time a GOP PR agent who is a good friend of mine told me that “Stevens is under a hell of a lot of pressure right now.” There was a probe going on that involved him, his son (then the head of the Alaska Senate) and some strange dealings with contractors. This has been kept pretty much under wraps, but the public disclosure of the FBI raid will put it on the front pages now, as it is in this morning’s Anchorage Daily News.
There’s one source on the internet for coverage of the developing story out of Alaska: Joshua Micah Marshall’s talkingpointsmemo.com. Here’s today’s fix.
