Stevens Trailing By 3 Votes In Alaska Senate Race

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, a titan of Alaska politics convicted of felony charges last month, fell behind by three votes Wednesday as the count resumed in his re-election bid.

Democrat Mark Begich, the two-term mayor of Anchorage, began Wednesday down more than 3,200 votes but closed the gap as officials resumed counting early and absentee ballots. The tally was 125,019 to 125,016.

Neither side expected to be able to claim victory Wednesday. By late afternoon, officials had counted more than 44,000 of the roughly 90,000 outstanding ballots.

"Right now we're cautiously optimistic," said Bethany Lesser, spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party. "There's obviously more votes to come in, but it goes to show how hard we worked to get the vote out early and how important that was."

Stevens' campaign did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Last month, a federal jury in Washington convicted Stevens of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an oil field services company.

That might have spelled quick political doom for a lesser figure, but the 84-year-old Stevens is revered here for his decades of public service _ and especially for scoring the state enormous sums of federal money.

Begich would be the first Democrat to win a Senate race in Alaska since the mid-1970s and a win would put his party one step closer to a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate. Democrats are also trying to unseat Republicans in unresolved contests in Georgia and Minnesota.

Fellow senators have called on Stevens to resign, and he could face expulsion if he doesn't _ in which case a special election would be held to determine his replacement. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, fresh from her failed run at the vice presidency, said Wednesday she'd be interested in serving in the Senate.

Should the result remain close a recount is possible. In Alaska, the losing candidate or a collection of 10 voters has three days to petition for a recount unless the vote was a tie, in which case it would be automatic.

If the difference between the candidates is 0.5 percent of the total votes cast, the state pays for the recount, to be started within three days of the recount petition. The state Elections Division has 10 days to complete the recount.

___

Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor in Washington contributed to this report.

Comments

[Chaucea]

Possible update to this?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/13/01822/666/844/660224

Stevens (R) 131,382
Begich (D) 132,196
That's a Begich lead of 814 votes.

[reformer101]

Check this out. The Center for Governmental Studies put out a great video about this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbO2mo_9QW0

[Robocalledbynitwits]

Is Barack qualified to be president? No, but that didn't matter. Obama is a used car salesman swift talker without any substance in his background. The man has never done anything of substance. Community organizer? LMAO. State representative? That's one step up from garbageman. Heck I'd say the garbageman is way more important. Qualification is never an issue on the dem side why should it matter to repubs? Come on, Al "Tax Laws are Irrleveant to Me" Franken is qualified to be a US Senator? What a joke! Democrat is just another word for hypocrite.

[munki]

Is Palin qualified?

[shawhan]

Let me guess, I'll bet you are a Republican. The Grand Old Party, who--with their great leader George W. and company--brought us the current financial crisis, the systematic destruction of our civil liberties, the authors of a war that is both illegal and immoral, who single-handedly dismantled our standing in the international community and who gave us waterboarding, exceptional rendition, and Gauntanamo.

Oh yeah, I forgot one more little contribution by your beloved GOP: a debt that has reached such a phenomenal amount that we may never dig out of it.

Yep, you Republicans, gotta' love 'ya!

[rich misty]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/13/neck-and-neck-senate-race_n_143474.html

New Main

[rich misty]

http://www.ryanottley.com/images/covers/ChuckyColor.jpg

The new face of the GOP - "We are the good guys"

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

When the F@%# are they going to finish counting the votes even from the presidential election?

Latest count is Obama won by 6.7%.

The first sign of a Banana Republic is a country that cannot even count it's votes quickly and correctly. It is amazing how low we have fallen under Bush. Competent government is a distant memory.

[donaldw6]

But it's also just around the corner.

[JettaBostonian]

Poor Vogie, Part 2:

What Are Rich People Thinking?
Why the wealthy voted for Obama and higher taxes.

"If the exit polls are to be believed, those making $200,000 or more (6 percent of the electorate) voted for Obama 52-46, while McCain won the merely well-off ($100,000 to $150,000 by a 51-48 margin and $150,000 to $200,000 by a 50-48 margin).

"...But an examination of the presidential votes in several of Fairfield County's wealthier districts (here are Connecticut's votes by town) shows the yuppies came out in the thousands to vote for a candidate who pledged to raise their taxes. In the fall of 2003, I first detected Bushenfreude in Westport (No. 5 on Money's list of 25 wealthiest American towns). ... "...On Election Day, Westport voters went for Obama by a 65-35 margin. (That's bigger than the 60-40 margin Kerry won here in 2004.) Bushenfreude spread from Westport to neighboring towns. In Wilton, just to the north, which Bush carried comfortably in 2004, Obama won 54 percent of the vote.

"Perhaps most surprising was the result from Greenwich, Conn. The Versailles of the tri-state metro area, the most golden of the region's gilded suburbs, the childhood home of George H.W. Bush, went for Obama by a 54-46 margin"the first time Greenwich went Democratic since 1964."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/168333?from=rss

[PurblindTantivy]

why is that poor me?

Other people's actions and decisions do not effect me in the slightest in this regard. I have seven homes throughout the world and four of them are well beyond the reach of you and your nation's government. My taxes have been "avoided", my wealth (enough of it for me and my family is secure) and all but " the big one" cannot touch me or mine. You it would seem have far more concern of these issues. I, "as a good architect, have laid a good foundation" and do not fear the consequences of any of this, other than this stumbling fool galloping into conflict with Russia or China, which does give me pause...

See Vonnegut's 'Galapagos' for respite though and despair not.........

'nite noodles.....

[kotipup]

My husband has, at times, fallen in the $250,000 (and up) tax bracket. He ownes his own business. He was also a registered Republican until April of this year (before the PA primary). My husband thinks there's a good chance an Obama presidency would personally benefit him -- he's invested money from his profitable business into a private, startup solar power company which could do well under Obama, he also likes Obama's plan to suspend capital gains taxes for startups and small businesses that create jobs. But more than that, we have a daughter with serious, life-long medical needs (she has a genetic disorder, has suffered two strokes, eight surguries and more hospitilizations than I can recall). We are financially OK, and are covered by good healthcare, but we empathize with all the families who aren't as lucky. It's not an anomaly for families who are well off to feel very fortunate and to feel responsible for helping those who have been through harder times. It's not socialist, or elitist, it's called having a little compassion.

[rich misty]

Republican - English Dictionary

Compassionate Conservatism = tor-ture

[OutsiderSA]

I reckon if this turns out to be a win for Begich, they should do a total recount on the entire Alaskan vote, there is just too many inconsistencies.

[kotipup]

Yay!!!!!!!!!!! I worry less about ousting corrupt Ted Stevens or getting the Democratic majority in the Senate than I do about avoiding the disturbing scenario of the Alaskan Governor appointing Stevens' replacement after he inevitably resigns **shiver**. A Begich win would be sublime.

[JettaBostonian]

Poor Vogie:

GOP Is Losing Grip On Core Business Vote
Deficit Hawks Defect As Social Issues Prevail; 'The Party Left Me'
By JACKIE CALMES

WASHINGTON -- The Republican Party, known since the late 19th century as the party of business, is losing its lock on that title.

New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party's identity -- what strategists call its "brand." The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.

Some well-known business leaders have openly changed allegiances. Morgan Stanley Chairman and Chief Executive John Mack, formerly a big Bush backer, now supports Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. John Canning Jr., chairman and chief executive of Madison Dearborn Partners, a large private-equity firm, now donates to Democrats after a lifetime as a Republican. Recently, he told one Democratic Party leader: "The Republican Party left me" -- a twist on a line Ronald Reagan and his followers used when they abandoned the Democratic Party decades ago to protest its '60s and '70s-era liberalism.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119127620102645595.html?mod=hpp_us_editors_picks

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

If you government keeps on cutting taxes the people get the crappy government you pay for in the end.

Jindal is down there in LA claiming he is doing a great job because he cut taxes 6 times already. How about rebuilding F@%^ing New Orleans A-hole? or making the schools better?

They have cut taxes soooooo much in AL that the school kids need to share school books.

The tax cutting mania is kil ling this country.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

sorry your

[rich misty]

Yup yup... I did actual research before I posted ;)

[donaldw6]

Ok, looks like Alaska's covered, senatorially at any rate. Next up: getting rid of Stormin' Norman in Minnesota. Nate Silver's got a pretty good analysis of this one, too. He thinks it'll be close, but Franken has a decent chance of winning:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/minnesota-recount-number-of.html

[AdLib]

fivethirtyeight.com has been accurate and reserved about predictions...but check out the paragraph below:
====================
Begich Leads By 814 Going Into Thursday

As we've pointed out and has been pointed out elsewhere, the remaining votes come from Begich-friendly districts. Mark Begich is now an overwhelming favorite to win the Alaska Senate seat.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/begich-leads-by-814-going-into-thursday.html
=====================

Suh-weet!

[Nochnoi]

Yay!!!!! Happy dance!

[PurblindTantivy]

Can you even point to Alaska on an unlabeled map?? Have you ever been there???
Do you have the ability to provide for yourself without civilization in one of the harshest climates on earth...

How close is that 7/11???

[BlueStateMan]

I HAVE been there.. & my guess is that you haven't, monkeyboy....

Have you ever been to the South Bronx?

You wouldn't last a SECOND.

[JailNeoconVicts]

Um, yes to all except the 7/11, because, accounting for the time difference, it's a 4/8.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Begich is going to be on the Rachel Maddow Show tomorrow.

AK is just insane if he does not win this election.

[JailNeoconVicts]

Time to update. Nate Silver has Begich's lead at almost at thousand now.

[rich misty]

I said:

"Because the RNC lost most of their business and banking donor base..."

PurblindTantivy said:

You must be re-tarded or else have no concept of the wealth of this nation and its mavens if you can possibly think this way..

My response:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/28/gop-takes-out-loan-to-hel_n_138680.html

[PurblindTantivy]

heh,

Now that is amusing!!! You clearly don't get how this works and you know nothing of how wealth moves to candidates.....

[BlueStateMan]

Are you refuting her assertion?

Fine... why don't you put some MEAT on the bones, snotnose?

[rich misty]

Wealth moves to winners, not whiners.... The GOP has lost two full election cycles back to back, plus they have lost nearly every special election since '04

Their viability even as a minority oppositon party is in grave jeapordy

[JettaBostonian]

Vogie is tr0ll wealthy. Their wealth only exists in the lies they post here.

[ScottCandage]

It's all relative. A quarter is wealth to some.

[manyamile]

10 pm PST
Mudflats ( http://mudflats.wordpress.com/ ) is reporting Begich is now leading by 814
votes!