Alaska Republicans Want Redo Election For Stevens

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Republican Party on Thursday called on Democratic Sen. Mark Begich to resign in light of the now-abandoned federal convictions that had crippled his GOP opponent, Ted Stevens, in last year's election. Begich rejected the idea and even his Republican colleague said what's done is done.

State Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich said Begich should step down to allow for a special election so Alaskans could vote without the "improper influence of the corrupt Department of Justice."

Republican Gov. Sarah Palin immediately endorsed the idea.

"I absolutely agree," she said in a statement released by Meghan Stapleton, spokeswoman for SarahPAC, Palin's political action committee.

Stevens, 85, the longest-serving Republican in U.S. Senate history, was convicted of seven felony counts a week before the November election.

Jurors found that he lied on Senate financial disclosure forms to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and home renovations from a wealthy oil contractor, but on Wednesday the Department of Justice announced it would dismiss the indictment against Stevens because prosecutors mishandled the case. Prosecutors have decided that a new trial would be inappropriate.

Even with the convictions, Stevens lost to Begich by less than 4,000 votes.

Begich, the former mayor of Anchorage, said he intends to serve his six-year term.

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"I got into the Senate race long before Senator Stevens' legal troubles began because Alaskans were looking for a change and a senator as independent as Alaska," Begich said in a statement released by his office. "Today, with our country in a severe recession, it's more important than ever that we have a senator focused on fixing our economy so Alaskans have the jobs they need to support their families."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, did not call on Begich to resign.

"In light of the good news yesterday, I am sure many of us wish we could turn the clock back to last November," Murkowski said. "Unfortunately, that is not an option."

Attempts to reach Stevens on Thursday were not immediately successful.

He was indicted in July on charges that he failed to disclose gifts and renovations at his Girdwood home from Bill Allen, the former head of VECO Corp., an oil field services company that provided design, maintenance and construction work for oil companies. The senator asked for a speedy trial.

Prosecutors last year contended that Allen changed Stevens' modest A-frame cabin into a two-story home with wraparound decks, new electricity and plumbing, a sauna and a master-bedroom and balcony. The gifts included a furniture and a gas grill. Stevens testified he repeatedly pressed Allen to remove unwanted items and asked him frequently for bills for the renovation work.

Allen pleaded guilty in May 2007 to bribing Alaska elected officials and his testimony has been at the heart of an ongoing corruption scandal that has seen four former state representatives convicted of corruption charges.

In a motion to dismiss the guilty verdict, prosecutors said the government had failed to turn over notes of an interview with Allen in which he contradicted a statement he later made under oath at Stevens' trial.

The information could have been used to cross-examine Allen and in arguments to the jury, the department said.

(This version corrects Stapleton's first name, Meghan not Megan.)

Comments

[Tim303]

In light of what we now know I want a do-over of the 2000 Presidential Election.

[maumeeone]

Sarah, there is no such thing as a do-over in the adult world. If the corrupt Republican-run Justice Department screwed up, so be it! If they had eff-ed over a Democrat, I am sure you wouldn't care at all. So deal with it!

[4 Real]

She's just sucking up to the GOP base by saying this. She needs their support so any opportunity to look good to them is not wasted.
She is so transparent these days as her MO has been exposed over and over again since the elections.

[zest]

Yes, I agree with Sarah completely. All elections should be repeated until I get the results that I want.

[reedaleddy]

I wish the news would not report her, and hopefully she just fades away, McCain said he would have to see who she was running against before he voted for her.( if she ran for president in 2012) she had her 15 minutes let her go tend to her litter.

[jazzman]

I want a do over of all the Celtics game where Kevin Garnett was out because of injury.

[jazzman]

Stevens can have another chance in six years when he's 91 years old.

[gcallaghan]

How about a do-over for her sister-n-law, too?

[socialdemocracy1968]

He LOST. Deal with it.

[Taiyo]

"Palin Wants Senate Do-Over In Alaska"
- - - - -

Of course she does! I bet she'd like a 2008 presidential election do-over too.

[CharlieFoxDogs]

I love it "The corrupt Department of Justice". Didn't Bush fill all those posts with Republican lawyers?

[Birdman]

That is why they messed up on the trial so that it can all be thrown out due to misconduct of the prosecutors. Stevens walks, even though he did receive work for free on his house that he did not report, even though he voted on laws that benefited the oil company that did the work. In a normal law abiding society these sorts of acts would not be tolerated. In our current society it is just politics and you stack a just us department with crooked people to maintain the status quo. This was planned and Stevens gets to further darken this countries doorstep with his lack of integrity.

[jazzman]

Exactly. The misconduct was intended to get the case thrown out of court.

[Extranjero]

I've got an Idea! Let's help our economy and clean up our image at the same time. Sell Alaska back to the Russians. They have a lot of money and, after all, we still have 49 states!

[gcallaghan]

And thousands of Chinese can be employed sewing the replacement flags, too.

[jerryfromcalifornia]

FIRST LETS DO OVER HIS TRIAL !

[OneLiberalLady]

Here is a woman who seems to have no respect or understanding of the concept of rule by law. She wants to make things up as she goes along and as it suits her whims and agenda. Scary to think she might have held national office.

[cyoohoos]

She's just kissing Ted's arse. She knows payback is a coming....

[DCinFrance]

As was mentioned below, this person is grossly unfit to hold the office she has. Where do I start? How about advocating to abrogate the constitution of the Great State of Alaska, a document she swore to uphold? We could go from that to how she had no problem voicing lies and innuendo about her electoral opponent in an effort to tilt the election her way but OMG this senator "friend" of her's might have been able to swindle a not guilty verdict to tilt back his election (evidently it serves her purposes to pull his broken body out from under the bus she threw him under when it suited her). And, oh, let us not mention that she's taking the money after all (no big press release on that move, but would put out a nasty press release about her would be relatives--slandering them for lies that they have yet to utter).

Are her supports really this blind? Or is it exactly what they would do in similar circumstances?