Has sulking Stevens soured on the Senate?

December 22, 2005

All Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) wanted for Christmas was for the Senate to approve his plan to drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil. No such luck. The question then becomes what Stevens is prepared to do about it.

First, he apparently plans to do some traveling in order to spite everyone who voted against ANWR drilling.

“I’m going to go to every one of your states, and I’m going to tell them what you’ve done,” said Stevens, the leading advocate of drilling in Alaska. “This was wrong.”

Second, Stevens has to decide whether to even stay in the Senate at all. After losing the ANWR vote last night, Stevens complained, “This has been the saddest day of my life. It’s a day I don’t want to remember. I say goodbye to the Senate tonight. Thank you very much.”

Did that “say goodbye to the Senate” line mean that Stevens will no longer grace the chamber with his presence? According to MSNBC (via Atrios), it seems like a real possibility.

Our senate producer stayed here until the wee hours last night to try to find out if senator stevens was saying he was going to resign. Ken asked are you coming back? Stevens said, quote, ‘I don’t know’.”

Keep in mind, Stevens has threatened to quit before. Just a couple of months ago, when Congress decided it was embarrassed by funding for the “road to nowhere” in Alaska, Stevens said he’d quit if lawmakers pulled the money for the bridge.

What I’m not entirely clear on is why Stevens thinks this is such a devastating threat. We’re talking about the senator who won’t swear in CEOs, who has an ethical cloud having over his head, who threatens scientists who disagree with him, and who described himself as a “mean, miserable SOB.”

Does Stevens expect his colleagues to beg him to stay?

If he were a real patriot he would step down.

  • “Does Stevens expect his colleagues to beg him to stay? ”

    Probably, because, “who won’t swear in CEOs, who has an ethical cloud having over his head, who threatens scientists who disagree with him, and who described himself as a “mean, miserable SOB.”

    It’s not like cheney can take time off from running the Whitehouse to fill this much-needed role in the Senate.

  • He didn’t have to quit after bridge issue. Correct me if I’m wong but Congress still gave Alaska the money, it just wasn;t specifically designated for the bridge.

  • He didn’t have to quit after bridge issue. Correct me if I’m wong but Congress still gave Alaska the money, it just wasn;t specifically designated for the bridge.

    That’s exactly what happened. I mentioned the example, though, to highlight the fact that resignation threats have been on Stevens’ mind quite a bit lately.

  • Now that I know about his Incredible Hulk ties, I actually find myself liking Ted Stevens a bit. That really is the best tie for a temper tantrum.

  • as a former alaskan, i can tell you that stevens probably isn’t waiting for his colleagues to beg him to stay as much as his state. alaskans love stevens because he is good at one thing and one thing only: funneling pork to alaska. he’s gotten so good at it that almost the entire state worships the ground he walks on. they re-elect him every year without a second thought, hence his seniority in the senate.

    so the voters aren’t going to remove him from office… it really will come down to whether or not he wants to continue.

  • Mr. Nose Picker?? Sorry, I couldn’t resist that. During the Clinton impeachment hearings he was shown in the background picking his nose. So whenever I see him, I am reminded of that incident.

    But, to his credit, Stevens was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to acquit President Clinton of perjury.

  • Flip to the flop to the flip-flip-flop. When’s this guy up for reelection. I hope the Dem opposing him (if he does run again) exposes his regular threats to retire. Why would Alaska want a senator who’s so willing to quit? Or has such a lack of credibility that he has to resort to empty and overly melodramatic threats?

  • The scary thing is, he’s probably the most reasonable Republican in the place…

    huh? that is a bizarre statement. Chafee? Snowe? Heck even Specter is more reasonable than Ted Hysterics Stevens.

  • The saddest day of his life?? Give me a break. He attached the ANWR provision to a completely unrelated and very important troop funding bill, in *wartime* no less, and, if I’m not mistaken, broke all rules by attaching it to a conference report against all rules (am I confusing this with something else? – there are so many current examples of GOP perfidy in the Congress these days…) and is now boo-hooing because he was called on it??

    If it’s that important and that valid an issue, make it the subject of it’s own bill and give it a straight up/down vote – after all, his party controls the Congress, doesn’t it? If it fails then, and is such a pet project, then he can all it the saddest day of his life – but to do it this way – by trickery and extra-legal shenanegans and then proclaim so bitterly just highlights this guy’s complete lack of ethics and proportions. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say.

  • I think it’s both. Stevens is certainly a drama queen and loves putting on a show for a camera. Then again, he is in his 80s and he clearly drinks a bit, so he may be losing his marbles.

    What’s most funny is that he’s threatning to get the Senators who voted against him by campaigning against them. Yes, people are really going to listen to the rantings of a drunk, unpleasant old man. Usually we cross the street to avoid these guys.

    I agree with the poster above, though, as to why he stays in the Senate: He’s a pork king and Alaska is about the porkiest state in the Union (despite posturing as such rugged government hating individualists, they sure love the goverment money up there).

  • Nah…..he was jus’ saying ‘good night’ – he’s ‘feeling’ a bit betrayed. Geez imagine how all those folks must feel who can’t afford more heating power this winter

    • Comments are closed.