Sen. Stevens, who has served since 1968, has been caught up in a larger probe that included FBI raids last summer at offices of six Alaska legislators including Stevens’ son, Ben, who was then the president of the state Senate.
“The worst thing about this investigation is that it does change your life in terms of employment potential,” Stevens said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It doesn’t matter what anyone says, it does shake you up. If this is still hanging around a year from November, it could cause me some trouble.
“I’m working to get this concept out of my mind that someone is trying to make something illegal out of all this, That’s what’s really disturbing.”
Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, one of more than a dozen Republican senators running for re-election next year and usually a staunch defender of President Bush’s Iraq policy, said this week his support is “not locked into concrete.”
“I don’t know the answer,” Roberts said. “I don’t know anybody that does. I know the president thinks he does. His resolve is incredible, whether or not that’s the proper course of action.”
Roberts said he doesn’t yet support measures to begin withdrawing troops. But he said, “We can’t continue to be engaged in a war which the American people do not support.”
-Moving forward on the defense bill, the Senate passed Sen. Jeff Sessions’ missile defense amendment on Thursday, making it U.S. policy to develop defenses against an emerging Iranian nuclear program.
The amendment, approved by a 90-5 vote, called for the U.S. to develop and deploy an effective defense system “as soon as technologically possible” against the possibility of Iranian missiles.
South Carolina Republicans upset with U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s support of an immigration bill are readying to challenge one of their own next year.
At least two political newcomers plan to run against the state’s senior senator when he seeks a second term in 2008. Also, state Rep. Jeff Duncan and former U.S. Rep. Tommy Hartnett said Friday they are considering entering the race.
“I’m keeping the track shoes unlaced so I can slip my feet into them quick if I need to,” said Hartnett, 65. “I would hate to see him get a free ride.”
Minnesota’s Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman said Thursday the United States will have a long-term presence in Iraq but may see a change of mission.
“We are going to be in Iraq a long time. I am not supporting dates, specific dates, timetables for withdrawal,” he said. “When my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about redeployment, they are talking about getting out of Iraq. I’m not. And simply because that’s the reality.”
Sen. Gordon Smith, who faces re-election next year, announced Thursday that he raised more than $1 million in the second quarter of this year.
The fundraising brought his total campaign cash to $3.5 million as of June 30.
Portland Democratic activist Steve Novick is seeking the nomination to run against Smith. Earlier this month, Novick announced his campaign raised more than $190,000 in the second quarter.
US Senator Lamar Alexander deflected speculation Thursday that he may be in the running to become the next chancellor of Vanderbilt University…
Alexander, also a former governor, said in a statement that he enjoys being a senator and hopes to be re-elected next year.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., will have influence over energy, environmental and Indian issues as he takes over three of the five committee seats that had been held by the late Sen. Craig Thomas.
Senate Republican leaders announced Tuesday that Barrasso will sit on the Energy and Natural Resources, Indian Affairs and Environment and Public Work panels.
President Bush’s national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said Sunday the administration’s “very orderly process” for reviewing its Iraq plans should be allowed to play out despite a hurry-up initiative from two respected GOP senators.
Hadley’s reply was “No” when asked whether Bush could live with the proposal by Sens. John Warner of Virginia and Richard Lugar of Indiana. They want to give the president until mid-October to submit a plan to restrict the use of U.S. troops in Iraq to fighting terrorists and securing borders and U.S. interests.
The war was not a major issue in the 2002 campaign between Sununu, then a congressman, and Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who many Democrats hope will run again next year.
In debates and statements, both backed the 2002 congressional resolution to give President Bush the authority to go to war. That October, the New Hampshire Union Leader quoted Shaheen saying, “I want to reiterate my support for President Bush’s goals for regime change in Iraq.”
Collins seemed fed up. She says she told [Condi] Rice “that the fact that Iraqi politicians still appear to be going on vacation in August, while our men and women are out there dying, doesn’t make me think we’re going to see any more progress by September,” when Gen. David Petraeus delivers his report on the war. Collins sighed. “It’s just that my patience with the administration’s strategy is exhausted.”
When he unveiled his flashy new campaign web site, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss declared he had a $3.3 million stash ready to spend on his re-election effort next year.
Put that figure next to what Democratic challenger Dale Cardwell has raised: $50,165. There’s a serious shortage of zeroes on that side of the equation.
A Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll in February found that 52 percent of Kentuckians wanted McConnell to oppose the Iraq troop surge now in place. Forty percent said he should support it. The rest were undecided.
But on CNN yesterday, McConnell responded to a question about pressure from constituents this way: “My constituents are overwhelmingly on the side of Gen. (David) Petraeus and the effort. We are the home of the 101st Airborne. We also have Fort Knox.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel is used to fielding all kinds of calls from Nebraskans, but one he took this week came from way out there.
Outer space.
Really.
Astronaut Clayton Anderson, who’s on the international space station, called the Nebraska Republican this week. Anderson is from Ashland, Neb.
“I don’t know how many of you have had calls from space, but … the fidelity was amazing,” Hagel said in a weekly conference call with reporters Thursday.
Hagel said he and Anderson talked about Nebraska football, news events and Anderson’s job in space.
