From the Guru, we begin to get an understanding of why Republicans have been so reluctant to challenge the tyranny of Ted Stevens and his volcanic temper. It’s not just fear, it’s…
…Republicans across the country are facing demands to return or contribute to charity contributions from Ted Stevens and his Northern Lights PAC. My inbox is overflowing with e-mail releases on the topic from Democratic candidates for Senate. First out of the gate was Al Franken, calling on Norm Coleman to return $25,000 in contributions from Stevens. Also in the inbox are releases from:
- the Maine Democratic Party calling on Susan Collins to return the $20,000 she has gotten from Ted Stevens;
- Kay Hagan calling on Elizabeth Dole to return the $21,000 she got from Stevens;
- Bruce Lunsford calling on Mitch McConnell to return the $13,500 he got from Stevens;
- Jeff Merkley calling on Gordon Smith to return the $39,000 he got from Stevens;
- the Oklahoma Democratic Party calling on Jim Inhofe to return the $12,000 he got from Stevens; and,
- Jim Slattery calling on Pat Roberts to return the nearly $20,000 he got from Stevens.
Aside from this group, many other Republicans received checks from Ted Stevens’ PAC. In the 2008 election cycle alone, Stevens’ PAC also gave to: Lamar Alexander ($10,000), Saxby Chambliss ($10,000), John Barrasso ($10,000), John Sununu ($10,000), Roger Wicker ($5,000), and, to cap it off, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (a whopping $29,950). Elizabeth Dole has announced that she is donating $10,000 (the amount she has received from Stevens over just the 2008 election cycle) to charity. Will other Republicans follow suit? Will the NRSC?
When Stevens isn’t threatening to Hulk-Smash anyone that denies him a piece of pork he’s doling out tens of thousands of dollars of PAC money to Republican colleagues that accept it eagerly and then go out and stump against wasteful government spending. It’s a beautiful example of how corrupt our system of government has become…particularly under Republican rule.
