Palin and Alaska GOP call for Begich to resign

jonks

Lifer
Feb 7, 2005
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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/20833.html

Palin calls for Begich's resignation
By ANDY BARR | 4/2/09 7:10 PM EDT Text Size:

Palin wants a special election in the wake of the DOJ's decision to drop corruption charges against Stevens.

Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) called on Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska ) Thursday to step down from his seat and run in a special election in the wake of the Justice Department?s decision to drop corruption charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Begich narrowly defeated Stevens in 2008, a contest overshadowed by Stevens? October conviction.

Palin?s call came after a reporter at the Fairbanks News Miner emailed her a copy of a statement by Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich calling for Begich to step down.

Asked for her response, Palin simply wrote back: ?I absolutely agree.?

When the reporter wrote back to confirm that Palin meant she?d like to see Begich resign in order to hold a special election, the governor responded: ?Yes.?

In an email to POLITICO, Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton confirmed the governor?s position. ?She absolutely agrees that there should be a special election,? Stapleton wrote. ?Stepping down to hold the special election would be the right thing to do.?

In the statement Palin was provided, Ruedrich said that ?the only reason Mark Begich won the election in November is because a few thousand Alaskans thought that Sen. Ted Stevens was guilty of seven felonies.?

?A special election will allow Alaskans to have a real, non-biased, credible process where the most qualified person could win, without the manipulation of the Department of Justice,? he added.

Begich issued a statement Thursday insisting that he will remain in his seat, despite Republican calls for his resignation.

?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,? he said. ?That is my job in the Senate, and I?m honored to serve Alaskans for the next six years.?

Begich spokeswoman Julie Hasquat did not directly respond to Palin?s call for the senator?s resignation, instead pointing to Begich?s statement as a clear enough indication of his reaction.

?We?re not going to respond to her,? Hasquat said.

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2 points for Hasquat. Myself, I can't be so demure. Grow the hell up people. It was a Republican DOJ (with slightly odd hiring practices you might have heard) under a Republican president who initiated the prosecution, and a Democrat AG under a Democrat president who decided not to pursue.

Things happen in life that shape elections. You don't get do-overs. I admit I'd be more sympathetic to the position if Democrats had initiated the Stevens prosecution and he ended up losing his seat to a Democrat, but that ain't what happened here. And even if it had, Senator's don't step down because of such things, can you imagine the precedent that would set? "Remember when my opponent ran ads saying I was having an affair? Well his main witness has recanted, but he won the election because enough people thought I cheated on my wife! I call for his resignation!" Sorry, try again in 6 years.
 

tweaker2

Lifer
Aug 5, 2000
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The Logic: Charges are dropped, no matter the reason, so Stevens is presumed innocent of all charges, so if he's innocent, then he should be made whole again?

I wonder if that's going to get any kind of traction on that steep uphill muddy slope Stevens made for himself.

Retrial?
 

Zedtom

Platinum Member
Nov 23, 2001
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If the governor of Alaska wants to waste taxpayers money by pursuing legal action against the federal government, the investigation will have to be reopened. Ted Stevens has a lot of influence, but he is too out of touch to make sure every smoking gun has been buried.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
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It's unfortunate that the prosecutors robbed him of the right to a fair trial in the first place, but dropping the charges doesn't mean he's innocent.
 

tweaker2

Lifer
Aug 5, 2000
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I dunno, maybe I'm being a bit premature in saying this, but just from what what I've seen in this thread so far, with the amount of support Stevens is getting here, it looks like he's been written off as a lost cause.
 

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
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Originally posted by: tweaker2
I dunno, maybe I'm being a bit premature in saying this, but just from what what I've seen in this thread so far, with the amount of support Stevens is getting here, it looks like he's been written off as a lost cause.

How many people here in the thread are residents of Alaska?

Each state treats it's elected representives with more respect than the other 49.

 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
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Well, if I were a totally partisan republican, its the only way the GOP has a chance to regain the seat for six years.

If I were a partisan democrat I would say hell no because Begish is a democrat. But might say hell yes, if Begish were a Repub.

Trying to be unbiased, yields no logic that Begish should pay for the mistakes of a basically republican justice department. Maybe Stevens would have won the election of 11/2008 if he had not been found guilty, but maybe Stevens would have lost anyway.

In short, the Sarah Palin argument, as usual, simply does not compute. And given the fact that Begish is unlikely to resign for that reason, and Palin has no grounds to force one, its just more political hot air rising like ash from MT. Rbout or what ever that erupting Alaska volcano is called.
 
Nov 30, 2006
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Assuming they have enough evidence to convict Stevens, they should have retried him from the git go. Who cares if he's old and no longer in the Senate or that a retrial would further embarrass the Justice Department...all lame excuses IMO. Stevens was in a high position of trust and any abuse of that position should not be tolerated...that's the message that needs to be sent. If the prosecution has strong evidence that can prove his guilt...they have the DUTY to retry him regardless of his age or whatever. If they don't have enough evidence...they have the DUTY to say so.

Now it appears (in the public eye) that Stevens is guilty until proven innocent...now isn't that special. :frown: The Justice Department failed the public trust by not retrying him and should be put on trial here along with Stevens. At the end of this...there is no justice for anybody.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
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Originally posted by: Lemon law
Well, if I were a totally partisan republican, its the only way the GOP has a chance to regain the seat for six years.

If I were a partisan democrat I would say hell no because Begish is a democrat. But might say hell yes, if Begish were a Repub.

Trying to be unbiased, yields no logic that Begish should pay for the mistakes of a basically republican justice department. Maybe Stevens would have won the election of 11/2008 if he had not been found guilty, but maybe Stevens would have lost anyway.

In short, the Sarah Palin argument, as usual, simply does not compute. And given the fact that Begish is unlikely to resign for that reason, and Palin has no grounds to force one, its just more political hot air rising like ash from MT. Rbout or what ever that erupting Alaska volcano is called.

It wasn't like Stevens was removed and Begich was appointed in his place, they had an election and Stevens lost. Yes Stevens almost certainly would have won without being indicted, but lots of bad things happen to candidates that would have won otherwise.

Palin's just being an idiot as usual and appealing to the ultra right. Can't say I'm shocked, or even disappointed. It's pretty much what we should expect at this point?
 

heyheybooboo

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2007
6,278
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The Guv would have been much more prescient by calling for Don Young to resign.

That guy is so dirty I have to take a shower for typing his name.
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
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Originally posted by: jonks
-snip-
It was a Republican DOJ (with slightly odd hiring practices you might have heard) under a Republican president who initiated the prosecution..

Does anybody know anything about these prosecutors?

I don't keep with up with Alaskan politics (nor pay much attention to Stevens ordeal), but I was kinda ahocked to hear that the judge held the prosecutor in contempt on more than one occaision. That seems unusual to me.

Edit: She's no appointee, or even hire under GWB.

Link to biography

Professor Morris is a career prosecutor who began as a Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorneys Office under Robert Morgenthau

It's much more likely she's a Dem than a Repub.

Fern
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
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I like McCain. He was always a nice guy and I have respected some of his positions in the past but why did he let people talk him into this tard.
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
173
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Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
I like McCain. He was always a nice guy and I have respected some of his positions in the past but why did he let people talk him into this tard.

I'm inclined to think that he picked her.

Seems to me the more obvious choice was Mitt. Perhaps McCain thought he could get more womens' votes with her. Plus, I just think McCain disliked Mitt and Huck.

Fern