Kleptocracy Convicted: The Fall of a Banana Republic:

I heard the verdict-I was totally in shock. In my head, I thought that he would be convicted, but in my heart I am not sure that I ever really believed it. I was ecstatic! I was amazed. But now, some hours later, I am rather more sad; sad that I lived my entire adult political life in the Ted era. But what has been has been. I have been telling people here in Tucson that I am a political refugee from Alaska, though I don’t think anyone really understood what I was talking about. I came here after two failed campaigns for the legislature, precisely during the era of Republican ascendancy, when Palin began her rise to fame as Mayor of Wasilla, on a right to life platform.
I ran for the legislature to uphold the team, so as not to have uncontested sets on the ticket. But when you lose it’s so personal. Especially when you lose to someone like Pete Kelly a graduate of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, or John Coghill, a Baptist minister from North Pole, now in his tenth year in the legislature. I always thought of them apart of a right wing mafia, even though, 10 years ago, we had no proof. They were all so sanctimoniously smug. Cynthia Henry and Sue Hull both supported Frank Murkowski and year after year, worked for the good of the Ted Stevens machine. For the last ten years Alaskans have said that the economy was a three legged stool, oil money, state money, and ted Stevens. And the last few years, there has been a lot of teeth gnashing over what would happen to the state budget if Ted died.
But when you lose its so personal. You always hope that your race is going to be the one that rides in on a political monster wave. Or that your opponent will make that big mistake, that you will be the El Tinklenberg, who benefits from the major gaffe of Michelle Bachman, who called for the investigation of half of congress for un-American beliefs: Or that you will be the James Webb who rolls into office on the George Allen ‘macaca’ gaffe. Whatever it is, there is always a portion of luck in a campaign and a quantity of hope.
But when you lose its so personal.
Ted’s forty years reign was really a patronage machine, and a kleptocracy; crony capitalism with the spoils spread around to everyone. But the stealing was from the American taxpayers, and the beneficiaries were all Alaskans. Of course, some Alaskans got more than others. It’s really just the sadly typical pattern of a resource colony. Where there is no price to pay for spreading the spoils, because there are no taxpayers.
But the price was paid by those of us who lost the opportunity for political careers. And who had to watch while the citizens turned to spoilsmen, and voted for Ted and Don year after year. I appreciate those democrats who stuck it out through the Republican legislatures. Here is a shoutout to you David Guttenberg, Scott Kawasaki, Johnny Ellis, Les Gara, Ethan Berkowitz, Beth Kertulla, Joe Thomas. You are all tougher than I am.
So what happens next? Ted is still running, and Alaskans, under sway of the Ted can do no wrong mythology may still vote for him. The story they are spreading is the usual: “Its those damn feds, out to get us again. They just don’t understand how we do things up here in Alaska.”
Linda Wertheimer said on NPR today that Alaskans have such love for the man that we call him Uncle Ted. Well, it’s not love, it’s just that he is like the rich uncle that you don’t dare offend.