The most corrupt and longest-serving (what a coincidence!) Republican in the Senate, Ted Stevens, is in for the race of his life.  Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich has formed an exploratory committee to take a look at a bid, and forming it this late strongly suggests that he simply wants two days of free media rather than one.  He enters the race, according to one poll, with a lead on Stevens, who has all but been accused of accepting bribes by Veco Chairman Bill Allen, for whom he obtained earmkars.

Stevens is as corrupt as could be and his whole state knows it.  It doesn’t exactly help that he’s campaigning, as always, on his ability to waste taxpayer dollars on special projects in his state.  He has never been a friend of conservatives because of his pork barrel spending, and Democrats don’t like him thanks to their partisanship.  He has always won by carrying the “I want free stuff” milddle.  Well, that middle is likely to respond to the charges of corruption.

I don’t like advocating the defeat of Republicans in general elections, but if we don’t replace this guy in the primary, we deserve to lose the general.  Ultimately his defeat, either in the primary or in the general, would be best for the Party because Stevens is the poster boy for what’s wrong with the GOP.  He’s corrupt.  He’s a porker.  He’s a social liberal.  He may even be indicted soon.

Come on, Alaska, you replaced the guy who gave his daughter a Senate seat.  Can you come through again?