In its effort to convince Ted Stevens to reconsider running for re-election to the Senate next year, the Alaska Democratic Party has launched a website — RetireTed.com — devoted to the ethical cloud hovering over the six-term Republican. Despite being under investigation by the FBI and the IRS in a corruption probe that has also ensnared his son Ben, a former state senator, the senior Stevens, who is 83, has given no indication that he intends to step down. As Paul Kane at the Washington Post reports today, the ADP website is probably aimed at convincing popular Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich to challenge the Stevens in next year’s election.
The website might be called “RetireTed”. but the truth, of course, is that the Democrats would probably be better off if a weakened Stevens stayed on to fight. Alaska has long leaned heavily towards the GOP. If Stevens were to retire, the R’s would have a much better chance of retaining his seat.
