Oct 21 2005
King of Pork
Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is really quite the card.
Ted Stevens
He got $453 million in the highway bill recently signed by George W. Bush to build a couple of bridges in his home state. $223 million of that will go for a bridge connecting a small town to a tiny island. Ferry service already exists between the town and the island, and the locals are quite happy with it.
So Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma introduced a measure in the Senate to redirect all that money. He wanted to spend it to rebuild the Interstate 10 bridge across Lake Pontchartrain that was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Stevens was not happy…
“I don’t kid people. If the Senate decides to discriminate against our state . . . I will resign from this body.”
Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you, Ted.
Ted needn’t have worried, though. Our good Senators defeated the measure by a vote of 82-15. They didn’t want to set a precedent. They didn’t want their pet projects to be next on the chopping block.
Thing is, the good people of Alaska were completely in favor of giving up the money to Louisiana. They don’t really need those bridges. When Sen. Stevens was informed of this, he replied:
“They can kiss my ear! That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Class act… at least he didn’t say ass.
Full story here.
One Response to “King of Pork”
Stevens needs to be put out to pasture some way or other. If the bridge thing’ll do it, all the more reason for diverting the money.