KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Palin wants Ben Stevens to give up national position
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by Mike Ross
Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin is taking aim at former Senate President Ben Stevens and his position as the national committeeman for the Alaska Republican Party.
Stevens has been named by former VECO Corp. executives as someone who accepted bribes. But, like Senate Rules Committee Chairman John Cowdery, Stevens has not been charged with a crime.
Palin said she's heard enough to not want Stevens in a position representing Republicans.
"When I'm looking at the political party in which I'm registered and I see the national committee man is Ben Stevens, I'm free there to state my opinion and that's; he shouldn't be our national committeeman," Palin said.
Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich said the national committee has no process to remove a sitting committee member.
"Sen. Stevens was elected to serve a four-year term under the national rules of the Republican National Committee. He will serve through the March 20008 convention. We look forward to electing a new committee man at that time," Ruedrich said.
Ruedrich said Stevens has not attended national committee meetings since the summer of 2005.
Contact Mike Ross at mross@ktuu.com
