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Stevens' legacy now in the hands of history

by Mike Ross
Tuesday, January 6, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- For the first time in 40 years, Ted Stevens was absent from Capitol Hill. In fact, Stevens has not been seen in public for several weeks.

But even though he's a private citizen now, and still facing federal guilty verdicts, there are predictions that Stevens will keep fighting, and that his place in Alaska history is secure.

Former Gov. Bill Sheffield, who's known Stevens for 50 years, recently got a hand-written note from Alaska's former senior senator.

"He felt sad that he didn't get the vote of the Bush, rural Alaska, that he should have," Sheffield said. "He was -- seemed upbeat."

Sheffield says Stevens is glad he can spend more time with his grandchildren and he's determined to fight the guilty verdicts.

"If you know Ted Stevens like a lot of us do, he'll work very hard to clear his name," Sheffield said. "I'm almost positive he wouldn't ask the president for a pardon."

During his years on Capitol Hill, Stevens earned a national reputation for being a fierce and combative advocate for Alaska.

"Ted Stevens' contribution to Alaska is in educating the U.S. Congress as to what Alaska's needs are, what it's exceptionalities are, and then bringing the Congress to support those needs," UAA historian Stephen Haycox said. "And he's been extraordinarily effective at it."

But with the taint of the federal convictions, many Alaskans on the opposite side of the political fence were relieved that Congress convened without Stevens there.

"I'm just glad that we're out of the drama and we can move on," Alaska Democratic Party Chair Patti Higgins said. "We have this bright, rising star, Mark Begich, who's in the majority and he's going to be able to do great things for Alaska."

Now that Stevens' time in Washington has passed, how will history remember him?

"They'll focus on all of the good stuff that he did for Alaska, which was tremendous," Haycox said. "A heck of a lot."

With time, Stevens' accomplishments in Congress will overshadow his troubles in court, Haycox said.

"In fact, I think within a decade or so this rather tragic ending will be suppressed in public memory and people will remember Ted Stevens for the tremendous positive contribution he made," he said, adding that Stevens will go down in history as a pillar of Alaska.

Stevens had been scheduled for sentencing next month, but that's been delayed indefinitely because of his efforts to win a new trial.

Contact Mike Ross at mross@ktuu.com