The editorial pages of the Anchorage Daily News this past weekend summed up the differences of Alaska's, and America's, political ideology.
Six articles, five in Sunday's paper, about Sen. Ted Stevens and his legacy all heaped praise upon the Alaska legend. In three of the six, the conservative writers do what conservatives do best -- blame others. The other three, one by University of Alaska Anchorage history professor Steve Haycox, often accused in letters to the editor of being a screaming liberal; the editorial of an alleged liberal newspaper; and the other by former Daily News editorial page editor Michael Carey, do not.
Saturday's piece by Art Hackney quoted Plutarch in its gushing praise of Stevens and his achievements. But near the end, Hackney blames everyone but the senator for his election loss: "Mark Begich begins his tenure knowing that this election was handed to him by prosecutorial misconduct and vicious attack ads ..."(If you have ever voted for George W. Bush, at any level, you can't complain about "vicious attack ads.")
At the bottom of Hackney's piece, after Stevens has turned water into wine, we find that the writer has "produced campaign ads for Sen. Stevens every six years since 1983."
Maybe Hackney is justifying the loss of a lucrative account.
Paulette Simpson, president of the Alaska Federation of Republican Women, dripping with emotion, sets Stevens on a high pedestal that's consequently yanked out from under him by "ruthless government prosecutors" and a "farcical jury."
Then there is another boorish and sophomoric rant by Dan Fagan. He manages to blame the environmentalists for Mark Begich's win because "Stevens has been enemy No. 1 for those who want to shut down development in Alaska and turn us into nothing more than a state park." In his last two sentences he becomes little Timmy Fagan calling for his lost pet. "Senator, come home ... Senator, come home ..."
Haycox, on the other hand, rationally discusses Stevens' impressive list of accomplishments and mentions only the "anti-climactic end of his career."
The Daily News editorial writer penned a few lines about the senator's associations with lobbyists and developers, calling it "a sad end to a successful and storied career," in a piece reinforcing Stevens' title as Alaskan of the century.
Carey put the blame where it truly lies. "From my perspective, whether or not he was betrayed by the government and his friends, he betrayed himself."
The "farcical" jurors stated as much after the trial. The most damning evidence was the senator's own comments in recorded phone conversations.
Each of these articles are true in the sense that Ted Stevens is a war hero and upstanding person who has helped make Alaska the thriving state it is today. But his downfall is his fault alone. He made the decisions without which there would have been no opportunity for "prosecutorial misconduct," no fate in the hands of a "farcical" jury.
Conservatives need a scapegoat. They honestly believe they can do no wrong. An icon like Ted Stevens accused of misconduct? Convicted of felonies? Must be a liberal conspiracy. It's the federal prosecutor's fault. The jury was compromised. The trial should have been held in Alaska. It's Clinton's fault.
No, the fault lies with the convicted.
Stevens has much more to do for Alaska and Alaskans. At 85, he is a walking historical document. He was a lifeguard, fought in a little known theater of WWII and spent a lifetime in government involved in every major decision made about Alaska, including statehood.
Do us one more favor Uncle Ted: Pick up your pen and tell us about your life.
Matt Hayes lives in Fairbanks. He can be reached at coscarh@yahoo.com.
By MATT HAYES