# Ted Stevens dies
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [August 10, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855 "2010-08-10T18:34:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/1 "2010-08-10T18:34:39Z")
40-year Senator Ted Stevens was [killed in a plane crash](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/10/national/main6760221.shtml) in Alaska this morning. Will he be missed?
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/2 "2010-08-10T18:45:52Z")
I’ll quote one of my responses in the MPSIMS thread:
I really have mixed feelings about the guy. He was well-respected by both sides of the political spectrum in Alaska, bringing in tons of money, creating jobs with legislation that favored the oil pipeline and offshore drilling, and other legislation that supported Alaska Natives in their efforts to incorporate and maintain small business status. He was also an aggressive supporter of air safety, which, in Alaska, has saved countless lives. On the other hand, he acquired the arrogance and self-entitlement mentality of so many of our elected officials, who seem to forget who it is that hired them. It’s something that I find unforgiveable in any politician. For Alaskans, however, the positives over a 40-year career far outweigh the negatives at the end, which were minor in the grand scheme of government corruption.
To respond to this OP: He would have been sorely missed ten or twenty years ago. At his present age, his usefulness to the state is arguable. He will be mourned by nearly all; but there will also be somewhat of a sigh of relief from the Begich camp, as Ted could probably have successfully challenged Sen. Begich in the upcoming election, had he chosen to run.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/3 "2010-08-10T18:52:03Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> . . . bringing in tons of money . . .
Mmmmfffff . . .
_De mortuis nil nisi bonum nilnisibonum nilnisibonum . . ._
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/4 "2010-08-10T19:20:58Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> > [@Chefguy](#):
> >
> > . . . bringing in tons of money . . .
>
> Mmmmfffff . . .
>
> _De mortuis nil nisi bonum nilnisibonum nilnisibonum . . ._
Cryptic. Please clarify.
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### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/5 "2010-08-10T19:23:22Z")
“Speak no ill of the dead.”
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/6 "2010-08-10T19:24:04Z")
I believe that **BrainGlutton** was going to make a comment to the effect that the tons of money flowing into Alaska was not as appreciated by the citizens of the 49 states which it was flowing out of, possibly with specific reference to federal funding for a particular bridge.
Why yes, that was quite an articulate Mmmmfffff.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/7 "2010-08-10T19:50:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> I believe that **BrainGlutton** was going to make a comment to the effect that the tons of money flowing into Alaska was not as appreciated by the citizens of the 49 states which it was flowing out of, possibly with specific reference to federal funding for a particular bridge.
>
> Why yes, that was quite an articulate Mmmmfffff.
Okay, but that’s not the debate point, now is it?
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/8 "2010-08-10T19:53:17Z")
I thought he was talking about the tons of money which allegedly flowed into Stevens’ home decorating budget.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/9 "2010-08-10T19:59:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Okay, but that’s not the debate point, now is it?
Well, if the question is “will he be missed”, and he served as a series of tubes for money to flow through, then whether he will be missed will surely depend on which end of the tube you’re on.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/10 "2010-08-10T20:08:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Okay, but that’s not the debate point, now is it?
>
> Well, if the question is “will he be missed”, and he served as a series of tubes for money to flow through, then whether he will be missed will surely depend on which end of the tube you’re on.
True enough, although any politician who doesn’t bring home the bacon is shortly going to be out of a job. He didn’t invent the system; he just used it well.
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/11 "2010-08-10T20:31:09Z")
Probably not the right word to describe the situation. However, after he survives all he’s been through medically and with the previous crash killing his wife, here at 86 he dies on a fishing trip. Had he been able to get reelected, he probably would not have been on this trip. So in this regard, his accusers killed him! If Palin had been on the plane too, that would have been news.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/12 "2010-08-10T21:25:14Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I thought he was talking about the tons of money which allegedly flowed into Stevens’ home decorating budget.
That.
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### Author:  [@Normal\_Phase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Normal_Phase)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/13 "2010-08-10T21:27:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Okay, but that’s not the debate point, now is it?
>
> Well, if the question is “will he be missed”, and he served as a series of tubes for money to flow through, then whether he will be missed will surely depend on which end of the tube you’re on.
I see what you did there.
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### Author:  [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/14 "2010-08-10T21:40:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Okay, but that’s not the debate point, now is it?
>
> Well, if the question is “will he be missed”, and he served as a series of tubes for money to flow through, then whether he will be missed will surely depend on which end of the tube you’re on.
But I thought the political system was more like, you have a big truck full of money, and you take it somewhere? Am I wrong?
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/15 "2010-08-10T21:51:27Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> Will he be missed?
[No!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVuqVW4rq-o&feature=related)
Somebody had to say it and link it
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### Author:  [@toxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toxo)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/16 "2010-08-10T22:30:24Z")
How crappy does your luck have to be to be in two plane crashes ? Lucky enough to survive the first one that killed his wife but ultimately to die in a second plane crash.
I realize that in Alaska many parts are only accessible by plane and personal plane ownership is quite high but still…
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/17 "2010-08-10T22:46:46Z")
Is this what passes for debates in this forum now? There’s a better discussion going on in MPSIMS.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/18 "2010-08-10T23:34:27Z")
He finally crossed that big bridge to nowhere …
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/19 "2010-08-10T23:42:01Z")
I will observe his passing by [not just dumping something](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtOoQFa5ug8) on the internet tonight.
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### Author:  [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-stevens-dies/549855/20 "2010-08-11T00:21:21Z")
He was a total douchebag who inserted rules into the Defense appropriation bills requiring (in some cases, just suggesting) that services be provided by ANCs. All the eskimos do is tack 3 points on top of whoever is actually providing the services, add zero value, and cost the taxpayers and Defense dept money that they don’t have.
I sure won’t miss him.
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