‘THE STEVENS LOBBY’ NEEDS A HUG…. This holiday season, it’s important not to forget those who’ve fallen on hard times — like the impressive network of well-paid lobbyists who were dependent on Sen. Ted Stevens (R) of Alaska.
Until recently, there were few better ways to start a lobbying career than by leaving the office of Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska.
With 40 years of seniority on important Senate committees, Mr. Stevens, a Republican, wielded unrivaled power over industries like fishing, forestry, communications, aviation and the military, steering billions each year to pet Alaskan projects like Eskimo whaling, missile defense and even salmon-based dog treats called Yummy Chummies.
His power made his good will a valuable commodity on K Street, where many lobbying firms are located. During the past five years, just nine lobbyists and firms known primarily for their ties to Mr. Stevens reported over $60 million in lobbyist fees, not including other income for less direct “consulting.” The most recent person to leave his staff to become a lobbyist reported fees of more than $800,000 in just the last 18 months.
So when Alaskan voters narrowly rejected Mr. Stevens’s bid for re-election last month, just days after a jury convicted him of federal ethics violations, it was in some ways like the closing of the plant in a company town.
Yeah, my heart bleeds for the gang the New York Times calls “the Stevens lobby,” which includes whole offices specializing in lobbying the Alaskan.
An email that was making the rounds among Stevens-staffers-turned-lobbyists joked that Alaskans made a terrible mistake. “[Voters] don’t understand the connection between Ted and the way of life they have come to take for granted,” the email said. “For those of us long on the dole, the coming reality will take some getting used to.”
