• From frozen tundra, we built airports, roads, ports, water and sewer systems, hospitals, clinics, communications networks, research labs and much, much more.
• Former Sen. Ted Stevens • Speaking during his unsuccessful 2008 Senate campaign. Stevens, perhaps the most well-known politician in Alaska until Sarah Palin came along, was a tireless advocate for his state. While the many earmarks were controversial, it earned him some high marks amongst the people in his home state. He defended the earmarks in part because the state was relatively new, the government owned most of it, and there were numerous strategic reasons for modernizing Alaska. The state legislature responded by making him the “Alaskan of the Century” back in 2000. The scandals and flub-ups he faced late in his career (including the embarrassing “series of tubes” incident) put a negative mark on a popular politician, but ultimately, he was cleared of the ethics charges against him, leaving his reputation relatively in check. Still, a sad end for an iconic senator. source

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