Political Parody From Alaska

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Little Ben Stevens

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=421698

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1. here' s better link

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=4191064&q=lo

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2. the story behind the song

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/7936744p-7829487c.html


Incumbent state Sen. Ben Stevens withdrew Wednesday from a crowded Republican primary race for his South Anchorage seat.Notice of Stevens' withdrawal appeared at midafternoon on the state Division of Elections Web site. In a statement issued minutes later by political consultant David Dittman's office, Stevens said he decided not to run because the duties of office are taking time he would prefer to spend with his family.

Stevens, the son of longtime U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, was appointed by former Gov. Tony Knowles to complete a term vacated in 2001 by former state Sen. Drue Pearce, who had been appointed to a federal job in Washington, D.C. He was unopposed for re-election in 2002 and was named Senate president by the Republican majority in late 2004.Stevens has worked as a commercial fisherman and as a consultant, a job for which he received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Alaska companies with interests here and in Washington, D.C. The overlap between his professional life and the elected offices he and his father held helped make him a lightning rod for ethics questions and accusations. He was the target of an unsuccessful recall effort and several complaints filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission by former state lawmaker and political gadfly Ray Metcalfe.

Stevens' grip on the Republican majority in the Senate also seemed to slip in the last hours of the regular session this year. A parliamentary struggle over a bill between the Senate president and Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, ended with the Senate voting 13-7 for Therriault, and enough Republicans later deserted ship to doom by a 10-10 vote an oil production tax bill Stevens favored.
Stevens would likely have faced a stiff challenge in the Aug. 22 primary, where he was opposed by Republican state Reps. Norm Rokeberg and Lesil McGuire. Both are veteran lawmakers.