Former Senator of Alaska and the longest ever served Republican Senator, Senator Ted Stevens is dead. The 86 year old Senator Stevens died in a plane crash, near Dillingham, Bristol Bay about 325 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. Ironically as they say, twice is the charm and so it is that the senator was unable to survive his second plane crash; the first being a deadly 1978 plane crash at Anchorage International Airport that claimed the live of his wife, Ann, and several others. The tragic plane, a 1957 red-and-white float plane, named DeHavilland DHC-3T and which was registered to Anchorage-based General Communications Inc., a phone and Internet company; was taking the parties for a trip to a salmon fishing camp. Senator Stevens was among the five persons that died in the plane crash which also produced four survivors; the disparity in outcome, according to one commentator, has no possible explanation. According to him, 'there was no rhyme or reason to how some survived the crash. The pilot was killed, but a passenger in the co-pilot's seat survived. The front of the aircraft was gone, he was just sitting strapped in the seat." Icheoku says, yes there is an explanation - it is called destiny; which the book of Ecclesiastics buttressed further with its 'A Time for everything, a time to die and a time to be born' - it was simply not there time yet to take their final bow and vice versa. Senator Stevens long senate run started with his appointment in December 1968 and ended in 2008, after 40 years, following a corruption allegation charges which were later dismissed. The charge followed some house renovation gift he received from a contractor; his career was also tainted by the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" which became a symbol of pork-barrel spending in Congress; and was targeted by taxpayer groups who challenged an appropriation for hundreds of millions of dollars for bridge construction in Ketchikan.Stevens was the longest-serving Republican Senator in the history of the Senate; and served even longer than the racist late Strom Thurmond, who lived and served until he turned a centurion.
It will be recalled that many prominent politicians have perished in plane crashes in America including the latest Senator Ted Stevens, the 1991 Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz whose widow Theresa is now married to Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, 1993 South Dakota Gov. George Mickelson, 2000 Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan and the 2002 Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone. Icheoku says when you have a country as big and expansive as the United States of America with frequent criss-crossing of it to attend constituents business as well as others, accidents are bound to occur and a public official being a passenger in one of the numerous planes is always a possibility. Anyway to the people of the vast wasteland state of Alaska, the state that gave America the beauty and no brain Sarah Palin, to the family and wife of Ted Stevens, Icheoku extends our condolences. And to the 'Uncle Ted' of Northwest Alaska, as you join the previously deceased Uncle Ted Kennedy of Northeast Massachusetts; Icheoku says you had a great run for your people of Alaska as collaborated by one sympathiser, who said, "He did his job and he did it well. That's all I want to know about a politician: Do your job." Adieu Ted!
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