Thursday, August 21, 2008

Two longtime Alaska politicians face ouster If there have been any immutable facts of life in a state chiseled by shifting glaciers, it is the state's two iconic politicians: Stevens, 84, the nation's longest-serving Republican senator; and Don Young, 75, the Republican who has held Alaska's only House seat for the last 35 years. Together, they have helped build one of the nation's wealthiest states out of an unruly territory, pushing foreign fishing fleets out of Alaskan waters, opening the way to oil development on the North Slope and using their considerable power from decades on Capitol Hill to funnel billions of dollars of federal money into roads, schools, hospitals and rural development. But the two men who once were considered unbeatable now face bruising fights in Tuesday's primary election that could put their once solidly Republican congressional seats up for grabs. Both have been caught up in a long-running federal investigation that has already seen three GOP state lawmakers, the former governor's chief of staff and three others convicted on corruption charges....

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