Bye Bye Sen. Toobz (Updated)

Mark Begich's lead over Senator Ted Stevens is now 3,724. That is a difference of 1.18% which would give Begich the seat outright. Automatic recount would only be triggered by a margin of less than .5%.

No more Ted Stevens for us! We'll have to make do with Sen. Toobz greatest hit:



UPDATE: The Anchorage Daily News has called the race for Begich, as only 2,500 votes remain to be counted.

Congratulations to Senator Mark Begich!

FBI Searches Senator Ted Stephens Home [Updated, below]

Anchorage Daily News: AL GRILLO / The Associated Press
Armed with a search warrant, agents from the FBI and IRS spent much of the day July 30, 2007, in, around and on top of Sen. Ted Stevens' Girdwood home, which was extensively remodeled in 2000. Investigators want to know whether the project was handled lawfully, an unnamed law enforcement official said.
WaPo: Alaska Senator's Home Is Raided
Stevens Scrutinized In a Wide Inquiry Into Corruption in the State

How will we remember Ted Stephens? For the Bridge to Nowhere? For "the Internet is not something that you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of tubes." Or as a powerful man who let his powerful position as Chair of the Appropriations Committee corrupt him? He let an oil services company DOUBLE the size of his home. Nice work if you can get it.

I think the Tubes comment will win out.

Anchorage Daily News: Warrant served at Ted Stevens' Girdwood home
FBI, IRS examine residence; remodeling job under scrutiny

Stevens' Girdwood house

• 10 rooms, 2,471 square feet

• Assessed value in 2007: $440,900 (includes 1/4-acre lot)

• Extensive remodel in 2000 that involved jacking existing dwelling up and constructing a new first floor beneath it to roughly double the square footage.

• Investigators are looking into the role of oil field services firm Veco in the remodeling project.

UPDATE: An astute blogger notes that Senator Stephen's attorneys were tipped off about the search. Alberto Gonzales' DOJ strikes again.