Speaking of desperate politicians with shady campaign tactics...

You may have heard of indicted Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens in the news lately. What you may not have heard is that Stevens, elected 40 years ago to the Senate, and our very own Pat Roberts happen to be buddies.

Though Roberts might want to forget it, he and Stevens are good friends. Roberts flew to Alaska in 2000 to host an event at an Anchorage airport named after Ted Stevens. He even voted for Ted Stevens’ “Bridge to Nowhere.” So much for fiscal responsibility…

The Lawrence Journal World reports:

Stevens was indicted on Tuesday on federal charges that he concealed receiving more than $250,000 in home renovations and gifts from a powerful oil contractor that lobbied him. Stevens has said he is not guilty of the charges.

Stevens’ name has also become synonymous with the $230 million “bridge to nowhere” project in Alaska, which has been criticized by many for being a wasteful congressional earmark.

But don’t worry, Stevens wasn’t keeping all that money to himself. His PAC, Northern Lights, has donated almost $20,000 to Pat Roberts’ campaign. I guess that’s what friends are for…

No wonder Stevens and Roberts are such good friends- they’ve got a lot in common. Both accept shady money from Big Oil and both have been in Washington for entirely too long.

The Senate got a second chance yesterday, finally passing a Medicare bill that will prevent a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients. Republicans have been dragging their feet largely to protect private insurance companies. If the vote had failed, many Kansas physicians were planning to stop treating new Medicare clients, the very people who need help the most.Senator John McCain was the only senator absent from the vote. (Even Ted Kennedy who is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor found time for the bill.)

However, McCain made it abundantly clear where he stands when he declared that he would have voted no on the measure, standing obediently by the Bush White House who has threatened to veto the measure.

McCain, unprompted, then brought up the Medicare vote today as an example of partisan gridlock. Q: How would you have voted on the cloture vote?A: “I would have voted against it.” Q: You would have voted with your party then? A: Sure.

Our very own Senator Pat Roberts actually voted to pass the bill. I guess that’s what happens when you’re in the middle of a close election… However, over the past twelve years, Roberts has made his position on helping senior citizens very clear- he has consistently voted against negotiating lower prescription drug prices and importing cheaper medications as recently as April of last year.John McCain and Pat Roberts are one and the same. When it counts, they vote against Kansans, and for big insurance companies and their own bank accounts.

That is...when McCain bothers to show up.

Pat Roberts finally decided to do something about gas prices by introducing the Gas Price Reduction Act last week. Too bad his voting record in Washington has helped to create the problem.While Kansans are suffering at the pump, oil companies have posted record profits for the last five years. Instead of doing anything about it, Roberts has been voting with Big Oil, who have contributed over $200,000 to his campaign.

It’s amazing how public opinion so close to the election can finally spur him to action. Unfortunately for Kansans, it’s simply too little, too late.