Ted Stevens, Alaska's Senate Fixture
Sen. Ted Stevens, wearing his trademark "Incredible Hulk" tie, talks to reporters after a meeting of the Senate Republican Policy Committee on Dec. 20, 2005. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Sen. Ted Stevens, wearing his trademark "Incredible Hulk" tie, talks to reporters after a meeting of the Senate Republican Policy Committee on Dec. 20, 2005.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesSen. Ted Stevens of Alaska has held his office for nearly 40 years, making him the chamber's senior Republican. He joins many observers in ruing the recent shift toward partisanship and people "who do politics all the time." Stevens talks about the old days — and more recent subjects, including the debate over conservation and climate change — with Steve Inskeep.