Time Mag v. Senator Akaka

Yesterday I complained about the Time Magazine article ranking Akaka among the 5 worst Senators. Initially I thought it was just a random choice, albeit poorly justified.  Akaka doesn't strike me as a go-getter, but he's well meaning and honest.  In my book, that's enough.  He's a satisfactory Senator, even if he doesn't often exceed our expectations. Apparently most people agree -- recent Survey USA rankings give Akaka 59% positive to 28% negative, putting him at 30th among the 100 Senators.

But I kept my snide comments to a minimum and made a concerted effort not to make jokes about Time Magazine.

They've had a tough couple of years, and I'm careful not to automatically attack the journalistic integrity of media sources I disagree with, even when their track record has been so lousy.

But it was all terribly convenient for Akaka's primary opponent, the conservative Democrat Ed Case who has had trouble gaining traction in fundraising or public support.  And then a friend pointed out something that was so obvious.  I knew both of these facts, but somehow I hadn't put them together:

• Steve Case and Ed Case are cousins.  
• Steve Case is the former Chairman and one of the largest stock-holders of Time-Warner.

Suddenly it all makes sense.