Inouye Wants Navy Warship Named For Ted Stevens

Sen. Dan Inouye and some of his colleagues want to honor the late Sen. Ted Stevens by naming a Navy warship after him.

Inouye and Stevens were longtime allies despite the fact that Inouye’s a Democrat and Stevens was a Republican. They were brought together by their geographical separation from the continental U.S. — Stevens represented Alaska.

From the Associated Press:

Stevens’ legacy has already been memorialized through having a mountain named after him in his home state of Alaska, as well as the now-annual Ted Stevens Day. But several senators on Thursday said it would be particularly fitting for a warship to be named for Stevens, given his strong support for the military and service men and women during his 40 years in the Senate.

Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, a longtime friend of Stevens’, said it would be a “small but well-deserved honor” for someone who did so much to support the Navy.

Stevens died two years ago in a plane crash.

(Hat-tip to the Alaska Dispatch)

UPDATE: Inouye’s office provided a statement on the Stevens Amendment. Read it in full here.

— Michael Levine

Photo by Flickr user jim.greenhill