Ted Stevens explains the internet

The political demise of Ted Stevens, the Senator for Alaska, is all the excuse we need to revisit his rather wonderful explanation of how the internet works.

“The internet is not something you just dump something on,” he said, back in 2006. “It’s not a truck. It’s a series of tubes.

“And if you don't understand, those tubes can be filled, and if they are filled, when you put your message in it gets in line and it’s going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material.”

He spoke from personal experience: “An internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday.

“Why? Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially.”

The Senate will be less entertaining without him. Unless Sarah Palin takes his place.