Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in U.S. Senate history, has been convicted on all 7 counts of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosures, involving hundreds of thousand of dollars in unreported “gifts” from friends and political backers.
Stevens was already in a tough reelection battle with Democratic challenger Mark Begich, and I think most analysts would expect his conviction to cost him the election.
Either way, Stevens’ long political career has come to end; if he refuses to resign, the Senate will expel him as a convicted felon. And under a new Alaska law, Gov. Sarah Palin does not have the power to appoint a replacement.
UPDATE:
Gov. Palin sets the record straight on her relationship with Sen. Stevens, arguing that he “needs to be heard across America” so that Alaska can “lead the rest of the US.”
I noticed, wonder if the voters will vote for him anyway. Now can Mayor Begich win outside of Anchorage, who knows. Going to be interesting. I like the character witnesses Stevens called, including Colin Powell, and Daniel Inouye. Stevens and Inouye have been in the Senate so long, I am sure partisanship does not get in the way of friendship that they testify on each other’s behalf.
I was cynical enough to think he would get off, though he is obviously guilty as hell of a lot more than lying on disclosure forms.
One can only hope that this means he won’t win next week, but I know too many Alaskans and their fierce support of socialism and government hand-outs is so strong a draw that they might just keep Uncle Ted.
Evergreen@1
Hawaii and Alaskan politicians have a very long-standing alliance within the Senate that dates back to their both becoming states in 1959. It is no surprise that Inouye would support him in this and it has nothing really to do with crossing-partisan boundaries or the like.
Apparently, according to the P-I, it would take a 2/3 vote in the Senate to expel the old cow. How classy…nevermind that “felon” on your record, come on in!
“Uncle Ted” comes to an ignominious end.
The man who would build bridges to nowhere and shove oil tankers willy-nilly into Puget sound.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Good to know that Alaska will be a slightly lighter shade of purple. Need it to counter-balance the Mat-Su Barbie.
Singing Schadenfreude from the rooftops and pissing on the tires of GOP cars.
I’m thinking that Stevens won’t resign, and he’ll fight like hell to keep his seat. Alaska has a strong aversion to being told what to do by the “lower 48”, and having the trial in Washington D.C. with a local jury there isn’t going to help Alaskan’s accept this verdict.
Stevens can always argue that the verdict isn’t final until his appeals are exhausted – and the turmoil in the jury room, plus disputes over “undisclosed evidence”, leaves lots of openings for the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to decide that the trial judge should have simply declared a mistrial. And the judges of the D.C. Circuit are the most Republican federal judges in the nation – they are the ones which allowed the Special Prosecutor in the Whitewater case to essentially turn it into a four-year fishing expedition for anything embarrasing which could be used against Clinton.
I’m no expert in Senate rules by any stretch of the imagination, but I think the 2/3 majority vote is required for expulsion of a sitting senator. However, that’s different from the vote to seat a Senator at the beginning of their term of office. If Stevens wins this election, he will be beginning another term of office, and the Senate could simply vote not to seat him (they’ve done it before, but I can’t remember specific examples right now).
#3, thanks. ALmost forgot, the two states came in just about the same time. Plus, Inouye makes a good character witness, I would not question a Medal of Honor recipient(although it was awarded retroactively when the Army did a review of Asian American servicemen from WWII), it is one medal one cannot question.
It’s going to be interesting next week though. Also, Stevens was probably good friends with Begich’s dad, who was an Alaskan Congressmember.
Dammit, he should have taken cold hard cash
and stuffed it in the freezer because that is
accepted practice by democrats. OR, he could
have sold military missle guidance technology
to the fucking Chinese because that is also OK
by democrat standards. OR, Pelosi could teach
him how to bypass minimum wage for workers
at Star Kist tuna where her husband owns millions
of dollars of stock and instead inject
pork spending paid for by (people who work) not
democrats. If anyone would like more examples
of accepted practices, feel free to ask.
Just saw Chuck Schumer on the news, and I must
say, what a fucking poster boy for birth
control. All you tards are missing some genes
or something. I mean, look at the people in
the crowds at the democrat functions. HOLY
FUCK.
@9 “Waaaaaaaaa”
Not too bitter, are you? Just think, it’ll be so much worse for you when Rossi, McCain/Palin and Reichert all get their butts handed to them on November 4th. Yeah, that’s going really hurt, troll. Be sure to come back and tell us about it.
I am waiting for the first Fox News report with the caption “guilty of 7 Felonies, Sen. Stevens – Democrat”
You just know they are going to do it. That is their SOP.
@ 10, have you seen the mouth breathing brain dead supporters at the Palin-McCain rallies? Holy shit! That is the kiddie section of the gene pool. filled with piss and feces.
@10 “HOLY FUCK.”
You might want to save that remark for the evening of November 4th.
It’s pretty much assured that the only Republican Congress members left after Nov. 4th will have to cast their votes from behind prison bars.
Steve…the “shock and awe” is just beginning.
As bad as I felt Nov. 5th, 2004…I’ll feel that GOOD Nov. 5th, 2008…
The only question is how bad have they fucked up with the American people? We shall see, shan’t we?
so mark…yeah…175,000 folks in MISSOURI (fewgawdssake) is impressive. I agree!
@9: Poor Mark – it is the Palin crowds that are scary. Note that just today there was a skinhead plot to try and kill African Americans and Obama and a woman shouts out the N word at a Palin rally.
Yup – all that talk of “real” americans is really uniting the country. What a sad bunch of right wing freaks – how small and petty is their race baiting? Where is Puddy to tell us that it is really the democrats who are against African Americans? I need a good laugh after the racist crap put out by the GOP. Lincoln would be turning over in his grave if he saw this kind of pandering to racism.
Yeah, but will it make a difference? We got any Alaskans who post here? what do they think?
So, I wonder if they will rename the Anchorage Airport now. It is known as Ted Stevens-Anchorage International Airport.
If Stevens does not immediately resign, he will be expelled. There will be no seating him should he win, that is a moot point.
The Senate will not allow a convicted felon to sit with them.
The voters can see through the Demo bull shit and will vote Stevens back in to office.
@ 21
Since when did a trail by American Jurors become “Demo bull shit”?
How long have you hated America, George? And if you hate America so much why don’t you move to Saudi Arabia?
America has no need for fake Americans like you! Kill yourself traitor! Do us all a favor.
21
George put crack pipe down.
George back away from table.
George go see doctor.
“Goldy, the Senate will expel him as a convicted felon. ”
That’s a laugh, we had clinton a convicted felon serve out his term.
Let’s not forget about the women killer Teddy who to this day serves in the Senate.
Your better than the seattle times goldy in making up lies as facts.
Unless Stevens gets a pardon by Tuesday, he won’t be able to vote for himself or anyone else next week. Can’t let a felon vote, ya know!
A colin powell endorsement sure isn’t what it used to be.
So colin supports both stevens and obama. Birds of a feather??