Associated Press article, dated October 27 2008:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that tainted the 40-year Senate career of Alaska's political patriarch. The verdict, coming barely a week before Election Day, added further uncertainty to a closely watched Senate race.
Yeah, being a convicted felon puts a damper on your re-election campaign.
Stevens, 84, was convicted of all the charges he faced of lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. Jurors began deliberating last week.
The senator showed no emotion as the jury foreman said "guilty" seven times. After the verdicts, Stevens sat in his chair and stared at the ceiling as attorney Brendan Sullivan put his arm around him.
Or perhaps it would in every other country in the world, but this is the Yoo Ess of Ey we are dealing with here:
He had asked for an unusually speedy trial, hoping he'd be exonerated in time to return to Alaska and win re-election. He kept his campaign going and gave no indication that he had a contingency plan in case of conviction.
Despite being a convicted felon, he is not required to drop out of the race or resign from the Senate. If he wins re-election, he can continue to hold his seat because there is no rule barring felons from serving in Congress. The Senate could vote to expel him on a two-thirds vote.
Let me repeat that for emphasis (after all, this is my style on this blog, you should be used to it by now):
"Despite being a convicted felon, he is not required to drop out of the race or resign from the Senate. If he wins re-election, he can continue to hold his seat because there is no rule barring felons from serving in Congress."
Isn't the American democracy just the bestest system of governance in the world?
3 comments:
Isn't the American democracy just the bestest system of governance in the world?
It's for sure the best system money can buy ;-)
Term limits are a good idea that would keep senators and congressmen from becoming a "governing class" unto themselves.
If some guy stole a car at 18, but was a successful businessman at 45 and wanted to run for congress, I'd not have a problem with that per se. I try and keep in mind that you can be charged with a felony if you win a bar fight by too wide a margin in these times.
That said, Stevens is a crook and has been for decades. Its embarrassing that people in Alaska haven't voted that schmuck out of office years ago. 84 years of age......that is just ludicrious. With his seniority, I dont even want to think about all the power-wielding commities that he is on or even chairs or co-chairs.
I --really-- think that no sons, daughters, or nephews, or cousins of senators, congresspersons, or presidents ought to be legally ALLOWED to run for any political office other than simple civic ones until at least 12 years after the other relative has been OUT of office. We were not supposed to have a political "elite" in this nation. No Bush's, No Kennedy's, etc.
McCain and several Republicans have called for Stevens to step down.
This is a startlingly happy development. At least for public consumption, there are still a few in the GOP still capable of at least acting decently, whether their hearts are in it or not.
Post a Comment