I voted for Ted, but that was long ago. It’s a shame that he became part of the machine in Alaska. The only brightness in this all is that Sarah Palin is vindicated by this verdict, and the Republican party of Alaska has some serious rethinking and soul searching to do.
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 just days before Election Day, adds further uncertainty to a closely watched Senate race. Democrats hope to seize the once reliably Republican seat as part of their bid for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
With this verdict let us hope that other cases might develop over other Legislator’s homes, such as Chris Dodd’s sweetheart loan that waived charges from Countrywide, and Barack Obama’s lot addition courtesy of Tony Rezko.
More on this at Lawhawk’s
Update: Sarah Palin’s Statement:
“It’s a sad day for Alaska, and a sad day for Senator Stevens and his family. The verdict shines a light though on the corrupting influence of the big oil service company up there in Alaska that was allowed to control too much of our state. And that control was part of the culture of corruption that I was elected to fight. And that fight must always move forward regardless of party affiliation or seniority or even past service. And as governor of the state of Alaska, I’ll carefully monitor now the situation, and I’ll take any appropriate action as needed. In the meantime, I do ask that the people of Alaska join me in respecting the workings of our judicial system, and I’m confident that Senator Stevens, from this point on, will do the right thing for the state of Alaska.”
