Sen. Ted Stevens is nothing if not tenacious. Even after the 84-year-old Republican senior senator from Alaska was found guilty of seven felonies last month, he pressed his bid for re-election. This would have been a perfect opportunity for Alaskans to show Stevens the door. But benefiting from peculiar voter loyalty and his own tenacity, Stevens holds a small vote advantage in his race against Democrat Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, and may well be re-elected.
Getting the final result could take weeks, but Stevens should not set foot in the Senate chamber again. As a public servant, Stevens violated the trust of his office, and the Senate should vote to expel him later this month. There is no need to wait for court appeals.
Stevens' claims that he has "not been convicted of anything yet'' is self-delusional and deceptive. A jury convicted Stevens of breaking ethics laws by taking hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of renovations to his Alaskan home and other expensive gifts, and not reporting them. Technically the conviction attaches when he is sentenced, which hasn't occurred. But a jury has pronounced Stevens is guilty, and that should be enough for his Senate colleagues.
It will take a two-thirds vote of the chamber to expel Stevens. Republican leaders in the Senate, while calling on Stevens to resign, have suggested that any expulsion should remain on hold until his appeals are exhausted. This would be an untenable delay.
The facts of Stevens' case are well known, and they point to a man who traded on his status for a better lifestyle. Stevens exploited his office, and he should be removed.
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