So Alaska elected to the Senate a still to be sentenced felon
 

Thoughts? Is this a first?

I don't think it is final yet. It sounds like there may be many absentee and provisional ballots still to go through. If Stevens does win, it is an embarrassing moment for Alaska, and a moment the Republican party could do without. The Democrats would love to have the seat, but they may get more mileage politically out of a Stevens win, particularly if he refuses to resign. The Senate could drag out his expulsion for months, holding several hearings in the process. Stevens, once imprisoned, couldn't vote (he couldn't be on the floor of the Senate), so he would be a Republican with no ability to help his party at all.

Alaska is the gift that keeps on giving.

I have no idea what Alaskans were thinking. I can't ever imagine going to the polls and knowingly casting a vote for a convicted felon. That is crazy.

Tagline:

"I am not a crook!"

I heard some interviews on NPR with Alaskans on the street and most of them kept saying that they refuse to accept the decision of "a jury of outsiders". The interviewer kept saying "you mean non-Alaskans?", and the answer was always "yes". I had no idea when I was listening to that piece that there were enough of those folks to re-elect the guy.

They're mavericks up there.

Stevens is the greatest pork barrel politician of all time. He's brought untold billions of our money to Alaskans. Maybe it's a cheap shot for the feds to have tried him not before his peers. But they couldn't even get an indictment up there.

If an elected Stevens is convicted, then ejected by the Senate, the governor of Alaska appoints the successor.

What are the chances their current occupant steps down as Guv to have the Lt. send her to Washington in her preparation for 2012? She must realize her physical disconnect in the 49th was a big part of her rocky start.

I'd give it a 1/3 chance.

Ted Stevens is an absolute disgrace, and Don Young isn't far behind him. The sooner we purge ourselves of these two, the better.

I am under the impression that the governor doesn't appoint a Senator in such instances in Alaska, but rather the state holds a special election. I will try to look it up.

Aren't there a couple of Dem congressmen who suffered the same 'fate'? William Jefferson (remember the guy with $100,000 in his freezer?), the black representative in Florida. The guy in Florida had actually gone to prison.

Plus didn't Clinton remain in office after lying to a grand jury? I think the precident has been set.