Ted Stevens Conviction

"Heigh ho, heigh-it's off to jail I go."

Soon-to-be former Senator Ted Stevens


I have a one-word reaction to the conviction of US Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK):

Good.

I have a one-word reaction to Republican fears of losing another Senate seat (Alaska) to the Democrats next week:

Tough.

Now that the jury has spoken and convicted Stevens, his departure from the Senate cannot come too soon. If he happens to be re-elected next week, then he should be promptly expelled.

Stevens is emblematic of what went wrong in the Republican Party after they achieved power in the 1990s through the Contract with America. They were supposed to change Washington, eliminate the pork, stop misusing the public's money and fight for smaller government and conservative principles.

Instead, they fell in love with the system and were corrupted by the high life. Under a Republican-controlled Congress, they proceeded to do exactly what the Democrats do. They engaged in pork barrel politics, schmoozed with lobbyists and let themselves become corrupted. And today, Ted Stevens stands convicted of corruption. Personally, I hope he goes to prison-even though he is 84 years old. Let Stevens be the example for other politicians who use their public trust to enrich themselves at the public's expense.

If the polls are correct, the Republicans will be punished for their misdeeds in the election next week. Frankly they deserve it.

Unfortunately, America doesn't deserve what will happen when the Democrats find themselves with unbridled power.