The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate trailed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,724 votes after Tuesday's count.
That's an insurmountable lead with only about 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.
Stevens, who turned 85 Tuesday, also revealed that he will not ask President George W. Bush to give him a pardon for his seven felony convictions.
Stevens, who has served in the Senate since 1968, is renowned for bringing federal funding home to Alaska, as well as for wearing his Incredible Hulk tie when the going gets rough in Congress.
But last month he was convicted by a federal jury in Washington of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an oil field services company.
As reported in the Washington Post, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said two weeks ago that even if Stevens won his race, he wouldn't keep his job on Capitol Hill. "The reality is that a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate," Reid said. "And as precedent shows us, Senator Stevens will face an ethics committee investigation and expulsion, regardless of his appeals process."
And if there had been a special election? Who might have been in line to replace him? Hint: lipstick; $150,000 wardrobe. Yep, you betcha! Sarah Palin.
And although Palin would likely have faced a legal challenge if she tried to appoint herself or a temporary replacement (a law passed by the Alaska Legislature after Lisa Murkowski's appointment to the Senate by her father, former Gov. Frank Murkowski, requires a special election to fill any Senate vacancies) she would have certainly been the frontrunner in any race to replace Stevens.
So sorry, Sarah. Warm up that moose stew; it's gonna be a long winter.
And (former) Sen. Stevens: it looks like you're finally on that Bridge to Nowhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment