he testified on Stevens' behalf-- Colin Powell: Stevens reputation 'sterling' -- http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/ste... -- "... One of the nation's best-known retired Army generals, Colin Powell, described Sen. Ted Stevens in court today as a "trusted individual" and a man with a "sterling" reputation.

"He was someone whose word you could rely on," ..."

are you decent people, or do you want to 'send those politicians in DC a message' and be willing to have a convicted felon represent you?

really, if he is reelected, i almost wish he fights to stay, and wins appeal. of course i think he's stinking guilty of these crimes and more, but if the people of AK can't stand up and do their duty as voters and maintain a *basic standard of political decency,* then i really don't know what to say.

for once, it's up to the People. please, AK, Do the Right Thing.

I read that he's refusing to step down from his re-election campaign. The guy is total slime, and it's maddening to watch him remain so defiant. He should have been kicked out many years ago. He think he is owed his Senate seat. What an arrogant prick.

There isn't a thing Stevens could do to lose, I don't think. There are quite a few of these House and Senate seats like. Stevens has brought in so much bacon that his people gladly overlook his blatant criminal acts.

News flash from Realityworld:

Stevens has been trailing in the polls for nearly a year now, although he has benefited from Republican enthusiasm around the Palin nomination and sympathy due to Bush DOJ staff bungling of paperwork and witnesses in his trial.

Expect the conviction to remove some of that enthusiasm and sympathy; this race should be a Senate win for the Democrats.

Tactically, the Democrats are better off if Stevens stays in the race and in the Senate for the rest of this Congress. If he resigns or is expelled, Palin will have a chance to appoint a successor who might also take Stevens' place in the election. Best for the Dems to let things run their course; if Stevens should be re-elected they can expel him next term.

Just a test.

Who pissed in his Frosted Flakes, this morning? Perhaps someone needs a self-imposed timeout.

Stevens is one of the worst-of-the-worst, if you ask me. He's the very definition of political corruption. Just about anyone would be better than him in our nation's Congress.

Which surely means that the Armageddon is nigh.

But, it's not just become grim and humorless, but the commentary on both sides has gotten lazier and more reactive than proactive. When folks start having a hard time calling a duck a duck, we've got a problem. In the past few days, I've seen a lot of lazy arguments and reactionary talking points, which has led to nasty callousness.

Stevens is a bad man, and that doesn't change regardless of not of whether the Democrats, in general, are also bad. Sometimes, the Democrat really is more than "2% less sucky", or, in this case, the Republican really is more than 2% less sucky than his opponent. And, still, it wouldn't matter if that were true or not because Stevens is a convicted felon.

If eliciting boos for a man like this is similar to pulling teeth, then we're much lazier than I thought. In fact, things are getting awfully...Kosian, around here.

Pelosi yesterday :
"... And on concerns that Democrats might control both the White House and Congress she said the following.

"Elect us, hold us accountable, and make a judgment and then go from there. But I do tell you that if the Democrats win and have substantial majorities, Congress of the United States will be more bipartisan," said Pelosi. ..." -- http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section...

be they Republicans or Democrats, jjmtacoma.

Pelosi's on my list too. "Ms. Speaker" my sweet aunt Fanny.

If the Dems get 52+ in the Senate, can Hillary be Majority Leader? (And can we drum Joe Lieberman out of the corps?)

even now that he was convicted.