Posted on 11/05/2008 3:04:54 AM PST by lewisglad
Right Pundits is calling a surprising winner in the Alaska Senate race, incumbent Senator Ted Stevens over Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. Stevens leads by enough votes in today’s count to overcome any deviation from the absentee ballots which are yet to be counted.
To outsiders in the lower 48 states, we have difficulty understanding the result. How can a convicted felon be reelected to office in a year which favors Democrats? The guy was just found guilty of corruption, lying about seven provisions of the Ethics in Government Act. No brainer.
The answer is Sarah Palin. So while liberals in the media savaged her, Alaskans flocked to the polls to vote for their native daughter and John McCain on November 4th. They like their governor and they are angry at Democrats for savaging their leader.
They took out their wrath on Mark Begich. She had undeniable coattails, and Ted Stevens was the beneficiary of them to the chagrin of Democrats in Alaska and everywhere.
It is unclear if Ted Stevens will be able to serve in the Senate. Unless the conviction is overturned on appeal, he faces certain expulsion from the partisan Democrat Senate. If he cannot serve, Sarah Palin will ironically appoint his successor, enacting another pound of flesh on the Democrats. Politics is so interesting.
“The vote I cast, along with a lot of other Republicans in Alaska, was for the sake of the party.”
Thank God you have an electorate that could clearly think this through. I can’t imagine Alaskan’s were too happy with the treatment of their great Governor either.
You can censure anyone . Many people have been censured . Big deal .They can’t vote him out because of the pardon .( no crime committed ) If he does resign in the end, Palin will appoint another conservative to the post .Be neat if she appointed herself which is a possibiltiy. Gives her experience as a governor and MORE experience in the Senate than Bambi for a run in 2012 .
How long before Stevens’s corruption conviction forces him to resign or get ousted (each house is the ultimate judge of its own membership) and Sarach gets to appoint a clean new Senator?
Would she take it herself?
Technically, governors don't "appoint themselves" to the Senate. Technically, what happens is that the governor resignes, then the Lt. Gov. succeeds and appoints his predecessor to the Senate. (Usually, they prearrange that.)
most govs who appoint themselves to the Senate lose the seat in the next election - voters don’t like it
Sarah should appoint Parnell or another GOP ally.
Not necessarily -- a Senator can resign at any time for any reason -- but the possibilit of expelling him probably is, and that is what would cause him to resign.
His name was Wendell Anderson, but you're right. Governor Anderson resigned, his Lt. Governor, a man named Rudy Perpich, appointed him to the Senate (to fill the vacancy created by Walter Mondale's ascension to the Vice Presidency), and around the same time Humphrey died. In the following election, the Republicans won the governorship and BOTH Senate seats.
Do you realize that a new Senator is going to have to be appointed to fill out BO's FIRST term?
His crime, not reporting work done without charge on his home, was relatively small when it came to the specific amount of dollars involved.
His election, thankfully, helps to keep a filibuster margin by Senate Republicans. He will step aside for another Republican when the times comes.
Alaskans know all this.
Offhand opinion... Palin appoints Lt Gov Sean Parnell
What a crock! Ted won purely on his record, no thanks at all to Sarah. SP was conspicuous in her lack of support for Ted, he won in spite of her. The people of Alaska sent a message to the DC kangaroo court that convicted Ted with an OJ jury and a corrupt prosecution hit team working for pelosi and reid. Begich was the schumer butt boy financed and promoted to get the dem socialists a super majority.
Yep.
GOOD!
We need his resignation pronto and put in a good, solid, young conservative.
Sean Parnell?
Can she appoint herself to the Senate to replace Stevens? If so, maybe Todd could run for Governor. That would get some folks P.O.’d.
If he has to resign, Todd Palin should run for his seat.
He should, but he won't. (He's a Dem at heart)
Unfortunately true; she was pressured into calling for his resignation by the media, and campaign bigwigs.
"he won in spite of her"
Not quite true; Sarah's presence on the ticket drew a larger than normal Republican turnout, which boosted his tally.
"Begich was the schumer butt boy financed and promoted to get the dem socialists a super majority."
Absolutely! - The whole Begich family is a drag on Alaska. Nick Begich (who runs around calling himself "Doctor" because a hippie diploma mill gave him an honorary PhD) has made a career out of attacking the HAARP program, which provides many high paying jobs in Alaska.
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