The conclusions I draw:
1. This has been in the pipeline for a long time and could have been dealt with behind the scenes if GOP officials had been so inclined, with the end result being Stevens retiring from public office to possibly face prosecution, but as a citizen, not a senior GOP senator during a tough election year.
2. If the GOP were concerned about corruption at all, they would have done something about Stevens after the "Bridge to Nowhere" mess, but they did not.
3. This sort of bad timing is entirely predictable but would have been at least somewhat avoidable if Stevens had been forced out earlier. He wasn't, so this is the result.
4. Republican voters need to demand a house-cleaning of party officials to restore faith that they are committed to doing the honest thing.
“4. Republican voters need to demand a house-cleaning of party officials to restore faith that they are committed to doing the honest thing.”
100% correct.