Reid: Stevens Cannot Serve In Senate

Roll Call:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was forced into the middle of Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-Alaska) re-election bid late Saturday night after a senior Senate Democrat endorsed Stevens and called on voters to disregard his seven-count felony conviction.

In a bluntly worded release from his office, Reid warned that Stevens would not only face an ethics investigation but also expulsion proceedings regardless of his efforts to appeal the convictions.

Read the whole story: Roll Call

Comments

[mrJJ]

The link to Sen. Norm Coleman's Lawsuit.... Interesting read on the payoff

http://minnesotaindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2008

ALL Politics are LOCAL...

Every single Republican & GOP McBush candidate on the down ticket during this election cycle must be voted down or out of office.

GOTV for Obama/Biden

[KarateKid]

Coleman is so thinned skinned (but he dishes it out) that he sues his opponents in every election he runs in.

[dandypuddin]

yeah, this from the party that hates lawyers and lawsuits. Franken may be a former comedian, but Coleman's a joke.

[mrJJ]

This is about the 75K payoff to Coleman's family

[KarateKid]

Duke Cunningham has a bunk available, Mr. Stevens.

[justobserve]

Good on you Mr Reid or Congress will be a joke.

[dana94591]

Wow! You go, Harry! I was wondering how a convicted felon serve in the Senate even if the voters of Alaska want him and vote him back in. Stevens should be thrown out the Senate (not that many of these people are far from this ethical stance). Even if he appeals he should not have his position in the legislature.

[anthonylee]

What happens if Stevens get's re-elected, and then is expelled from his seat in the Senate? Does someone from the House of Representatives switch to the Senate? Does the Governor nominate a new representative from the State Legislature or is there another election?

I just wonder if there is an Alaska Democrat waiting in the wings to walk into this open position without spending money to get elected?

[left-leaning-libertarian]

As I understand it; if Stevens were re-elected and then either resigned or was expelled, there would have to be a special election in Alaska to select a replacement. Some observers think that Stevens might well resign after winning re-election in order to give the GOP a stronger shot at the seat.

[brynn6]

Looks like Begich (D) is in the "Safe Dem." category to win against Stevens in AK. So, barring an earthquake, this will not be an issue.

[FR]

There has to be another election within 60-90 days. During that time, someone gets appointed, by you-know-who (She who shall not be named, hopefully be back on the tundra by then.)

[HST]

I am certain that this decision in Washington, D.C., will be overturned on appeal,” Inouye said.

And I am absolutely certain that Rep. Inouye is a GOP corruption enabling idiot.

Goodbye Ted, you are the weakest link, don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

[nonconformist2]

Please copy and paste the below text and email it to all the young people you know!!!

Please forward this email onto all young voters you know:

To young voters who will use Obama's significant lead in the polls as an excuse not to go to the polls and vote, please remember three important things:

1. If you decide you don't need to vote, you can bet that millions of others will do the same. The result is obvious: McCain wins.
2. The down ticket races matter (senator, representative and governor). If Obama is to be an effective President, he will need all the help he can get.
3. And finally, most importantly, you have a chance to be part of history. It is a story you can tell your children and grandchildren one day about how you stood in line for hours in the pouring rain for the chance to vote in the first African American president in history. This is a much better memory and story then, "I was too lazy to get out of bed".

If you fail to show up to vote, you will regret it for the rest of their life.

And the media will smugly remind people that, once again, young people failed to fulfill their promises.

You are better than that. We believe in you. And so does Obama.

VOTE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS UPON IT! BECAUSE IT DOES!

AND CHANGE THE WORLD!!!

[jaslyn]

Good thing we're not in the middle of the Bush reign, otherwise Stevens would be a shoe in. What's one more felony conviction???

[Myshkin57]

It's actually a bad point in time to bring this up. Reid's newfound guts might put Begich in a bad position. Republicans who would not want to vote for a criminal might now vote for Stevens because they will be essentially voting for a generic Republican, not Stevens.

[bigironal25]

I should of known that it was that one armed bandit Inouye who endorsed Stevens! Remember that when Inouye comes up for re-election,Hawaii!

[bigironal25]

Who is the democrat that stuck up for Stevens?He's probably one of the "blue dog" democrats which translates to a republican in democrat's clothing! These turncoats should be ran out of the party!As far as cajones go, my female Black Lab has bigger cajones than Reid!

[sevenstars]

It's Daniel Inouye, who presided over the Iran-Contra hearings, and who is next in line to succeed Robert Byrd as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Do we want a Stevens crony controlling the purse? We need progressive leaders to head up committees... and to lead the chambers, too!

[hortonhearsawho]

Thought all that white on the ground in Alaska was snow...turns out its hateful white separatists

[mediamarv]

Finally, ol Harry shows some cajones....

Stevens should not even be allowed in the men's room ( a notorious Rep playground, some say)!!!

[JHKH]

I am embarrassed that Inouye represents my state. I can only think that age-related cognitive impairment is at play here. There is no logical reason to publicly endorse a senator from another state (particularly going against party affiliation) unless you are no longer in full control of your mental faculties. Stevens and Inouye do share that one thing -- age, very old age. Perhaps it's an empathy thing between these two.

[newpotusplease]

General Colin Powell also was a character witness on Stevens behalf-- what explains that?

[tploomis]

They cooperate with each other on passing pork back and forth, Stevens allowing Inouye to bring pork to Hawaii when Republicans are in control and Inouye allowing Stevens to bring pork to Alaska when Democrats are in control. It's you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Not all of Inouye's pork for Hawaii is bad. Every year he gets money to try to keep the brown tree snake from inadvertently being introduced to Hawaii from Guam. The brown tree snake has devastated the native bird population of Guam and would do the same to Hawaii's native bird population, a sizable chunk of the endangered species in the United States.

[StanTheManic]

Harry, is that a NEW pair of clackers?

Or just the pair you've refused to use the last four years?

Just wondered, I kept waiting for impeachment proceedings, never came.

Waited for troop withdrawal, never came.

[Soundofthunder]

Someone lost count. It's been two years since the Democrats took over. It just FEELS like four. Bush has that effect on time and space, warping it in on itself till the USA backs torture and gu lags in Cu ba.

SOT