This afternoon, I received an email alert that the prosecution may finish its presentation of evidence in the trial of Ted Stevens on Thursday, indicating to me that the end of proceedings may be near. If that is the case, that leads me to ask what happens next after a verdict is handed down.
1. Stevens is acquitted:
Stevens will have time to head up to Alaska and make thecase that he has done much for residents and deserves re-election. He may have the benefit of Sarah Palin on the presidential ticket, but will not have her endorsement. Can he pull it out or would he still be tainted?
2. Stevens is convicted but still runs:
A conviction will force him to resign form the senate but not to remove his name from the ballot, assuming he appeals the case. If he remains on the ballot, it really will be over and the race will rank right up there with Virginia.
3. Stevens is convicted and drops out:
I do not know what the deadline to have your name removed from the ballot and replaced. Even if h can, does Parnell run? And if Parnell runs, can he ride Palin’s coattails to the senate?
What do you think?
Ted Stevens’ name cannot be removed from the ballot at this point. The deadline was a couple of weeks ago I believe.
If he is convicted then the AK-GOP will have to pick another person to run instead of Ted Stevens, but the new contender will still have to run under the name Ted Stevens on the ballot (much like the case with Mark Foley in FL a few years back.)
I think the very idea that a United States Senator had to go to court during the campaign to answer for corruption charges has seriously undermined his credibility to bring home the pork. That idea, more than the idea of generational change, may be a deciding factor in Alaskans voting for Begich.
As for replacing Stevens, they probably have to do something like what happened in Mark Foley’s district. I can see the bumper stickers and pins and signs now:
“Please vote Stevens to vote for Parnell” Pathetic.
…isn’t anything like a truck. Rather it is a series of tubes…