Ted Stevens Found Guilty

Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens was found guilty on seven counts of corruption Monday. He says he'll appeal, maintains his innocence, blah, blah, blah.

What does this mean?

For starters, the odds that he will win re-election have...let's just say, decreased. A felony conviction, even with the political climate of the last eight years is generally frowned upon. I will be writing more about the Senate races, along with the significance of the magic number 60, in the next day or so. However, one thing that bothers me is that Stevens is even allowed to continue to be a U.S. Senator.

Convicted felons are not allowed to vote. It should follow, logically, that they wouldn't be allowed to hold elected office. Impeached presidents aren't. However, unless a two-thirds majority votes to expel a senator convicted of a felony, he or she is allowed to keep their seat.

This being said, I don't think Ted Stevens will win re-election. But, if he does, let this be a lesson to you, kiddies: It doesn't matter if you commit a felony, you can still be a U.S. senator.