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Stevens Indicted: Senate Likely To Support Him

By Colin Clark Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 4:43 pm
Posted in Policy, Rumors

Sen. Ted Stevens, the enormously powerful Republican from Alaska, has been indicted on seven counts of falsifying his financial disclosure forms, but don’t expect his colleagues to break ranks and stand tall on moral grounds.

Why? The Senate is a very cozy club. Its members are mostly millionaires and they serve six years, not two as in the House. And every senator has the power to derail legislation, making each senator many more times more powerful than the average House member.

And senators are, in one of their favorite terms in that august chamber, collegial. Since they can all sabotage each other should they wish to, they all tend to be very nice to each other lest things falls apart.

Consider the immediate reaction of Stevens’ close friend and seantorial colleague, Daniel Inouye. this Democrat who is co-chair of the Senate Commerce Committee with Stevens (a rare mark of their close working relationship), told Congressional Quarterly that his friend should be considered innocent unless proven guilty.

Several hours later, Stevens issued a statement declaring his innocence.

A veteran watcher of Stevens and the Senate appropriations process — of which Stevens is a grand — master put it this way: “I expect Stevens’s colleagues in the Senate to remain steadfast in his defense. However, the indictment certainly doesn’t help his reelection bid.” Stevens faces challenges from six GOP candidates in the state’s Aug. 26 GOP primary.

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	Joseph B. Cryer July 30th, 2008 at 7:22 am I would have to agree with Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) regarding this issue. Until there is a conviction (or something of that nature) I see no reason to rush to judgment.
	rich July 31st, 2008 at 4:16 am Members of congress are held to a higher standard. They are supposed to avoid even the APPEARANCE of impropriety or wrong doing. That is the whole problem. There need to be term limits. Corruption is bound to happen when people like this hold power for too long. They always start thinking that said power is their right instead of their responsibility. They forget that they work for the people instead of the other way around. That ispart of the problem. The senate is not “a club” for rich assholes who think they own the US. Indict his ass and let everything come out.
	Todd Henkel July 31st, 2008 at 6:20 am The only term limit that is constitutional is the one set in the voting booth. Constituents are just as culpable keeping the cronies in office. They overlook the corruption to relish in the bounties brought home — such as the bridge to nowhere.
	General Eisenhower July 31st, 2008 at 8:46 am Stevens has long been a crook! Get rid of him!
	gyerdon July 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am They could arrest 90% of the senators for corruption. It is the most do nothing group in the world. If they are not millionaires before getting elected they soon are!
	tom mauzy July 31st, 2008 at 2:14 pm Just another reason for the taxpayers of USA to demand a serious discussion about Term Limits, and get the makeup of the Congress to reflect what the Founding Fathers intended it to be. Just a few names come to name: Kennedy, D-MA, Stevens,R-AK, Inouye, D-HI, Byrd, D-WV and on and on. However, the constituents so worried abou the “Pork” these “Gentlemen” bring home, while enriching themselves, I don’t ee it happening in my lifetime.