The Ego Has Landed

Following his conviction in his corruption trial on Monday, Sen. Ted Stevens is due to resume his campaign for re-election in Alaska on Wednesday, reports the Anchorage Daily News.

Even though both of the candidates on the national Republican ticket, John McCain and Sarah Palin, called on Stevens to resign Tuesday.

"Stevens, 84, faces a challenge of historic proportions with just one week before the election," write Sean Cockerham and Don Hunter in the Daily News. "He'd be the first convicted U.S. senator ever elected, on appeal or not."

Due to the rather unorthodox nature of Stevens' race against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, voters can't be blamed for being unsure about a few things.

Tom Kizzia of the Daily News tried to anticipate and answer all of the readers' questions.

For example ...

1. Can Stevens run for re-election, even though he's been convicted of a crime? Yes.


2. If Stevens is re-elected, can he keep his Senate seat if he loses his appeal? That depends on his colleagues in the Senate.


3. If it is necessary to replace Stevens, how would his successor be chosen? That's uncertain because the law was changed twice in 2004 and, while the two laws agree to a point, there is some uncertainty about an interim appointment.

Stevens isn't due to be sentenced until January 26.

In his initial statements following his conviction, Stevens sounded like a man who believes the jury was a voting group that didn't get the message and he was trying, once again, to win the jurors over. He was angry, defiant, as he proclaimed, "I am innocent!"

"Uncle Ted" hasn't lost many votes over the years.

If Stevens believes he can pull it off on appeal by being the political infighter he's always been, who can blame him?

He has carefully cultivated an image of bringing home the bacon for his constituents, an image that may still play well in Alaska, with a weak economy and oil prices dropping dramatically in recent weeks.

Voters may conclude his seniority means economic clout for the state — and that may be especially true of Alaska natives, who represent about one-sixth of the state's population and depend on many of the projects Stevens has supported over the years.

Common sense would suggest that the voters would not send an 84-year-old man back to Washington for six years, especially since it's not even clear he would be allowed to remain in office a week after the next president is sworn in.

But stranger things have happened in American politics.