Senator Ted Stevens Found Guilty

You always knew that politicians are dirty but when a jury confirms what you already know it just makes it that much sweeter:

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that tainted the 40-year Senate career of Alaska's political patriarch.

...Stevens, 84, was convicted of all seven charges he faced of lying about free home renovations and other gifts he received from a wealthy oil contractor. Jurors began deliberating Wednesday at noon.

Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count when he is sentenced Jan. 26, but under federal sentencing guidelines, he is likely to receive much less prison time, if any.

The monthlong trial revealed that employees for oil services company VECO Corp. transformed the senator's modest mountain cabin into a modern, two-story home with wraparound porches, a sauna and a wine cellar. Stevens never paid for VECO's work.

But wait, this is my favorite part of the whole story, despite how disgusting it makes America look:

Despite being a convicted felon, he is not required to drop out of the race or resign from the Senate. If he wins re-election, he can continue to hold his seat because there is no rule barring felons from serving in Congress. The Senate could vote to expel Stevens on a two-thirds vote.

That's right: he can still run for the office of United States senator despite being a convicted felon but here's the part that should make you all want to puke all over our constitution: as far as I can tell, he's not allowed to vote for himself. That's right America, in the land of the free and home of the brave you can still run for office if you're a dirty, lying criminal but voting is off limits; we certainly know how to punish the wicked in this country, do we not?

I used to date/sleep with a girl who worked for Senator Stevens in Washington and I can tell you after hearing about him firsthand that he's a despicable son of a bitch that doesn't give a damn about the American people or fiscal responsibility. To illustrate the latter point: one of my trips up to AK to see her was paid for entirely with frequent flier points she garnered flying back and forth from Alaska to DC.

And this is the dirty little secret that most Republicans don't want you to know: the federal government's big failing isn't that it and all of it's programs don't work, it's just that the people that make a living out of screaming that it doesn't work make sure that it doesn't by sabotaging it to the nth degree. Translation: the same people who decry the wastefulness of "big government" are the same asswipes who exploit and take advantage of that system.

Why make the American government work when you can privatize and outsource all of the lucrative contracts to your friends and cronies and make a mint for yourself in campaign contributions and kickbacks while demonizing the only real source of justice for the everyday American? Ted Stevens is only the latest casualty but make no mistake: there will be more and they will all pay for their transgressions when their lies and deals eventually make the headlines.