Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was indicted yesterday "on seven counts of failing to disclose thousands of dollars in services he received from a company that helped renovate his home." MSNBC reports:
Prosecutors said Stevens received more than $250,000 in gifts and services from VECO Corp., a powerful oil services contractor, and its executives.
From May 1999 to August 2007, prosecutors said, the 84-year-old senator concealed "his continuing receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of things of value from a private corporation."
Many conservative bloggers argue that Stevens should resign from the Senate. The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini says, "At a minimum, Stevens must abandon his re-election campaign if not resign. Let's not act like Democrats, who shield their William Jeffersons." Hot Air's Ed Morrissey adds, "Stevens should resign, but he won't without his colleagues making it necessary."
What's next for Alaska? Is this bad news for Republicans? TNR's Isaac Chotiner says, "Stevens is in a close--and closely watched--Senate race with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. In other words, this is not good news for the GOP." But Kos is worried and says, "It would've been better [for Democrats] for these indictments to hit after the late-August primary."
The Corner's Mark Hemingway remarks, "Stevens' indictment isn't exactly good news for the G.O.P., but he's a corrupt politician first and a Republican second." Most Republicans will be rooting for him to resign or at least drop out of his re-election race, ASAP. As Michelle Malkin says, "Republicans can't tell the Dems to clean their House, if they won't come clean about the GOP's own dirtbags."
