Sarah Palin was the one who set the standard for associations. She's pals around with a convicted felon -- a felon who can't even vote for her or himself. And, apparently, Palin has no problem with a felon serving in the Senate:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has crafted a corruption-busting image as part of her Republican vice presidential campaign, wasn't talking tough Monday after Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted in a corruption case.Sarah and her felon pal:
Palin did not call on Stevens to resign or drop out of his tight re-election race.
"I'm confident Senator Stevens will do what's right for the people of Alaska," Palin said in a statement.
The Senate Republican's campaign committee did throw Stevens under the bus:
In a strongly worded statement, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Stevens's conviction marked the end of his career and signaled that the GOP would not try to mount an effort to hold onto the seat he has occupied for 40 years.
"Ted Stevens served his constituents for over 40 years and I am disappointed to see his career end in disgrace," Ensign said. "Sen. Stevens had his day in court and the jury found he violated the public’s trust - as a result he is properly being held accountable. This is a reminder that no one is above the law."
Ensign's statement was the strongest yet by a high-ranking GOP official since the verdict was announced Monday afternoon. And it seemed to undercut any hope from Stevens's allies that he could defeat Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) in next week's election.
