ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was leading challenger Mark Begich with most of the election returns in hand Tuesday night, despite being found guilty of seven felonies and polls showing him in deep trouble.

With more than 80 percent of the precincts reporting, Stevens held a 2-percentage point advantage over Democrat Begich. About 4,000 votes separated the candidates. The razor-thin margin means the Senate race might not be decided for two weeks.

The state Republican Party urged voters to support Stevens despite his cloudy future, saying that, even if he resigns or is expelled, at least there’d be a chance for a different Republican to run for the seat in the special election that would result.

NM:

Can you say: "Senator Palin"

I knew you could!

LG

Can we then call her Happy Palin?

Enjoy yourselves.

At least NOW we get to find out some of Obama's "substance."

Like his "substantial" opposition to ANY limitations on Abortion and the continuing slaughter of millions of babies.

It should also be interesting to hear his reaction to the California Proposition passage regarding Marriage.

Rahm Immanuel....the beginning of Obama's "substance?"


Time will tell.

The topic of this thread is neither President-Elect Obama nor abortion, it's Ted Stevens, and who, if his election holds up and he gets removed from the Senate, may be his eventual replacement.

It occurs to me that the people who voted for Stevens counting on the Senate to expel him, are relying on the Democrats to do that. It takes 75 votes for expulsion. What if the Dems are just as happy to have Ted remain a Senator in name while he sits in jail? Not saying they will do this, just that it is a possibility.

I'm sure the late night comedians will be happy.

Want2Stay

...

In 1938, while still serving as governor, Happy Chandler challenged Senate Majority Leader (and future Vice President) Alben Barkley in the Democratic primary for Barkley's seat in Congress. Though Chandler lost to the very popular Barkley, President Franklin D. Roosevelt felt compelled to make a trip to the state to support Barkley's candidacy.[4]

Chandler would get his chance at the Senate soon enough, however. In 1939, the state's junior Senator, M. M. Logan, died. Under an arrangement with Lieutenant Governor Keen Johnson, Happy Chandler resigned his position as Governor, elevating Johnson to the governorship. Johnson, in turn, appointed Chandler to fill Logan's seat in the Senate. Chandler retained the seat in a special election in 1940, and was re-elected to a full term in 1942, defeating former ally John Y. Brown.[7]

During his tenure in the Senate, Chandler usually backed the policies of President Roosevelt.[7] As a member of the Senate's Military Affairs Committee, he was vocal in his opposition to prioritizing the European front over defeating Japan in World War II.[7] He and five other senators toured American military bases, successfully lobbying to strengthen those in the Aleutian Islands area.[9] It was also during his time in the Senate that he developed a friendship with comedian Bob Hope.[10]