In a democracy, the people get the government they vote for. Fortunately, it appears that this government will no longer include Sen. Ted Stevens, a recently convicted felon.
After 24,000 ballots were counted yesterday, Democratic Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich emerged victorious by a narrow margin. Of the total votes, he got 146,286, compared to Stevens' 143,912.
Our system provides citizens with a number of checks against bad government, but none is more sacrosanct than the ballot box. Stevens' recent felony conviction for concealing over $250,000 in gifts sent the clear message that the once-entrenched politician felt that Senate votes could be bought for the right price. But what is more astounding is his arrogant belief that the people of his own state could also be paid into silence with pork.
And he was nearly correct. During his 40 years in the Senate, Stevens has brought home billions of dollars in earmarks for the people. He came to represent the worst of politics, and the more excessive he got, the more support he garnered. Until, that is, he was convicted last month for concealing more than $250,000 in gifts from Big Oil.
But after what should have been a wake-up call for the people of Alaska, a reminder that earmarks can never trump ethics, a surprising number of voters simply didn't care. And for many who did care, getting duped by insufficient excuses was by far the easiest of solutions.
When campaigning, Stevens offered several troubling explanations for the conviction. Among them is the claim that his trial, which was in Washington, D.C., would have been fairer had it taken place in Alaska. This argument is eerily reminiscent of Gov. Sarah Palin's real and fake parts of the country statement. All areas of the United States, even those that tend to vote Democratic, are able to recognize corruption and issue a fair and just verdict. Stevens' attempt to blame his conviction on liberal politics is a disgrace to his office.
While we applaud the outcome of the election (pending any recounts that may take place), we are troubled by the process. The very fact that Stevens came so close to regaining his seat is disturbing and serves as a reminder that our political system is fundamentally broken. In fact, we have become so numbed by recent scandals that we have come to expect poor behavior from our politicians and have been unwilling to make them pay for it as long as they keep the money flowing.
It's easy to justify this by thinking that politicians will always operate beyond the law, so the real choice is which rogue representative will be more beneficial to the bottom line. But this circular logic ignores the fact that our inability to vote with our consciences begets the very corruption we later bemoan.
After all, if we tell our politicians that they can get away with anything, what's to stop them from trying? Only public scrutiny and the ballot box. Just as all citizens oppose votes for sale, so too should they take themselves off the auction block once and for all.
