Proving that I am an equal-opportunity critic, I applaud today's guilty verdict in the case of Alaska's Sen. Ted Stevens (R). His conviction makes it more likely (though not certain) that he won't be re-elected, and this puts the Republicans at further disadvantage in the coming exucutive / legislative / judicial Obamopoly. But this is a man who has derived his popularity from bringing home the bacon, no indeed the whole hog, to his home state, possibly coming in second only to Sen. Byrd (D) of West Virginia. And along the way he seems to have accumulated a few nice little benefits for himself, ones that just happen to be illegal.

As it happens, Gov. Palin's refusal to buckle to the political machine of which Stevens is a part explains much of the motivation for continued "investigations" of her own ethics. She has helped dislodge and discredit "business as usual" in Alaska...and that's never done without making enemies.

At 85, it's unlikely that Stevens will do much if any jail time for his seven convictions. But perhaps the United States will no longer be held captive by his self-interest.

Jury: Stevens guilty on seven counts

Labels: Political Observation