Will Fellow GOPers Try To Knife Stevens In The Back?

[brooklynite]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Although Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) might possibly have just been re-elected in the wake of his felony convictions, he could soon find himself with a lot less clout in Washington, thanks to a potential vote by Senate GOPers to expel him from their caucus.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is calling for the motion to eject Stevens from the caucus, a move that would strip him of his committee assignments and the ability to vote in Senate GOP decisions like leadership elections.

But Stevens would still be a U.S. Senator with the ability to vote on the floor, as it would require a two-thirds vote of the whole chamber to expel him, just in case it turns out he was re-elected -- though an expulsion vote is quite possible, too. Votes are still being counted in Stevens' race and he has a lead of a little over 3,000 votes with 90,000 ballots left to be processed.

The GOP caucus could potentially debate this at their meeting next week, then DeMint formally brings up the motion.

Read more: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/will_fellow_gopers_try_to_knif.php

[jeepnstein]

1. You betcha, they will, for sure.

Just ask any Joe Sixpack on Main Street and he'll tell you. Common sense down home values are what made this country so great for guys like Joe. Why, I'd betcha that you could go to any hockey rink in Alaska and find someone who could bring common-sense-Main-Street-Joe-Sixpack-American-loving-terrorist- hating- common- sense- values-like-we-used-to-have-in-the-1920's-to-Washington. Did you know that the only thing keeping the Russians from invading our air space is the fact that brave Alaska is on the front line against terrorist extremists, or socialists, or whatever we want to call the enemy of the moment?

[Merlot]

2. Has it been confirmed that he won?

Thought there were still ballots to be counted.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. In the front is more likely, I think

They look better if they reject him completely. I think they've held back a bit so far, because they want him elected, so that they get a second shot at the Senate seat in a new election. But if he does get elected (and who knows what will happen with the huge number of absentee ballots), the Republicans will line up a new candidate, and then publicly denounce Stevens. They can't afford to be associated with a convicted felon right at the start of a new term.

I'd say ejecting him from the caucus is pretty much in the front anyway.