John McCain this morning:"It is a sign of the health of our democracy that the people continue to hold their representatives to account for improper or illegal conduct, but this verdict is also a sign of the corruption and insider-dealing that has become so pervasive in our nation's capital.
"It is clear that Sen. Stevens has broken his trust with the people and that he should now step down. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will be spurred by these events to redouble their efforts to end this kind of corruption once and for all."
Meanwhile, Ted's campaign chief has other plans:
Dear Friends,
I wanted to share a few thoughts with you about today's news.
First, the Senator is committed to stay in this fight. He will be home soon and he will be campaigning hard around the state.
Second, Alaskans should decide who our senator is. It should not be up to 12 people who have never been to Alaska to decide who represents us in Washington, D.C.
Third, because of overzealous prosecutors, Senator Stevens was deprived of his rights. The prosecutors, operating independent of the normal Justice Department process, spent millions of dollars to try to get Ted Stevens. They could only come up with charges that claimed he failed to file accurate paperwork. They presented an indictment that was false. They insisted on trying this case thousands of miles from Alaska. They, apparently intentionally, failed to follow the law and failed to turn over to Stevens' defense team evidence that tended to show he was not guilty. They sent a witness back to Alaska without telling the Judge or the defense, knowing he had been subpoenaed by the defense. They presented evidence to the jury that they knew to be untrue. The judge said, according to The Hill newspaper on October 8, 2008, “It is very troubling that the government would utilize the records the government knows were false.” There are numerous examples of their misconduct.
Remember that the Alaska Public Offices Commission just last month determined that our opponent had failed to file accurate disclosure statements. He has admitted this was not the first time. He failed to report a gift he received in 2002. When he ran for Mayor in 2003 voters did not know of that gift.
So this race is not about who accurately reported gifts. This race remains about who can best represent Alaska in Washington—who has the proven record of fighting every day to do what is best for Alaska. We all know that Ted has that record. And we need to re-elect him so he will continue to stand up for all Alaskans.
How can you help? First, tell your friends and neighbors that the prosecutors overstepped—that this verdict should not decide who our senator is. Second, make the same point in a letter to the editor, a call into a local radio program, or by posting comments online. Finally, we can still use your donations to help us pay for the ads we will need to air. Make a donation today.
Lets let Alaskans decide who should represent us. Don't let the misguided efforts of these zealous prosecutors tell us what to do. Lets fight for Ted because he has always fought for us.
Sincerely,
Mike Tibbles
Campaign Manager