Senate race a matter of conscience

When Alaskans cast their ballots in two weeks, many important decisions will be made. Along with the rest of the country, we’ll choose a new president and vice president, and here in the Last Frontier, we’ll decide if one of our state’s political pioneers will continue to represent us in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Ted Stevens has been a leader and frontrunner in Alaska politics since before statehood, and there’s some comfort in knowing that, as the current longest-sitting Republican congressman, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to bear in representing our interests.

While the political machine continues locally with Stevens battling Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich to hold his Senate seat, our attention will be on Washington, D.C., beginning Wednesday. That’s when it’s expected a jury will be asked to deliberate and decide if Stevens lied on financial disclosure documents about $250,000 worth of upgrades and renovations to his Girdwood home. His month-long trial winds up today with closing arguments, and with some 14 days before the general election, Stevens truly is on trial for his political and personal life.

Many have already decided they’re either voting for Stevens or Begich for any number of reasons. Perhaps some always vote a party line, while others are emotionally convinced one or the other is the right man for the job. Stevens has 40 years in the U.S. Senate and a lengthy track record of public service spanning six decades, including helping blaze the trail for oil production and the pipeline. For his part, Begich’s chances may ride more on the vote of a Washington, D.C., jury than residents here.

During his trial, Stevens has maintained he did not accept gifts from oil services company VECO and that his wife, Catherine, was in charge of renovating their home. On the witness stand, the senator adamantly denied accepting gifts. At one point, he said a massage chair he had in his Washington, D.C., home for seven years was a loan from a friend and not a gift.

“I refused it as a gift,” Stevens testified. “I let [the friend] put it in our basement at his request.”

Whether Stevens is guilty is not our call; it’s up to the jury. What we can control here in Alaska is how the outcome of that trial affects our future representation at the national level. We hope jurors will reach a verdict before the Nov. 4 election. Whether or not one of the candidates is a convicted felon is certainly an important factor to weigh when making such an important decision.

There is no question about Senator Stevens’ place in Alaska history. He’s a pioneer. What we must decide is what role he will play in our future. Should the jury exonerate his alleged gift-taking, there’s no question his trial, held right before the election, will make his re-election bid more difficult.

Already under the national microscope with Gov. Sarah Palin on the Republican presidential ticket, it’s entirely possible Alaska voters could also elect a recently convicted senator back into office. Vote your conscience and vote with conviction. But when it comes to electing a U.S. senator, we urge Alaskans not to vote for a convict.