So Long, Ted.

So there’s Ted Stevens, the recently-convicted and not re-elected Senator from Alaska on CNN, giving a tear-studded farewell to his colleagues. This is what I watch as I have my morning coffee. The guy was found guilty of misappropriating my tax dollars to enrich himself, then voters unceremoniously booted him from his job (and rightly so); and instead of packing up his stuff and vacating the building like any other hired hand, he takes up time on the Senate floor to tell us he considers the US Capitol building to be one of his two homes. (is anybody else feeling nauseous at this point, or is it just me?)

What kind of arrogance does it take to steal from the people who pay you an exorbitant salary, to be convicted of it in court, and then on the strength of a lame denial, (the courts, the jury, everybody got it wrong. Right.) to stand up and address the Senate as though you’re some kind of retiring Elder Statesman?

A pretty disgusting display, and yet somehow informative. I think it shows us just how we got into the mess we’re in right now. We allow things to happen. We elect anybody with a good story and enough money to tell it to us. Ted Stevens told his constituents just what they wanted to hear, and made a career out of it. Then he got caught. But in his own mind he didn’t do anything wrong. That’s the mindset that makes him and his fellow politicians so dangerous. They believe it’s OK to do things. You just can’t get caught. If you break the law and nobody finds out, or an underling “fixes” it for you…well, that’s as it should be. After all you’re a United States Senator. You deserve to be above petty things like laws. (After all you made most of them anyway. Right?)

So Ted Stevens goes back to his “other” home and appeals his conviction. One bad guy gone.

But what really depresses me about the whole situation is the rest of the senate. The ones the rest of us elected, and who supposedly represent us. The reason the fiasco is so informative: The in-your-face slap they gave all of us regular citizens who do the best we can to be honest and earn our living.

What was that, Geez?

Well, I'll tell you:

They all stood up and gave old Ted a standing ovation. (Against senate rules, we’re told by CNN, but nobody objected.) “Good job, Ted. We’ll miss you ole buddy.

"Now let’s all adjourn for Thanksgiving before we have to deal with the auto industry crisis. The economy’s falling down around our ears, but Hey! It’s Thanksgiving! We all deserve a break, right? Besides, we have So Much to be thankful for. (Heh-Heh.)”

Alaska got rid of Ted. What about the rest of us?

Blog at ya later,
-Geezerguy