Uncle Ted's Judgment Day

It looks like today and possibly tomorrow a jury in Washington, DC will hear closing arguments in the government's case against Senator Ted Stevens. As a result, the jury is likely to get the case and begin deliberations sometime tomorrow. Therefore, we may have a verdict by the end of the week.

If you want any idea of whether the Democrats will win 60 seats in the Senate in two weeks, then this verdict will give you a great indication. If Stevens is acquitted of all charges, I feel pretty strongly that the people of Alaska's will send the 84-year old back to Washington for another term, though by a much narrower margin than Stevens has ever had. This might also help catapult Congressman Don Young back to Washington, though that is less certain.

If this happens, the Democrats' hopes of winning 60 seats go bye-bye. Even if they were to then win Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, New Hampshire, Oregon, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Mississippi, they would still be one short, and Kentucky and Georgia will be very tough nuts to crack. Therefore, as we've said, the implications of the verdict could not be bigger for the Senate's politics.

We've talked about this case probably too much. I have not been in the courtroom, but from what I have read about the government's case and its conduct during the trial, it is clear they have not done a spectacular job. At least in my opinion, and again I was a lousy law student, I see Stevens getting at least a partial acquittal, if not a full one.

Granted, Washington, DC is not Alaska, and you can never predict these things, but that's my gut sense. We will find out in just a few days.