Stevens Indicted

Ted Stevens (R-AK), the senior Republican in the US Senate, has been indicted for making false statements on his Senate Financial Disclosure forms related to gifts received from the VECO corporation (resulting in the steering of millions in federal contracts to the company).

As The Plank notes, this could actually be good for GOP Senate prospects in Alaska, as Stevens was trailing Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) in early polling, and anything that might assist in knocking him off the ballot in favor of another candidate makes it easier to hold the seat. On the other hand, putting Republican corruption back in the spotlight hardly is the gift conservatives were looking for, either in Alaska or on the national stage.