Here we go. Alaskans were wondering how Palin was going to deal with her condemnation of Senator Ted Stevens now that she realizes that close to half of Alaskans still voted for him despite the fact that he is a convicted felon. This puts her squarely at odds with public opinion, especially Republican public opinion.
Seems as if she’s leaned over and extended a hand to Uncle Ted, to help him out from under the bus. Will he take it? Too little too late? We’ll wait and see. In the meantime, let the back-pedaling begin!
Ms. Palin faces some complicated political dynamics now that she has returned. Some state Democrats, often her allies in the past, have been angered by her aggressive partisanship on the campaign trail. Then again, Ms. Palin has criticized some important local Republicans, too.
Last week, after Senator Ted Stevens was convicted on federal charges that he failed to disclose gifts and free home renovations he received, Ms. Palin joined Mr. McCain and other top Republicans in calling for him to resign. Yet while Ms. Palin lost her bid for the vice presidency, Mr. Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in Senate history, holds a narrow lead in his bid for a seventh full term.
Asked Wednesday whether she still believed that Mr. Stevens should resign, Ms. Palin was circumspect, saying only that the people of Alaska “just spoke” on the issue at the ballot box and that “they want him as their senator.” She said Mr. Stevens should decide “what happens next.” (Mr. Stevens could still be forced to step down, and Ms. Palin is widely viewed as a potential candidate for his seat if he does.)
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