GOP Senators Uneasy With Ejecting Stevens from Caucus

18 Nov 2008 // Unease among GOP lawmakers over the prospect of ejecting convicted felon Alaska Senator Ted Stevens from their caucus may forestall any action against him Tuesday.

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint plans to offer a motion during a caucus meeting — in which lawmakers will elect their leaders — to eject Stevens from the GOP conference. It is unclear whether DeMint will get a second to his motion.

Many of Stevens’ Republican colleagues fretted Monday that DeMint’s motion is premature, given that the outcome of Stevens’ re-election bid remains uncertain.

“I think that seeing the election results first is best,” said Sen. Bob Corker , R-Tenn. “There’s a chance the election process deals with that issue, and I think it would be far better to see what happens there first.”

A Washington jury convicted Stevens Oct. 27 of seven felony counts of lying on the financial disclosure forms all senators are required to fill out annually. Stevens, who maintains he is innocent of any wrongdoing and turns 85 Tuesday, is fighting to have the verdict overturned and win a seventh full term. He trails Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by a growing margin as Alaska officials continue to count ballots.

“At this stage of the game, I think it’s something we should see how things work out with the election,” said George V. Voinovich , R-Ohio.

DeMint’s motion reads, “Resolved that Sen. Ted Stevens not be invited to future Republican Conferences, and that committee assignments shall not be assigned him by the Republican Conference.”

Stevens currently sits on five committees: Appropriations, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Rules and Administration and Joint Library.

Stevens, the Senate’s longest-serving Republican, is likely to garner support form the chamber’s “Old Bulls.” But even less-senior lawmakers were reticent about supporting DeMint, whose motion could fizzle for lack of a second.

Stevens returned to Washington last week and has been making calls to his colleagues to shore up support in advance of the vote.

“In all likelihood from the trend we see right now Sen. Stevens is not going to win his re-election therefore he won’t be a member of the Senate at the conclusion of this year,” said Sen. Richard M. Burr , R-N.C, adding that a better option could be “just to let the voters of Alaska” decide Stevens’ fate.

Senate GOP leaders remained tight-lipped about whether they would support removing Stevens from the conference.

“We’re going to discuss all of that tomorrow when we get together,” said McConnell, who prior to the Nov. 4 election called on Stevens to resign immediately, adding that he would certainly be expelled eventually if the verdict is not overturned on appeal.

McConnell’s top lieutenant, GOP Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona, refused to answer questions about the appropriate sanction for Stevens, only the fifth senator in history convicted of a federal felony.

“I’m not going to discuss that,” Kyl said.

A McConnell spokesman said the minority leader had not asked DeMint to refrain from offering the motion.

But any support Stevens receives could evaporate if he pulls off a win and returns in January.

“I don’t think there’s any way that someone whose been found guilty on seven counts can serve in the Senate,” Corker said, echoing comments that a number of other Senate Republicans have made in recent days. “But I do think we’d be better off to see what the election results are and not act prematurely.”