Sometimes it is too hard to believe. The judge asked Stevens if he was given a chair as a gift. He responded that it was bought as a gift but he did not receive it as a gift. The judge asked if it was in his house. He says it is stored there. It boggles the mind.
It boggles your mind that a politician is lying?
It boggles the mind that a politician who has been in government for 40 years is so inartful at it.
Moved from GQ.
samclem Moderator, GQ.
He is lying to a judge, not just a reporter or voter. He is 84. He is too old to go to jail.
It’s an excellent year to be canned.
Do you mean caned? He is a bad tempered old goat who thinks he has the right to what ever he wants. He tells off any one who gets in his way. The judge is in his way. They should muzzle him.His temper will get him in legal trouble.
He is presently leading in the polls here for this election. A recent TV poll shows that the outcome of the trial will in no way affect how people will vote. He’s had that huge an impact on money coming into the state.
As to his circular logic about how “it’s not a gift if you don’t consider it a gift, but you keep it anyway”, or “I told him I didn’t want it, but he wouldn’t take it back, so I still have it, but it’s not a gift”, there aren’t enough rolleyes in the world to describe how I feel about that. I hope they burn him, but have my doubts. Proving intent is a really tough call for any prosecutor or jury.
Oldest new inmate I’ve seen was 87. We’ve a few in their 90’s now too, in the system from their younger days.
He can not win this trial, can he?
:eek: What is it about Alaskans?!
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/735119.html Heres the prosecutors closing arguments.
The guy has been a cash cow for the state and a staunch supporter of Native rights, which apparently matters more than a few pesky legal issues to a lot of people.
gonzomax: Of course he can win. The prosecution had serious problems with the judge and with their evidence. It’s not enough to prove that he has the items still in his possession. The prosecution has to prove intent to commit a crime. How do you prove someone’s mental state?
Do they still receive their SS check?
Why does it have to do with Alaskans? For all of Ted Kennedy’s failings, Massachusetts never saw fit to replace him. Idaho residents apparently weren’t all that upset with Larry Craig or Louisianans with David Vitter, or, hell, anything else that’s happened in Louisiana. If you get elected Governor of Illinois you’re basically guaranteed four years in office and then a couple of years in prison, and there haven’t been riots or anything.
I probably didn’t need to take that at face value. 
ChefGuy: I don’t want to cite 538.com for everything, even though they make sense to me, but they actually have Stevens as an almost 2-to-1 underdog. What do the polls you’re seeing say?
[Bill Hicks]S’cuse me, s’cuse me. A man with balls is coming through![/Bill Hicks]
You might not be able to say and I’d certainly understand. Trying to think of what trouble an 87 y.o. could get into bad enough to land in prison though has me thinking murder of a spouse.
Chefguy, what’s Tony Knowles doing nowadays? Is he a possible replacement for Stevens?
I will not countenance any mean-spirited criticism of Sen. Ted Stevens.
He’s brought untold millions in federal tax dollars back to his home state, so that Alaskans can remain independent and proud.
No idea. Does SS cut you off when you’re incarcerated? If not, then I suppose they still do.
The last local poll I saw (not the TV poll) said 49-48 for Stevens. That may have changed. It’s surprisingly difficult to find that information on local news sources. I would be ecstatic if you’re right.
lieu: No idea what Tony is up to these days, but I would rather have Mark Begich any day. Knowles is too far to the right and too cozy with the oil industry for my liking, even though he’s supposedly a Dem.