Republicans urge Ted Stevens to quit, but senator girds for re-election

WASHINGTON — A day after he was convicted of seven felonies, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, came under increasing pressure from top Republicans to resign.

The events led to speculation about whether Stevens would face prison time and whether President Bush might pardon him or commute his sentence.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the party's presidential nominee, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, said Stevens must resign because of his conviction for concealing the receipt of more than $250,000 in gifts and renovations to his house in Girdwood, Alaska.

"It is clear that Sen. Stevens has broken his trust with the people and that he should now step down," McCain said.

Palin left open the possibility that Stevens could stand for re-election Tuesday and then resign. "Alaskans are grateful for his decades of public service, but the time has come for him to step aside. Even if elected on Tuesday, Sen. Stevens should step aside to allow a special election to give Alaskans a real choice of who will serve them in Congress," she said.

The Democratic presidential ticket also weighed in, with Barack Obama calling for Stevens to resign. "Yesterday's ruling wasn't just a verdict on Senator Stevens, but on the broken politics that has infected Washington for decades," Obama said.

The Senate's Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said Stevens should resign or face expulsion from the Senate. "If he is re-elected and the felony charge stands ... there is zero chance that a senator with a felony conviction would not be expelled from the Senate," he told The Associated Press.

But Stevens, 84, dug in for the final days of his difficult re-election contest, and the Alaska GOP began urging voters to back him while suggesting he might not serve out the term.

The Alaska GOP began a campaign Tuesday to convince voters that a resolution to Stevens' future could come after the election, but that backing the beleaguered incumbent would be the only way to ensure that the seat stays in Republican hands.

"If [Anchorage Mayor and Stevens rival] Mark Begich wins this election, the state of Alaska will be stuck with a liberal senator for six years," the party said in a statement.

Should Stevens win and step down, a special election would be held within 90 days.

Stevens has given no hint of willingness to resign.

It could be many months before Stevens is sentenced. He faces up to five years in prison on each of the seven counts.

The White House declined to comment on Stevens' case, saying it is still open.