Sen. Ted Steven's conviction of concealing thousands of dollars in gifts and services received from the head of an oil services company is a staggering knockout blow to his 40 years in the Senate. It also is distressing for Sen. Daniel Inouye, his longtime friend and colleague, and will be prolonged only if Alaska voters are as cantankerous next Tuesday as Stevens himself is known to be by returning him to the Senate.

Democrat Inouye and Republican Stevens have been close friends through their many years on Capitol Hill, calling each other “;brother”; and sharing responsibility in exchanging and sharing chairmanship of the Senate Commerce Committee. Inouye was Steven's primary character witness in his trial, declaring that he “;cannot imagine Ted Stevens telling a lie.”;

Stevens also served as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee under Republican rule, bringing hundreds of millions of dollars into Alaska for numerous projects. That position might go in January to Inouye; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is reported by politico.com to be preparing to ease ailing 90-year-old Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., from the post and assign the powerful chairmanship to Inouye.

The federal jury in Washington, D.C., convicted 84-year-old Stevens of seven counts of failing to include on Senate disclosure forms more than $250,000 in gifts used to renovate his home in Alaska. The gifts came mostly from Veco Corp., an Alaska oilfield services company whose former chief executive, Bill Allen, turned state's evidence against Stevens.

Stevens' name remains on the ballot for re-election next week and he vowed that he “;will fight this unjust verdict with every ounce of energy I have.”; In a written statement, Inouye said he hopes “;the people of Alaska continue to believe in Ted Stevens, to remember his contributions and to look upon him as a friend.”; Inouye has crossed party lines in the past to campaign for Stevens and his continued support will be understandable.

Hopefully, that support will not extend beyond the upcoming election. Stevens is being challenged by Democrat Mark Begich, mayor of Anchorage. The most recent polls prior to the verdict indicated a nearly dead heat.

Stevens' re-election would prolong and complicate a lengthy and unseemly battle. Barring an unprecedented presidential pardon of a sitting senator before President Bush leaves office, the Senate would face the prospect of removing Stevens from his seat by a two-thirds vote, and that might be delayed by as much as two years until the end of the appeal process.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee and titular head of the GOP, was quick after the verdict to call for Steven's resignation from the Senate. Alaska voters can and should close the Alaska senator's final chapter and avoid further messiness.