McCain Calls on Stevens to Step Down

Republican Sen. McCain calls on his colleague to step down following a conviction on seven counts of felony corruption charges.

Senator John McCain on Tuesday called on Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens to step down from office following his conviction on seven felony counts for taking gifts from an oil contractor who remodeled the longtime senator's house. 

"It is a sign of the health of our democracy that the people continue to hold their representatives to account for improper or illegal conduct, but this verdict is also a sign of the corruption and insider-dealing that has become so pervasive in our nation's capital," McCain said in a written statement. 

"It is clear that Senator Stevens has broken his trust with the people and that he should now step down. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will be spurred by these events to redouble their efforts to end this kind of corruption once and for all," he said.

On Monday, McCain running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, also claimed her maverick label, calling the verdict a "sad day" for Alaska but saying she will continue to fight the "culture of corruption" that has pervaded her state. 

"This is a sad day for Alaska and a sad day for Sen. Stevens and for his family," Palin said, adding that the fight against corruption must always "move forward regardless of party affiliation, or seniority or even past service." 

"As the governor of Alaska I will carefully now monitor the situation and I will take any appropriate action as needed. In the meantime I do ask that the people of Alaska join me in respecting the workings of our judicial system and I'm confident that Sen. Stevens from this point on will do the right thing for the state of Alaska," she said without explicitly calling on Stevens to step down.

Stevens, 84, insists that he is innocent and his attorneys are planning to file an appeal. A senator since 1958, he said Monday that he will head back to Alaska to ask voters for him for re-election despite the charges.

"I am obviously disappointed in the verdict but not surprised given the repeated instances of prosecutorial misconduct in this case," Stevens said, claiming several areas to be used for appeal. "I will fight this unjust verdict with every ounce of energy I have."

Stevens is not expected to be back in court until February. In the meantime he must face a tough re-election challenge next week.  Stevens is up against Anchorage Mayor  Mark Begich. The latest Rasmussen poll for that race, conducted earlier this month during the trial, showed Stevens up by 1 point, 49-48 percent. 

Stevens faces as much as 35 years in prison, but is not expected to receive a harsh sentence. However, the Senate could expel Stevens even if he is re-elected.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.