Ted Stevens is a bad guy for sure — indeed, by definition, because he’s a United States Senator.

But it would be a mistake to think that his conviction for corruption — taking voluntary gifts from people seeking political favors — makes him worse than any of the others. The problem isn’t the gifts — it’s the government spending on the gift-givers’ behalf. All senators engage in mass theft and then redistribute the plunder to the politically favored. They only get in trouble when the nature of their business becomes a little too obvious.

I had similar thoughts when my former Congressman, Jim Traficant, was convicted — but since he actually (arguably) favored smaller government than most of his colleagues, and relentlessly attacked the IRS in particular, he was actually one of the least crooked members of Congress. Which is why he had to be punished. That Ted Stevens was singled out makes me wonder if he had some redeeming qualities, too.