Things do not appear to be looking up for disgraced Alaska Senator Ted Stevens as Senate Republican Conference leaders have been put on notice that Senator Jim DeMint plans to call for a vote next week on ejecting the convicted senator from the caucus; being ejected from the caucus is not quite the same as being expelled from the Senate.

Stevens would remain in the Senate and have full voting rights; however, he would no longer be able to participate in Republicans-only decisions and would lose all of his committee assignments, as well.  Should the effort to oust Stevens succeed, he would lose his seats on the Appropriations and Commerce committees – both of which he once led; he would lose his other three committee assignments: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Rules and Administration and Joint Library.  He would also no longer be able to vote in weekly conference meetings.

The aforementioned seats would not be reassigned until January after Democrats and Republicans negotiate a committee structure agreeable to both parties; without a doubt it will include fewer GOP members, who lost ground in this past election.  If the conference chooses to boot Stevens, it will be in advance of any disciplinary action by the Senate Ethics Committee, which has been mum on the Stevens situation as of this writing.  Once more information becomes available, The Republican Temple will bring it to you, along with the most up-to-date GOP news.