Financial full disclosure

I've been struck with some kind of creative malaise lately. I think it's the weather. Plus, I haven't been taking enough things apart... except a wireless USB receiver, which I should say something about.

Anyway.

Regardless of personal politics, the conviction of Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens on seven counts of lying on his financial disclosures is worth a read, if only for the dramatic blow-by-blow recount of courtroom events at the end of the piece. It reads like John Grisham... writing for the Associated Press.

This is interesting mostly because of the mechanism by which this powerful man is being brought down. He committed the crime of lying about his income. Sure, accepting the gifts in the first place was immoral, but was it illegal? Probably, actually, but I'm not sure anything will be pursued if he resigns.