Let me make it clear, Stevens is an affront to the Senate, and while I find Lieberman to be repellant, they are not an affront to the Senate.

Reid is saying that the Senate will not seat a convicted felon, and I agree. What’s more, I think that he was right to slap down Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), who chose personal friendship over his obligation as a Senator to protect that institution:

…

In a bluntly worded release from his office, Reid warned that Stevens would not only face an ethics investigation but also expulsion proceedings regardless of his efforts to appeal the convictions.

…

Reid also rebuffed comments made by Sen. Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), one of the chamber’s senior Democrats who had previously endorsed Stevens, and who has reaffirmed that sentiment since his conviction last month.

In a statement released by the Stevens campaign, Inouye argues that his longtime friend will be seated as a Member of the Senate next year if re-elected and that he believes the felony convictions will be overturned.

(emphasis mine)

In the House, they would simply refuse to seat him, but I’m not certain of the finer points of the procedures in the Senate.

Good for Reid, and very bad for Inouye, of whom I have fond memories (I was 11 years old) of from the Senate Watergate hearings.