Case thrown out or not the Washington Post is not willing to forgive Ted Stevens for his unethical behaviors.

Ted Stevens should be jumping for joy. The Justice Department Wednesday announced that it would ask a judge to dismiss the conviction of the former Alaska Republican senator, who was tried last year on charges of failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts from an Alaska oil services firm and its former chief executive, among others. The government also announced that it would not seek to retry Mr. Stevens, 85, who lost a reelection bid last November.

Yet this extraordinary reversal cannot erase or forgive the ugly behavior that gave rise to the indictment in the first place. Trial records and testimony painted a picture of a man so consumed with his own sense of entitlement that he did not think twice about accepting such expensive freebies as a Viking gas grill, a vibrating Shiatsu massage lounger and a five-foot sculpture of migrating salmon -- not to mention extensive plumbing, electrical and carpentry work on his "chalet" in Girdwood, Alaska. All told, the government calculated that Mr. Stevens took gifts worth in excess of $250,000.

Gross breaches of law and fairness by prosecutors are the reason that Mr. Stevens will walk free.

The subject of this shocking turn of events in the Ted Stevens case was a source of constant conversation yesterday among Alaskans.

Many are very angry at the justice department for screwing this case up so much, and the more conspiratorial among u wonder if it was not purposeful.

Then others are beyond thrilled that "Uncle Ted" has been vindicated, and are even suggesting that he run for Governor. Could you even imagine such a scenario?

Some have even called Mark Begich's Senate seat illegitimate since they believe he only won because of the seven felony convictions against Stevens.

As far as I am concerned I never really wanted Stevens to do time, but I very much believe that he needed to be held accountable for a lifetime of graft and corruption. However the man is eighty four years old and building a new case against him now that he is a private citizen is a waste of taxpayer dollars.