Leaving under a cloud

Ted Stevens narrowly lost his race for a seventh term representing Alaska in the U.S. Senate.

He was defeated by Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a Democrat.

That is a good change for Alaska. Sen. Stevens, 85, has been convicted in federal court of lying on Senate financial disclosure forms about gifts he received from a contractor.

The longest-serving Republican in the Senate, Mr. Stevens gave a farewell speech to his colleagues the other day, saying he is determined to "remove the cloud that currently surrounds me."

Another senator leaving amid scandal is Larry Craig, R-Idaho, who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a men's room sex scandal at a Minnesota airport in the summer of 2007. He later denied doing anything improper and stayed in office.

A senator since 1991, he chose not to run again and will be replaced by Idaho Lt. Gov. and former Gov. Jim Risch, a Republican, who won Sen. Craig's seat in an election earlier this month.

Change was called for in both cases. In different ways it was achieved.