Jim Traficant, an embarrasment to the state of Ohio and the Democratic Party, has exhausted all appeals in his bid to regain his seat in Congress. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) notes this interesting development:

The Supreme Court today announced it would not hear an appeal from former Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., D-Ohio, who was convicted in 2002 on charges of bribery, obstruction of justice and fraud. Traficant was sentenced to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and $150,000 in fines. After Traficant was convicted, but before he was sentenced, the House voted 420-1 to expel him. He was one of just five members ever expelled and only the second member since the Civil War. In his lawsuit, Traficant argued his criminal conviction and expulsion from the House violated his Fifth Amendment protection against "double jeopardy," or being tried twice for the same crime. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Traficant last year, saying that "under Traficant's argument, a representative's criminal prosecution by the executive branch would immunize that representative from discipline imposed by Congress."

It's a good day in America when justice is served. Democratic or Republican, all corruption should be stamped out of Washington.