You think your candidate has some issues right now and might not win re-election?  They don't have anything compared to Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, whose corruption trial still isn't over in Washington, just eight days before he is up for re-election in his home state.

On Sunday, the trial took another twist, as the federal judge in the case dismissed a juror whose father had just died in California.

The death occurred on Friday.  The juror went there to be with family, but the court had not been able to contact her for further guidance about the trial.

So, the judge decided to boot her off the panel, and use an alternate juror instead.

Sen. Stevens faces charged that he lied in discloure forms filed with the U.S. Senate, an effort prosecutors say to cover up a quarter of a million dollars in gifts from an Alaskan oil contractor, who allegedly paid for major home renovations and other gifts.

The latest polls from Alaska show a dead heat between Stevens and his Democratic opponent Mark Begich.  Two surveys from last week had Begich ahead by one point, well within the margin of error.

Stevens got 78% of the vote six years ago, so you can see how far he has fallen in that time.

Ask around Capitol Hill and you will find people who believe that Stevens can win if he is acquitted just before Election Day, and some even believe a conviction won't stop that outcome.

Talk about being in purgatory with a week left to campaign.  I'm not sure Stevens has even been back in his home state since his trial began in late September.

It's not exactly how many might have imagined his run for a seventh term in office.