Sad: Ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. may be near his "beam me up" moment...

Ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. was a very colorful character who was known for ending his congressional speeches by exclaiming "beam me up." He was expelled from Congress for taking bribes and other crimes. Mr. Traficant is in a medically induced coma after having a tractor flip over on him.

GREENFORD — Ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. is in “very critical condition” after an accident on his family farm, his wife, Tish Traficant, said today.
The former congressman, 73, is “sedated and he’s not doing well,” his wife told The Vindicator a few minutes before heading back to the St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, where he was taken after first being rushed to Salem Regional Hospital.
Traficant was driving a 1943 Ford tractor about 7:50 p.m. Tuesday at his family farm on West South Range Road about 140 feet into a large pole barn when the vehicle struck a large steel blade on the ground, said Goshen Police Chief Steve T. McDaniel.
That caused the tractor to flip with Traficant still in the vehicle’s seat, but trapped with the tractor on top of him, McDaniel said.[snip]
Doctors will determine if there is any brain activity about 72 hours after he was brought to St. Elizabeth, Kovachik said.

James "Beam Me Up" Traficant is Out of Prison and Wants His Old Congressional Seat Back

Most people would say, "No way," but take a look at some of the people currently holding Congressional seats. Traficant was convicted in 2002 of racketeering and bribery. He served seven years in prison. Aside from his criminal activities, he was famous for ending often bizarre speeches with the Star Trek term "Beam Me Up."

WYTV reported:

It's official. Jim Traficant wants to get his old seat in Congress back.

Just after 9:30 a.m. Monday morning, Traficant walked into the Trumbull County Board of Elections and filed petitions to run in the 17th District as an Independent.

He said he has...