Posted on 11/05/2008 10:00:35 PM PST by Clintonfatigued
We have a fascinating situation in Alaska. Convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is clinging to a 2 point lead over his Democratic challenger, Mark Begich.
If this lead holds and Stevens, 84, wins reelection, his race will be the biggest shocker of Election Day. And he'll hold a place in history as the first convicted felon ever reelected to the Senate.
As the Anchorage Daily News reports, the race may not be decided for two weeks given the roughly 40,000 absentee ballots left to be counted, plus "9,000 uncounted early votes and thousands of questioned ballots."
If Stevens does beat the odds and wins his surreal reelection battle, he won't be welcome back in the Senate, where Democrats gained at least five more seats last night with the counting still going strong in yet undecided races.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this week that even if Stevens wins his race, he shouldn't expect to keep his job on Capitol Hill. "The reality is that a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate," Reid said. "And as precedent shows us, Senator Stevens will face an ethics committee investigation and expulsion, regardless of his appeals process."
And what might happen if his colleagues do kick Stevens out of the Senate, prompting a special election? Who might be in line to replace him? Hint: lipstick; $150,000 wardrobe. Yep, you betcha! Sarah Palin.
And although Palin would likely face a legal challenge if she tried to appoint herself or a temporary replacement (a law passed by the Alaska Legislature after Lisa Murkowski's appointment to the Senate by her father, former Gov. Frank Murkowski, requires a special election to fill any Senate vacancies) she would certainly be the frontrunner in any race to replace Stevens.
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
Sarah nipping at heels?
Where do you sign up for that???
Two words, and people please look up this name on Wikipedia:
WENDELL ANDERSON
Then you’ll know why I’m thinking it’ll be Parnell who gets the run for Stevens, while Palin goes after Murkowski in 2010.
IMHO, Sarah Palin would not appoint herself to the U.S. Senate if Ted Stevens is forced out. She would likely appoint an interem Senator who would not seek reelection. And it’s my fervent hope that Palin will be a candidate in the special election. She would be the overwhelming favorite.
the answer: no!
Good grief. Why would she want to do that? She’s got the coolest job in the coolest state in the country. Being a Senator would be a giant step DOWN.
No. No. NO.
I must be clueless, but I don’t understand why Palin should want to give up being a governor to be a senator. I know some governors do that when they can’t run for governor again, but why would she do it now? Is the money better?
I kind of don’t want to think about her getting involved with that bunch in D.C. She doesn’t strike me as the legislative type anyway. She’s more the executive type. But that’s just my opinion.
She shouldn’t appoint herself...
why are we like democrats, why wasnt he kicked out of the party, sure let him run as an independant but he needs to go. the gop is no different i guess. maybe we should stop complaining about (cool freeze) Jefferson.
a ceo of state or a lawmaker
As for Murkowski - she was elected to the Alaska house, and there, she was again elected to be the House leader.
A natural pick for a replacement Senator - just her bad luck dad was the Gov at the time. She has done well enough nobody of import has run against her.....
Sara is going nowhere, Sean - well, that may be another story altogether. Others are in line as well.
She would then be free to decide whether to run in the special election for Stevens' seat, or run for Murkowski's in 2010, or neither.
There is an argument to be made that she would not choose to go play "my dear friend" with a bunch of back-stabbing ethically-challenged bottom-feeders.
rats have plenty of crooks in the house and senate....whats one more.....
heh heh heh.....popcorn time.....
You know it. Let’s open up the record on the Dems and their crooks, and dare I say, “murderers”? Paging Senator Kennedy.....pick up the courtesy phone.....
I like how Reid said that a convicted felon would not serve in the Senate, but the Dims elect Klansman and vehicular manslaughterist (I know that’s not a word) to leadership roles.
Yes, send her to the Senate... if she wants to go! I’d love to see it happen. If she cannot appoint someone she might as well run for it.
do these people read these boards? we talked all about that yesterday and now a sexist column from the post on the same subject later in the day? just how many trolls here? really whether you like the woman or not, we as a group need to do something to stop the sexism the media and Obama threw out at her for all women to come who will run for office “nipping at heels” just more of the same as lipstick and other innuendos. if i were the post, i would be truly ashamed, truly for the lack of professional and unbiased reporting. does the fairness doctrine include the post cleaning up its mouth?
Huh ... what's the use of early ballots if they don't even count them on “the day”?
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