Can Ted Stevens thrust Palin back into the national spotlight?

[struggle4progress]

November 6th, 2008
Posted by: Daisuke Wakabayashi

... Alaska’s Division of Elections said Palin would make a temporary appointment to hold the seat until a new senator is chosen by special election. One candidate being discussed in Alaska’s Republican circles? Yes, the governor herself. If Palin doesn’t take that step, she could also play the role of kingmaker and hand a political ally the tag of incumbent heading into the special election.

There is some debate over whether Palin has the right to temporarily appoint a person to the Senate. Proponents of a citizen initiative passed in 2004 said that measure stripped the governor of the right to make Senate appointments — even temporary ones. The initiative was passed after then-Gov. Frank Murkowski appointed his daughter Lisa to the Senate seat he vacated to become Alaska governor.

Palin, who returned to Alaska Wednesday night, seems to have retracted her earlier call for Stevens to resign. Speaking to reporters at the Anchorage international airport, Palin said: “The people of Alaska just spoke. They said that they want him as their senator.”

Well, not every Alaskan has spoken yet. At last count, there are still at least 70,000 ballots to be counted and Begich is trailing by about 3,000 votes ...

http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/11/06/can-ted-stevens-thrust-palin-back-into-the-national-spotlight/

[mcctatas]

1. OK, ewwwww...

nothing should ever have a title that includes the words "Ted Stevens", "thrust" and "Palin"! :yoiks:

[Unsane]

2. Hope so. Palin = good for Dems

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I hope that somehow Begich wins this. It would make everything so much simpler...

and it would ensure that the barracuda will be stuck in Alaska for at least the next four years.