An opinion piece in the Anchorage Daily News suggests that if Governor Sarah Palin wanted to redeem what is left of her tarnished reputation, she could make an early appointment of Mark Begich as U.S. Senator to replace Ted Stevens.
Before the new year, as a joint act of grace, Sen. Stevens should resign his remaining term and Gov. Palin should appoint Begich to serve out the last few days. All Alaska would benefit from the seniority those few days would give Begich over other new senators, and Gov. Palin will be hailed locally for her bipartisanship.
In other words, a senator who has even one day of seniority is still considered senior. And take note of the recommended scenario even if Stevens is acquitted.
This single act of appointment would, of course, be good news for Alaskans, gaining valuable seniority in a state where Ted Stevens has wielded considerable clout in the U.S. Senate. And it could also be seen as a sign of bipartisanship, that old "reaching across the aisle" thing that Palin needs if she has higher ambitions.
But there is another angle on this...below the fold
I see this as a very smart move on the part of Sarah Palin, who needs to do something – anything! -- to avoid political Armageddon when she returns to Alaska. But this procedure might have longer political legs than just for Alaska.
With every state now vying for even slight political advantage in a down economy, and with limited resources, the question becomes: Is the rush now on for governors of both parties to fill seats with Democrats prior to Jan 20 so the appointee will have more seniority in a Dem controlled Senate?
The following five states, and their respective governors, have U.S. Senate seats that could be filled by early appointment. All except Alaska are open seats. But that one could be open the day the Stevens trial verdict is handed down, as early as today since the jury is back to deliberations (with an alternate).
AK Sarah Palin (R)
CO Bill Ritter (D)
NE Dave Heineman (R)
NM Bill Richardson (D)
VA Tim Kaine (D)
It would be interesting to ask each governor what his/her thinking is with respect to "early appointments" for open seats in order to increase seniority, if only by a few days.
For Alaskans, the question becomes, is Sarah Palin smart and savvy enough to pull off a last-minute coup?
What say you, Kossacks?