The current focus of the Democrat's bid to get to 60 seats has been focused on winning the three currently undecided 2008 Senate races. That is totally reasonable but not likely to yield the desired result. But even if the DEMS don't quite hit 60 through this path they can with a little strategic thinking. Let me explain.
The current "Win the Last Three Races" strategy will likely not happen as we may like. In Minnesota there is a fair chance Al Franken can come from behind in the recount but the reality is that he is behind. In Alaska, the voters confounded the polls and have given convicted felon Ted Stevens a 3000 vote lead. But of course there are tens of thousands of ballots left to tabulate and it is possible that DEM Mark Begich can come from behind. In Georgia there is a runoff but Senator Saxby Chambliss is the frontrunner.
In lieu of winning all three of these races, the DEMS could achieve 60 seats with success in as little as one of the races. How? Strategic appointsment to the Obama Cabinet.
Obama has committed to having a bipartisan Cabinet. I think make those bipartisan picks counts. There are few concrete examples of strategic picks that Obama could make to accomplish the goal of a fillbuster proof Senate.
Option 1: Appoint newly re-elected GOP Senator Susan Collins of Maine as Director of Homeland Security. Before you yell "No" know that Ms. Collins was for a few years the chairwoman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the Senate and is now the Ranking Member. She is very close to Joe Lieberman who is the Chairman and picking her accomplishes the goal of busting up this "team". But the real benefit is that Maine's Democratic Governor John Baldacci will get to appoint her successor...likely Rep. Tom Allen whom Sen. Collins just defeated for her re-election.
Option 2: Appoint newly re-elected GOP Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander as Education Secretary or similiar. He has already been Education Secretary and he really doesn't like the Senate all that much so he would likely accept. If so then Democratic Governor Phil Bredeson will pick a successor...perhaps former Democratic Representative Harold Ford, Jr.
So with these two potential picks you could give DEMS two more Senate seats and get this close to a filibuster proof US Senate. The key question is whether these two Senators would agree to serve.