Alaska State Senator Kim Elton was tapped for Ken Salazar's Chief Interior Post for Alaska. His vacant seat has been left for Governor Palin to appoint replacement. The appointment must be approved by the remaining nine Alaska Senate Democrats.
Criteria--appointee must live in Juneau (Kim Elton's district) and have been a registered Democrat for a year.
Juneau Democrats, by tradition, got together reviewed a list of applicants and narrowed their recommendation to one obvious choice--Beth Kerttula, Alaska House Minority leader, who has served her Juneau District and all of Alaska with grace and distinction for many yearsi
Palin, who has been criticized (way too mildly) by Kerttula for certain comments made during her VP run and for being less than forthcoming in the affair Alaskans refer to as Troopergate, is taking her sweet time.
She's asked for other applicants to submit their names and the office "has received 20 or 30 applications" according to Palin's press agent, gurgling-out-the-gibberish Bill McCallister.
So while Alaska's legislature grapples with critical state issues, Juneau District is left without their rightful and best representative, or any representative, in the Alaska Senate.
McCallister says Kerttula is still under consideration. Palin has 30 days to come up with a name and the Senate Democrats have unlimited number of vetoes. By the end of the first 30 days, there will be approximately ten days left in Alaska's legislative session for 2009.
This could be almost as fun as the Minnesota recount and/or Illinois-gate.