The Senator from Alaska

[nacho]

So even if Stevens does win -- which is insane -- he won't make it past January and there'll be a special election.

So, gee, who could the GOP put up as the senator from Alaska....?

[RottingCorpse]

By Golly, I can't imagine!

[Nubbins]

please go away Sarah Palin please go away please please please oh please I'll give you a million dollars just go away

[nacho]

She won't. 

If Stevens had lost, it would not have been a problem.  But he won by 4000 votes.  So the special election in Janurary, I betcha, by golly, will see Palin in there... Who will easily defeat Begich.

And so begins her path to 2012.  The only problem people had with her in the exit polls was not enough experience.  So how about four years as a Senator?  That's the only experience Obama had...

[Tatertots]

OH GOD NO PLEASE MAKE IT STOP.

She'd be eviscerated in the primaries, though.

[nacho]

Right now she would be.  But four years agitating as a senator... and the American public watching the Mandate Congress be crippled by the usual pedophiles, closeted gays, corruption, and do-nothingness that hits every Congress... You never know. 

[Nubbins]

Wait though... doesn't Palin pick the person who replaces Stevens?  Is she allowed to pick herself?

[RottingCorpse]

I don't know. Nacho?

[nacho]

First, the Senate needs to expel him.  That takes a two-thirds vote, which will happen as soon as he takes office.

Once he is expelled (both parties have agreed to do so in the event of his victory), then Palin will appoint a Republican of her choosing to fill his seat until a special election is held.

In Alaska, a special election must be held within 90 days of his resignation/impeachment.  However, at that point, it's anyone's game and up to the party.  It's essentially like having a fresh election, except it'll just be for the senate.  So Begich will have to run all over again, if he chooses.

Palin cannot appoint herself as the 90 day replacement, but she is allowed to run in the special election.

[Nubbins]

aha!

[Cassander]

we're gonna have one too.  On December 6th, the election for the 2nd congressional district will be held with William Jefferson up against a...who cares?  it could be shwarzenegger and he'd lose.  the district has reelected jefferson 10 times.  anyway.  i think his trial for political corruption/taking bribes starts on dec 2nd, assuming it doesn't get continued...again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Jefferson

[vernae]

Palin cannot appoint herself as the 90 day replacement, but she is allowed to run in the special election.

Sorry Nacho but there isn’t anything in the Alaska constitution that implicitly or explicitly prohibits Palin from appointing herself. Of course, this would be political suicide and unprecedented but Palin, being the self proclaimed “maverick” may indeed jump on the opportunity.  And I welcome it!

[nacho]

Thanks to Frank Murkowski, who appointed his daughter to the senate in 2002, Alaska passed a ballot measure in 2004 that forbids the governor from appointing themselves (or family members). 

[Reginald McGraw]

Which is actually silly.  What you're saying is, okay, the governor can pick any Alaskan citizen who is eligible for Congress.  That is a huge wide open door for the governor's whim.  Then you restrict it with, oh, but no one related to you!!  What about a political family where a qualified person is related to the governor?  This is one of the tricky things about direct democracy (ballot items) vs. representative democracy, I guess.

Note, this is an abstract point, not really particular to the current Alaskan governor, who is a moron.

[RottingCorpse]

Aren't there nepotism restrictions in most jobs? Why should the government be any different?