The Sunshine Empire

In the run up to the elections, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was convicted of felony corruption. He did not step aside and continued his race against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. Not many outside of Stevens election headquarters thought it possible that Stevens would survive the election. When it was starting to look like the McCain-Palin ticket would be going down to defeat, some speculated that on the wild chance he won the election and was expelled by the Senate (which the Senate leadership has all but promised to do), Governor Sarah Palin might appoint herself. It would not be unprecedented, as former Governor Murkowski appointed his daughter to his seat when he moved into the Governor’s mansion. This would keep Palin on the national stage and would give her needed national experience leading to a 2012 run. I think she’d be smart to do so.