Bitter Sweet

It must be with mixed emotions that Barack has announced his resignation from the U.S. Senate, effective Sunday.

President-elect Barack Obama is giving up his Illinois U.S. Senate seat effective Sunday, intensifying the jockeying to replace the only African-American in Congress' upper chamber as lawmakers return next week for a lame-duck session.

After all, it's been a wonderful 3 and 1/2 years - so many leadership opportunities dodged, so many missed votes.

Several Illinois politicians want the job, including at least three members of Congress. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who's also a Democrat, will appoint the successor of his choice to fill out the remaining two years of Obama's six-year term.

What's unclear is when Barack will lose interest in the presidency, and what office he'll seek next.

Obama, who was in private meetings in Chicago preparing for the transition, said in a statement Thursday that his partial term as a senator had been "one of the highest honors and privileges of my life."

Ah, but that goes both ways, doesn't it.

Pressing Sarah

At the Republican Governor's Conference in Miami, it might as well be reconfigured into the Sarah Palin Conference. After Barack, she's the biggest political star in the country.

At a short press conference, she was asked what she's doing since the last governor's get-together.

“I had a baby, I did some traveling, I very briefly expanded my wardrobe, I made a few speeches, I met a few VIPS, including those who really impact society, like Tina Fey,” she said.

And yes, she spoke again of “Joe the Plumber,” the Ohio man who briefly dominated the McCain-Palin campaign and its talk about taxes.

Ms. Palin thanked the people who attended her rallies, including young women she hopes she has influenced.

“I am going to remember all the young girls who came up to me at rallies to see the first woman having the privilege of carrying our party’s VP nomination,” she said. “We’re going to work harder, we’re going to be stronger, we’re going to do better and one day, one of them will be the president.”

That raised again the question surrounding Ms. Palin since the election ended: will she run in 2012?

“The future is not that 2012 Presidential race, it’s next year and our next budgets,” she said. It is in 2010, she said, that “we’ll have 36 governors positions open.”

Whatever Sarah Wants

Whatever Sarah wants...

In yet another television interview, former Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin revealed on Wednesday that while she was focused on her job as Alaska’s governor she was open to the idea of a Senate bid.

While at first saying it was “not necessarily” the kind of post she would like some day, she was open to the idea.

Sarah gets.

“I’m not going to close any doors that perhaps would be in front of me and would allow me to put to good use executive experience and a world view that I think is good for our nation,” she said in an interview with CNN’s “Larry King Live.” “I’m not going to close any door there in terms of opportunity that may be there in the future.”

Just a day ago, in an interview on NBC the 44-year-old first-term governor said she wasn’t planning on seeking a Senate seat. “I’m not planning on it because I think the people of Alaska will best be served with me as their governor,” Palin said.

Sarah's not trying to calm presidential speculation, either.

The GOP vice presidential nominee has raised the possibility of running for the top job in four years in recent television interviews. Palin was attending the Republican Governors Association meeting Wednesday and was asked about speculation about her as the future of the party.

Palin told reporters: "I don't think it's me personally, I think it's what I represent." She added: "Every day hardworking American families — a woman on the ticket perhaps represents that. It would be good for the ticket. It would be good for the party. I would be happy to get to do whatever is asked of me to help progress this nation."

Sarah's Seat?

People are asking whether Sarah Palin will appoint herself to the U.S. Senate if/when Ted Stevens steps down. She may be able to, but according to a law, or laws, passed 4 years ago, a special election must be held within a couple of months. So what exactly are the rules?

Nobody can say for sure.

That's because Alaska's law on senatorial succession was changed twice in 2004 -- once by the Legislature, and once by ballot initiative. Both laws call for a special election within 60 to 90 days of the vacancy. But they disagree on whether the governor appoints an interim senator in the meantime.

The Alaska Supreme Court would ultimately have to decide which law the state follows.

Other analysis of Alaska law makes things more clear.

Citizen reaction to former Governor Murkowski appointing his daughter, Lisa, to a vacant Senate seat in 2002 was a 2004 ballot initiative stripping the Governor of this power (56% to 44%). According to the Alaska Elections website (pdf), the 2002 initiative "repeal[s] state law by which theGovernor makes a temporary appointment of a person tofill a U.S. Senate vacancy until a special or regularelection can be held."

Ok - so no appointments. That would be a bad idea for Sarah anyway - it would make her look weak, and like the consumate insider. Anyway, she'd likely have no problem winning the seat without any unfair advantages.

Whether the senate is the best place for Palin to head as preparation for a run for the presidency is the real question. On the one hand, going to Washington would make her part of Washington - and that's usually bad. On the other hand, considering Sarah's reputation for being big on local personality but small on national policy consciousness, becoming a beltway babe could be just what the electoral college ordered.

Either way, Stevens isn't likely to stay in the senate all that long.

"The reality is that a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate," (Harry) Reid said. "And as precedent shows us, Senator Stevens will face an ethics committee investigation and expulsion, regardless of his appeals process."

And what might happen if his colleagues do kick Stevens out of the Senate, prompting a special election? Who might be in line to replace him? Hint: lipstick; $150,000 wardrobe. Yep, you betcha! Sarah Palin.