"Have an opinion on the Constitutional question" of appointment versus special election? Were you TRYING to be funny or was it accidental? Palin doesn't have an opinion on whether bacon or sausage is better with the Denny's Grand Slam; I sincerely doubt she's given a second's thought to whether or not she has the legal right to appoint herself senator.

Funny. Really. My sides hurt.

...appoint herself Senatorident of Mericastan, thus trumping the recent election of BO, and ride into DC triumphant on a gilded Moose. Which she will then kill and eat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

that a state has 'citizen initiative,' and uses it. but what has recently come to light about alaskan politics, makes one wonder if russia would like to buy back...

assuming putin has better sense, independence is next best.

"nope" to that idea?

If she gets to the Senate, and to Washington, she will be a laughing stock and an outrage for SIX YEARS! She humiliated herself in the campaign, and it only took two months. Six years of rope and she ought to hang herself in a very entertaining way.

Sarah Palin is a pretty decent regional politician but while her small town values are admirable her small town views are not .. especially on a stage such as the US senate. I would suggest she bone up on alot of info she may not have had the need for in the past to ensure her future. I am a little weirded out by her religious beliefs and some of her theories on life in general ... but this is our world .. noone is perfect.

...that Sarah Palin thinks that replacing senators is part of the job of the vice president.

Normally, politicians spend months plotting their comeback, pretend not to be doing so, and protest vigorously when reporters question what they are doing. Not so Sarah. She waited all of one week, then announced if she sees an open door in the future, she will plow right through. The Senate is one possible door. There could be others.

I have no idea what the future holds for her, but I do know that after watching her interviews last night on Fox and this morning on Today, I found myself smiling from time to time, and thinking back on them, throughout the rest of the day. We've never seen a feminization of power quite like this, or someone who holds a national opposition court over moose burgers in her kitchen. Exile and defeat are getting more enjoyable to me every day, as long Sarah stays in touch.

Have other governors really appointed themselves Senators? Which ones? Amazing.

Can we please stop talking about this woman!

Seriously.

This isn't news, this is what the smart money says.

And then, Sarah Palin can be the 40th (at least) "No" vote until 2010.

Not that anybody much cares, but the antipathy, the rage, the complete and utter lack of respect that all of you have for this woman? I know how you feel. I spell it B-A-R-B-A-R-A B-O-X-E-R. I wonder just how shit-stupid could Californians be to have elected her dogcatcher, much less a U.S. Senator? Then, I figure it's their state and their election. So, to all of you non-Alaskans; go fuck yourselves. Welcome to filibusterland.

..."governors who appoint themselves to the Senate basically end their careers by doing so."

Why did you give it away? Come on, with a little bit of luck we could be rid of this vile vermin for good. Now we just need to get its spawn out of the gene pool before they piss it any further and you could raise the IQ of the hinterlands for generations. A Congressional Medal at the very least could be yours for such service to our country.

For Jesus.

First dude can!

Sarah can keep her governer seat, Todd can be elected. The whole Alaska is Palins' business!

If Caribou Barbie and a convicted felon can be elected in Alaksa, anyone can. I have faith in Alaskan voters.

I would not worry too much about Palin rage and contempt if I were you, though I did have an outburst myself on election night. It really boils down to a few things.

First, in fairness to Palin's critics, she does not bedazzle anyone with an encyclopedic knowledge of federal issues. Nor should she, as a first term governor of a somewhat sparsely populated state. If you don't like her politics, and want something to pick on, her knowledge base is an easy place to start.

Second, it's harder to criticize her warmth and charm, though that hasn't stopped people from trying. I never tire of reading the words "gosh darn it" or "you betcha," even when uttered in contempt. It's undeniable. Palin is adorable, and a lot of fun. Here in Indiana, we used to warm the winter months watching basketball games, then reading white hot accounts of Bob Knight's post-game profanity the following day. This November, we can turn on our televisions and enjoy Sarah Palin's interviews, and her smile. Both are enjoyable, but in much different ways.

Third, people who don't understand what is commonly called "fundamentalist" Christianity like to mock it. That's nothing new. A fellow named Paul (a real zealot, just like Sarah) coined a phrase or two about the experience. I am not a Pentecostal, but I would never make fun of any person's personal religious beliefs. (Nor, for that matter, did Paul himself - he made an explicit point of respectful disagreement with his pagan contemporaries).

Fourth, the McCain campaign could have touted Palin's government-cutting, oil drilling, pipeline building bona fides, and pitched her as the traditional economic conservative that she is. Instead, they sent her to the Bible Belt swing states to help hold the base. That, in turn, reinforced her image as a fringe character. It may be a remediable phenomenon, in terms of her public image.

Fifth, there was frankly a "dark knight" syndrome at work this year - so named for this summer's Batman flick (before that, it was High Noon with a simliar theme) - where a town goes nuts and turns on its own best people in response to existential fear. Here, the zanniness was not based on existential fear, but existential hope, tied in turn to the promise of our first black president. Palin got dragged under the wave. My sense is that with the election behind us, Palin is already starting to stand back up. She's no longer a threat to that existential hope.

As for filibusters and Senate votes, who cares? That's a much less interesting subject than Sarah Palin, the once and future contender. Speaking of which, it's almost time for her next televised interview.