Post-election eyes on Alaska and Palin

Republican Ted Stevens is likely to win Alaska's senate race. However, about week ago he was found to be guilty on all seven counts of corruption charges, so whether or not he will be seated is still a big question.

Then that leaves the governor of Alaska to appoint a fill-in. Would Gov. Palin be interested in a job at Washington? Would (Can) she appoint herself to the senate? Or would she resign and ask the lieutenant governor to appoint her?

It's a tough call. Does she have White House aspirations in 2012? She jumped onto the mainland political scene as a Washington outsider and reveled in that label. If she were to become a U.S. senator, that would damage her outsider status and potentially hurt her politically. However, on the other hand, she may be interested to enter the Democrat-controlled senate to join her party's fight and advance herself politically by having a voting record in Congress.

The aftermath of the senate race in remote Alaska could end up being the post-election story of the year.