Sarah Palin's next step might be Washington, but not as vice president

Senator Sarah Palin??

There is a distinct possibility that Sarah Palin's next career move will be to Washington, but not as vice president. But there are a few hoops to jump through before that can happen.

Ted Stevens, under indictment and on trial, is also running for re-election. Now, under normal circumstances, this might mean you don't get elected. But this is Alaska -- anything can happen.

The trial almost suffered a mistrial last week. Even if Stevens is found guilty, the campaign will claim bias in an attempt to win the seat. If somehow, the people of Alaska re-elect the 84-year-old incumbent and under a number of distinct possibilities (jail time, death, etc.), there would be a Senate opening to fill. And who would pick the replacement? Gov. Sarah Palin.

Yes, Stevens does have a tough opponent in Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, but it wouldn't surprise me if enough Republicans would vote for Stevens.

And there is some precedence for this type of nepotism. Frank Murkowski became governor of Alaska in 2002 and had to resign his Senate seat to take the post. Who did he pick as his Senate replacement? Lisa Murkowski, his daughter.

Gov. Palin is smart enough to realize part of why she isn't taken as seriously is her lack of Washington experience. How to solve that? By naming herself interim U.S. Senator. Palin would serve the next two years as U.S. Senator, and then agree not to run for a full-term (after all, two years in an office is a place where she seems to like jumping into something else). And she wouldn't run again so she can get ready to run for president in 2012. Palin could actually claim she has Washington experience and yet be a current Washington outsider in 2012.

The MSM pundits think that her performance on Thursday night's debate saved her credibility since she didn't, in the words of the SNL parody "cry, faint, run out of the building, or vomit."

There is one other governor who is waiting to see what November 4 might bring for his future: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. A former House rep, Blagojevich is in his second term as governor. He is in the unique situation of having many people in both parties dislike him, and would love to see him leave the governorship. This list includes Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn.

There is also a cloud of scandal over Blagojevich at the moment -- not in the same vein as Palin -- but there is probably a set of people who wouldn't mind seeing Palin and Blagojevich go to Washington.

I have already said that Blagojevich will appoint himself if Barack Obama wins in November. His road is simple: an Obama win gives him the power to make this move. Palin needs a more complicated road, but two governors who have seen better days -- and for completely different reasons, might run into each other in Washington -- on the Senate floor.