For anyone who is paying attention, Alaska is still counting votes from the election of 2 weeks ago. I, for one, still cannot believe that all of the votes are not yet counted. Senator Ted Stevens (R) is trailing behind Mark Begich (D) by 1,022 votes and there are still 24,000 votes to count. What irks me is that no matter WHO wins, at this point, there will be a recount demanded by the other side. We are two weeks into the FIRST count of these votes. How long will a second count take? The suspense is killing me.

Even if Sen. Steven (known up here as “Uncle Ted”) manages to pull off a win, he then has the rest of the Senate to deal with. They are laying in wait to oust his fanny over being found guilty of 7 counts of corruption related charges (accepting, but not declaring $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts and then lying about it… or something like that). The GOP is waiting for him to win this Senate race before taking any official action so that the GOP can then hold a special election in Alaska for a new GOP Senator.

Are you still with me? Okay, so Sarah-cuda Palin is also laying in wait of the vote tally. If Stevens should win, forcing the Senate GOP to hold a secret vote and boot the senior senator, then Alaska will have to hold a special vote to elect a new GOP Senator. Then, says Sarah Palin, if the people “pull an audible on her” (what the heck is that anyway), then she will know that God wants her to go for the Senate seat. WOW! More front page Sarah… can you stand it?

So… please win Mark Begich! Please!

Wednesday, November 19th Update

The Anchorage Daily News has called the race and Begich is the winner by more than 1% (a huge win for a Democrat in Alaska). If the race had been within .5%, the state would have paid for a recount. As of this moment, Steven's has not yet conceeded the race and he could still demand a recount, but his own campaign would have to pay for it. There is some speculation that the GOP would rather have him lose his seat to a Democrat (horrors) than have to vote the elderly statesman out of his seat due to his recent conviction. He is the longest serving Republican in the history of the Senate. It is sad to see "Uncle Ted" lose a race, but it is more than time for him to go. Alaska will surely have a tougher time getting federal dollars in the years to come, but in a time when those dollars are coming under close scrutiny and even linked with negative press and cries of corruption, Sen. Stevens was going to be seeing the end of a era anyway.

Good Luck to Mark Begich.

Post Script: Senator Stevens has conceeded the race. Note that Begich's father was the last Alaskan Democrat to hold a senate seat. He was lost in a plane crash. Won the election during a search and rescue (the plane was never found). Senator Don Young won his seat in a later special election held after Begich and Senator Boggs (of Florida who was campaigning with him) were lost between Anchorage and Juneau. It seems right now, that a Begich is returning to the Senate floor to represent Alaska.