With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Ted Stevens is winning by 3,353 votes, but there are still 40,000 absentee ballots to be counted, so Begich would need to beat Stevens by 9 points among absentee voters in order to win. Stevens's performance is unexpected based on the polls. Who could have imagined some voters didn't want to tell pollsters they were voting for a convict? If you're somewhat concerned that Stevens will continue to tarnish the Republican brand, take heart in the fact that Sarah Palin would be able to appoint his replacement when the Senate kicks him out. It's also worth pointing out that the corrupt Democratic senator Mary Landrieu was reelected in Louisiana by a healthy 6 point margin. Update: Christopher Orr wonders if Sarah Palin will make a bid for Stevens's seat, and he notes that the law is "a bit hazy": It's unclear whether Sarah Palin would be able to appoint someone to Stevens's seat before a special election is held within 90 days of his departure.