Mary, Palin can't appoint the senator. It has to be an election. This was put into law recently after the last governor appointed his daughter to be a senator, to wide-ranging protest.

"Joe Biden knows what the constitution says."

                      But will he be able to remember?

Of course. Nothing wrong with his memory or intellect. And Obama would be a fool to waste such a resource. I'm sure it will be along the lines of recent Democratic presidents who make good use of their VPs. (This is in contrast to the co-presidency that Cheney had going, where Bush was his puppet).

SRS