Lots of questions this hour about Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' pending appointment as HHS secretary and what it means for her home state.

1) When does Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson formally become governor?

2) Who will he pick as his lieutenant governor now that he'll be vacating that position?

Why is that significant? Because it's the Democrats' last chance to come up with a candidate for governor or the U.S. Senate in 2010.

Parkinson himself, you'll remember, isn't running. Steve Six and Dennis McKinney will try to hang onto their present jobs of attorney general and state treasurer, respectively. Both were appointed to their posts.

3) What will Republican Sen. Sam Brownback say about all this? If Brownback wants to stir the pot on all things abortion and Dr. George Tiller, he could do some damage.

4) What does this do to the Democratic Party's drive for 60 U.S. Senate seats? We now know it won't help. A Sebelius candidacy, which now is almost certainly off, would have given the Democrats a rare chance to pick off a seat in Kansas and solidify their filibuster-proof standing.