Republican calls for Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens to resign after his conviction on corruption charges this week could get the Democratic Party one crucial step closer to the cherished 60-vote margin in the U.S. Senate, and put Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin in the same camp as Democrats Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

McCain was among the first Republicans to urge Stevens to step down, to no one’s surprise. He and Stevens have had a chilly relationship over the Alaskan’s unapologetic uses of the earmark process and of his powerful position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to win pork for his state, including for the “Bridge to Nowhere.”

Palin was slower and milder in her condemnation, initially saying only that Stevens “should do what’s right for Alaska.” She may never have publicly condemned the godfather of Alaska Republicans, but when she took on the mantle as crusader against corruption and “the good old boys club,” Alaskans could see she was casting a wide net.

If Stevens were to resign before Election Day, it gives the election to Democrat Mark Begich, the popular Anchorage mayor. Until a Rasmussen poll released today, the race has been too close to call, which in itself is extraordinary. No Democrat has won a congressional seat from Alaska since 1974.

But if Begich wins — Rasmussen now has him ahead with 52 percent — or if the 84-year-old Stevens resigns before Tuesday, it puts Democrats tantalizingly close to the 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority they are hoping  for. The eyes of the nation will be on the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday night to see whether Alaska, Washington and Oregon contribute to the expected Democratic tsunami and push the party’s lead to 60.

If, however, Stevens ignores the calls from McCain, Palin and others and refuses to resign, it’s a different story.

Should he defeat Begich, Stevens returns to an uncertain future in Washington, D.C. He has vowed to appeal his conviction, and the Senate isn’t likely to vote him out until that process is complete, but eventually Stevens could be removed from office by his peers. Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said as much already.

Another vision of the future — the one many Alaskan Republicans are praying for — is that Stevens wins the election and then resigns. That would require a special election within the next 60 days and gives the GOP a chance to hold onto the seat. It’s theoretically possible to see a special election between Begich and Palin herself.

Ironically, Alaska’s governor used to have the authority to appoint a replacement if one of the state’s congressional delegation left office early. Under the old rules, Palin could have chosen Stevens’ replacement.

But that was before then-Sen. Frank Murkowski ran for governor, won, resigned his Senate seat and chose his own replacement — his daughter, Lisa. Palin was among several who had been eyed for the seat. Murkowski’s move triggered not just the constitutional amendment that created the special election requirement in place today, but a backlash toward and among Alaska Republicans that continues to play out today.