What happens on Nov. 5?

In the increasingly likely scenario that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) wins the presidency on Nov. 4, attention will quickly turn to who he will tap for his cabinet.

After serving in the U.S. Senate for 34 years, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Patrick Leahy (D-Middlesex) might be interested in a cabinet post. He would be a strong candidate for attorney general, and in fact would be a credible choice for any cabinet position.

Leahy has said that he wants to continue to serve in the Senate and as chair of the Judiciary Committee, but there's also another factor working against this scenario: If there were to be a Senate vacancy, it would be up to Republican Gov. Jim Douglas to name a successor.

Also, if Leahy were the 60th senator in a Democratic Senate, it's unlikely Democrats would be willing to give up their filibuster-proof majority by giving a cabinet position to a senator. Then again, if Leahy did ask to join the administration, it's hard to see how Obama could turn him down. Under the more likely scenario in which Democrats make more modest gains in November and number in the mid to high 50s in the Senate, then promoting Senators to the cabinet may not be such a big deal.

Despite only ever electing one Democrat to the U.S. Senate, Vermont is such a deep blue state that Democrats might be confident they could win back the seat. But if Douglas were to appoint himself or Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R) to fill the open seat, either would make for a competitive Senate race against U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Hartland) in 2010. In that case, Democrats wouldn't just be giving up a Senate seat for two years -- they would potentially be losing it for a generation.