From Erika Bolstad in Washington D.C. --

It's not just the time difference -- the ballots have yet to be fully counted in Alaska and everyone in Washington is scrambling today to make sense of what could be one of the biggest upsets of the 2010 midterm elections.

The biggest questions: What went wrong with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski's campaign? Can she run as an independent? What role did former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin play in Joe Miller's possible primary win? And who is Scott McAdams?

The Washington Post reports that Murkowski "was urged by senior leadership at the National Republican Senatorial Committee to go negative on Miller in a meeting two months ago." Murkowski, though, rejected that advice, the Post reported, "insisting that attack ads were not how politics were conducted in Alaska, according to a source familiar with the gathering."

And this from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who heads up the NRSC:

"As we await the final outcome of the Republican primary in Alaska, one thing is clear – this seat will remain in Republican hands this November. While political pundits and the Democrats in Washington will attempt to spin this race inside the Beltway, the fact remains that voters in Alaska and across America are deeply concerned about the reckless spending and rapid growth of government that we’ve witnessed under the Obama White House and the current leadership in Congress."

"That’s why the choice in Alaska will be clear this November: If voters support higher taxes, more spending and bigger government, then they should elect a Democrat who will continue to rubberstamp the status quo in Washington. But if voters in Alaska believe that our country is on the wrong course and that we need to rein in out-of-control government spending and restore accountability, then I am confident that they will elect a fiscally responsible Republican leader to the U.S. Senate this November."