"The Massachusetts Senate voted on Tuesday to allow the governor to name an interim U.S. Senate replacement for the late Edward Kennedy and fill a key 60th seat for the Democrats," Reuters reports. "The bill now requires a final vote in both chambers and a signature from Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat who backs the legislation. Patrick is expected to name a replacement for Kennedy within days, returning the Democrats to a crucial 60 seats in the U.S. Senate ... Without an interim replacement, Kennedy's seat would have lain vacant until a January 19 special election of a permanent replacement who would serve through 2012 ... Among names circulating as possible interim senators are former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis and Paul Kirk, a close friend of the late Kennedy and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee."