EDMONTON — When Ralph Klein is done with Alberta politics, he's got a new job lined up just down the street from the White House.

The premier said he has accepted an offer to be guest lecturer in the fall of 2007 at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. "It's something I really want to do," Klein said Thursday, adding he plans to lecture on the challenges of front-line governing.

"I'll talk about practical politics, street politics as a I know it.

"You can think about the big picture (when in office) but basically you're in reactive mode almost constantly, putting out brush fires, whether it's the challenges of growth today or the challenges of dealing with deficits and debt yesterday."

The Wilson center was established 38 years ago with public and private money to study national and world affairs.

It's run by former U.S. congressman Lee H. Hamilton of Indiana.

Klein said Hamilton invited him to be a guest lecturer (for three months at $5,000 a month) after Klein spoke at an agricultural forum at the institute in June.

It's one of a number of projects Klein said he will have on the go once he leaves office in December.

He also plans to work for two conservative think-tanks - the Manning Centre and the Fraser Institute.

"Other than that I haven't entertained any offers."

Klein has said he'll submit his resignation letter by the middle of next month to start the leadership contest.

He said the first ballot would likely come in late November and a second ballot, if necessary, in early December with the new premier sworn in around Christmas.

Klein decided to retire after he received lukewarm (55 per cent) support from party delegates in a leadership review in March.

Nine contenders, including six former cabinet members, have said they will run to replace him.

Klein said Thursday that in the little time he has left in office it will be business as usual.

"I don't know if I can do very much," he said, admitting a second round of $400 prosperity cheques for every Albertan probably won't come to pass.

"From all indications I've received from caucus members it's not in the cards under my watch."

He noted there are calls for the money to go to other projects such as roads and hospitals.

"I would have liked to have seen it done but there are huge pressures."