Joe Miller gains over 900 votes in first absentee count

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In the first day of absentee ballot counting in Alaska, Joe Miller has narrowed Sen. Lisa Murkowski's lead by about 900 votes.

The Division of Elections has put out a big statewide update, which includes the districts reported already as well as new ones (will take a little time to figure out just which ones.)

The bottom line in the update is that the state is now reporting that it's counted over 8,000 absentee and early votes today.

The write-ins lead Joe Miller by 12,525 votes. That represents a 914 vote gain for Miller in today's count of absentee and early votes. The write-in lead was 13,439 the start of the day.

[More]

The Miller campaign says there are roughly 37,000 absentee ballots still outstanding.

- JP

Joe MIller: This race is not done

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Joe Miller on 'The Today Show' Friday said the Senate race in Alaska is far from over, and -- yes -- Sarah Palin would be a good presidential candidate:


- JP

Miller up by 7 in new poll; Murkowski throws GOP under the bus (or not)

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Public Policy Polling isn't the most reliable of pollsters, but they're definitely a step or two up from the local polling outfits in Anchorage that we've been hearing from lately. PPP's latest survey taken in Alaska has Joe Miller at 37 percent, with what's-her-name and the Democrat tied at 30 percent:

It appears that Murkowski will lose this race. There are 2 main reasons for that. The first is that she retained little goodwill from Republicans after deciding to make an independent bid. Only 27% of GOP voters are planning to vote for her on Tuesday, down from 31% from a PPP poll earlier in October. The second reason Murkowski's headed for a loss is that she failed to dominate with independents. She is slightly ahead with them, getting 34% to 32% for McAdams and 31% for Miller. But they're not providing her with a strong base of support the way Democrats are for McAdams and Republicans for Miller.

In a cycle that has seen a lot of strange races, this one may well be the strangest. It would be premature to write off anyone at this point but Miller does look to be the favorite headed into the final stretch.

A PDF document of the poll's internals is here.

Also, remember how just nine days ago Sen. Meghan McCain Lisa Murkowski said that if elected, she would caucus with the GOP?

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) confirmed Friday that she will caucus with the Republicans should she win her write-in bid for a second full term on Nov. 2.

“That’s something that Sen. Murkowski has not made secret. Sen. Murkowski has been a Republican her entire life,” her campaign spokesman Steve Wackowski said, confirming a story published earlier by the Associated Press. “There was never intention for her not to be a Republican.”

But now, it seems, Lisa's Republicanism may have reached it's expiration date, according to this tweet from CNN's Dana Bash:

"Woah. Lisa murkowski just made really clear to our drew griffin in alaska republicans can't count on her to be w them."

Not that we didn't expect this, it's just that we didn't expect it before the election.

Update: What follows flip? Why, flop, of course. Who's running her campaign, Mitt Romney?

- JP

Sarah Palin: 'Those are corrupt bastards, Chris'

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On 'Fox News Sunday', Sarah Palin gives the lowdown on Alaska's corrupt media:


- JP

Smoking Gun: Anchorage journos caught conspiring against Miller

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For those who don't believe the Alaska media is in collusion with the Murkowski campaign, here is some compelling evidence. The voices of Anchorage journalists, believed to include those of the news director and assignment editor at CBS affiliate KTVA, have been captured on tape openly discussing ways to fabricate stories about Joe Miller, the Palin-backed GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate. A voice mail message, inadvertently left on the cell phone of Miller campaign spokesperson Randy DeSoto, is the smoking gun:

The following is a transcript of a call recorded after CBS Alaska affiliate KTVA called Joe Miller’s Senate campaign spokesperson. The call failed to disconnect properly. It was later authenticated by McDermott, who sent a text to Randy DeSoto stating, “Damn iPhone… I left you a long message. I thought I hung up. Sorry.”


Audio KTVA -
Clearly the reporters were conspiring to set up some type of smear of Joe Miller. With glee, they even cite a recent controversy over an incident involving the Rand Paul campaign, while discussing how they would spread the story via social media after whatever incident they had in mind came off. It also brings to mind another recent episode that ended with Jerry Brown’s California gubernatorial campaign being caught up in controversy when someone from Brown’s camp called Brown’s opponent, Republican Meg Whitman, a “whore.”


This calls into serious question what type of campaign coverage CBS’ KTVA has been providing Alaskans all along, given their reporters’ willingness to conspire against Miller.

Sarah Palin sent the following message about the incident via Twitter:

Corrupt bastards. CBS/media plot against Joe Miller before our Anchorage rally Thurs Kinda'what I've put up w for 2 yrs http://bit.ly/cmbzMr

She also mentioned it this morning during her appearance on Fox News Sunday. The Miller campaign's news release is here. The Vice President and General manager of KTVA can be contacted by email at jbever@ktva.com.

So far, the corrupt Alaska media is ignoring this bombshell of a story.

- JP

Sarah Palin: How low will Lisa go to hold on to power?

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Gov. Palin has some choice words for Sen. Lisa Murkowski via Facebook:

Lisa, are you going to shut down my Facebook page for writing this?

Yesterday, Lisa Murkowski’s hired guns threatened radio host Dan Fagan, and more importantly, the station that airs Fagan’s show, with legal action for allegedly illegal “electioneering.” The station, unlike Murkowski, who is flush with millions of dollars from vested corporate interests, does not have a budget for a legal defense. So it did what any small market station would do when threatened by Beltway lawyers charging $500 to $1000 an hour – they pulled Dan Fagan off the air.

Does all this sound heavy handed? It is. It is an interference with Dan Fagan’s constitutional right to free speech. It is also a shocking indictment against Lisa Murkowski. How low will she go to hold onto power? First, she gets the Division of Elections to change its write-in process – a process that Judge Pfiffner correctly determined had been in place without change for 50 years. She is accepting financial support from federal contractors, an act that is highly questionable and now pending before the FEC. And today, she played her last card. She made it clear that if you disagree with her and encourage others to exercise their civic rights, she’ll take you off the air.

The concept of “electioneering” involves several issues, but typically refers to campaigning at the polls, which is appropriately banned. Under federal law, it can also mean paying for advertising on broadcast media during a federal election cycle, and it requires disclosures if done by groups and corporations. Fagan used satire to mock Murkowski’s write-in efforts and encouraged Alaskans to run as write-in candidates. That is not illegal. That is free speech.

Individuals like Dan Fagan have a fundamental right to speak their minds without threats from the incumbent Senator from Alaska. It is hard to find a constitutional right Americans cherish more than the right to free speech. This was a right Joe Miller, as a decorated combat veteran – a tank commander tested in battle, was willing to die to defend. Dan Fagan has not always agreed with me, but I will gladly defend his right to speak freely on his radio show, which he has often used to criticize me. In fact, Fagan has actually used his radio show to attack and insult me, my husband, my children, and my family in just about every way possible. He was especially insulting to my son, who left for a war zone to defend Fagan’s right to attack our family. But when I was his governor, I never would have dreamed of threatening his right to free speech. I support him in this fight because this D.C. Beltway thuggery, as exemplified by Lisa Murkowski’s latest threat, is ruining our country. The powers that be want ordinary Americans to sit down and shut up and let the ruling class ride us right off the debt cliff we’re heading towards with Obama, Pelosi, and Reid steering the nation’s car. We can’t let them. Now is the time to put aside our past differences and stand up to the establishment powers.

This whole episode confirms again why we need to elect Joe Miller. Lisa, you can sue me if you want (you won’t be the first). But I will not be intimidated from speaking my mind. Your intimidation just empowered us liberty-loving Alaskans. Are you really that out of touch?

- Sarah Palin

Ed Morrissey weighs in here.

- JP

New Joe Miller Ad: 'Don't Be Fooled Again'

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Joe Miller's campaign unveiled a new ad at last night's Change D.C. rally in Anchorage. The ad links Sen. Lisa Murkowski to the policies of the Democrats by alternating clips of President Obama delivering his "Yes, we can," 2008 campaign slogan with shots of Murkowski repeating the same mantra in the speech announcing her write-in bid after losing the GOP primary to Miller:


h/t: Thomas Lamb

- JP

Neil Stevens: Joe Miller in third? Not so fast.

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Neil Stevens at RedState.com catches the Wyle E. Coyote left and their media sheep trying to pull a fast one:

Continuing Politico’s apparent strategy of linking to obscure polls that say bad things about Republicans for shock and traffic value in this wave year, the site now reports Joe Miller to be in last place.

For several reasons, one has to discount this poll’s predictiveness of the coming election...

[...]

Only Politico could take word that the NRSC is spending a half million dollars on Miller’s behalf, and turn it into bad news for him. Because seriously, after the Orion poll and now this, what’s next for Politico? Some guy in his basement reporting Barbara Boxer 18 points over Carly Fiorina? Brace for it.

[More]

Not everyone on the left is buying into this sham poll. Nate Silver agrees with Neil (which may be a first), tweeting that the Mudflatulence poll is "sketchy" at best.

- JP

Hey, Alaskans! Want to be a write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate?

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If you’re an Alaska resident and qualified to run for Senate, you can have your name added to the list of write-in candidates for U.S. Senate, just like Lisa Murkowski did. It's easy. Dan Riehl shows you how to get 'er done at Big Jounalism. But hurry, "You must act today!"

According to the socialists, if you overload a government system, then it has to be expanded. By Jove, that works for lists of write-in candidates, too. So expand the list with your name today! Cloward-Piven: It's not just for leftists anymore.

- JP

Sarah Palin eviscerates 'arrogant' Lisa Murkowski

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Monday on Facebook, Gov. Palin blasted Alaska's nasty Sen. Lisa Murkowski for the Vichy Republican's despicable attack on the honor of Joe Miller, a Gulf War veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star:

Lisa’s Gall vs. Miller’s Honor

I have never seen a candidate stoop as low as was seen last night in Alaska’s senatorial debate.

Alaska’s Joe Miller is facing a tough three-way race for U.S. Senate. Though Joe decisively defeated the incumbent Senator in the primary, and though she conceded the race to him, she reneged on her primary vow to not contest the will of the people. She is now running a write-in campaign bankrolled by Beltway special interests.

I’ve seen some pretty ugly campaigning, and what they’re throwing at Joe right now is nasty. Joe’s opponents can’t run on the issues because they’re wrong on them – whether it’s repealing and de-funding Obamacare, fighting against cap-and-tax, protecting our borders, or pushing hard for responsible resource development. They can’t win in a fair fight on the issues, so they sling mud.

We saw all of this play out in the Alaska senatorial debate yesterday. (Watch the video of the debate here.) Joe took a bold stance for Alaska’s future. He called out the sitting Senator’s involvement in racking up the massive debt burden on our children and grandchildren, as well as her plan to barter over the destructive job-killing cap-and-tax legislation. As Joe said, we should focus on trading “earmarks for ANWR, not cap and trade for ANWR.”

The sitting Senator also came out against Arizona’s right to protect its borders. She called for us to “enforce the laws that are currently on the books,” but didn’t seem to understand that that is precisely what Arizona is trying to do to protect itself because the federal government refuses to enforce our laws. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by her lackadaisical attitude to border security when we consider that she has repeatedly voted against funding a border fence and voted in favor of amnesty.

But perhaps the most shocking part of all in this debate was when the incumbent Senator used Joe Miller’s distinguished military service as a means to attack him. Joe Miller graduated from West Point, fought in Desert Storm, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service to our country. I find it astonishing that a sitting U.S. Senator from Alaska would challenge the honor of a decorated combat veteran. Is it any wonder the audience later booed her when she again challenged Joe Miller’s honor? Please watch the video of this exchange here.

We need to send a message that we’re not going to stand for this arrogant sense of entitlement and business-as-usual Beltway corruption. Joe needs our help to fight back against the influx of special interest money. Please join me in donating any amount you can spare to Joe’s campaign by clicking here. He can lead once he gets to D.C., but he’ll need our help to get to there.

- Sarah Palin

BTW, what Miller was disciplined for at the North Star Borough was voting in an online poll (Along with the link goes the obligatory AOSHQ language alert for families who surf the Web together).

Drew says "let's not pretend this isn't a bad thing," but it's just not. Miller was an employee (part-time) and it was the employer's policy that computers not be used for political purposes. Okay -- he violated the employer's rules... but what he did can barely even be termed "for political processes." He went to four machines because they had different IPs and voted on them all to Freep a meaningless online poll.

This is what Murcszinski has her hopes pinned on?

- JP

Joe Miller files FEC complaint against Murkowski supporter AST

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Joe Miller filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday over a political action committee that's supporting Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whom Miller defeated in the state's GOP primary, in her write-in bid to hang on to her seat in the U.S. Senate:

In his complaint, Miller argues that several of the Native regional corporations that have donated to Alaskans Standing Together (AST) are federal contractors, they're barred from participating in politics.

[...]

Alaskans Standing Together has pumped $1 million so far into Murkowski's race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee today and yesterday disclosed it had devoted an additional $311,942 to campaign advertising on Miller's behalf. He got another $54,283 from Sen. Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund today, for a total of $236,635 from the conservative South Carolina Republican.

A closer look at Murkowski's relationship with AST is here.

- JP

Alaska's Sen. Murkowski a Coke Head?

-By Warner Todd Huston
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Dan Riehl of Riehl World View has a bit of a bombshell to drop on the arrogant, self-reverential "Senator of the people," Alaska's Lisa Murkowski -- she of the second hand Senate seat bequeathed to her by her father who held that seat himself. Riehl says that it is a commonly known, not-so-secret secret in Alaska that Lisa Murkowski is and/or was a major drug addict even as she served as Alaska's Republican Senator.

Murkowski recently lost her primary, as we all know, and suddenly she is now Mz independent because obviously having her in the Senate is far, far more important than anything as silly as the will of the voters! Perhaps her drug use explains her completely incomprehensible decision to continue running despite being turned out by her own voters?

So what did Riehl find?

"It was back during the primary that I first heard reports that Alaska's independent candidate for Senate, Lisa Murkowski, may have routinely ignored the state's drug laws by regularly abusing cocaine. Given a lack of solid sources and Lisa Murkowski's loss to Joe Miller, I moved on, though some reports suggested the abuse may have been habitual, even while her influential politician father, Frank Murkowski, positioned himself as something of a hardliner on drug enforcement."

After calling Murkowski's office and getting no reply, Riehl sent five questions via email that he wanted answered regarding this rumored drug use.

1) Has Senator Murkowski ever used cocaine recreationally prior to her holding elective office at the state, or federal level? Has she ever shared same in the past, without cost, with friends and or associates, including at a then downtown Anchorage restaurant owned by her husband?

2) It's also been alleged that this was something of an open secret within a relatively small circle of friends and associates in Alaska. If true, is that a correct characterization?

3) Has the Senator ever been confronted with said allegations? If so, how did she respond?

4) Has her husband, Verne Martell, ever been involved with a police matter in California? Did Lisa's father Frank ever use his influence to minimize said matter, if not in essence, make it go away? Has she ever been approached by CA or AK media in this regard?

5) Finally, as it will likely be briefly re-visited in a pending item, the Senator recently spoke well of PMBR, see link below, despite its having been hit with an 11.9 million dollar judgment for copyright violation. Would the campaign care to comment as to how her experience with PMBR relates to the copyright issue? Any comment as to any concerns that the acknowledged assistance from PMBR could be construed as her having gained insight to copyrighted questions for which (bar exam) testing candidates should not have had access?

Still no reply.

Riehl looked up one of Murkowski's former opponents and he said he got many reports of Murkowski's drug use when he ran against her in 1998. "I received many calls back then alleging that Ms. Murkowski used cocaine in substantial amounts for a prolonged period of time," said Richard J. Helms.

Riehl has a lot of other anecdotal evidence concerning Murkowski's drug use at his blog post but it all raises an interesting question. Why has Murkowski not addressed this persistent question, one that has been around in Alaska since at least 1998? One would think that Murkowski would have at least denied the allegations and moved on if they are, indeed, deniable. But Riehl could find no statement from Murkowski shooting down the rumors.

These are pretty strong charges, to be sure. Why no reply?

Now, many of you reading this may dismiss this as all just rumormongering, unsubstantiated blather, nothing to get exercised about. Of course there's that whole media propensity to think the "seriousness of the charge" is enough to talk about this accusation until the cows come home (for you city folks that means "for a long time").

Yet, even as the media would normally give this sort of rumor a full court press, the same media has wholly ignored this long-time rumor. One has to wonder why?

On the other hand, let us contrast the media blowing off this Murkowski rumor to its drummed up reports about another Alaska politician: Sarah Palin. Remember the idiotically absurd rumors that Sarah's baby son Trig was actually her own daughter's baby, one born out of wedlock?

This rumor was really one of the most idiotic rumors of the age, one easily disproven, yet the Old Media played this rumor to the hilt and for months used it as a staple of criticism of Palin during the 2008 presidential elections.

So, in light of the halfwit Trig truther rumor that the Old Media went wild to report I have to ask once again: why is the Old Media ignoring this much more substantive Murkowski drug use rumor?

In any case, it's all a pretty good reason to vote for Joe Miller for Senate in Alaska!

-WTH

Warner Todd Huston is editor of Publius' Forum and a contributor to Texas for Sarah Palin as well as Big Government, Right Wing News, and a number of other websites.

Joe Miller campaign: 'Hello, Voters'

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Here's Joe Miller's new ad, "Hello Voters":



h/t: Story Balloon

The latest polling results from Rasmussen Reports show that the race for the U.S. Senate in Alaska may be tightening, although the pollster says, "Polling for write-in campaigns is always challenging, so results should be interpreted with caution."

Still, it wouldn't hurt to send the Miller campaign a donation, no matter how modest, if you can afford it. Murkowski is sitting on a huge campaign chest, and she is part of the problem, while Miller is part of the solution. Please join Gov. Palin in support of Joe Miller.

- JP

Joe Miller: 'Of course she's qualified' (Updated)

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Joe Miller appeared on Fox News on Wednesday and told Megyn Kelly that Sarah Palin is indeed qualified to be president, but engaging in that kind of speculation is not where his focus is. He has a race for the U.S. Senate to win:


Update: Joe Miller's statement on the Miller-Palin emails:

Anchorage, Alaska. October 6, 2010 -- Joe Miller, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, denies that a rift exists between he and Todd Palin. Mr. Palin told the Weekly Standard on Wednesday that a miscommunication was the impetus for a personal email that was leaked and posted online. This email was picked up by an owner of a similar domain name, unconnected with the Miller campaign, and then apparently leaked by that owner to the media.

Mr. Miller spoke Wednesday morning with Fox News' Megyn Kelly. When asked by Kelly about the "dust up" with Todd Palin, Mr. Miller said that he and the Palins are good friends. He further went on to state that Sarah Palin was critical to his success in the primary. The Palins have since reiterated their support for Joe, and Sarah Palin continues to be featured on the Joe Miller U.S. Senate website: joemiller.us.

- JP

Politico: DeMint admonishes GOP colleagues for protecting Murkowski

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Politco reports that Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has publicly dressed down his fellow Republican Senators for not stripping Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski of her ranking committee membership after she announced a write-in campaign to try to hang on to her seat:

In a revealing e-mail to his supporters, DeMint gives his account of Wednesday’s private Senate GOP caucus meeting, when he believed his colleagues would vote to strip Murkowski of her post on the Energy and National Resources Committee — but the caucus instead allowed her to keep her remain in the coveted role.

“It was bad enough to watch my colleagues work to support her in the primary after she had built a record of betraying conservatives principles,” writes DeMint. “But watching them back her after she left the party and launched a campaign against the Republican nominee was more than I could bear.”

Murkowski, who unexpectedly lost the GOP primary last month to attorney Joe Miller, announced last week that she was staying in the race as a write-in candidate — a move that angered Senate Republicans, who support Miller as the new GOP nominee. Murkowski resigned her position as Senate Republican Conference vice-chair, but several of her colleagues, including DeMint, insisted she should also lose her ranking committee membership.

DeMint revealed some details from the closed-door Senate Republican caucus meeting Wednesday.

“One senator after another stood up to argue in favor of protecting her place on the committee — a position she will no doubt use in her campaign against Joe Miller, the conservative Republican nominee,” writes DeMint.

[...]

The Senate GOP caucus’s decision was a major boost to Murkowski, whose seniority on the committee is a major selling point for her campaign.

(More)

Miller said that he had been promised by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that Murkowski would lose her ranking position on the committee even if she won her write-in bid, but, like so many other McConnell promises, it was worthless.

- JP

New AK Poll: Joe 42, Lisa 27, What's-His-Name 25

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Results of a new Rasmussen poll just released this morning show most Alaska voters are neither impressed nor swayed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski's write-in bid to hang on to her U.S. Senate seat after being defeated in the Republican primary. The candidate backed by Sarah Palin has double-digit leads over both of his major opponents:

Republican Joe Miller attracts 42% of the vote in the first Rasmussen Reports poll of the Alaska Senate race since GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski announced her write-in campaign to try to keep her job.

The telephone survey of Likely Voters in Alaska shows Murkowski picking up 27% of the vote and Democrat Scott McAdams earning 25%. One percent (1%) say they’d prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

This race now moves from Leans GOP to Solid GOP in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

Miller, fueled by an endorsement from former Governor Sarah Palin and by strong Tea Party support, was the upset winner over Murkowski in the Alaska Republican Primary in late August. Despite pleas from the GOP national establishment to accept the primary’s verdict, Murkowksi announced a write-in campaign late last Friday.

Polling for write-in campaigns is always challenging, so results should be interpreted with caution. For this survey, Rasmussen Reports asked respondents about a choice between Miller and McAdams without mentioning Murkowski. That is the choice voters will see when they enter the voting booth. However, when response options were offered to survey respondents, Murkowski’s name was mentioned.

Miller picks up a solid majority of Republican voters, while McAdams wins most Democrats. Among unaffiliated voters, the three candidates are essentially even.

(More)

Full details at Rasmussen Reports.

According to The Hill, Beltway Republicans are very angry with Murkowski and have completely disowned her. Some, like Sen. John Kyl, were worried that her write-in campaign would split the vote, handing the seat to the Democrats. Others, including Rep. Mike Pence, were more perceptive, saying that the Murkowski bid would have no impact on the outcome and that Joe Miller would win in the general election.

- JP

Murkowski write-in bid costs her Senate seniority, leadership roles (Updated)

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Robert Costa at NRO's The Corner with reaction to Lisa Murkowski's decision to attempt a write-in campaign to try to hold on to her Senate seat. Apparently she had to resign her leadership positions and forfeit her seniority in the chamber to do it:

Joe Miller tells National Review Online that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a member of the “ruling class,” is “refusing to relinquish power.”

Miller, Alaska’s GOP Senate nominee, defeated Murkowski in an August primary. In a press conference tonight in Anchorage, Murkowski announced her plans to continue in the race as a write-in candidate. Miller says that he has “been told directly” by senior GOP senators that Murkowski will now “lose her seniority and her committee positions.”

Miller says Murkowski’s move “should shock anyone with integrity,” calling it another example of how her “lifeblood is power.” She has, he says, a “disconnection from reality.”

“[Murkowski] is going back on her word,” Miller continues. “She gave her word several days before the primary that she would respect the primary outcome.”

“This is a write-in campaign for a person named Lisa Murkowski,” Miller says. “We are not terribly concerned about it. It doesn’t change our approach. Our calculus is that we win. It is now Joe Miller versus the liberals.”

Miller agrees with Sarah Palin, who earlier tonight in Iowa predicted that Murkowski’s effort will be “futile.” “It will end in failure,” Miller says. “She is going to throw a lot of money away just to mud sling.”

(More)

Costa has comments from NRSC chairman John Cornyn and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell here.

Updates...

In a statement Friday, the Alaska GOP says Murkowski will get no help from the party, which it affirms is solidly behind Joe Miller.

Via Twitter, Gov. Palin tried to talk sense to Livid Lisa:

"My advice for Lisa is the same for anyone who sees a grizzly in the woods. DON'T RUN."

And a couple of hours earlier:

"Primary voters spoke. Listen to the people, respect their will; w/a 40-pt incumbent lead & $2.8 million war chest, voters chose Joe instead"

Nearly everyone is condemning Murkowski's write-in foolishness. No one thinks she has a chance to win the election. But that's not the point. We would bet real money that the Senator knows that as well. But it's no longer about winning for spoiled-brat Lisa. This is an exercise in pure revenge. Murkowski and her handlers Bitney and Halcro all have axes to grind, and once sharpened, they would just love to use them to take off Sarah Palin's head. Their real goal is to siphon enough votes away from Joe Miller to make Democrat Scott McAdams the winner. That's the only victory they know is still possible in this race.

- JP

Murky to Castle: 'Be prepared, they'll come at you hard'

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The most lightweight GOP Lite in the Republican party told CNN that he received a phone call from fellow RINO Lisa Murkowski after her defeat in Alaska at the hands of Joe Miller, Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express. The Murky message was in the form of a warning:

"I actually received a call after the election saying, 'Mike, you need to be prepared, they'll come at you hard,'" Castle said after a campaign stop in Millsboro, Delaware. "It was part of a broader wake-up call that's been going on for several months now."

Imagine that! Those intolerant conservatives wanting to replace Vichy Republicans who collaborate with the the Democrats on their neosocialist agenda. Why, the nerve of those people!

- JP

Gov Palin on Murkowski write-in bid: Resistance is futile.

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Sarah Palin told Bloomberg reporter John Mccormack Saturday that a write-in ballot effort by Sen. Lisa Murkowski would be "futile," but also said that nothing is preventing Alaska's Senior Senator from giving it a try:

“Joe Miller is going to win the general,” Palin said in a brief interview after she unexpectedly appeared at a Sept. 11 commemoration in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. “It seems like it’s a futile effort, there, for a write-in effort, but she certainly has that right to do so.”

[...]

John Bitney, Murkowski’s campaign manager, declined to say when she would decide whether to pursue a write-in candidacy. He said she has received “a lot of encouragement” from “a broad spectrum of people from across the entire state” to run.

“I love competition in business and sports and politics,” Palin said. “It’s all good.”

Palin, 46, dismissed the notion that Murkowski could draw votes away from Miller, should she enter a race that also includes Democratic nominee Scott McAdams, the mayor of Sitka, Alaska.

“I do not believe so,” Palin said. “I believe that Joe Miller is going to solidify more and more support as the days go on, as more and more people know him, not just his resume and his record, but what motivates him and his intentions for this state and for our country.”

Murkowski was defeated in a major upset in the GOP primary by Miller, who was endorsed by Gov. Palin and the Tea Party movement. Tea Party Express contributed $600,000 to Miller's campaign after being urged by the governor to get behind the underdog candidate. Murkowski conceded the race to Miller, who led by more than 1,600 votes after all the absentee ballots were counted. She never endorsed Miller and explored a possible run on the Libertarian Party ticket, but was not able to convince party leaders to go along with the idea.

- JP

Just call her 'Lost Cause Lisa'

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Even though the Libertarian Party of Alaska's executive committee met Aug. 29 and unanimously voted against putting Lisa Murkowski on its ticket, some Murkowski supporters have continued to try to convince the Libertarians to allow the Senator to run as the party's candidate in the general election. But The Anchorage Daily News' Sean Cockerham reports that the effort has all the markings of a lost cause:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski met with Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate David Haase on Tuesday to talk about taking his place and running on the Libertarian ticket. But Alaska Libertarian Party Chairman Scott Kolhaas said after the meeting that "I don't think it's happening."

[...]

For Murkowski to run as a Libertarian, Haase would have to step aside and the party would need to reverse its vote barring her from the ticket.

"It would be a serious flip-flop," party chairman Kohlhaas said. "And I don't think it's happening."

Murkowski did not respond to repeated requests for an interview from the Daily News. But she told The Associated Press she's not a quitter and is "still in this game."

It's difficult to see how she can still be in the game when the only path open to her is to run as a write-in candidate. Still, Murkowski's endorsement, which she so far has denied the candidate who defeated her in the GOP primary, would be helpful to Joe Miller, who was interviewed by NRO's Robert Costa:

“We’re giving her some space,” he says. “She’ll come around in her own time. We certainly would like to have her support. We want all Republicans behind this candidacy.”

Regardless of when or if Murkowski comes onboard, Miller knows that he already has another high-profile Alaska Republican on his side: former governor Sarah Palin. Palin endorsed Miller early in the primary, a move he calls “critical” to his success. “I think the world of [the Palin family],” he says. “Their involvement in this race will remain up to them.” On September 11, Palin is reportedly joining Glenn Beck of Fox News in Anchorage for a rally. Will Miller join the pair? “There has been some contact [between camps],” he says, but he tells us that for the moment, he is unsure whether he will attend.

Those Murkowski supporters mentioned in the ADN story who continue to push the Senator down the path of lost causes and away from endorsing Miller are reported to be Andrew Halcro and John Bitney, both of whom have life grudges against Sarah Palin.

Meanwhile, a reminder from Stacy McCain that Murkowski and her pals are running out of time and can't continue to pursue their fool's errand much longer.

- JP