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Title: Murkowski May Stay in Alaska Senate Race
Source:
WSJ
URL Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100 ... 4505804575483780126896188.html
Published: Sep 12, 2010
Author: By JIM CARLTON
Post Date: 2010-09-12 14:57:14 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 2225
Comments: 2
Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska senator defeated by upstart challenger Joe Miller in the state's GOP primary, is considering running in the November general election as a write-in or third-party candidate.
Steve Wackowski, spokesman for the two-term senator, said Ms. Murkowski was weighing requests by supporters in Alaska that she stay in the race against Mr. Miller. One option for Ms. Murkowski would be to run on Alaska's Libertarian Party's ticket, Mr. Wackowski said, adding that her decision could come by next week, he said. Ms. Murkowski declined to comment.
Joe Miller, a former magistrate who was backed by former Alaska Gov. the tea party, won the August primary by just 2,013 votes.
Some high-profile Republicans, including state Rep. Jay Ramras of Fairbanks and former state House Speaker Gail Phillips, said they had since urged Ms. Murkowski to re-enter the race. "I will support her over Joe," said Mr. Ramras Thursday.
Votes for the senator could come from Alaskans who didn't get a chance to vote in the closed primary because they weren't registered Republican but who tend to vote that way, Ms. Phillips said.
"My phone has been ringing constantly from people who feel disenfranchised because they were not able to vote for her," said Ms. Phillips, a public-policy consultant in Anchorage.
Libertarian Party officials have been leaning against a Murkowski campaign, but are still negotiating with her camp, say people close to the matter. A campaign would require the party's current candidate, David Haase, to withdraw by the state filing deadline of Sept. 15. Mr. Haase couldn't be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, supporters of Ms. Murkowski have started a Facebook page, "Write-in Lisa Murkowski for Senator in November," which has gained more than 1,200 backers.
"We trust Sen. Murkowski will keep her word that she and Joe gave four days before the election to honor the will of the electorate," said Miller campaign spokesman Randy DeSoto. "Her campaign manager also spoke with one of our staff members about how important it would be to come together after the primary, so the Republicans would have a unified front."
Mr. Miller declined to comment.
Mike Porcaro, a conservative radio-talk-show host in Anchorage, said the majority of callers in recent days had told him they wanted Ms. Murkowski to stay in the race.
"I'm starting to hear a lot of buyer's remorse: 'What have we done?'" said Mr. Porcaro. Callers had expressed concerns that Alaska would lose Ms. Murkowski's seniority in the Senate, he said.
Supporters of Mr. Miller said Ms. Murkowski could split the GOP vote, enabling the Democratic candidate, Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams, to win in a state that traditionally leans Republican.
"Good Lord, I can't think of a bigger train wreck than that," said Michael Dunton, a bank executive in Fairbanks who was among 10 local GOP officials who signed a letter to Ms. Murkowski Thursday urging her not to run.
Mr. McAdams could not be reached for comment. Subscribe to *Tea Party On Parade*
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Steve Wackowski, spokesman for the two-term senator, said Ms. Murkowski
Wackowski said Murkowski ...
All that's missing is Ibluafartsky and they'd be golden.
"Our quest for the lesser evil has arrived at an impasse. On one hand we have a world-class Doublethinker who expects us to thank him for keeping promises he has vigorously broken and to accept the cynical notion that war is peace. On the other we have a mob of flesh-eating galoots who promise to give us Orwell’s Hate Week 52 weeks a year for as long as it takes them to bring about Armageddon. " — Jeff Huber
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
Libertarian Party officials have been leaning against a Murkowski campaign, but are still negotiating with her camp, say people close to the matter.
Libertarian=Liberal!
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