Appointment by dad could be senator's downfall (Sen. Murkowski, R-Alaska)

[Khephra]

Appointment by dad could be senator's downfall
Race in Alaska a close one, and closely watched

Blaine Harden, Washington Post

Sunday, August 15, 2004

Kotzebue , Alaska -- A formidable obstacle stands between Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and winning the fall election.

Her father.

Frank Murkowski, a barrel-chested conservative fixture in this Republican- dominated state, held Lisa's job for two decades until he was elected governor in 2002. Then, to the disgust of many Alaskans, he selected his daughter, an obscure state legislator, to serve out his Senate term.

The father, thanks to the unpopular appointment and even more unpopular cuts in the state budget, has since become the most disliked governor in this state's short history, several pollsters say. The daughter, while garnering positive reviews for her brief season in Washington, has been unable to shake the taint of nepotism. And that taint, depending on results in a few tight contests in the lower 48, could end up tipping the U.S. Senate back to the Democrats.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/15/MNGGR87BJM1.DTL

[SoDesuKa]

1. Getting Greedy

I think it would be karmic if the GOP lost control over the Senate because of greed. There are reasons to play it straight, and this is one of them.

[sventvkg]

2. I'm up here and we are working it for Tony Knowles!!!

All indications have him beating Murkowski...her father is HATED here and that will cause her to lose all but the most staunch conservative votes...All Dems and Most independent votes will go to Tony tiping it in his favor....This is no small feat because we are a solid conservative state....I really think the Dems are going to pull it off up here and we have nice chance of taking back the senate. Cross you fingers.

[Rose Siding]

3. Best best best luck, sventvkg

I'm good vibing you down here in Wa State :hi:

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[IthinkThereforeIAM]

5. Both have it made...

... for life with their senator's pensions. Old Frank is/was in the twilight of his career when he put his daughter into his senate seat and he no doubt knew she would be taken care of very, very well.

[eightyferrettoes]

6. I got a letter from Lisa last week!

When Judge "women must be subordinate to their husbands" Holmes was being considered for nomination in the Senate, I sent an email to her.... never expecting an actual response.

I don't know... the response softened my old pro-choice heart. She did vote to keep public funding for low income women who need abortions, and she's being roasted for that in some circles here in Fairbanks. Her primary opponent is Mike Miller, a real moralizing old fart from North Pole.... the kind who raises his eyebrows in disgust every damn 5 seconds.

But I'm still voting for Tony. There is a whole range of other issues, I realize. But I'd rather see a liberal female Republican than a really conservative hack. I don't know....