Miller Concedes – Now What?
Happy New Year, Mudflatters. The Mudflats is slowly returning from its hiatus… Of course, I’d never want to come back and all of a sudden just bonk you on the head with a large cast iron skillet, but sometimes we don’t get what we want. This is one of those times. Over the weekend, there was a big development in Joe Miller’s legal pursuit to clarify election law, and demand a complete hand reconciliation of the Alaska vote count. Our Voices from the Flats contributor, and publisher of The Brad Blog has been following the case closely and has written a…
The Scallion Speaks – Murkowski Completes Sale of Senate Seat to Native Corps.
Many of you are undoubtedly fans of the site The Onion. In that great spirit of political satire, please welcome a contribution from Mudflatter Publius. We present: The Scallion MURKOWSKI COMPLETES SALE OF SENATE SEAT TO NATIVE CORPORATIONS A Commentary by Publius Sen. Lisa Murkowski today announced the friendly takeover of her Senate seat by Alaska Native corporations is now officially complete. The takeover, launched shortly after her loss in the Republican primary to Joe Miller, was accomplished at the bargain price of $1.75 million. The deal was financed through a Native corporation joint-venture known as Alaskans Standing Together. The…
Murkowski & Begich – A Tale of Two Senators (and some guy from San Francisco)
It was a busy week last week. The giant metal gears in Washington D.C. were busy grinding up the hopes and expectations of those who voted for the President in 2008. And then, just as suddenly, something hopeful started to happen. Alaska’s story of the last week is one of the more interesting ones. We are the only state in the union that has not had its 2010 Senate election results certified. Joe Miller, who is raising legal challenges to the apparent write-in victory of incumbent Lisa Murkowski, still has several courses of action he can take. We’ll know Tuesday whether…
State Court Rules Against Joe Miller in Election Suit (But it ain't over yet…)
In the battle of Miller v. State of AK v. Murkowski v. Voter Intent v. Election Integrity, the next bell has sounded. Today Superior Court Judge William Carey ruled against Joe Miller on all counts in his suit against the state. Carey stated that he saw no evidence of election fraud, and allowed the state to consider voter intent in casting ballots. Part of Miller’s suit suggested that any ballot not perfectly spelled for Murkowski should be disallowed, stating that the state law was very clear on that point. It all boiled down (on that point) to what the word…
Why Won't Joe Miller Concede? (Answer: It Doesn't Matter)
Alaska’s Democratic Senator Mark Begich made a statement yesterday that was covered in Politico and the Anchorage Daily News, calling for Joe Miller to abandon his legal challenges to the U.S. Senate election that has Lisa Murkowski unofficially declared by herself and the Associated Press as the winner of the race. “It is time for Joe Miller to put Alaska interests ahead of personal ambition and allow the state of Alaska to certify Lisa Murkowski as the winner,” Begich said. “Without both senators, Alaska’s interests will be at risk on critical issues from energy development to job creation and reducing…
The Mystery of Joe Miller and the Vanishing Emails.
Sounds like an awesome new Hardy Boys book, but alas… it’s just the latest chapter in the fiasco of Alaska politics. The nation is still keenly aware that Joe Miller has not conceded the senate race to Lisa Murkowski. It’s like Coleman vs. Franken in the 2008 Minnesota senate race – only it’s more like Coleman vs. Coleman. And while moderates and progressives are no fans of Joe Miller, a full hand count reconciliation of a state-wide election is a result many completely support. We’ve needed it for a long time. That said, Joe Miller has other problems than people…
Mudflats Chats – After the Election With Scott McAdams
I had the opportunity to sit down with former U.S. Senate candidate Scott McAdams and talk informally with him about the campaign. It was so informal, there was ice cream involved – the best way to interview someone if you ask me. It was only a few days after the election and I wanted to get his thoughts and reflections on the campaign while it was still fresh in his mind, and before he traveled back home to Sitka. The former Mayor has now resumed his job as the head of the local Community Schools program. His immediate goal? To…
Joe Miller's Lawsuit – Highlight Reel
This Joe Miller lawsuit thing may seem to be getting complicated, so here’s a (hopefully) simple breakdown and a “highlight reel” of most of the important things you need to know. It’s not every little thing, but it’s enough to have a reasonable discussion at the watercooler without people thinking you’ve become an election wonk. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Heck, some of my best friends are election wonks. OK, fine. I’M an election wonk. But here’s the dill (as our former governor would say): Write-in candidate Lisa Murkowski spent a lot of time focusing on spelling this…
The Alaska Senate Race – It Ain't Over Yet…
The following was just released from the Joe Miller campaign: Today the U.S. Federal District Court in Anchorage ordered the U.S. Senate race not to be certified until vital legal issues are resolved. The Court recognized serious statutory matters have been raised by Joe Miller concerning what standard of review should be used to count the write-in ballots. The Miller campaign has consistently held that the state law must be applied, as written. Its provisions could not be clearer: “A vote for a write-in candidate…shall be counted if the oval is filled in for that candidate and if the name,…
Voices from the Flats – Brad Friedman
The article below, by Brad Friedman should be required reading for every legislator and every voter in the state of Alaska. As we march closer to the end of the Alaska senate race, there are still many questions that need to be answered. The most important thing that can come from this election is not simply coming to a determination about who won this particular race. We have an opportunity to take back our elections from a system and a process that is inherently flawed, has been proven unreliable, has been shown to be vulnerable, and yet is still entrusted…