ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says it is time to consider “the credibility and integrity of our institutions” and indicates she will be – and who really is surprised? – a ‘no” on the final confirmation vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
While admitting to reporters, “I believe Brett Kavanaugh is a good man. I believe he is a good man,” she added, “It just might be, in my view, he is not the right man for the court at this time.”
Murkowski today was the lone Republican “no” on advancing his nomination for a final vote, and her action flew in the face of her past procedural votes on other difficult issues to allow votes by the full Senate. Just not in this case.
Sadly, her decision follows in the wake of one of the most unfair, vicious, orchestrated Democratic smears in the Senate’s history. She appears to have joined with Democrats in deciding to vote against a “good man” accused of uncorroborated, unsubstantiated, unproved sexual assaults that simply cannot be proved – despite an FBI investigation.
We are unsure how her voting “no” under those circumstance does much for the “credibility and integrity” of the Senate. In fact, she and the Democrats have reduced that institution to not much more than a Third-World kangaroo court.
What Murkowsi is likely to do tomorrow during the full vote, is, in effect, say it is OK to deny a man or woman a federal post if they are accused of baseless or unprovable claims from more than three decades ago; that due process and the concept of innocent until proved guilty mean nothing; that obviously concocted accounts should be accepted on faith, especially if from tearful women.
She and the Democrats have done no less than make a mockery of the confirmation process.
We suspect the real reason behind Murkowski’s procedural vote – and will be the reason behind her confirmation vote tomorrow – is abortion rights, which she wholeheartedly supports. The Left fears Kavanaugh would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. We agree it is an important issue – one that should have been settled politically rather than by the high court – but it is far down the list of what is important to most Alaskans. There are many other issues that affect the state and its future.
Kavanaugh could tip the court to the right for a generation on issues such as resource extraction, economic development, gun rights, federal overreach and bureaucratic roadblocks. Those are all issues that often reach the high court, where a conservative outlook would benefit Alaska. None of that apparently mattered as Murkowski considered the “credibility and integrity of our institutions.”
There is no other way to say it: Murkowski has let down Alaska.
She has just committed the political equivalent of Harikari.
Is she taking political advice from Bill Walker?
She took Political advice from the 100 well-heeled women who where sent to Washington paid for by the ACLU to tell Lisa to vote NO on Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Thank you Lisa.
I think I will let the great WSJ columnist, Kimberly Strassel, speak for me:
1) Just to be clear on what @lisamurkowski voted for today:
–to legitimize and sign off on the most despicable tactics ever in a nomination.
–to stand with Dianne Feinstein, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris.
–to leave Judge Brett Kavanaugh subject to claims of perjury/impeachment
–to abandon due process and presumption of innocence.
–to potentially leave High Court at a 4-4 deadlock, putting the loony 9th circuit in control of everything that matters to Alaska–development, prop rights, gun rights, enviro rules, etc.
Quite the statement.
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Senator Murkowski did not let Alaska down. She did support protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. The nominee was already on the record indicating his support for the Executive Branch ; encouraging an Imperial Presidency and eroding separation of powers and our system of checks and balances .
Lisa did her job very well !
Sincerely;
Gerald J. Peterson
Vice Chairman District 7 Alaska Republican Party
If you really are the VC of the party, you need to be removed right along with “Maxine” Murkowski!
Respectfully disagree:
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If Alaska’s only two growth industries are government and “health care”,
If appointing Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court opens the door to challenging that part of the baby-butchery industry which is taxpayer supported and euphemized as “health care”,
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If the Alaska Federation of Natives says no to Judge Kavanaugh’s appointment,
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If Senator’s Murkowski’s ability to get money for our lobbyist-legislator team and for Native corporations might be jeopardized by a “Yes” vote,
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then it seems reasonable to expect Senator Murkowski, after appropriate agonizing –and upon learning Judge K will be voted in anyway–, will be reluctantly persuaded to vote “No”.
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Bottom line: Judge K is in, but more importantly the money keeps coming to Alaska because Alaska has at least one good Republican Senator and one Senator who does not annoy Democrats too much, which is really good, kind of like insurance, in case Democrats accidentally gain control of the Senate.
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What’s not to like?
” What’s not to like: being a backstabbing POS, just like Walker !!!
This “article” should be labeled as an editorial because it is not unbiased “news” reporting. While I respect the author’s opinion, this article should be labeled as an opinion piece. Reporting of the day’s events, true reporting (also known as journalism), provides the reader with factual accounts of both sides of recent events also called “news.” This piece is not news, it is an editorial. I suggest labeling it as such. Calling this blog “News and Notes” only furthers the polarization we are experiencing in our country and misleads readers by pandering author opinions as facts, which of course they are not.
OMG!
Who knew it was just opinion?
Don’t you gotta go to public school or something to get an opinion?
Thought polarization was what you got when you went far enough north of the arctic circle, that people don’t take themselves so seriously and everywhere you could see was south…
and pandering was what them cute bears from China do in the zoo when they think nobody’s watching…
I can see Lisa Murkowski losing the 2022 Republican Primary to Sarah Palin.
Didn’t Sarah just announce she was moving to Arizona to be closer to Bristol? Can’t be an Alaska Senator if you are a resident of Arizona – Even if the Post Office can’t tell the difference between AZ and AK. Heard on the radio she was moving!…. God, please say it’s true….. If the Republicans are going to put someone up against Lisa, it has to be someone better than Sarah Palin if they are going to be serious about it.
You appear to have vital signs and an IQ above room temperature, so consider yourself as being written in.
That’s it, time for jumping Lisa to leave office, it’s time to start a signature petition to have jumping Lisa removed before she can cause real damage to alaska……
Lisa didn’t let anyone down. She did what she had to do. She made up her mind under incredible political pressure. The group from Alaska that went down to DC and got themselves arrested should be ashamed. I am embarrassed for them–standing out in public with their lips yapping in the wind. They did not speak for me and many others. I’m getting damned tired of it. Be civil and let due process go forth. We pay Senator Murkowski to do a job, to use her best judgment and make some decisions. I don’t agree with the crap going on here at home but have to put up with it. The drunks, druggies, pot smokers and homeless leaving messes all over town bug me. The yapping far left bug me with their uneducated noise. Let our elected leaders do their jobs without circumventing and sidelining them. Sit down and take a breath. Try decaf.
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