Sen. Murkowski halfway to victory as vote counting continues in Alaska

[Wretched Excess]

if princess lisa is carrying 98 percent of the write in vote, then hats off to her, even if it she did it with a slew of democrat votes.

I would certainly rather have miller than murkowski (lifetime ACU rating  : 70), but it could be worse.  and that is the best thing I can say about it.

(the election 2010 forum sure got archived in a hurry.   )

Sen. Murkowski halfway to victory as vote counting continues in Alaska

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) is edging closer to a reelection victory.

She has taken close to 98 percent of some 45,000 write-in ballots counted so far in Alaska. A total of 92,979 write-in votes were cast on Election Day — Murkowski needs about 88 percent of those in order to surpass the 82,180 votes her Republican challenger, Joe Miller, took.

Miller’s vote counting observers have continued to challenge Murkowski ballots that were spelled accurately and looked to be filled out properly, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The challenged ballots often had a wrong letter in Murkowski's last name or her party affiliation written on the ballot next to it.


Less than two percent of the Miller camp’s challenges have been successful. Another 8 percent of the write-ins it challenged were overturned and counted for Murkowski. But state Elections Director Gail Fenumiai has set those aside as "counted but challenged." The courts could decide whether they count toward Murkowski’s vote total.


Meanwhile, the state of Alaska is trying to have Miller's lawsuit challenging the counting process thrown out of federal court.

More

[GOP Congress]

Is Murkowski keeping her (R) designation? Not really a big deal, but shouldn't she be an independent, like Lieberman?

[Duke Nukum]

Nothing shows that the Senate is a big boys club like this does.

The Republicans in Alaska chose their candidate and the Senate republicans threw a hissy fit.

[Wretched Excess]

Is Murkowski keeping her (R) designation? Not really a big deal, but shouldn't she be an independent, like Lieberman?

I don't know if she can.  she can caucus with the republicans, but since she was not the nominee of the party, I don't know if she can retain the (R) designation.

[Wretched Excess]

princess lisa is 2,000 votes down with 10,000 write-ins left to count, plus the absentees.  I think I would rather be murkowski than miller right now.  I really didn't think that 90,000 alaskans would remember how to spell "murkowski".

Murkowski continues to progress in write-in count

Elections officials worked a partial day Sunday counting write-in ballots, but Lisa Murkowski's race to overtake Joe Miller's election-night lead closed to within 2,000 votes.

Murkwoski is so far garnering votes from more than 97 percent of absentee ballots, a rate that has varied only a few tenths of a percent since counting began Wednesday.

With less than 10,000 write-in votes left to be counted, Murkowski is on pace to exceed Miller's total by several thousand votes.

Miller elections observers are continuing to challenge Murkowski votes, but most of those challenges are being overruled by Elections Director Gail Fenumiai.

Sunday, Miller's teams challenged 666 ballots out of 4,963 reviewed. Fenumiai determined that eight out of 10 of the challenged ballots were valid votes for Murkowski, but the challenged votes were segregated in the event a judge wants to review them after hearing Miller's court challenge.

Twenty percent of the challenges were upheld by Fenumiai, and those votes were not included in Murkowski's growing total. However, Murkowski has election observers challenging discarded votes, including ones where the oval on the ballot was not filled in. Those are also being segregated in case Murkowski can convince a judge they should be reviewed and counted.

The questioned votes from voters, who, for example, voted in the wrong precinct, and early votes are now done, Fenumiai said.

"Tomorrow, we plan to start with absentees," she said Sunday evening of the staff at the Thane Road work location.

More

[Allentownjake]

I don't know if she can.  she can caucus with the republicans, but since she was not the nominee of the party, I don't know if she can retain the (R) designation.

Arlen Specter had a D after his name after the party switch and Richard Shelby had an R.  I'm assuming that it is a matter of personal preference rather than any actual firm rules.

[Wretched Excess]

Arlen Specter had a D after his name after the party switch and Richard Shelby had an R.  I'm assuming that it is a matter of personal preference rather than any actual firm rules.

I believe the party has a say in it;  perhaps even the state party, since it is the state party's nominee.  party switchers are almost always embraced by the party that gains from the switch. 

but given the forked up nature of the alaska republican party, there is no telling what will happen.

[Allentownjake]

I believe the party has a say in it;  perhaps even the state party, since it is the state party's nominee.  party switchers are almost always embraced by the party that gains from the switch. 

but given the forked up nature of the alaska republican party, there is no telling what will happen.

I'm 100% sure that if she wins and wants an R behind her name she'll get it.

No one in your political party will want to be pissing off of a woman who won't have another referendum on her position for 6 years.

Particularly given the amount of federal spending Alaska is dependent on, and the power of a US Senator to direct said spending.

[Wretched Excess]

I'm 100% sure that if she wins and wants an R behind her name she'll get it.

No one in your political party will want to be pissing off of a woman who won't have another referendum on her position for 6 years.

Particularly given the amount of federal spending Alaska is dependent on, and the power of a US Senator to direct said spending.

well, yeah.  if she wins, and that is what it takes to mollify her, sure.  the state and national party will pull whatever strings need pulling to make it happen for her.  I'm just not sure that it is strictly a matter of her personal preference.  having said all of that, however, I don't know for certain how it works.

and I assumed that preventing a pissed off alaskan senator was why the republican caucus didn't strip her of her committee seniority when she ran as a write in;  just in case she won.  

[Wretched Excess]

well, heck.  I just remembered from another thread that her write in application lists her as a republican. 

[Allentownjake]

well, yeah.  if she wins, and that is what it takes to mollify her, sure.  the state and national party will pull whatever strings need pulling to make it happen for her.  I'm just not sure that it is strictly a matter of her personal preference.  having said all of that, however, I don't know for certain how it works.

and I assumed that preventing a pissed off alaskan senator was why the republican caucus didn't strip her of her committee seniority when she ran as a write in;  just in case she won.  

Yes the democrats have been dealing with the Lieberman problem since 2006, after he lost the primary and democrats supported his challenger.

PA has a way of solving this issue, if you run in a party primary party and lose, you can't run as an independent or as a write-in.

[Allentownjake]

well, heck.  I just remembered from another thread that her write in application lists her as a republican. 

She's going to be a giant bitter pain in the ass to your party, just so you know.

I don't think she'll go to the links that Lieberman goes to, to give the democrats the finger whenever he gets the opportunity, however she's going to be a pain in the ass.

Mitch gives her any wiggle room, she's going to run roughshod over him.

[TheSarge]

Yes the democrats have been dealing with the Lieberman problem since 2006, after he lost the primary and democrats supported his challenger.

PA has a way of solving this issue, if you run in a party primary party and lose, you can't run as an independent or as a write-in.

The Lieberman "problem"?  That's rich!  Considering it was a problem the party made for themselves.  Serves them right for trying to oust the man for simply believing that the protection of his country came before petty partisan politics.

Serves the Dems right for trying a coup like that.

[Allentownjake]

The Lieberman "problem"?  That's rich!  Considering it was a problem the party made for themselves.  Serves them right for trying to oust the man for simply believing that the protection of his country came before petty partisan politics.

Serves the Dems right for trying a coup like that.

Funny, I remember Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton raising Lieberman cash in 2006 for his primary challenge and the DSCC underfunding his opponent.

 

It is a club, and despite the rhetoric you just floated, Lamont wasn't in it.

[Wretched Excess]

She's going to be a giant bitter pain in the ass to your party, just so you know.

I don't think she'll go to the links that Lieberman goes to, to give the democrats the finger whenever he gets the opportunity, however she's going to be a pain in the ass.

Mitch gives her any wiggle room, she's going to run roughshod over him.

she was already sort of a pain in the ass;  not on the order that a senator mike castle would have been, but a pain in the ass nonetheless.  miller isn't finished yet.  maybe the absentees will break differently. 

[TheSarge]

Funny, I remember Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton raising Lieberman cash in 2006 for his primary challenge and the DSCC underfunding his opponent.

 

It is a club, and despite the rhetoric you just floated, Lamont wasn't in it.

Rhetoric my lilly white ass.  The Dem party in that state went after him for his stance on the war.

Not sure where YOU were in 2006 when it happened...but here in the real world it was all over the press.

Oh...nice try on saying that the Clintons and Obama were "raising Lieberman cash in 2006."

First off no one knew who Obama was in 2006. They wouldn't for another year.

Secondly...Hillary is on record saying she would support the winner of the primary.  Which ummm...was NOT Joe Lieberman.

Howard Dean called for Joe to drop out of the race.

Nice try at yet again revising history to fit the way you want it to be. 

Too bad reality got in the way.

[Freeper]

After what I heard today she may as well just defect to the Democrats.
She said she wants Obama to be successful. Meaning she wants him to implement his vision for this country.
If she supports his vision she needs to drop the R and assume a D right away.

[Wretched Excess]

After what I heard today she may as well just defect to the Democrats.
She said she wants Obama to be successful. Meaning she wants him to implement his vision for this country.
If she supports his vision she needs to drop the R and assume a D right away.

yep.  she has a boulder sized chip on her shoulder . . . demint cost "us" the majority in the senate . . . palin lacks the "intellectual curiosity" to be president.  the only group she dislikes more than the "establishment" republicans is the tea partiers.

she is going to be a problem.

[Freeper]

yep.  she has a boulder sized chip on her shoulder . . . demint cost "us" the majority in the senate . . . palin lacks the "intellectual curiosity" to be president.  the only group she dislikes more than the "establishment" republicans is the tea partiers.

she is going to be a problem.

If the GOP held a majority full of people like her it would be no different than the dems holding the majority.
Sarah Palin and the Tea party gave the GOP the house and a couple of extra seats in the Senate.
Lisa is as bad as the democrats who didn't get the message we sent 2 weeks ago.

[Wretched Excess]

If the GOP held a majority full of people like her it would be no different than the dems holding the majority.
Sarah Palin and the Tea party gave the GOP the house and a couple of extra seats in the Senate.
Lisa is as bad as the democrats who didn't get the message we sent 2 weeks ago.

murkowski is a bit of a fluke in a fluky state.  I think she will turn out to be more of a footnote than anything else.

sarah palin and the tea party have changed the republican party.  and they aren't done yet.  I think it will turn out that "The Republican Establishment" only seemed formidable, only to fold in the face of the common sense, return to your roots message of limited government and individual liberty.

it's an evolving process, but compare the current GOP tone, priorities, and message to just a year ago.  imagine what it will be next year, or the year after.

[5412]

murkowski is a bit of a fluke in a fluky state.  I think she will turn out to be more of a footnote than anything else.

sarah palin and the tea party have changed the republican party.  and they aren't done yet.  I think it will turn out that "The Republican Establishment" only seemed formidable, only to fold in the face of the common sense, return to your roots message of limited government and individual liberty.

it's an evolving process, but compare the current GOP tone, priorities, and message to just a year ago.  imagine what it will be next year, or the year after.

Hi,

While I detest Murkowski because I believe her to be like the Kennedy's in the regard that she is royalty and through birth should inherit her daddy's power......I am glad she is speaking out.  The more we see of that the easier it gets to separate the wheat from the chaff.

She will be in deep trouble down the road when the Republicans do not spend any funding to help her because her kind are gone.  Much like Charlie Crist here in FL, she will get her due soon enough.

regards,
5412

[Karin]

Mr. 5412:  Wise words. 

I put my finger on who/what Murkowski reminded me of...a character in a Columbo episode.  A bitter, vindictive woman, perhaps with a drinking problem, married to a man of stature, who turns out to be Whodunit. 

[cavegal]

Murkowski Wins Re-Election as Write-in Candidate, AP Projects

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/17/murkowski-wins-election-write-candidate-ap-projects/

Her victory became clear when Alaska election officials confirmed they had only about 700 votes left to count, putting Murkowski in safe territory to win re-election

   hmmmm

[Chris_]

What about uncounted overseas and military ballots?

[GOP Congress]

she is going to be a problem.

Bottom line: Ignore her. Pragmatically, she is no different than a Democrat/Socialist. The media will try to magnify her importance. Note when Joe Lieberman did the same thing, they drove Joe under the bus.

The media LOVES Republicans whom are Independent, while DESPISING democrats whom are Independent.